All Hail the Fishgan!!!

My Knitting Posse at Work
Originally uploaded by mikewade

Howdy Everyone, here's a quick post to show you all some of fiberly goodness I (along with some colleagues) have been working on. I present to you the FABULOUS FISH AFGHAN aka Fishgan.

I work for a wonderful technology outfit in Emeryville, CA. We make software for libraries to use their resources more efficiently. And, as luck would have it, we have quite a few folks obsessed with fiber in the company. All the major groups are represented: Spinners, Knitters, Crocheters and Beaders. We even have folks that do book binding, soapmaking and shrinky-dinking (is that a verb?). Pretty crafty group, eh?

When we learned that a colleague was expecting we decided to do a group knitting project that had proven successful in the past. It's a modular pattern that is mostly garter stitch with some shaping and even a bobble. Whoo Hooo! I have to admit at first I wasn't feeling the love for this endeavor, but after we chose the yarn, delicious Blue Sky Alpaca organic cotton, I was sold. I even grew to like the dreaded bobble. What I was most thankful for, though, was not having to piece it all together. That momentous task was left to Kris (2nd from the left in the front).

We proudly presented the lovely Fishgan to mother-to-be Brenda this past Thursday. and I think she was quite pleased.

Project Details:
Pattern: Fabulous Fish Blanket (Knitter's Magazine, Summer 1998)
Yarn: Blue Sky Alpaca cotton (two hanks of 4 different colors)
Needles: US 7 - 9 (different knitters required different sizes for gauge)
Finished size: 44 inches wide by 28 inches high.
Mods: We crocheted a border around each fish and then did another border around the whole thing. Or rather, Kris did. :-)