Butterflies or Foxes' Eyes

As I was knitting this afghan, I daydreamed about providing you with the pattern. Writing patterns, however, is much less pleasant work than knitting, so now that the afghan is complete, I have other projects to work on, and you will need to figure the pattern out much the way I did. I have given it away, so I don't even have the measurements.

Nonetheless, in case you want to make something similar, I will give you a few hints. I used Cascade Yarns Sateen worsted. It has a lovely feel, stitch definition, and drape, but it is very difficult to knit without splitting the stitches, so I don't recommend it. 

The pattern is "Eyelet Butterflies" from Leisure Arts Sampler Afghans. I think the pattern looks more like fox eyes than butterflies, and since it is an "either/or" baby blanket, I figure the baby can decide his or her preference.

I made a seed stitch border of 8 stitches, knit 18 stitches in stockinet, one 30 stitch repeat of the pattern stitches, approximately 35 stitches of stockinet, another repeat of the pattern, 18 stitches of stockinet, and 8 stitches of seed stitch border. Any other afghan sampler pattern could be used in place of the butterflies.

If using a seed stitch border, cast on an odd number of stitches, so both sides are the same. 

Chevron Afghan

It's wedding season again, and I'm behind. Only one done.

I used a pattern for a  chevron baby blanket, but changed the striping pattern to suit my stash of wool, and made it full size.

Yellow Baby Afghan

This baby blanket is adapted from the afghan pattern Daffodil Dream. Because it is knit on large needles, it has an extra soft texture and also knits up quickly.

SIZE
30 x 36 inches

MATERIALS

1 ball Lion Brand "Pound of Love"

Size 10 1/2 circular needle

MODIFICATIONS

CO 112 stitches

Knit 8 rows garter stitch. (Four ridges) Then work pattern to desired length. Omit fringe.

Basket Weave Baby Blanket

Here is another baby blanket to keep in store for all the babies on the way. This one is made with Red Heart yarn that was given to me.

SIZE
28" x 34"

MATERIALS
4 skeins worsted weight yarn
size 8 circular needle
size G crochet hook

INSTRUCTIONS
CO 120 stitches
Row 1: (Right Side) Knit across
Row 2: (Wrong Side) K5 P3 across
Row 3: K3 P5 across (Knit knits and purl purls)
Row 4: Repeat Row 2
Row 5: Knit across
Row 6: P5 K3 across
Row 7: P3 K5 across (Knit knits and purl purls)
Row 8: Repeat row 6

Repeat rows 1-8 to desired length (about 33 1/2 inches), ending after row 4 or row 8.
Bind off.
Single crochet around all edges of afghan.

Stash Buster Sampler Afghan

With three grandchildren on the way, I need to have a few baby blankets in store, so I made this one out of left-over and hand-me-down baby weight yarn. Here's what I did:

Step 1: Gather all yarn of similar weight. It doesn't have to be exact. You will be guessing at the amounts, but you should have a total of 16 - 18 ounces of yarn. Using a kitchen scale if needed, divide every yarn color and type into two equal piles. Put one pile in a bag and set aside.

Step 2: Choose a color from the pile not set aside. Using size 6 needles, CO 200 stitches. Work in double seed stitch pattern for approximately 12 rows. (If you have less yarn, CO fewer stitches for a smaller afghan.)

Step 3: Switch to a new color. Work 6 stitches double seed stitch. Knit across to last 6 stitches if your change is on the right side of work. Purl across if your change is on the back side. Work the last 6 stitches in double seed stitch. On the next row, work 6 stitches double seed stitch. Then choose a new pattern and knit across to last 6 stitches. Work 6 st double seed stitch. Continue with the new pattern for as long as you like, keeping your double seed stitch edging. Try not to use all your color up in one stripe.

Step 4: Repeat step 3 as many times as needed, changing the pattern stitch every time you change colors, and changing colors as often as you like, depending on how many you have.

Step 5: When you have used up your first pile of yarn, or your afghan is about half as long as you want it to be, get out the pile of yarn that was set aside. Match your color sequence going backwards. Don't match the patterns unless you want to. I didn't -- except the last color which is done in double seed stitch like the first.

Step 6: Bind Off.

Step 7: (The least fun one) Sew in all the yarn ends.

Double Seed Stitch: 

Row 1: K2, P2 across.
Row 2: K the knits and P the purls.
Row 3: P2, K2 across.
Row 4: K the knits and P the purls.

NOTE: Avoid rib and cable patterns as they will have a smocking effect.

