May 2007 Archives

Woolly Thoughts caught my attention with its mathematical designs for afghans, board games, mazes, pillows, scarves and more - many of these ideas can also be used by both crocheters and knitters!

• Curve of Pursuit (pictured with this blog post)
• About Turn
• Penrose
• Counting Pane
• Tower Blocks
• more

Also checkout the Online Afghan Designer! Create your own designs using squares and half-squares!

This is the afghan I made for William - see this post for more info.

• Size: 38 inches x 54 inches


• Colors: Scraps in White and Pastels


• Pattern: Stripped Ripple (my own design)


• Hook: H


• Date: start April 6; finish May 6

Another lap blanket to be donated near the end of this year.

• Size: 45 inches x 70 inches


• Colors: Forest Green, Claret (Burgundy?), Pink, White (Red Heart Super Saver)


• Pattern: Sampler Stripes - Design by Rena Stevens (with modifications by me)


• Book: Scrap Yarn Afghans Book Two - Leaflet 2159 - Copyright 1991 - Leisure Arts
  
• Hook: J


• Date: start April 19; finish April 30

After I finished the Round Ripple Blanket for William, I searched my collection for an afghan pattern perfect for Elizabeth and settled on Sampler Stripes because I like the texture of a variety of patterns and I was drawn to the colors used in the published pattern.

Elizabeth is retiring from the college at the end of this semester. She's similar to me in a lot of ways! Over the last few years, we got to know each other better and have been lunching together every 2 weeks or so the past few months. I'll miss seeing her around campus!

• Size: 63 inches point to point


• Colors: Soft Forest Green, Forest Green, Rich Periwinkle, Seascape Ombre (Bernat Berella)


• Pattern: Round Ripple Afghan - Design by Mary Jane Protus - with my own modifications to increase from 6 points to 12 points to 24 points (how did I do it?)


• Book: New Crochet Basics - Leaflet 777- Copyright 1989 - Leisure Arts


• Hook: H


• Date: start April 7; finish April 18

William is a young man I met just over 5 years ago during my second job interview at the college. He showed me around the two spaces where the new Web Designer would possibly be sitting. Bright, friendly, and just 4 years older than my son, I took to him like a mom.

We shared an office for my first few months at the college. Since he was the go-to person with regard to the college's course management system and technology used in the classroom, we have similar skill sets and regularly geeked out together over web technologies.

Over the years, I watched him grow, be a good dad, be a good husband, have a second child, begin coaching soccer... Mature. But still be fun.

At the end of April, he moved on to a job as a Web Designer at a web design firm. When I learned he was looking for new opportunities, I decided to make him and his family a round ripple afghan - here it is!

I miss William, but like any good mom would do, I encouraged him to reach for more, to try something new, to grow.

[Update May 31, 2007 6:50pm] For those who want to know, here are the instructions:

I increased the number of points for my round ripple afghan by crocheting an additional point in each valley on the rows where I wanted to double the number of points (6 to 12, then later 12 to 24), then continued the up-and-down (hill-and-valley) ripple pattern. See the 4th and 5th photos of this post for photos of an added point.

Someone at Crochetville posted photos of the way they added points to their afghan using granny squares in the ripple valley.

The way I added the points it allows for more color striping options vs. the granny square method.

[Update August 30, 2007 5:50pm] Here's a more detailed explanation of how I added the new points...

As the hills (points) and valleys get larger and larger, it is possible to add a new point in each valley to create more hills.

So, when the side of a hill is, for example, 22 or 23 stitches long, finish that row and tie off the yarn.

Then, divide the number of stitches in the hillside by 2. So, 22 or 23 divided by 2 equals 11 stitches.

* Now you'll start a new point in one of the valleys: From the top of any hill/point, count down 11 stitches and start a row for the new point in the 12th stitch. Continue making stitches down that hillside, do the stitch you've been using at the bottom of the valley for all the other rows, and make the same number of stitches up the next hillside, leaving 11 stitches UNDONE before the top of the next hill/point. First row of new point is done.

On each successive row of the new point, you'll want to do a decrease at the beginning and the end so that a point is formed. The last row of the new point will be either 2 or 3 stitches. When done, the new point SHOULD BE the same length as the original points.

Repeat from * in each remaining valley.

Whew. Look closely at photos 4 and 5 (click the thumbnails to see larger versions) above and you'll see the rows in the new points.

[Update February 15, 2008] Here are photos of round ripple afghans with points added in the valleys made by members of Crochetville: 1, 2, 3, 4. Very nicely done!

• Size: 30 inches x 51 inches


• Colors: Scraps in White, Cream, and Dark Colors


• Pattern: ??? Not sure (with mods by me)


• Book: ??? Not sure


• Hook: H


• Date: start March 31; finish April 4

Another lap blanket to be donated near the end of this year. Oh, and, that's Jaz helping again!

Crocheted Cord

1. Make 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 chains and join with slip stitch to form a ring (use more chains for wider cording; for thicker cording, use several strands of yarn held together)


2. Sl st in each st around until cord is desired length

Two-color Crocheted Cord

1. With color A, make a slip knot on crochet hook
2. With color B, yarn over and pull through to make one chain
3. With color A, make another chain
4. Continue switching colors every other chain until cord is desired length; keep both colors of yarn in your hand

[To get the charts, see June 2007 update below!]

Are you looking for embroidery design charts for afghans in Bernat Afghans Contemporary and Traditional Styles book number 132? If so, please leave a comment on this entry. A woman named Marion Vanstone contacted me to let me know that she has these out-of-print and difficult-to-find charts available:

• Spring Bouquet
• Toltec Bird
• Danish Bell Pull
• Sunflower [added August 28, 2008]

I do not know Marion but she has worked with two people who left comments on my blog seeking the Spring Bouquet and other charts in Bernat Afghans number 132. I will put you and Marion in email contact with each other to work out the details.

READ THE FOLLOWING IF YOU WANT THE CHARTS! [Update June 17, 2007; revised at Marion's request August 26, 2008]

I checked with Marion today and she sent me the following update. Please contact Marion directly at mvanstone@rogers.com if you want to purchase one or more of the charts / graphs for afghans in Bernat Afghans number 132:

I have all four embroidery charts needed to complete afghans in Bernat Afghans 132 - i.e., Spring Bouquet, Toltec Bird, Danish Bell Pull, and Sunflower. I also have lists showing the numbers for the tapestry wool for the embroidery colors for each afghan. If you are interested in any of the charts with its list of colors, please contact me at mvanstone@rogers.com.
-Marion Vanstone

[Update July 18, 2008] Below are photos of the 4 afghans in Bernat Afghans 132 for which the embroidery charts were not included in the booklet:

I've mentioned the Random Stripe Generator, but the Stripe Generator is a stripe generating tool I like even more! It's an online tool for web designers to create striped background images for websites but can also be used by crocheters, knitters, and other crafters to make striped patterns.

You can create diagonal, vertical, or horizontal stripes. Add stripe colors. Select stripe thickness and spacing between stripes (the background color appears as a the spacing stripe).

Try it! Random Stripe Generator.