Machine Knitting At Its Easiest

 Years ago I needed knitting machine to assist in a Relief Society knitting project. On a whim, (which turned out to be inspiration!) I went to the Freecycle website to see if anyone had one.  The very next morning a woman offered me her Bond Incredible Sweater Machine. I drove to Springfield for it. 

The machine was in its original box. It was in great condition.  It took me a while to figure out how to knit with it, but once the learning curve straightened out I was good to go.

When we went over for the wedding our son got out this "extra blanket" for us in case the wonderful 3-D quilt our daughter made for his wedding gift was not warm enough and we needed more blankets.  I had forgotten all about making it.

It was knit with wool yarn from Hilda Yates' Yarn Sale which she had for many years the weekend before Halloween.  She would fill the rooms in her beautiful farmhouse with huge piles of skeins of colorful yarn.  She has a flock of sheep and had sent the fleeces to Harmony, Maine to the Bartlettyarns mills to be spun and dyed then brought home to sell. She sold it at half the price you would need to spend in a yarn store.  Most years I went to the yarn sale, several times with Dear One who came along to encourage frugality and thrift, but that was pretty much a losing proposition.  He stayed in the kitchen where a wonderful spread of breakfast goodies was laid out.  Sometimes we brought scones or something else to add to the table.

The blanket was made by starting with one strip then adding on, connecting the strips as I went.

You can see the seam up the edge of the strips, even though it is horizontal in this picture.  It makes a nice sturdy connection between the pieces and is pleasantly noticeable if you are looking.

It is a nice wool blanket.  It makes me want to make another one when we get home from our mission.  There is still some Hilda Yates yarn in a yarn bin at home. At least there was when we left nearly two years ago...!