Symmetrical or Random?

[TexasSugar]

I've notice in my life I tend to do to things symmetrical. It isn't something I plan always. I'll rearrange decorations in my house then step back and realize that they were symmetrically placed. Sometimes I really wish I could be more random.

 

I've even noticed in crochet when I am doing on own color patterns I always have some symmetry in the pattern.

 

I've been making some granny squares and I have different numbers of the colors. I have 28 variegated, 49 blue, 30 teal and 39 purple. Since I don't have an even number I know that my symmetry is going to go out the window. What now? I have a feeling this is going to be a hard one to put together.

 

So I got me to thinking, if you are working with squares or motifs, are you symmetrical with your placements or do you have the random thing down? Is there one you prefer looking at over the other? If you are random, how is the easiest way of doing it?

[Peggy85225]

If I'm working with scraps I put like colors of squares, motifs, whatever together in piles and just try to keep them separated as I assemble the project so they don't all end up together. I also am a pretty symmetrical person just can't help it.

[magiccrochetfan]

I like to use some randomness, but for me it's hard to do that and feel like the end result looks okay. the afghan I made where I placed the colors so they were in random order was very hard for me to work out. I didn't want 2 blocks with same color next to each other, and didn't want them to fall into a pattern.

 

I noticed the cover of the new issue of Crochet Today has a top by Doris Chan with motifs placed asymmetrically--I really like the way it looks.

 

I definitely tend to think of symmetrical patterns, it's a hard habit to break.

[Arlinka]

I am NOT a random person in crochet work or life. Everything is very symmetrical with me. Sometimes I wish I could be more random but ........ guess I'm just too anal about things.

[RoseRed]

Absolutely and totally symmetrical! If you think it's going to be that difficult to put together than make a couple more squares - even out the numbers and work the pattern.

 

Why make it harder than it needs to be?

[Ninn]

If you really want asymmetry in your home decor, have a teenager come over and re-arrange things for you.

 

As for crochet? I can't think of a time where anything I did was random. Even when I "randomly" create a design as I go along, it comes out even. Even my base chain will have an even number of stitches in it. It's a thing.

[bethintx1]

It depends on my mood. If I'm feeling nonchalant, then it will be random. If I want to be in control, it's symmetrical. Symmetry shows a well organized mind.

[Hookerangel]

I am definately symmetrical.

[TexasSugar]

Well it is good to know that I am not alone when it comes to this.

 

Ninn, the only teenager I know I wouldn't trust with a hammer and nails in my house. I'd have way more holes then I needed. I have told a good friend of mine that when I finally get me house cleaned up I'm gonna set all my knicknacks on a table and invite her over for a night of decorating and a bottle of wine. She's more random than I am.

 

RoseRed, I thought about making more squares, but that defites the purpose of this whole afghan. I wanted to use a couple of skeins of yarn that I had laying around from other projects that looked good together. So if I go buy more then I am just replacing the skeins I wanted to use up with more yarn just like them.

 

I guess after I finish going around all of them in white I'll lay them out and figure out a way to make a pattern using what I have and making it still look good.

 

Thanks for the replies!!

[RoseRed]

If you really want to be random then put them all in a bag, mix them up and set them up in the order you pull them out in.

[Granny Square]

Guilty on symmetry here too.

 

Perhaps you could arrange your squares in some sort of pattern from the center out, so 'outer rounds' can use up the larger number of matching squares? If you do this in a diamond pattern you might get away with it, with some 'strays' in the corners. Just a thought.

 

Edit - what configuration were you going to arrange them in? With 146 squares, nothing comes out even...am I having a bad math day?.......closest is 10 x 14

[jenniferelyse74]

Guilty on symmetry here too.

 

Perhaps you could arrange your squares in some sort of pattern from the center out, so 'outer rounds' can use up the larger number of matching squares? If you do this in a diamond pattern you might get away with it, with some 'strays' in the corners. Just a thought.

 

Diagonals might work well for this too. Some would be longer and some would be shorter, needing fewer squares.

[TexasSugar]

Guilty on symmetry here too.

 

Perhaps you could arrange your squares in some sort of pattern from the center out, so 'outer rounds' can use up the larger number of matching squares? If you do this in a diamond pattern you might get away with it, with some 'strays' in the corners. Just a thought.

 

Edit - what configuration were you going to arrange them in? With 146 squares, nothing comes out even...am I having a bad math day?.......closest is 10 x7, but you're 1 square short.

 

I did think about laying them out kinda like that, though i was thinking in square instead of diamond.

 

I really don't know what configuration I will do. I'm visual so while I could do the math I'd have to lay out squares to get an idea of size. Each square is about 4.5in long and just 4 rows.

 

I am okay with not using all the squares. Since I used up little balls and then full skeins I knew I'd probably have some extra squares left over. I figured I'd hold on to them for other projects or add other rows and donate them to someone sometime.

 

If I do have to make more I still have skeins of the blue (even though I already have the most in that color) I could use to make a few more squares out of. I just would like to put this one together with out having to buy more yarn, other than the soft white I am putting it together with.

 

Thanks for the ideas on the pattern shapes!

 

I may be posting pictures of different color placements for everyone to vote on later in the week. Hehe.

[magiccrochetfan]

Taking off on GrannySquare's idea, you could use one color to make the outline of a diamond or square and in the middle of it, and outside it, put the variegated and the other colors in a somewhat:lol random pattern. I can't describe what I mean very well:P

 

oh, it dawned on me to look for Sunshine and Shadow quilt

http://www.ctpub.com/productdetails.cfm?PC=1218

http://www.amishcountrylanes.com/Pages/hs676.shtml

So where the purple is in these, use your main color and then do the rest randomly, or concentric diamonds of the other colors.

 

(Man those quilts give me some good crochet ideas!)

[Granny Square]

I should have said 10x14, sorry, and 6 squares over. (I guess I AM having a bad math day ) This would give you a nice 45"x63" size.

[Granny Square]

Here are a couple of symmetrical ideas, 10x14, each has 6 squares left over. It's not so easy to do diamonds with an even number of rows and columns, and you said you wanted squares anyway.

 

Yellow is varigated, green is teal.

[faedragon]

If I'm using left over yarn to make something, I will do a truely random selectiom. I place all the yarn I am going to use ( previously wrapped into center pull balls) into a tote or shopping bag. I close the top so I cannot see inside, and I pull the yarn out. Whatever I pull get used and then I pull the next yarn. It gets stitched into whatever it is I'm making, no matter what. I've made an afghan for my son form left over redheart yarn, and a long shawler for myself from left over novelty yarn.

[flyinghigh]

I don't think my slight ocd allows me to be random. Everything I make has to be symmetrical or on a specific pattern.

[TexasSugar]

Wow, thank you Granny Square! See if I laid these out I would have ended up with the middle one and not the other two. Now I have some thinking to do. If I decide to do the diamond I can always drop more squares or add some more blue ones or even do some solid white ones. Hmmm....

[shana0923]

OCD here can never do random. I want to so badly but cannot. If I get a pattern off by accident it will drive me nuts. You ought to see me when I go out to eat. everything has to be in a certain place and my hubby loves to mess up my order...lol!

[Ellie 13]

If you want random, just edge all your squares in black. Put them in a large bag and mix them up really good. Then just pull out one at at time and attach it. I like Granny Square's idea too.

Ellie 13