Afghan with fringe as you go

[Amy O.]

I love the idea of making fringe as shown in this afghan:

http://sunshinescreations.vintagethreads.com/2012/08/free-pattern-grandmas-touch-of-south.html

However, I'm confused about the directions.  The author says to "crochet in one direction."  Another poster said that in order to keep the afghan straight, you need to increase and decrease every third row.  Is this true?  And is the increase and decrease done in the same row?

If anyone has experience crocheting an afghan with fringe like this, please let me know if I can sc crochet across, cut the yarn, add the new strand, turn the work and continue across the other way.  Then, at the end, cut the yarn, add a new strand, turn my work and crochet across.

I did a sample swatch and didn't increase or decrease every third row, and the piece looks straight to me.

Thank you for your help!

[milney]

You make a slip knot 4” from the end of your yarn. Then, sc into the first stitch of the row on your Afghan. That makes your fringe on that side. You always work all rows from right to left. You never turn your work. At the end of each row, leave an extra 4” of yarn & pull through the last sc of the row. Janice

[Amy O.]

Ohhhh, I see.  Thank you so much!  And just to clarify, if I always work right to left, then there is no need to increase/decrease every third row...is that correct?

 

[Granny Square]

Caveat: I've never made one of these blankets, but I do know that crochet stitches have a 'bias' so in the round in a spiral, or if you don't turn the piece while working flat, the stitches will seem to drift to the right--see my below ugly swatch done in the round.

The below ugly swatch is done in rounds: the bottom half with the grey column is just plain sc, the top rows with the red column are made in the back loops -  all of the contrast color stitches are made into a contrast color stitch in the row below, notice how the stitches look a little different in the back loop but the stitch columns line up perfectly horizontally.

The patterns that I've seen for blankets worked flat but with the same side always facing (many are called 'Navajo' style blankets) have you work in the back loop to kill the bias; if you don't work in the back loop, I could see that you'd have to remove a stitch from the right side and add a stitch on the left side maybe every other row to keep the edges straight-ish (which probably happened to the commenter the OP mentioned; I think that wouldn't look quite as nice).

 

Edited July 29, 2020 by Granny Square

[milney]

I personally wouldn’t increase or decrease at beginning or end of row. I’ve never had a problem with mine laying flat. Including a picture of Afghan I made where I started & ended each row. Janice 

[Amy O.]

Granny Square - When presented as shown in your sample, I can see how working in the back loop would keep things a bit straightish-er.

Janice - your afghan looks lovely!

I am working with a thicker yarn, so I think the back loop method would work better.  The sample I've worked up using a single crochet and working flat with same side facing just doesn't look as nice.  

Or, I skip this idea for the thicker yarn and save it for a yarn that is size 4 or less.

Thank you so so much for your help and thoughts!  I really appreciate it.  

[USpolishgirl]

The best part about all those fringes, you do not need to weave the ends! LOL

I always did that with scarfs for my granddaughters when they were little.

Krys

[milney]

Granny Square .. it was mentioned in the notes of the pattern if you have enough yarn to mirror image. Does that mean that you would work on both sides of the beginning chain & use the same color sequence for the rows on both sides? Thanks. Janice 

[Granny Square]

Hmm, that isn't the first thing that would pop into my head reading that, instead I think it means - if you have 5 colors, instead of arranging them in stripes

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 

arrange them something like

1 2 3 4 5 5 4 3 2 1 , or maybe with just one "5"

edit, for a striped blanket, I don't think I'd  want the chain edge going down the middle UNLESS it was made center out in a rectangle or oval .

Edited August 2, 2020 by Granny Square

[milney]

Thanks Granny Square. That makes sense. Janice