WIP | Herlacyn Heatwave

Slowly but surely, Herlacyn Heatwave is making headway. The last time we talked about this afghan, the first strip had just been completed.

As soon as that strip was done, I cast on strip two. It looks an awful lot like the first one, doesn't it? It's true, all three strips are quite similar, but each one features a slightly different mix of colors worked against a black background, which creates an interesting ombre or gradient effect once all the elements are assembled.

Speaking of finishing, let's cut to the chase. After a bit more knitting, all three strips were ready for seaming. Normally, I wait until the end and weave ends once the entire blanket is finished, but knitting time is so scarce these days, I decided to try something different, and weave ends as I seamed.

If you look closely below, you can see as I picked up stitches along the strip edge, I wrapped (trapped) the contrasting color with the black working yarn during the pick up process. This created a tidy braided effect, and it will definitely save time during the finishing process.

Now the seams are completed, and it's waiting patiently for the next stage. So far, I like how things are coming together. 

Mornings and evenings have been slightly cool, a reminder that fall is right around the corner, so I'm eager to get this finished. I confess, I'm already fantasizing about greeting each fall day sipping a steaming cup of coffee, watching the sun rise with this happy harlequin afghan draped over my legs. All it needs is a simple border, so I'd better get busy. 

Looking for the pattern? It's in development and will soon be heading to the tech editor for review.

Meanwhile, I'm connecting with the linkups in the sidebar.