A Plan

Well I try not to have too many 'wip's' [works in progress]on the go at once and then I see something that completely captures me and there goes that plan.

I saw rainbow blanket on the Purl Soho website. You can buy the kit from them for a mere US$780.

That seemed a little excessive for my budget and then I remembered the plain skeins I'd been stockpiling from our nearby Milton Mill Shop - at NZ$12 for 200g they were a bargain. They are a fingering weight sock yarn - 80% merino 20% nylon. I think I have enough to make the blanket and if not then my sister has a few spare - so it should work out.

Of course with over 40 colours there is a little dyeing required- and my skills will have to improve to actually get the colour I'm aiming for. Given what is involved I decided it should be a year long project.

The first task was to make a practice square to check gauge. The website has a tutorial for the crochet part which was just as well as I had to do every row at least twice until I got it right.
Next I ripped it back and measured how much yarn each part took so I will know how much to dye.
That seemed like enough for the first week. Next I'll start to think about the dye colours.

This time...

 OK - Tempest is now finished - again. But this time it's better because I have sewed the shoulder seams.

 And I'm just chugging away on the spotty carry - I'm doing the second front piece and then the sleeves...