I've finished two more blocks for the spring-themed sampler afghan. That brings the total of finished blocks to twenty, which was my goal-- but now that I've laid them all out together, I've decided to make four more, for a 4 x 6 layout instead of the 4 x 5 I was originally planning. So I need to make four more blocks, on the double!
I've started the first of the Final Four, and I've also begun considering the joining and border. Since each block has its own border, I'll probably use a simple slip-stitch join. As for the whole-blanket border, I've marked several possible options in Edie Eckman's Around the Corner Crochet Borders. (These are affiliate links, by the way, as are the clickable book-cover photos.)
Side-ramble: I love that book, by the way, and highly recommend it to anyone who crochets many afghans-- and you can use the patterns for edging any project, of course, not just blankets.
While looking up that link, I just saw that Edie Eckman has another book of edgings coming out early in 2017-- Every Which Way Crochet Borders. (It's already available for pre-order, and there's a nice, juicy preview of the book on Amazon.) There are some real lookers on the cover, and it's spiral-bound, which is great for books of crochet or knitting patterns. Spiral-bound books stay open on their own much better than most other bindings, which is very helpful when you're using both hands for crocheting. ;o)
Time for photos of the latest afghan blocks!
The Excellent Beauty of Spring:
Pattern: "Beauty in Excellence", by Margaret MacInnis
(available to purchase on Ravelry)
This one was a bit trickier than I'd expected. Maybe it was just me, but I had trouble understanding exactly how to make the "X stitch"-- where/how to place the stitches. I think it worked out ok, though, and I do like the scallops and the trellis effect of the interconnecting X stitches.
I changed things up a few times-- mainly by crocheting in the "back bump" (as opposed to the back loop) for a couple of rounds.
Fantastic Spring:
Pattern: "Fantastic!", by Julie Yeager
(pattern available for purchase on Ravelry, or free on the designer's blog)
This pattern reminds me of something I've crocheted before... Maybe these dish scrubbers? Anyway, the central motif is a fairly straight-forward "fan and fpdc" starburst. Quite pretty, with lots of room for variation, depending on which colors you choose and where/how you use them. I decided to change colors just about every round. More ends to weave, but it's worth some extra effort to get the look you want.
And here's a peek at the latest block, which is still a work in progress:
It's nearly ready for the "Canada Geese" border, so it's not too soon to pick out the next pattern!
I've started the first of the Final Four, and I've also begun considering the joining and border. Since each block has its own border, I'll probably use a simple slip-stitch join. As for the whole-blanket border, I've marked several possible options in Edie Eckman's Around the Corner Crochet Borders. (These are affiliate links, by the way, as are the clickable book-cover photos.)
Side-ramble: I love that book, by the way, and highly recommend it to anyone who crochets many afghans-- and you can use the patterns for edging any project, of course, not just blankets. While looking up that link, I just saw that Edie Eckman has another book of edgings coming out early in 2017-- Every Which Way Crochet Borders. (It's already available for pre-order, and there's a nice, juicy preview of the book on Amazon.) There are some real lookers on the cover, and it's spiral-bound, which is great for books of crochet or knitting patterns. Spiral-bound books stay open on their own much better than most other bindings, which is very helpful when you're using both hands for crocheting. ;o)
- - - - - - -
Time for photos of the latest afghan blocks!
The Excellent Beauty of Spring:
Pattern: "Beauty in Excellence", by Margaret MacInnis
(available to purchase on Ravelry)
This one was a bit trickier than I'd expected. Maybe it was just me, but I had trouble understanding exactly how to make the "X stitch"-- where/how to place the stitches. I think it worked out ok, though, and I do like the scallops and the trellis effect of the interconnecting X stitches.
I changed things up a few times-- mainly by crocheting in the "back bump" (as opposed to the back loop) for a couple of rounds.
Fantastic Spring:
Pattern: "Fantastic!", by Julie Yeager
(pattern available for purchase on Ravelry, or free on the designer's blog)
This pattern reminds me of something I've crocheted before... Maybe these dish scrubbers? Anyway, the central motif is a fairly straight-forward "fan and fpdc" starburst. Quite pretty, with lots of room for variation, depending on which colors you choose and where/how you use them. I decided to change colors just about every round. More ends to weave, but it's worth some extra effort to get the look you want.
And here's a peek at the latest block, which is still a work in progress:
It's nearly ready for the "Canada Geese" border, so it's not too soon to pick out the next pattern!