The blanket is finished and I am not thrilled. I haven't been thrilled since I finished the squares. They all came out different sizes, depending on the color I was using. Now that its finished, its hard like Red Heart, not soft like baby yarn although the yarn itself is soft. Probably if I had used a bigger crochet hook or maybe if I had just knitted it, it would be soft and drapey but crocheted....it will make a nice mat for the baby to lay on but nothing I'd want to wrap around my baby. Oh well, it kept me busy all summer.The squares were so uneven that I couldn't do any of the joins I found on the internet so I sort of adapted the one I was going to do. I did a chain 3, slip into one side, chain 3, skip 3 sts and slip into the other side. When I saw I wasn't going to have enough stitches on a smaller one, I fudged it on the bigger one, not skipping 3. I don't think it shows. Then when I got the squares all together the whole edge was uneven so I did 2 rows of SC which didn't help at all. Then I went searching for a ruffle pattern and found an easy one (remember, I'm not a crocheter and probably this blanket proves it). The ruffle is simple, 2 triple crochets in each stitch around, on the corners, do 3 triple crochets in the stitch before the corner and 4 triple crochets in the center. That made a simple little ruffle that sort of hides the uneveness of the whole thing.
Boy, I'm glad I'm finished with it. I love the colors. I'm tempted to try a pinwheel circular blanket but have to get a sweater, hat and booties made (knitted of course).
4 comments:
Red Heart, when washed, becomes soft, esp. if you dry it in a drying machine. It also sort of blocks itself...
To make a blanket even, make three rounds of single crochets, with 3 sc in each corner. If you need to, make a half double crochet to make it higher, esp. where there is a corner of a square where you've joined.
Don't give up on crochet, it's very forgiving if you give it a chance! :)
Thanks, I'll try washing it, its not necessary harsh feeling but thick and sort of board-like as if I knitted it too tight (although its crochet and I suspect I crochet too tight). Anyway, I'll wash it and see what happens. Steaming didn't do a lot for it.
HA! Thanks so much for your comment, the blanket came out very soft and drapey, exactly what it needed to be for a baby. I can't thank you enough for that hint. You know, I may just try another one (maybe with a bigger needle so the squares will be the size they are supposed to be).
Roz,
I was visiting Alice Johnson (who used to be a member of the CMKG) who used to enter her crocheted afghans in our county fairs (won blue ribbons for them, too). To get her crocheted squares the exact same size, she would block them individually. I saw somewhere in an old magazine that there was a gizmo for blocking crocheted or knitted squares. The magazine was from the forties.
Carmen
Post a Comment