September 2005 Archives

Size: 92 inches (7 feet, 8 inches) diameter
Colors: Painted Desert (variegated), Claret, Black, Buff (Red Heart)
Pattern: Cathedral Rose Window by Julene Watson
Book: Award-Winning Afghans, Annie's Crochet Quilt and Afghan Club - Leaflet 878301 - Copyright 1994 - Annie's Attic
Hook: H, G, F
Date: September 2005

Started August 6, finished September 11, 2005. Made for the September 12 golf tournament auction at the college where I work. Finished just in time!

I love this pattern! And the colors I chose are great! They match perfectly in my living room...but I've committed to donating the afghan to the auction benefiting the athletics programs at the college. I hope the people appreciate the work that went into making the afghan and bid high!

[Updated September 25, 2005]

I did not attend the golf tournament or the auction, so I wasn't there to "sell" the afghan and I don't think anyone running the auction understood the uniqueness of the pattern or the time/effort that went in to making it. There was a silent auction and a live auction. The afghan was placed in the silent auction, so there wasn't anyone presenting it and "selling" it with verbal queues to describe the afghan and drive people to bid more.

Bidding was started at $60 and the afghan was won at $125. A bit disappointing since I spent 5 weeks working on it evenings and weekends - and knowing that someone online is asking $750 to make this afghan using custom colors.

But, on the other hand, I wanted to make the afghan for the experience of making it, and I donated it to for the auction. Once it left my hands, it was out of my control.

Here are some notes from what I remember doing while making the afghan. Maybe someone will find them helpful!:

• I used 1 strand for the entire afghan. My gauge is very loose and 2 strands for the Hexagons with the recommended hook size would have been very tight. So, I used 1 strand with, I believe, an H hook.
• I used H, G, and F hooks - F for the majority of the afghan, especially after Section One (my gauge is loose).
• On round 3 of the Pentagons for Section One, I replaced " Ch 3, 2 dc in next. ..." with "Ch 3, (1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc) in next. ...".
• I was cringing at the thought of weaving in all of those yarn ends! So, I carried the yarn for the Pyramids around the whole piece using slip stitches instead of finishing off and starting again.
• I made 5 double crochet rows instead of 9 single crochet rows for each Column in Section Two, and 4 double crochet rows instead of 7 single crochet rows for each Column in Section Three.
• Because of gauge issues, the Valleys were very PUFFY. I re-wrote Round 7A-G of Section Three about 6 times before settling on a pattern that made the Valleys as flat as I could get them.

[Update June 24, 2007] SOLD! For sale: Award-Winning Afghans crochet pattern book containing the Cathedral Rose Window afghan pattern - interested?