My 7th Square and an Introduction

Thanks for the invitiation to join this knit-along. Well, I have been obsessed with GAAA ever since I saw a live version in Cascade 220 at Knit, New York last Autumn. Shortly after, I was the happy owner of the pattern and 30 skeins of Cascade 220 (100 % wool) bought at Webs with a 40% discount. Once in a while I wonder how I am going to use the 15 skeins or so that will be leftover... My unambitious plan is to knit a square a month, so far I am on track. It is the 7th monh and I have 7 squares. The current bet with bf is whether the afghan will be done or I have a permanent position first. I currently live on Long Island, New York and work as a post doc at Stony Brook University.
My 7th square is Marion Tabler, which was one of funniest ones so far. I love the tipsy cables.

You can see my knitting projects in my blog strikkeforsker (knitting scientist), where I write about knitting and life as a Dane in the US. The strange language is Danish :-)

I made it!!

My GAAA has been delivered to Ohio State Fair judging. A mere one hour before the deadline, but it's there. Next time I see it will be when it's on display at the fair.

I started sewing up the squares on Sunday, and after taking off a day and a half from work, knitting from basically 9:30 am Monday until 3:30 am Tuesday and then sewing on the border as I was knitting it to get it sized right (I'd actually recommend this, because my corners would not have been in the right place otherwise) I finished it up about 4:45 on Tuesday. That left me enough time to get the entry tags on it, find my other two entries and hop into the car to drop it off, which was a strangely uneventful process.

I didn't get a chance to get any great photos, because I basically had to stand on my couch and shoot them while the afghan was on the floor, but here's a decent attempt:



My wrists are so swollen I'm not sure I'll be able to knit for the rest of this week. Which is a shame because I am absolutely *dying* to start something new. Something colorful, and not in cream colored yarn. :-)

Typing is making me a bit sore now, so I'll post more of my technical caveats here later. This was such a fun project -- I wish you all luck as you continue!

Down to the wire

I've had 3 hours of sleep, but I'm at work today. I have about 2 more feet of border to knit and attach. I know it's been said already, but allow me to repeat: the sewing up takes relatively little time, but DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE LENGTH OF TIME IT WILL TAKE TO KNIT THE BORDER. I've figured out it takes me 8 - 10 minutes to knit one repeat of the border chart. Multiply that by 108 + corners and .... well, now you know why I've had three hours of sleep.

I have at least been sewing it to the afghan as I've been knitting a section of it, so I know exactly how much is left to go pretty accurately.

Am going home to knit at lunch, then will take off a bit early this afternoon from work. Hopefully this will be finished in time to get to the fair dropoff by 7 pm. Luckily, I live a mere 20 minutes from the fairgrounds. I have actually considered having a friend pick me up and drive me there so I can weave in ends in the car if need be.

I am happy to report though, that the afghan's looks multiply exponentially once you get it sewn together. It really is gorgeous if I do say so myself. I'll post some photos tonight after I drop it off.

In the homestretch

I have roughly 35 hours to finish the GAAA and drop it off to the state fair.

Currently, all squares are knitted, and I have 3 rows of squares seamed up. I have almost 50% of the border knitted. And I just took a sick day from work.

I think I'll make it. Barely!

Hopefully a photo will appear here by tonight or tomorrow!

Stats

I have 8 days left.

I have 2.5 squares left to knit.
I will then have about 7 squares to block. And all 20 to sew together.
I have about 2 feet of border knitted.

I have a full time job. (Though I do have part of Wednesday off)

Will I make it? Maybe.

I do think I've made a definite decision to give up on the Salpekar square. While it's one of my favorite designs in the book, and I did finally figure out the invisible cast on with the help of someone at my Stitch n' Bitch this weekend (I just needed to know that yes, I could use my normal way of doing a provisional cast on -- not the wacky way in the book) I think it's just too challenging to do this late in the game. It took me 2 hours to do an inch of the center square! Perhaps I'll make myself a pillow with my leftovers and give that a shot after my deadline. In the meantime, I'm thinking of doing another one of the in the round ones (the Campbell was the only one I did).

Welcome

We are really picking up steam this week in the new member department. I've just added two more people, Cathie, and Sarah. Welcome!

If anyone, new or not, has a blog or progress page they'd like me to link over in the side bar that isn't currently linked, let me know, and I'll get that posted too.

--Amy

Housekeeping!

First off, congratulations to Kristin, who is our first finisher! It's a gorgeous afghan!

Secondly, welcome to two new members, Susan and Janet!


On my own personal progress, I have 14 days left, and about 3.75 squares left to knit, along with most of the border, half the blocking and all the seaming. This is what I call drama, folks!