Finished All the Squares

Hello:

I love these mornings when there are clouds on the horizon. 

I have been working monogamously on the Graduation Afghan for my baby, Pookie.  He graduated from high school in June, and will leave for college in 1 1/2 weeks.  His college is in New Jersey, so he will need a warm blanket.  I made most of the squares last year, but they sat in a bag in the cave (our sub-basement) while I made 3 other afghans. 

I had forgotten how pretty the colors are.  The Doc asked why I wasn't using Princeton's colors (orange and black).  I started this afghan when Pookie was a Junior in High School.  When I knew he was applying to Princeton, I asked him if he wanted me to change the color, or make a different afghan, and he said, no.  He didn't want me to jinx him.  Also, now, he said he doesn't want his room to be all orange and black. 

Yesterday, I finished the last row of squares.  I am making six rows with five squares each.  I needed four more squares.  All of the original squares are from the 2012BAMCAL Group on Ravelry.  For the last four squares, I chose 3 squares from the 2013BAMCAL Group, and added my own design, Spider Square.  

The first square I used is  Squaring the Big Circle by Kate Jenks.

This square is very very easy.  It looks great with lots of color changes.  It's almost like a big round granny.

The next square is a 6 in.  Diamond in a Frame by Rhonda Rowley.

The BAMCAL Group has two 12 in. squares for each month, and one 6 in.  Sometimes I make four of the 6 in. and hook them together into a "foursquare."

Never Fading Flower

Sometimes, I hook four different 6 in. squares together.

Sometimes, I take the 6 in square, and add some type of border, or just keep crocheting until it is a 12 in.  That is what I did with this square. Because the square is very open, I didn't want to make a solid frame.  And, I wanted to skew the square.  So I chained a sort of web, and then attached that to a square frame.

The third square is Cocoa Puff by Melissa Green.  She uses Triple Crochets (tr) in a cool way that adds texture.  You can see this in the puffy white round in my square.

The last square is my Spider Square (have I mentioned that I designed a square?)  I added more rounds so that the 6 in square is now a 12 in.  I used inspiration from the Not in the Middle square by Pia Linden, a Swedish designer.  She says in the pattern that she didn't actually design the square, but more figured out a technique.  I used some of her idea and then added my own.  I am not 100% happy with what I hooked, I tried to use the white yarn to make the extra rounds look like bricks with white grout.  I wanted my Spider to look like he was in the corner of a brick wall.  But as I hooked I got another idea of how to change it to make it look more "brick-like."  I will certainly make another version of this very soon.  Anyway, this how it looks.

This will be the very bottom square on the right side of the afghan so it looks like the spider has just crawled onto the afghan.


I have hooked all the squares together into their rows of five, and added a row of white dc to the top and bottom of every row.

I will start hooking the rows together today.

But, not right now.  I just had some wonderful news.

Right now I will head to the kitchen to bake a batch of brownies.  Then run to the store to get some beautiful flowers.

Our Eastside Stitchers Group has grown by 2 very new members.

Welcome Twins!  And Congratulations! to Hrvdmnky and her DH.

Peace,
f1bercat
shaping the planet ... as a new... Yarn Auntie!

FO and a Wheel

Hello!

Big news!  I attended the Northwest Regional Spinners Association St. Distaff's Day Spin In, and I bought a used Ashford Traditional Wheel.  There were so many wheels there to try, it was just confusing to me.  I decided that I need to get the feel of spinning, then I can  buy the wheel of my dreams.  Until then, this Old Lady, will be great fun.  She was certainly the right price.

I also wanted to post the photos of my first finished afghan from last year's (2012BAMCAL) Block a Month Crochet A Long.

I frantically sewed it together, well, really hooked it, on Friday, Saturday night, and Sunday morning, so Himes could take it back to the Univ. of Arizona with him when he left Sunday afternoon.  He loves it.

I have started the 2013BAMCAL.  This year I plan/hope to make 2 afghans again, but I will make one the first half of the year, and the other the second.  They aren't going to be quite as large as this Queen Size one.  I still have to hook together the 2nd one from last year for Pookie.  That is one of the things I learned from last year's experience:

1. MAKE ALL OF THE SQUARES THE SAME SIZE!  No fudging.  If they aren't, either add a round or rip back.

2. SEW AS YOU GO!  I plan to hook everything together as I go, because waiting to sew it all at the end was crazy.  I kept thinking that there would be some method to the laying out of the squares, but that didn't happen.  And it doesn't really matter with a sampler afghan.

I will probably not make any solid colors, or if I do, since I am hooking as I go, I will be able to see which colors to use or emphasize.  I am making this new afghan for my nephew, A, and his lovely bride, S,  for their first wedding anniversary in June.  I hope to get 20 - 24 squares. 

These are the squares for January. 

The yarn is Caron One Pound (it's cheap and you can wash it easily).  The 3 colors are:  Espresso, Taupe, and Off White.

I am not sure if I will be able to do tutorials and round photos.  I pm'd the designer of the 6 in (not pictured) for permission, and have not heard back.  We shall see.

Peace.
Yours,
f1bercat
shaping the planet with a  brand new spinning wheel!

Apologies

Hello!

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days.  I'm also co-writing the blog for the Gryffindor House in the HPKCHC Group on Ravelry, and have been working on a few posts there.  Also, as the new "term" starts on January 1, I have been trying to get things organized.  I've also been cleaning/organizing my stash and needles/hooks. 

I was working on a pair of blue beaded socks of my own design for SolidSocks (blue) and SKA (beaded) December challenge, but they are about 1 1/2 in too small in the foot, so I am going to rip them back and add those inches.  I will lose the SolidSocks turn in, but as long as I do a CO (cast on) post in SKA before midnight, December 31, I have the month of January to finish them.  I like they way they look, so I might just go ahead and finish making them.

I hit JoAnn's today and got enough yarn for 2 afghans.  I have decided to do an afghan in 3 months for a HPKCHC Transfiguration OWL.  More on that later, but, to turn in the OWL proposal, you have to show that you have all of the materials BEFORE you begin.  The second afghan will be done over the year with the 2013BAMCAL Group.  I had so much fun this year with that group, and I so love the 2 afghans I made (I am currently sewing them together), that I really want to participate again this year.

I also want to show you the yarn I won in HPKCHC.  I was randomly drawn from people who participated in Quidditch this term and won some beautiful sparkly lace yarn!

Ok, way time for bed.

Peace.
Yours,
f1bercat
shaping the planet with 1 half sewn afghan, 1 in blocks, and a pair of super small socks.