Friday 5 December 2014

Crochet - I

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Crochet Memory Afghan

Pattern : Floral Fiesta Afghan by Maggie Weldon



Winters mean shifting to wool !
True to form, I have picked up my wool stash to make my 4th afghan. Except that this time it is a crochet one, not knit.
The free pattern can be found here



It is a 3-round motif pattern, joining as you go. The 2nd round in each motif is white in the original pattern, but I decided to let my fancy choose a different colour for the 2nd round instead of only white.

A great stash-buster project !

I have used all kinds of wool yarn , all plys, (I am not too knowledgeable about yarns)
Wool yarn ranges from pure to worsted to chenille to a tiny bit of mohair ;
Yarn thickness ranges from 2 to 6-8 ply or more ;
Brands include both baby wool & normal wool from Vardhman, Wendy's, Jaypee's, and some odds & ends that I have forgotten.

With this range of yarn, it is turning out to be quite a Memory Quilt ! I have been able to use up bits of wool left over from projects completed down the years ... including some that have long since been discarded or gifted .

Pretty nostalgic.

I have used Crochet hook # 9 (3.50 mm)  because this could tackle all wool sizes. 
Each motif works out to 2.5" x 2.5" (sides) or approx. 3.25" x 3.25" ( diagonals )

I didn’t quite estimate how very useful my earlier post on winding threads, will come in handy :
  • By winding yarn around the spectacle case, I was easily able to calculate the length of yarn required for each round :


Round 1 - 8 winds x 6.6" = 52.8" (1.34 m)
Round 2 - 6 winds x 6.6" = 39.6" (1 m)
Round 3 - 25 wraps x 6.6" = 165" (4.2 m)

  • The Quick & Handy Yarn Stash Samplers (below) has done it’s job too! I simply choose & clip the pairs of colours required for the next 2 or 3 motifs … And since I wrote down the quantity of wool on each strip, it helps me decide which colour needs to be used more or used less. In fact, I found some short short lengths of leftover wool that can be used for Round 2 in a few motifs, & which are not included in the stash sampler below. So that probably takes the number of colours close to 35 !!! Still wish I had more colours/shades ;-P




Thoroughly enjoyable though a whole lot of ends need to be hidden ; hence the tapestry needle & scissors are a constant companion. I am hiding the ends after each round – better now than a mountain-load later !

Also, as the blanket gets larger, I might start a separate piece & join it to the first piece later. It is easier to handle smaller pieces, and also keeps the project from getting dirty. 
It is such fun to choose colours & placement. I wish I had even more shades & colours …. Love the warmth & coziness of colours during the grey winter days.


I am planning to crochet a black border in the end …. I think it would bring the whole thing together, especially since so many colours have been randomly used. Need to figure out some pattern/edging … Any ideas ?



11 comments:

  1. Love your afghan! Your colours work well and the effect is really attractive.

    In my opinion...I would NOT do the border in black! I think it will be too heavy and dreary.

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  2. What about two rows of a light colour for a border all around or a few light colours if not enough of one. Then do a short, multi-coloured fringe, with the fringes spaced rather far apart. I have done this and it worked quite well. I'm sure you will do something creative - you always do! : ))

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    1. I see what you mean, Fox ! Earlier I was thinking of a narrow black edging, but your suggestion seems to be taking root in my imagination ! When I looked again, last night, at the worked piece, I could see your perspective on black versus lighter shades. And a multi-coloured fringe sounds yummy ! Thank you so much . Hugs :-)

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  3. Fox makes a good point I would have used black around each square if you were going to use it as a border. The two color maybe white and ecru would be nice. But after this you may have already done the border :) I do love she shape of the squares I have never seen any like it, it reminds me of tatting for some reason I love it! It is a new twist on granny squares :)

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    1. It is decided, in principle, that I will follow Fox’s suggestion :-) I have lots of yarn in pale cream (very close to ecru, which my MIL gave me), yellow (like the one Jane McLellan is currently using for her top), black & white. Will work out the details (or ask for help again) once the afghan nears completion. It is only one-third done, with 85 motifs.

      Yes, I love the arches that form in this motif. There are some Gorgeous takes & twists on granny squares on pinterest – so difficult to choose.

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  4. Wow, Muskaan! You are so exact with the thread amount required and choosing your colours based on that. I just pick up things randomly and repent later!

    I second the thoughts above about an ecru border :)

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    1. Manisha, blogging kind of Makes you want to do things a bit more precisely than I normally would. When one is making it public, details become important.
      Even so, this one-time measurement has truly helped me. I was able to use my leftover pink mohair for Round 2 in three motifs – which otherwise I wouldn’t even have tried.
      I like the little preparation I did this time, with the stash samplers & length measurement – a practical guide.
      Good to see you around – been a long time :-)

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  5. Replies
    1. Thanks, Sue ! The best part is the immense pleasure I am having from choosing colours (it is a mystery/puzzle being solved in small steps) ; & I don’t know how it will look in the end.

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  6. Pretty! Yes, I really like choosing colours when I'm working on a multicolour something. I made many pram blankets in knitted squares and spent more time choosing colours than knitting. I like the idea of a light border too

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  7. Ditto ! Choosing the next pair of colours takes way more time than the actual crocheting. And, I Still make changes at the very last moment.
    But I feel like a little child with lots of crayons to choose from, going wild with them, Yet wishing I had a few more shades to play around with -- how greedy can one get ;-P

    Light border it is :-)

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