First Baby Blanket

Last Sunday afternoon I caught an episode of Knitty Gritty and how timely for me, given we are expecting our first grand child in May---she aired a pattern for a very simple, yet pretty baby blanket. I'm knitting it with Smooth DK, and even though we now know it will be a grand daughter, I figured Jess & Kenny will be inundated with pink, so I chose a sort of periwinkle. This is the most fun I've had knitting in a long time, as it is a pattern that requires no repeated glancing at a chart and I can just knit away by touch. As a matter of fact, I've discovered sports bars are just great places to knit if you want to engage in conversation, since it's a crowd easily impressed, even with this simple project. Saturday night we ended up watching the UConn/LSU men's basketball game and the Dallas/Seattle football game at a local sports bar, and guys were just fascinated by my knitting, even in the midst of what turned out to be one of the most amazing endings to a football game ever. (I need to interject that re college basketball, the University of Connecticut women's come back to tie Tennessee after being down 18 points was far more exciting for me, even though The Women ultimately lost the game. The guys' teams never display team play, and the youth of this year's Uconn men was evident in their game against LSU) But, as usual, I digress....I was wearing a pair of self-patterned socks (the first pair I'd ever knit) and strangers were awed, even when I assured them that the yarn 'just knits up that way'. I invited a woman from the Dallas fans crew to SnB, but I think she probably was too drunk to remember hahahaha. I just laughed at the attention my knitting drew, because if only they knew what all you SLC-SNBers knit and the intricate patterns you create.....This one woman is a new knitter and was telling me how her scarf keeps growing width-wise and she can't figure out how to wind the yarn around her finger so it just 'flows'. I think I may have to fumigate the blanket, though, from the smoke. And we did end up in the middle of a cat fight . - some young blondie went over my table after some other woman & it took 4-5 guys to hold her back. Never found out what it was all about, other than someone calling someone a name. Tonight should be a great SnB night here in SLC. First, anniversary dinner at Mi La-Cai, then off to the Jitterbug for celebration of SLC's 3rd SnB year. People are exchanging gifts where they used $10 or less yarn in Little Arrowhead pattern. I never got it together to finish a project with this patter, so I'm not participating, but it will be fun to see who gets Katherine's gorgeous scarf. And we are also all bringing new panties to donate to the women's shelter. Can't believe I've been here in SLC almost 2 of those 3 years. On many a Tuesday eveing, this terrific group saved my sanity when I relocated & didn't know a single soul. Happy Anniversary, SLCSNB!!