My first afghan! Anybody want to join in?

Theresea2 wrote

on Jul 15, 2010 10:19 PM

Howdy,

Sorry, where did you post the pic?  Is this the bobble ghan you were talking about... I was hoping to have a gander at the finished project.  What's the plan for the afghan now?

Theresea,

lanesgma wrote

on Jul 15, 2010 11:03 PM

Hi! It's posted in the Member Photo Gallery - it is ripple (teal, rose and soft white) and has the bobbles up the afghan. Now I'm gonna make one with granny squares - some are big and some are little ones put together to make big ones - I just started it tonight and I've got one started that is a pineapple design - I've got a pic of one posted in the Photo Gallery too but this one is yellow instead of teal - the goal being to get both of them done before our state fair so I can enter them!

jli2 wrote

on Jul 16, 2010 10:08 AM

I haven't forgotten about joining in with this...but as we all know, having multiple WIP's makes it hard!!

I just picked up my granny square afghan last night. I have to switch often otherwise I get bored quick! I even brought it to work so I can keep going during my lunch break. 

I'm using Red Heart Soft Yarn for this. I'm sort of guessing on the striping pattern. The center (about the first 10 rounds) are only in the merlot and grape color, then I added 2 rows of the heather grey. I then repeated with 2 rows of each color. I then did 3 rounds alternating the merlot & grape with 2 rows of grey. I will then increase to 4 rounds of merlot & grape with 2 rounds of grey. Very random! 

I will be auctioning off the afghan (still not sure how I'm going to do that...via Facebook, blogging or my church network) and donating 100% of the proceeds to our church's homeless ministry. So this is definitely a project full of love! 

jli2 wrote

on Jul 16, 2010 10:39 AM

I'm not sure if anyone would notice, but I messed up in the upper right hand corner on the last row of the grape color. There is only one set of the 3 dc in the corner, instead of 3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc. So I worked that pattern into the 1st and 3rd dc of the grape when I worked the grey. Oops! I figured in the grand scheme, no one would ever notice it and I wasn't about ripping out that far! 

lanesgma wrote

on Jul 16, 2010 10:26 PM

Oh = I can understand the many WIP's I am the same way - easily bored - your afghan looks great and I think you are right in that noone would notice the little mistake in the corner - someone once told me that there should always be a mistake in your work - it allows the soul to escape - so there you go! Can't wait to see it all finished - I couldn't figure out how to add a pic here so I had to just put mine in the Members photo  album on here.

jli2 wrote

on Jul 26, 2010 8:07 AM

I'm glad to say that my afghan is now complete, except for weaving in a few loose ends! 

I do have a question though. 

I know very little about blocking, so I'm wondering if I should block the piece? It's about 50" square. I finished it off with a shell stitch, so now it seems as if the border is stretched and the afghan shrinks toward the middle. 

Suggestions from the more seasoned crocheters? Should I block it (I already have my method for blocking to get the "square" shape rather than "scalloped" edge shape) and if I do, should I a.) soak it or spray it? and b.) if I soak it, is there any solution I need to add to the water?

Thank you! 

lanesgma wrote

on Jul 26, 2010 9:29 PM

I think it really depends on how much you need to stretch to make it look even - if just spraying it will get it damp enough for you to work with that is what I would do - for me - if I have very much stretching to make it look square and even I wash it - gentle cycle - and then lay  it out - if you have a room where you can spread it out under a ceiling fan that will help to dry it alot faster. Hope that helps - be sure to post a pic of it - I finished mine but couldn't figure out how to post a pic of it on this thread - so just had to put it in the members photo part.

jli2 wrote

on Jul 27, 2010 8:28 AM

I ended up steam blocking it and it worked pretty well. Hindsight being what it is, I probably should have made smaller shells (I used 8 dc in each ch-sp). After I pulled the pins out, the blanket was square, but the border still has a very slight ruffle affect to it, which actually isn't that awful. I think it adds a touch of whimsy. 

