Ahhhhh... Serenity!

I started this blanket in April 2012, with no intended recipient in mind. I had purchased the yarn (Plymouth Yarns Jeannee DK) to use with some colorful yarn I had in my stash. The idea was to make granny squares but I quickly abandoned that idea when I contemplated all the loose ends to weave in and the notion I would have to stitch all the squares together. 

The pattern I used for this blanket is called "Serenity"; it was something I found on Ravely and I was excited to see that it appeared I had the right amount of yarn to make the project.  I've been working on this on and off since casting on in April.  It's a project where you have to focus pretty intensely for one round (the pattern is both charted and written out long hand) but then the next round you are rewarded for your efforts and you simply just have to knit all the way around. 

I worked on this intently during much of July.  Some one dear to me was suddenly hospitalized for two weeks and my concern for my loved one really had me preoccupied during the day.  It was so nice and comforting to come home each evening and spend a little time knitting on this blanket.  Such a calming, meditative thing... to be working on something called "Serenity".  I reminded me of "The Serenity Prayer"...

The Serenity Prayer

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.

My loved one is out of the hospital and, since I was able to make a rather large version of this blanket, I decided it would be a nice lap afghan for her.  After all, there was a healing thought in each and every stitch...