After a week of a lot of pain (arthritis and back, and then some lovely wrist pain thrown in this weekend), and parenting stress (child with GORD/GERD who will be having surgery soon and who’s also seemed to develop some strong anxiety, which is a new world to me), I was able to put it all together. I finally finished it while watching The Fox’s Lair tonight, which I thought was well timed. I still need to block it, so I might wash it and then stretch it out on my bed and pin it down. This yarn dries fast, so it will hopefully give me the final effect I’m after that way.

I really need to rearrange some furniture to be able to take the finished photos easier, as the angle for this is a bit tricky. I am pleased with the outcome, including the use of orange for joining and edging. My daughter and I discussed it (because needing a second opinion is important at times), and we settled on orange. Not only because it’s a nice contrast to the panels, but because it represents that aesthetic link Bree and Jamie share through their hair, and how they’re the two most important people in Claire’s life.

I’m sure that it would look good with white for joining and edging, which was my daughter’s first choice, or even a darker colour like black or brown. I kept it simple and used single stitch for joining and edging, though I did two trips round on the edging. I know there are multiple ways of doing that, but given how pain-filled my week was, I thought simple was best. If you choose to do a different joining stitch, one that would increase the space between panels, then I suggest adding extra column/s to the banner (if you use it), to ensure that it’s wide enough.

Please keep in mind that I did put together some alternate squares in case others preferred a different set up. I know others will have different favourite characters than me, so I tried to include the most popular. All the panels can be found listed on the Outlander CAL master post page. If anyone does give it a go, I’d love to see!

With the temperature finally dropping, this is my favourite time of year for working on blankets, as it kept me toasty warm when piecing it together. I’m sure it will be a delightful addition to my bed or to snuggle up under when watching TV and making something else. I am so thankful to Diana Gabaldon for creating this series, as I’ve read it multiple times and continue to find something new in it each time. The cast have brought the books to life in such a wonderful way, especially Sam and Cait.Though I was kinda disappointed not to have discussions about the Old Fox’s prostate not turn up on this episode :p You can’t have everything, I know, and I did love the episode, especially seeing Jamie talking to the baby. Be still, my quivering ovaries.

Next up I plan on doing something Star Trek related, perhaps in bobble stitch, which I’ve been meaning to try. I know it will take more yarn, but I’m sure it will be worth it.