If it was an article of clothing, I'd be less pleased with the overall affect, but it's a blanket, so it's shape isn't as imperative. I don't make anything with the intent of it being a show piece. I want my pieces to be USED and used WELL. 

lanesgma wrote

on Jul 27, 2010 8:32 AM

I'm glad that you got it blocked - and I think that the ruffly edge would look good - and I am with you - I want people to use the things I give them - not just put them away = did you post a pic of it in the gallery of pics? Congrats on finishing already too - I have way to many things going right now but I get bored easy - plus our fair is coming up in about 6 1/2 weeks and I always like to enter lots of things!

jli2 wrote

on Jul 27, 2010 8:40 AM

I haven't posted pictures yet. I took a few last night, but didn't download them. I should have them up in the next couple of days. I'll post them here if I can, if not, in the Member Gallery. 

Apart from a few smaller things (such as washcloths) and one other smaller baby blanket, this is one of my first completed projects and certainly my largest thus far! 

I've already started working on my next one, which is another baby blanket. This time, I'm doing small granny squares (maybe about 25 or so) and joining them. It totally appeals to the side of me that struggles to finish things. Whip up a couple squares in a sitting over a couple weeks and we're good to go. No getting bored there! 

When you enter pieces into the fair, are they judged? Raffled or sold? 

lanesgma wrote

on Jul 27, 2010 8:48 AM

I will watch for the pics then! I have been crocheting for around 38 years now - but I still struggle with finishing some things  - so I have a few of those things too - I forget about them til I run across them again! ha!

I'm working on an afghan for the fair now - actually 2 of them - one is a pinapple stitch and the other one is granny squares - some of the squares are 9 inches and then the others are 4 1/2 inch squares that you sew together to make 9 inch ones - I don't really like having to sew things together like that so not sure why i started it! ha! But it is going ok so far.

The fair things are judged - but you can't sell them there - I usually just bring them home then and give them away - but for some reason I get a kick out of entering things - I'm aiming for 13 entries this year but it will depend on how the 2 big afghans go - may only get 1 of them done so it will only be 12 things then - but usually when I set my mind to something I dont' give up easy - after all - who needs to sleep! ha!  

jli2 wrote

on Jul 27, 2010 8:52 AM

Wow, you're more motivated than me! I can't say that I really want to crochet unless I have a particular recipient in mind! Although, now that friends are starting to see more of what I'm making, I think there is some interest in having me make things for them. One of these days, I'll actually make something for our home! 

My husband really likes the look of the blanket I just made, so I think I'll probably do that in a different color scheme, then donate some of the extra blankets we have laying around to a charity. 

lanesgma wrote

on Jul 27, 2010 8:59 AM

Alot of times I do have someone in mind that I am going to give it to - which does make it more fun - some of the fair things already have a home when the fair is over. I hardly ever keep anything - have you decided how you are going to sell the one that you just finished? I know you were undecided about how to go about it.

I used to belong to a group called the Crochet Angels - yarn was donated and we made stuff and gave it to VA hospitals - homeless shelters, pregnancy centers, etc... i loved going - it was once a week - but after a while discovered that some of the people weren't the 'angels' that they proclaimed to be! So I quit going - figured I didn't need a group to do good things!

jli2 wrote

on Jul 27, 2010 9:05 AM

Ya know, I still haven't decided how I'm going about it. I'm getting the word out. I could do it via my blog, but I have a rather small readership. I've mentioned it on FB to see if there's any interest. I thought about a raffle. 

I think I'm probably going to hand it over to either the ministry itself, since they have a larger network, or to a friend who has a motorcycle ministry. He said he gets quilts from a woman at our church (she makes and donates them) then raffles them off at biker events. 

I just want to make sure it gets a lot of interest. I don't expect a high price for my effort, but rather than people will be inspired by what their contribution will go toward, which is ministering to the homeless on the streets of St. Louis. Prayer is the best thing possible, but there are still very tangible needs that are getting met with food, water, socks and first aid kits. 

lanesgma wrote

on Jul 27, 2010 9:13 AM

I think that is a good idea - doing thru biker events or something similar - you are right in that people will be more willing to pay more if they know it is going for a good cause - and also that prayer is the best thing but you gotta take care of physical needs too - good luck! Let me us know how it goes!