coPINg with memories

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 10^th 2016 spanning two winters. 

I am entering this as my very first Pinterest Challenge. The challenge has entered its 2^nd 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 

Carollyn , Margaret , & Suzanne 

(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

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On My Way

Along My Way

Happy Crocheting & Pin Chicking  :-)))