The Lorax Blanket

Since I have recently resolved to put more order into my stash and to finish up some of the multitudinous projects I have in process, I once again picked up the Lorax Blanket. Many who know me know that my favorite toy, outside of my fiber toys, is my Miata. 1997 M-Edition MX5 in British racing green with Italian leather interior, to be exact. All in one package, it represents by far my most frivolous impulse purchase ever. A short drive with the top down will cure almost any day's annoyances. A trip into the Sierras on a windy road is, well... indescribably fine. So about 3 years or so ago, shortly after I acquired the car, I began the Lorax blanket. I wanted a smallish lap blanket for chilly autumn drives (with the top down, of course). Lorax is the name (and license plate) of my Miata. If you don't know the story The Lorax, by Dr. Suess, you can read the text here.

Using the logic that such a trip would always involve long pants, I spun up a pretty moorit Icelandic lamb fleece. (Moorit is brown to you non-sheep savy folks.) I kept the design very simple to show off the natural color variations in the wool. It is straight-forward stockinette with a seed stitch border. Although the Icelandic is a bit itchy, the blanket has a great drapiness, feeling both warm and lightweight. To personalize it I knitted "LORAX" into one corner in purl stitches. Unfortunately the name is too subtle to show up in the pictures. I kept the overall dimensions short enough to stay well clear of the peddles, yet it can be turned lengthwise to cover the feet when used by a passenger. To keep it from getting too dusty or dirty when not in use, I have one of those zippered vinyl bags that come with sheet sets. This fall's trip to Apple Hill will be done in style!

In related efforts, I have declared August to be "Freedom Month". This involves going through my massive number of unfinished projects and bags of mystery fiber and ruthlessly unravelling or tossing out any that I am no longer in love with, and thus will probably never complete. If I don't like it at this stage, it is unlikely that I will like it any more after I invest more hours on it. This action is both painful and amazingly satisfying.

For years it has seemed like I never had the right size knitting needles for the project at hand. After just a few hours looking through bags and baskets, and a bit of unraveling, the mystery has been solved. With a little more self control about starting new projects before finishing old ones, I should never need to buy needles again!