Sunday 31 January 2016

coPINg with memories

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Jogging your memory on this Memory Afghan from the Floral Fiesta Afghan pattern by Maggie Weldon. I started it in Nov 2014 & completed on Jan 10th 2016 spanning two winters. 
I am entering this as my very first Pinterest Challenge. The challenge has entered its 2nd year and we are now the Pin Chicks !!! It is a novel idea started by 2 bloggers Suzanne & Margaret to choose one pin every month & do the project/task/activity. It can be Anything you wish, and everybody posts on the last day of the month. Adding to the fun & mystery, the project remains a complete secret till posted. 

So why am I picking this as my first Pin Chick project ? Because it all started two years back with this pin on pinterest ! The image immediately caught my fancy – such a beautiful pattern that would use up my yarn stash! A stash that had built up over the past 20 years from leftover yarn. Later, in my bid to work out a border/edging, I referred to several other pins.


I will let the pictures do most of the talking, even though the photographs have failed to replicate the cheerful brilliance & subtle shade differences of actual colours … And remember, there is more to come (read on)

Following the strong & almost unanimous preference here to use a lighter colour for border, I had lined the periphery with darker colours/shades. This would create more of a contrast with a lighter border.After joining 12 motifs, laid point-to-point, along the breadth & 18 along the length, I decided it was complete, and required only a border & edging. 

Maggie's pattern does not have any border/edging ; she weighs down the points with tassels. Tassels look very pretty but are not always practical. So I had to figure something out. I did so want to keep the ridges intact - no plain old rectangle ! 

Following is some of what I tried. This is inspired by another pin here, with image only & no pattern. I looked at many other pins on my Crochet Stitches & How-tos board for inspiration & pattern, but loved the slight overlapping effect created by the spike/dropped stitch.

  • Spike/Dropped stitch : Insert the crochet hook through the base of previous row & pull up a loop to crochet.
  • Picot : chain 3, slip stitch in 3rd chain from hook.
  • All stitches are worked in/through the back loop.
Trial 1 : 
1 in pic, in white :  Row 1 - slip stitch in back loop  
                           Row 2 - single crochet in back loop, & spike/dropped                                                stitch at the notches   
2 in pic, in yellow : Row 3 - sc in back loop, & spike stitch at notches
3 in pic, in black :   Row 4 - slip stitch in back loop, and spike stitch at                                                  notches.
 Trial 2 : The single yellow row got lost between the white & black. Hence I added one more yellow row, worked same as Row 3 above. Thus 2 white, then 2 yellow rows. The spike stitches are more clearly visible here, although the lack of contrast between white & yellow masks everything.
The last row in black, with slip stitch in back loop & the spike stitch at notches, adding a picot at the tip. 
I liked the well-defined arched look, & tried it around some more motifs for colour-play. After the final black row, the edging seemed to flatten out too, & I hoped that with usage, it will flatten out further. 
So, got right down to work around the entire afghan.
 Two rows of border completed, using off-white/cream wool.
Started the 3rd row, but the ruffling only increased ! I did not do the math properly & this cream yarn was thicker & looser than the baby wool in the trials :-(
Note to self : always do your homework first , use Same yarn for trials as for final version, & don't bite more than you can chew !
This is where I left off last season.
So what did I do next ? 
Continued / Corrected / Changed / Chucked ??? 
For the grand reveal to this great suspense, wait a while coz I still have to take photographs, teehee .

A couple more pics .... 
 from front, and
from the wrong/back side. Yes, lots of ends to hide ! 


But don't leave just yet. Please take a few minutes to 
check out the immense talent of these Pin Chicks 
(in alphabetical order ; click on name for respective blog)!
We will gather again on the last day of Feb. Hope you join us as 
a pin chick &/or reader :-)


Pinterest Challenge 2016 #1
Related Posts : Just Starting

Happy Crocheting & Pin Chicking  :-)))

16 comments:

  1. Wonderful post and really interesting, I can't crochet so this is something I would never think of doing and it's is totally gorgeous, it's amazing how much wool we accumulate over the years and one way of using it up.
    Well done on your first challenge, I think you did a wonderful job, I look forward to next month
    Have a nice day,
    Margaret

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    1. With such a huge stash of leftover wool, I was on the lookout for a stashbuster project & what better place to start your search than pinterest :-D
      I’m pretty excited to be part of this challenge, too, Margaret ! Thanks

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  2. Wow this only took two winters to make? It would have taken me 20 lol what a gorgeous project and a real heirloom to past down through the family. I've only been crocheting for a year so I don't have much spare yarn, although probably more than I should have shhh!
    Thank you for joining us and sharing your amazing work. I'm looking forward to the next one already.
    Hugs Suzanne X

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    Replies
    1. We can never have more than enough yarn, Suzanne ;-P As soon as the stash hit bottom I’ve gone & bought myself some new wool in lovely new colours !!! Now to think of projects to use them up, teehee.

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  3. She is right this is an heirloom and I have Pinterest section on Crocheted works looks like I am pinning this one to it! That edging is so perfect and the puff at the end love all of it that is a beautiful square too, well you started the year off right!

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    1. An heirloom without heirs, Carollyn :-D I, too, liked the effect a mere picot made to the final round. Seemed to perk it up & in sync with the on-tip squares.

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  4. That's really beautiful. Worth all the work of sewing in ends! I love the colours and the overall look of it. Well done.

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    1. Thank you so so much, Jane ! Yes, I didn’t mind sewing in all those ends at all – it was just so exciting in the riot of colours. As I sewed, I was already thinking of colour combos for the next few motifs :-)

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  5. Pin Chick sounds like a group I would love to join... once I retire! I love the way you've finished off your afghan.

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    1. I waited an entire year to join as well, Diane. Would Love to have you join in, with your immense talent & productivity.
      Ah, but Did I finish it off like this ?? Yes or no, there’s some more wait involved till I take & upload the final pics.

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  6. Replies
    1. Thanks, Sue ! You are having an equally creative & prolific run :-)

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  7. The afghan is gorgeous!!! Looking forward to reading about this challenge at the end of each month :). Off to check out the other 3 blogs :).

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    1. Thanks Jenn :-) It is always exciting to anticipate, then see what the other pin chicks have created & posted ! My objective is to use utilitarian projects/pins for the challenge.

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  8. Lovely afghan, looks like a mosaic from far away. I should start using my Pinterest account, there's a lot of nice things on there that I haven't seen elsewhere.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Robin :-)
      You really should ... pinterest is a constant source of inspiration. One can't print out everything, so this is a great way to store all that one likes/wants, Along with automatic link to source !
      I have used it in many different ways, including to store all my images (like in cloud storage) to secret boards.

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