I am finally done putting together my Scrap Afghan. Not 100% satisfied with the end result but I am pleased for branching out and doing something different. Some of the squares bunched up a bit so it has a puffy kind of look to it and the border is slightly wonky looking. Maybe someone with more crochet experience could weigh in with why this happened. I'm guessing my tension wasn't even throughout and plus all the different yarns I used probably didn't help. I still need to wash it and I'll try blocking it, which is something new to me. I always thought you block with cotton yarn but I read all the time people do it with acrylic afghans so I will give it a shot. Any tips or suggestions?
While my Scrap Afghan may not be perfect, I sure hope when I donate this to a charity (most likely Bridge and Beyond ) that the effort I put into this blanket is appreciated. Even with the imperfections I still think it's a neat looking blanket.
And on a final note, sometimes it's hard not to be frustrated when you are going through a rough patch. In the last month, the military messed up our orders so we will probably not be making it home for Christmas this year. It was something I was looking forward to since I haven't been in the States to celebrate since 2008. I normally understand and accept that your plans can change at the drop of a hat with the military but this was the one thing I was really looking forward to and now it most likely won't happen due to a mistake by someone else. But at the end of the day if this and having to shell out money to get a new computer and fix our car are my biggest problems, then life is pretty good.
Your afghan looks really nice. I think you got it right when you guessed about the tension and the different yarns. No matter though - the blanket is lovely and will be appreciated by it's new owner. Sorry you won't be able to make it home for Christmas.
ReplyDeleteThanks Debi Y! I appreciate you always taking the time to comment on my blog!
DeleteSorry to hear your plans got messed up. Agree though life is good when things are put into balance. I bet when you block, you'll feel totally different about your ghan. I think it looks awesome!
ReplyDeleteVisiting all Bridge and Beyond Donors...the season is upon us, asking all to gear up with their yarn to help those in need. Visits and comments to the blog have been down which hurts our placement. So, also asking everyone to visit, leave a comment, let us know you're there, and that you're with us.
Thanks Sandy! I'll be sure to stop by your blog and I have a package of hats all ready to send to you.
DeleteCongratulations on getting it finished :)
ReplyDeleteThanks! It was a labor of love, that's for sure!
DeleteHi found you through Sharis crochet blog and am your latest follower :) LOVE your afgan,Xxxjuliex
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for becoming a follower! I'll be sure to check out your blog as well.
DeleteSo sorry to hear about your orders being messed up, as a military wife (in the UK) myself I can really sympathise.
ReplyDeleteYour afghan is beautiful and I am sure it will be greatly appreciated. I think you are right about the different yarns causing the bumpy finish. My guess is that it might well even out in time but if you do choose to block it then as it is acrylic you could just pop it in the wash and then spread it out somewhere nice and flat to dry. For what it's worth I think it's nice when homemade things look homemade though.
Always nice to hear from another military wife!
DeleteI'm so sorry to hear about the mix up with your orders. As for the afghan - I love it!! But yes, you can block acrylic. I usually spray block where you pin it into shape and then spray it down with water and let it dry.
ReplyDeleteThanks Marie for the tip!
DeleteYour afghan is lovely. I like the strong colours. I'm sure it is warm and cosy and the new owner will love it! It is sad that your plans are mixed up and you can't go home for Christmas.
ReplyDeleteThanks Babajeza! I'm doing a lot better with the whole Christmas situation. Sometimes I just need to vent my frustrations so I can move on and get over it.
DeleteIt's a huge accomplishment and it looks great! The "wonkiness" is probably down to the yarns. Have you tried blocking it? A soak and some gentle tugging can really loosen things up and work wonders!
ReplyDeleteSorry your Christmas plans got wrecked. When my brother was posted in Africa one year all his Christmas presents were held from Dec 17th when they arrived until January 3rd when they were finally released to him :(
Thanks, I guess in a small way it's nice to know that the military isn't biased against just me. They like to mess up things for everyone. lol
DeleteThis is a lovely afghan Katie. I have lots and lots of left over balls of yarn. I may just try to do the same thing. What size were the squares? Maybe if you made them just a bit bigger they wouldn't bunch up as much. If you are going by a specific pattern, you can always fudge and add some rounds of HDC to make it lay down better.
ReplyDelete