You won't have the exact number of stitches for most of your patterns. When that happens, decide whether you want to stop in the middle of a pattern when you get to the end of the row or you want to have a few extra knit stitches on one or both ends. You may do it one way with some patterns and the other way with others.

I used the following books for patterns to sample:
Donna Kooler's Encyclopedia of Knitting
Sampler Afghans, Leisure Arts Pamphlet #932

Sampler Afghan

On display at the Beehive in Spencer, Iowa, this afghan is from a Leisure Arts pamphlet.

Owl Afghan

   It seems to be that season in my life when friends and relatives are getting married. Hopefully I can keep up on afghans. This one pleased me more than usual. I like it so much that I didn't even mind fidgeting with French knots for the owl eyes.

   The afghan is adapted from Margaret MacInnis' Waffling Owl Afghan block, which is a free Ravelry download. I used Caron Simply Soft yarn, and the drape is beautiful. I knit the blocks in 4 strips of 5 squares each, and I added seed stitch to the side edges of the blocks.

The wedding is today.

Blessings to the happy couple!

Stars and Squares Afghan

The recipients of this afghan eloped.

They can keep me from coming to the wedding, but they can't keep me from knitting an afghan!
Unfortunately I didn't get a good picture. ~ Afghans are very hard to photograph.

   The pattern is The Quilt Look Afghan from Lion Brand ~ and I followed it almost exactly. If I were to make it again, there are some things I would do differently ~ but I probably won't.

   The directions for the stars say to switch to circular needles when you get enough stitches. I didn't. Instead, as the work progressed, I kept my stitches on the double points by corking the ends. I used only four needles, which left me with one needle with less stitches than the others. This one I didn't cork, giving me an extra reminder of where the end of the round was. 

Garter Stitch Appliqué Flower

As an extra touch to my Rambling Rows Afghan,

 I added this simple garter stitch flower.

Worsted weight yarn, size 8 needles.

Each petal measures 2 1/8” across at the widest points. Each leaf measures 1 ½”.

Flower is made up of five petals and a flower center, each sewn separately to a knitted base.

Flower Center:

CO 15. Knit 2 rows garter stitch. Pull all stitches over the first stitch on needle. Pull yarn through this stitch and cut. The stitches will form a circle with a pie shaped piece missing. Use your tail to sew up the gap and make a complete circle.

Petals:

Make 5

The basic pattern is to knit the front stitches, making a Center Decrease on 3 center stitches; and to knit all stitches on the backside except the center stitch, which is purled. There is an increase in row 2.

CO 13

Rows 1 & 3: K5, CD over 3 stitches (Slip 2 as to knit, K1, PSSO) K5

Row 2: K1 M1, K4, P1, K4, M1, K1

Row 4: K5 P1 K5

Row 5: K4, CD3, K4

Row 6: K4, P1, K4

Row 7: K3, CD3, K3

Row 8: K3, P1, K3

Row 9: K2, CD3, K2

Row 10: K2, P1, K2

Row 11: K1 CD3, K1

Row 12: P3 tog

Pull yarn through remaining stitch.

Leaves:

Make 2 or 3

CO 9

Rows 1 & 3: K3, CD3, K3

Row 2: K1, M1, K2, P1, K2, M1, K1

Row 4: K3, P1, K3

Row 5: K2, CD3, K2

Row 6: K2, P1, K2

Row 7: K1, CD3, K1

Row 8: P3 tog

Pull yarn through remaining stitch.

Arrange 5 petals in a circle with final tail pointing out and cast on tail pointing to the side. Sew to base. Place flower center on top of the inner points of the petals and sew down. Sew leaves wherever desired in the vicinity of the flower.

Variation: Make another set of 5 smaller petals from the leaf pattern and sewn them over the seams between the larger petals. These may be from a contrasting color.

Get the pattern for the afghan here.

Rambling Rows Afghan

  If you like garter stitch, enjoy picking up stitches, and don't mind counting, the Rambling Rows Afghan is the afghan for you! I made one on request, and I'm pleased with the end product, despite my prejudice against garter stitch.

The afghan is on display at the Beehive in Spencer, Iowa. The Beehive is on Facebook.
The pattern is from Cottage Creations of Carpenter, Iowa.

Quick Afghan

   I needed a wedding present, so I chose a pattern for an afghan I thought would knit up quickly. I was right. I made this in less than a week.

