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I was asked about the durability of knitted blankets and whether I felt they were too heavy. I prefaced my reply with a short story.
While I was still living at home, our neighbour was crocheting all the time. She made all the blankets for her family. We could view the lovely rainbow of colours on wash days when there would be many of these blankets hanging on the line. Not that they were washed every week, but frequently there would be half a dozen or more on the line. We were neighbours for several years and during that time there were many washing days. When asked, the neighbour told my mom that her family liked them better than regular blankets.
did they get balls from the frequent washing? I have no idea, but that wouldn't stop them from being warm. I have knit and crocheted at least a dozen blankets/afghans over the years and most of them still look good. The dog's blanket is filled with hair, but he loved that he could stick his head under it and still breath (we could tell this by his actions).
As or the blanket being heavy, I am planning to use 12 100 gram balls. That is about 2.5 pounds. I consider this the weight of two thin blankets and much cuddlier. Not heavy at all.
Basically it comes down to personal preference. I haven't knit one with wool as there is the expense and the washing issue. You could use super wash wool, but that is even more expensive. I wouldn't use the cheapest of yarns as they might be more prone to balling. Use a yarn that you are familiar with. If you have used it in a sweater and are happy with the way it washed, then go ahead, pick and pattern and start making your own blanket.
Next week I'll show you photos of some of the blankets I've knit and/or crocheted. Would you like to share the blanket you've stitched, send me an email with the jpeg attached and I'd be happy to include it.
6 comments:
That is so pretty. I just finished my first baby blanket and am in love with it. I hope to get up the motivation to knit an adult sized blanket.
Such a crazy amount of knitting! I've tried a few times, but basic squares are about the limit of my ability. I call them dish clothes, and they function alright. Though they are never quite square. And they take me about a month to knit. heh. I'm always in awe of people who can do it so well.
Beautiful blanket! I'm like Amy - any knitting I've done has ended up as a trapazoid.
I, for one, like my blankets to have a little weight - especially when it's cold outside!
I've made lots of knitted and crocheted blankets (mostly lap blankets and baby blankets rather than full size ones) and they've been well used and loved. I've used acrylics and acrylic blends, but I've also made a good number in wool or wool blends. I use Eucalan no-rinse detergent and I put them in my front-loading washer on the delicate cycle and they come out OK. I prefer wool blankets because they do last longer without pilling and, like sweaters, don't seem to need washing as often. Wool can be expensive, but I watch for the bag sales at elann.com, and I've gotten most of my wool at bargain prices that way.
Your cable blanket is looking great!
I'm glad that I asked that question :) I can't wait to see your photos! (On a side note, I really wish we'd have more yarn stores like Elann and Knitpicks in Europe. That would make knitting more affordable!)
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