the blue blog archives: returning to the scene of the crime

Here I am working on hubby's LMKG zip raglan on his parents' couch. Yes, the couch that should be home to a new Manos afghan come Christmas. See the curtains I have to deal with? (They're a little more pink than in the picture - you can see the pink in one of the pictures from yesterday.) Okay, but look at the old blanket next to the sweater. Variegated or not, garter stitch or stockinette, stripes or solid, the new afghan will definitely be better than that!

And it will be. I worked through all my issues and I've finally decided that the afghan will be garter stitch with standard mitre shaping (one set of mitered decreases as given here), without stripes, but with variegated squares.

posted by alison at 4:41 am | in an afghan , vacation 2006

Comments

Have you considered weaving in ends as you go? Queen of mitered squares, Vivian at www.viv.dk is an expert. It will save you a lot of work on the finishing! Described here:
http://www.viv.dk/Patterns/EDownloads/t03-k-darn.pdf

Posted by: Helene at February 20, 2006 5:46 AM

I think the blanket is going to look great with the solid and the variegated together. Can't wait to see it all put together!

Posted by: Rachel at February 20, 2006 5:46 AM

Wow, can I really be first :)

Love the afghan, your in laws will be thrilled!

Posted by: Debi at February 20, 2006 5:47 AM

Curses, foiled again!!

Posted by: Debi at February 20, 2006 5:47 AM

I think those afghan squares will look great.

Posted by: Carole at February 20, 2006 8:15 AM

The blanket will look perfect!

Posted by: Scout at February 20, 2006 8:18 AM

Oh, I'm so glad that you've settled on a design. Phew, the hard part is over! Your vacation is half over too! Enjoy the rest of it.

Posted by: Johanna at February 20, 2006 8:23 AM

love that pic of you, looks really cozy

Posted by: Orli at February 20, 2006 9:38 AM

Did you get the cardi all finished?!

Posted by: Chris at February 20, 2006 9:56 AM

Oh, I like that idea for the afghan! I think it will turn out wonderfully. Happy knitting :)

Posted by: allison at February 20, 2006 10:27 AM

The squares look great together.

Posted by: Beverly at February 20, 2006 10:48 AM

I like the style you decided on. Great color combo!

Posted by: Cristina (CrissyPo) at February 20, 2006 10:58 AM

That's an unusual picture: you in the actual act of knitting! Is it an S or B portrait? The afghan is going to be lovely -- good choices.

Posted by: Erin at February 20, 2006 11:06 AM

Have you considered also maybe picking up stitches and knitting them together as you go? This makes long strips and then you only have to sew the strips together. I also second Helene about the ends. I speak from experience I assembled a gift afgan last year and the ends were a B$@*&! Anyway that you decide I agree it will be an improvement on what they have, the colors are just great!

Posted by: MommyknitsJen at February 20, 2006 11:54 AM

I guess this is an example of a project where I'd recomend the picking-up-and-knitting-together, and weaving-in-ends-as-you-go technique: http://myblog.de/pandora66/cat/3083/0
Imagine sewing together and weaving in all of that!!
I've done the pick-up and weave-in on all my mitered square projects and it works great!

Posted by: Helene at February 20, 2006 1:41 PM

I love those colors together.. I've never made a blanket or afghan before, but it's been in the back of my mind ever since I noticed the one that Ron uses in one of the HP movies (I don't remember which, possibly the new one). Can't wait to see it finished!

Posted by: Erin at February 20, 2006 2:00 PM

I'm loving those colors, but there's only the sparsest bit of blue in it - gasp! In any case, they look lovely.

Can't wait to see progess photos! Have you done any entrelac work? Is working mitered squares like that at all?

Posted by: Regina at February 20, 2006 2:10 PM

What an amazing idea but on Mason-Dixon and by you. I am definetly returning for this lovely ongoing ide.

Posted by: Darci McGrath at February 20, 2006 2:12 PM

I agree -- I like the design you decided upon.

Question -- do you have to block the squares? Do you block before or after they're all sewn together?

Posted by: Mary at February 20, 2006 2:56 PM

I commend you on the color choice for the afghan because home decor color selection can be pretty challenging. I've been so paralyzed about the window treatments that the house windows are still naked, five years after we moved in.

Posted by: Juls at February 20, 2006 3:11 PM

So many good suggestions and questions!

First as for weaving in ends as I go, I don't do that. I've tried and I just don't like doing it, nor do I like how it looks when I'm done. I don't mind weaving in ends a little at a time. And I'm definitely going into this project with my eyes open about how much sewing and weaving in there will be to do in the end.

No picking up stitches or knitting strips for me either. I wanted the knitting to be small and easy. I'd rather make lovely little matching seams everywhere than have to carry strips of a blanket around with me to work on. This is also why I rejected the idea of doing the four-mitre square in the round. It'd have to be on double-points and would be fiddly. I just want these squares to be fun.

The garter stitch squares have the advantage of requiring no blocking. The stockinette squares would have needed blocking before seaming to control those curled edges.

There's a lot more colors still to be bought for the afghan. I've got three other colors already (although I didn't bring all of them with me to Germany) and I'm looking for a good blue and a good green to match the variegated colorway. My in-laws house has absolutely no blue in it, so I've stuck with their color palette mostly.

Phew! Now back to knitting...

Posted by: alison at February 20, 2006 3:16 PM

The blanket is going to look fantastic - I can't wait to see it all worked up :)

Posted by: Cathy at February 20, 2006 5:11 PM

Those yarns look great together, and it'll be a definite improvement :)

Posted by: Vicki at February 20, 2006 8:39 PM

That afghan will come out pretty, I am sure! :)

Posted by: Emy at February 20, 2006 10:22 PM

Hi Alison,

The afghan will be beautiful. What you have done so far is looking fabulous. Your in-laws will be very happy.

Posted by: Maggie at February 21, 2006 9:15 AM

So what does it feel like to knit in Germany? Silly question, I know. :p

Posted by: Elemmaciltur at February 21, 2006 2:59 PM