I dismantled the blanket I knitted back in 2005 (post here, my first). For some reason that photo is not showing up when I access that post today, so I here it is.
In my head I thought this blanket was alpaca, but it was camel hair and wool. This seems to be all I recorded at the time. The yarn was knit too loosely, which worked for my claustrophobic spouse who hated weight of any kind on him at night, but which also means the blanket has become unwieldy.
I dismantled the blanket into squares, washed them, and am planning on reassembling it into two full/queen sized blankets. One shown above, and two options for the second blanket follow.
Before I dismantled the blanket I ordered some Plymouth Baby Alpaca Grande, thinking that I would use it to join the pieces using a three-needle bind off or single crochet.
The colors I initially ordered were a dark gray, since there is was originally a dark gray in the blanket, and a deep wine color, as that is closer to the colors in my actual room.
Not the same gray, which would have been surprising in any circumstances, but I think the wine might be interesting as well. So far both colors are in stock, but I am thinking I will do one blanket with the gray, and one with the wine, but that could change once I start work. I also have a few squares left over. These will be unknitted. Some of the yarn will be used to repair holes in existing squares, the rest may be knit into a pet blanket, or some other. project.
I also admit I went a little crazy. At one point I wondered if I could intersperse new squares with the salvaged squares, bringing the blanket into something that fits more with my current decor, and I purchased two more skeins of Baby Alpaca Grande. I liked the new colors with my rug, but not with the existing blanket. Perhaps another blanket? Perhaps I am loosing my mind.
I also have the original knitted border from the first blanket. Do I unknit it all? Is it possible to knit something using this giant knitted band? it would take really large needles, which will test my patience, although perhaps not as much as attempting to reclaim the yarn. Or should I just give up and send it off to fiber recycling?