A long, long time ago–back in the Fall of 2006 to be exact–Laura Aylor introduced the Lizard Ridge blanket to the world. Knitty published the pattern, and it instantly became THE blanket in my mind. I adore knitting with Noro Kureyon, and the way the Lizard Ridge worked to show off the gorgeous colors of the yarn and brought everything together into such a magnificent whole absolutely undid me. That picture of the blanket draped over the seafoam rocking chair, on what I presume is the “Ridge,” has been in my head ever since.
I started my own version sometime in the distant past and loved the yarn, loved the squares, loved the whole idea except that I did not love knitting all those short rows. Four or five squares of the blanket and a box full of beautiful Kureyon have been sitting in my closet ever since. Or I should say they, had been sitting in my closet until the Fringe and Friends Logalong started percolating in my brain.
I tentatively knit one Log Cabin square with the Kureyon, and guess what. Potato chips! You canNOT knit just one. My few squares of Lizard Ridge:
Quickly became a pile of Log Cabin:
I found Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne’s Fussy Cuts Blanket Pattern, and I was off.
All I want to do is knit log cabin squares. I can’t explain it.
At first I wondered if the picking up stitches part would be a drag, but I read this post by the Yarn Harlot on “picking up and knitting” stitches and “picking up” stitches and knitting, and I never looked back. I might even say that the picking up business is one of my favorite parts of the whole process. It’s so easy to do once you know what you’re looking for and so satisfying!
I have become someone who knits log cabin squares all the time. Couch, car, classroom, bathroom, outside with the dogs, at the dinner table, standing at the dryer waiting for the clothes to dry, planting trees, falling asleep, getting dressed, standing in line, I knit them. I knit them ALL THE TIME.
The closest anyone has come to capturing the whole thing is Karen Templar in her February 15th blog post. She is talking specifically about her wonderful Log Cabin Mitts here, but I believe the idea holds true for all kinds of log cabin projects:
I know it seems like I’m just knitting Log Cabin Mitts here, but that’s not how it feels to me. There’s something primordial about it. I’m having a reaction. Succumbing to an addiction. Scratching some itch that I don’t quite understand and am enjoying more than I can describe. I mean, the knitting is really fun, and the finished mitts are super cool and useful and feel good on my hands, so on that level they’re an obvious delight. There’s also something almost subversive about it, since I add onto them in life’s interstices — knitting a patch in a stolen moment here and there . . . . And when I’m not knitting them, I have intense withdrawal. I literally dream about them, and my hands yearn for them when I’m doing other things. I can’t think of a parallel experience.
As much as I did not enjoy knitting the Lizard Ridge short rows, THAT is how much I love knitting Log Cabin squares. More than that. It is seriously all I want to do.
All the time.
I am in the process of knitting log cabin squares for a grandbaby to arrive in early summer. The picking up is difficult for me, maybe I don’t know what to look for.
Take a look at the Yarn Harlot post, Fran, and if it doesn’t help, let me know. I’ll send you a video. It’s so easy now that I know what to look for.
Congratulations on having a new grandbaby on the way!!!!
I printed out that log cabin mitts,as soon as it appeared. How wonderful the blanket will be. Log cabin squares! Yours ate wonderful!!
Hahaha!! YES!!!!! 😊
I have to edit this: I read your comment as, “Log Cabin Squares, YOU are wonderful!” Lolol!! Which of course they are!!! Mine are fine but no more wonderful than anyone else’s. 😉
I’m sold – I’ve seen them in person and they are just as cool in pictures. I think I need to learn how to do this.
You so totally need to do this! Think lucky charms marshmallow pieces in knitting form. 😉
That blanket is going to be amazing!!!!
Thank you, Nicky! I’m actually thinking I might finish this one. LOL!
You should!
Your squares are gorgeous, Melinda! Kureyon is one of my favourite things, and working them into Log Cabin squares produces such an interesting effect – it’s as if the squares and rectangles are like containers for the beautiful, fluid colour-changes. All I can see in the 2nd to last photo are compartments of pure joy and radiance! This blanket is going to be SO awesome, and I’m so uplifted by your work. 🙂
I have never tried Log Cabin squares, but your and Karen Templer’s accounts are making me really, really curious!! Happy knitting!
Ohhh, thank you!!! I LOVE thinking of the squares this way! That’s truly how they feel, but I didn’t have the words for it. For some reason I had it in my mind that your Welcome Blanket was done with the log cabin technique, but I just looked back and see that it wasn’t. It sure is gorgeous, though. It’s sitting in my head next to the Lizard Ridge on the brain shelf marked blanket happiness. 🙂
I love that idea – thankfully, there are many ways to reach blanket happiness! 🙂
Wow, wow, just wow! Isn’t amazing how life works sometimes? That log cabin blanket is going to be so freaking gorgeously amazing. Knit on, my friend. Knit on!
Hahaha!!! Thank you so much, Paula!! ❤️
I love Noro yarns, just watching the colour changes as I knit is so rewarding and addictive! And your enthusiasm is inspiring, I’ve been lurking at cabin log blankets for long and maybe it’s time to just give in and add it to my knitting queue? 🙂
Oh, you MUST!!! You absolutely won’t regret it. 😉
Your squares are so satisfying to the eye! I want to eat them up like candy! What lovely colors and that stack of them is too much for my heart! Way to go on the project!!
Thank you for this comment, Melissa. I absolutely love it. ❤️
Gorgeous – what yarn do you use?
It’s Noro Kureyon. Love it!!