I did do a little mattress stitch a couple of days ago (ironically, for something which I now think I'm going to frog) and it's not so bad :P :) Still pretty sure I would not be willing to do an entire blanket that way :) Knitted three-needle bindoff sounds very intimidating (just the name sounds intimidating!) but I suppose I'll have to learn it one of these days. But I might be able to do a slip-stitch crochet seam without complaining too much :) (I think part of it is that crochet hooks are just a lot more manageable in the hand than yarn/sewing needles, to me!)