After knitting two swatches yesterday, all the preparations are done to knit the Bubble Trouble Throw Blanket using Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick. My swatches helped me make important decisions before starting to knit. Here they are again.
Color Sequence Swatch
I cast on 99 stitches with color A (Barley), a dark grey.
I’m using the knitted cast on as I want a flat cast on edge that will mirror the bind off. With this cast on I can pick up stitches easily for the knit-on border while finishing the blanket.
The KNITTER’S PRIDE Mindful 100cm (40″) Fixed Circular Lace Knitting Needle – 9.0mm (US 13) has a good cable that accommodates the big stitches for the blanket.
Changing the colors and carrying the yarn works as planned, I switch colors every 6 rows, right after the bubble row and carry the unused yarn along one edge.
The work is quick and in no time, I finish a ball of yarn. It’s time to attach a new ball.
As the yarn is squishy and is two-plied, I can use the braided method of attaching yarn.
First, I untwist one of the ends (usually the one from the new ball of yarn) for about 2” – 3” [5 – 8cm].
Attaching a new ball of yarn using the braided method
I place the other yarn end between the two untwisted strands, and I start braiding. I should have about 2” – 3” of braided yarn.
Attaching a new ball of yarn using the braided method.
Once I finish braiding, I continue knitting with the braided yarn. I’ll trim the ends if they stick out of the work, but there are no ends to weave in, and it’s barely noticeable. This method works best with squishy yarns that allow the braiding to disappear once it is knitted.
The blanket is growing, it feels warm on my lap, and it has a certain weight to it that makes it cozy. There’s a sea of bubble stripes on my lap!
Bubble Trouble Blanket detail
I’ll keep knitting until I reach the desired length, about 60” [150cm]. Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick is the super bulky member of the Wool-Ease family. It has the feel, warmth, and softness of wool with the easy care of acrylic. Perfect for extra warm sweaters, jackets, vests, slippers and hats. It’s an ideal beginner yarn and who wouldn’t appreciate that it’s machine wash and dry?
Join me tomorrow as I finish the Bubble Trouble Throw Blanket using a knit-on border that ties it all in nicely.
This is part 4 of 5 in this series
Go back to part 3: My Cozy Bubble Blanket and the Tattle Tale Swatch
