For Absorba, the Mason-Dixon bathmat, you are supposed to use 3 strands of double worsted peaches and creme, which winds up being pretty bulky. Done on size 15 needles.
You picked up on the “wrong” side on the first square. Great minds think alike. I just started spinning and dyeing and I thought that a log cabin afghan would be a good project for some imperfect yarn.
If you belong to Ravelry they have a log cabin kal going. That’s how I knew about the wrong vs. right side. the tail should have been on your left as you picked up.
I really like how its coming out
To make picking up stitches easier, you can start and finish rows the Russian way - slip the first stitch and purl the last one. It will give a nice edge to pick up from.
In reading the Mason-Dixon book (a really good read BTW)…they said that they always have a log cabin going. As soon as they get done with a regular project of any kind…they immediately knit the left over yarn onto the log cabin (of the same gauge)! Is that not cool?
So I guess I would have at least two log cabins rolling at all time…a worsted weight and a dk weight…my most frequently used yarn weights!
I think a hodge-podge log cabin is the best kind! I like the idea of a log cabin that catches all the leftovers! Hey, it will be just as warm when you’re curled up with a good book or an old movie!
I must really get two log cabins rolling, and soon! 
Don’t ya think a log cabin would be a good summer project??
I agree that it’s a good leftover project. I’m almost through with my log cabin and i’m going to find a nice edge for it in the “Knitting on the edge” book, i think it will add some special touch.
I just posted my log cabin over in “whatcha knitting”, I’m looking for edging suggestins. What are you doing? I’d like to do something other than the plain garter stitch but am not sure what.
http://www.knittinghelp.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1088508#post1088508
I don’t know yet if to do something lacy or garter stitch ruffle edge…I have to finish it this week, so i have to decide quickly :teehee:
Ginny G I think it looks lovely the way it is.!
I am working on a log cabin blanket too. It’s a work in progress. Good luck with yours. Post more pics.
I’m about 3/5 into a worsted Log Cabin afghan, but I want it to be a bit more rectangular than square so I’m varying the width of the stripes.
As for the wrong side: I’ve been picking up the stitches very carefully so the lines are quite even, and avoiding all that weaving by tying each pair of ends with a tight double knot, then a bow. Sort of charming, if I say so myself.
There was an interesting discussion on the ravelry KAL about binding off and picking up stitches.
Someone suggested not binding off, just putting the live stitches on waste yarn until you come back around to them again.
Sounds a whole lot easier to me than picking up stitches, but I’m not sure how it might affect the look.
Has anyone tried this?
I’m halfway through Absorba, and I’m not going to change techniques at this point, but I’ll definitely try it on my next project.
After reading Mason-Dixon Knitting last October, I got all gung-ho about trying a Log Cabin, so I took a bunch of obscure, vintage acrylic stuff I had bought over the internet – a combination of worsted, DK, and fingering weight yarns – and just plunged ahead.
I was very proud of my progress . . . until I sat back and looked at how the colors looked next to each other. YUCK! Can you imagine an entire blanket of this?!
">
Oh well. At least it was good practice! Some day I’ll do another one with yarns of the same weight and colors that actually complement each other.
Christine, I think it looks great so far! If you want it to look more cohesive, just pick 1-3 bold colors that you like, and use them repeatedly. That salmon color is definitely working. 
[I]Love [/I]the idea of keeping these going for using up spare yarn.
I read on someone’s blog a year or two ago about keeping the sts live instead of binding off, only they used dpns and needles and such. It would work, and I don’t think it affects the finished blanket at all.
Sounds like a lot of work but if its easier I’ll try anything!!!
Theoretically, it should eliminate the issue of picking up too many or too few stitches.
Christina, I don’t see anything wrong with the colors. I think you are being overly critical. I say continue on with it.
This technique is so much fun! I actually made a handbag! doing this with left over beautiful yarns. It’s really neat. I’ll have to post a picture. If you get tired you can always stop and do that:teehee:.