Results of Hit Whore Post

Okay, so putting porn words in a blog post doesn't really help much...I'll stick with knitting and queer issues.

Blog Stats

I got a bit of a bump in hits...an average of less than 100 more hits to the last post than other posts, but when I look at the search terms used to locate the blog, only one of them could even possibly been construed as looking for porn ("web camera to take photos" was the search term).

So perhaps Maureen is right...perhaps most readers just come for the knitting.

But then again, I've always said (and written) that I write the blog for myself, and the fact that others read it, is like icing on the cake.  And I did enjoy writing the blog post and the subsequent comments.

Current Knitting

So, the Milano blanket is complete (edging and all), washed and blocked.

After all is said and done, the blanket easily fits over this queen size bed.

What I love about the blanket is how light and warm it is.  Sock gauge yarn knit on US5 needles makes for a very lightweight blanket, and the density of the Milano stitch makes for a warm covering.  The combination is great.

Nico loves it too.

For anyone that wants the "pattern" for this blanket, here it is:

Milano Blanket - by Joe Wilcox

Yarn - Approximately 24 different colors of sock-weight yarn (at least 400 yds for each color - half in solids or mottled colorways and half in self-patterning or variegated yarns) - My yarns were a wide mix of yarns from Skacel, Regia, Cascade, Universal and Madeline Tosh as well as a number of independent dyers like Black Bunny Fibers.

Needle - 60" Addi Turbo Circular needle, US5 (3.75 mm)

Instructions
With the first solid/mottled color of yarn, cast on 500 sts.

Milano Stitch - (found from Cast-On Podcast Blog by Brenda Dayne)
Row 1 – *S1, K1, yo, psso both. Repeat from * to end
Row 2 – P all
Row 3 – K1 *Sl1, K1, yo, psso both. Repeat from *to last stitch, end K1
Row 4 – P all
Rows 5-8 - Repeat rows 1-4

Change to your first self-patterning/variegated colorway of yarn and repeat Rows 1-8

Continue randomly switching colorways of yarn, making 8-row "stripes" of knitting, with the one rule being that you alternate between solid and variegated colored stripes each time.

Knit a total of 66 8-row stripes (or 528 rows (or 264,000 sts)) and leave 500 sts on your needle (don't bind off).

Weave in all ends - into the corresponding stripe of the color you're weaving.

Edging
Because of the weight of the blanket and the large number of stitches, I knit the edging on two sides of the blanket first, and then the other two sides.

First Two Sides
Using  a solid color of yarn (you'll need two balls of yarn for the edging), knit 500 sts on the needle, place stitch marker, and then pick up 398 sts along side of blanket (pick up 6 sts per stripe, plus one extra at the beginning and end of your picking up).  Knit back all 898 sts.

Knit 500 sts, incr 1 st, slip stitch marker, K1, incr 1 st, K397, incr 1, K1.

Knit back all 900 sts.

Repeat the last two rows of garter stitch 3 more times, increasing 3 sts each repeat.

Bind off loosely.

Second two sides:
On the cast-on edge, pick up and knit 500 sts, place marker and then along edge, pick up and knit 398 sts.  Knit back all 898 sts.

As with first two sides, knit 4 rows of garter stitch with increases at the corner and bind off loosely.

Sew up two edging corners and weave in ends.

Wash and block to desired size.