   The pattern I chose was Lion Brand's Plush Throw, using Jiffy yarn, but I changed it slightly, using larger needles and adding embellishment. My version is:

Size:
40" x 50"

Materials:
5 balls each two colors of Jiffy yarn (I used Dove and Oat.)
size 13 circular needles
size 8 needles for embellishments

Holding two strands of yarn together, one of each color, cast on 84 stitches, using size 13 needles.
Knit 6 rows garter stitch. (Knit every row.)
Row 7: K across all stitches.
Row 8: K4, purl to within 4 of end; K4.
Repeat rows 7 & 8 until piece measures 48", ending with a right side row.
Knit 5 rows garter stitch.
Bind off on right side.

Finishing:
Weave in yarn ends.
Using one strand of yarn and size 8 needles, make  Nita's Flower, using one color for the center and the other for the petals of your flower. 
Make leaf on size 8 needles.


Leaf:
Cast on 5.
Row 1: K2 YO K1 YO K2
Row 2 and all wrong side rows: Purl
Row 3: K3 YO K1 YO K3
Row 5: K4 YO K! YO K4
Row 7: K5 YO K1 YO K5 (13 stitches)
Rows 9, 11, 13, & 15: K1 SSK, K to within 3 stitches of end, K2tog, K (5 stitches)
Row 17: K1 Sl1, K2tog, PSSO, K1
Row 19:  Sl1, K2tog, PSSO. Cut yarn, pull through last stitch.


Sew flower and leaf to lower right corner of afghan.


This afghan is available for sale on a make-to-order basis. 

Dye Lots

There is an advantage to using modern mass produced yarns.  This afghan (a modification of Nicky Epstein's Tree of Life) was knit with Vanna's Choice.  It wasn't my choice.  I wanted green and washable.  My pocketbook dictated the rest.

The advantage? ~ I bought the yarn before settling on my pattern, which called for 10 balls of yarn.  I only had 8, so I made the afghan a little smaller ~ but I still ran out of yarn.  When I went in for more, I wasn't able to get the same dye lot ~ but the color is so close that I  can't tell the difference.

My mom taught me a trick for mixing dye lots, when you have to.  You alternate for a few inches, knitting two rows of one dye lot and then two rows of the other, thus avoiding a sharp line where the color changes.  I didn't bother to do that. I actually ended up with yarn from three different dye lots, but they are impossible to distinguish.

The Other Side of the Story

A knitted afghan with roses may be gorgeous.  Mine turned out pretty nice.  But the trouble with intarsia is, it is never pretty on the back side.



With the first couple squares I was careful to twist my strands every three stitches, but I found that I actually got a smoother finish on both sides when I made longer reaches.  After finishing, I really couldn't tell the difference between the squares where I went three, and those where I crossed five stitches ~ so it's longer reaches from now on for me!

Rose Afghan in Black and Pink

A young man suggested that I make a black afghan with pink flowers.  I didn't care much for the idea, but for reasons too mysterious to explain, I made it anyway.  I found a vintage pattern at Karen's Variety:
http://www.karensvariety.com/CopyPatterns/Afghans/Rose655.htm
But, as usual, I didn't follow the pattern.  I followed the chart for the rose (much too hard for me to do on my own,) but instead of making 15 of them, I made only 8, and added a border.  I also added random rosebuds to the plain squares.

Perhaps my friend will get this for a wedding present . . . if . . . .
Meanwhile it is on display at the Bee Hive in Spencer, Iowa.

Baby Afghan

In January my third grandchild was born. My son flew me to Wisconsin for the occasion. Two days before I left, I realized I hadn't made anything for the baby ~ it would be a shame for him to come into the world without a handknit something from the knitting grandma!

I bought a one pound ball of Lion Brand baby yarn, and started knitting. Jenny went into labor that day, and Carl was born before I got there. I didn't get to attend the birth, but I was welcomed by a very sweet, newborn grandson. I left him a couple weeks later, with this ripple afghan. It is a simple pattern and knits up quickly. All four sides ripple and curl up slightly.

Ripple Baby Afghan

Supplies: 16 oz worsted weight yarn, size 9 circular needle
Guage: 9 st = 2 in

Cast on 144 stitches.

Row 1: Knit

Row 2: Purl

Row 3: (K2tog.) 3 times, *(YO, K 1) 6 times, (K2tog) 6 times. Repeat from * accross, ending with (K2tog) 3 times instead of 6.

Row 4: Knit

Repeat these 4 rows 72 times. Bind off.

Pick up 112 stitches along each side. Purl one row, then work rows 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4. Bind off.

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