Finished but Not Finished

I knit the center part of a mat from the same Fancy and Practical Knitting that I got the bicycling sweater pattern from a few weeks ago. I cast on the edging but haven't gone very far on it yet.



The yarn is a firmly twisted cotton that is probably a #10. I bought it with a view to making a blanket with one of the quilt square patterns from Weldon's Practical Knitter, but I really didn't like how the first square I made came out. It just didn't look like I wanted it to. I think it needs a softer yarn. A doily-type object looks much better with it. Fortunately, I only paid a dollar a skein for it. (Or was it half a dollar per skein?)