Blankets on a Hot Day

I have my usual summer doldrums, where my passion for knitting wooly things wain, and my indifference towards little knitted tank tops and such causes me to rethink my projects. I am working on a new design for a boat neck tank, but it will be done start to finish in about 3 days, so meanwhile I plan a bigger project. I have never made a full size knitted blanket. I have made lots of quilts. I like quilts and the effort it takes to make them is worth the results. Here are two that I have made in the past... one for a single bed that used to be in my sewing / guest room. See the sewing machines on it? It now sits on the end of the guest queensize bed. The other is a star and log cabin squares quilt that I made twice. Both were queen size and I think are quite stricking with the tan, burgundy and black theme.

So what to do with a knitted blanket? I search Ravelry and discovered some lovely finished projects, and also the major danger in blanket knitting... the dreaded 'hibernation' blanket... ones that get started, but never manage to get finished. Is it boredom? Or just the sheer volume of knitting. I think it is like quilting. You need to steel yourself for a long haul and revel in the accomplishment of one quarter, one half, etc.

I have ordered some funky dyed cotton from Elann. I have two colours and 10 balls of each colour, and a new Addi Turbo circular in 3.5mm to inspire me, on the way by mail. The vague idea right now will be some form of Moderne Log Cabin Blanket, from Mason Dixon Knitting. I will swatch it when it gets here to see if I like the look of it in garter stitch....

Quilts take about 100 hours of labour to make, could knitted blankets be that much more?

Stay tuned as I test my stamina.