Splat! Exploded head on inherited project.

[pragmatica]

I guess it's more like "Boom! Squish." But, I will try to get through the explanation rather than figure out what the literal sound of my head exploding might be.

 

So, back here we learn that my mother gave me a pile of afghan parts by my now-deceased grandmother, ca. 1975ish or something. I was fraught with worry about the whole shebang. People were kind and helpful. I finally got the nerve to look at the project, and figured that I'm not in bad shape after all -- all the squares appeared (note that word) done and ready for assembling, and the pattern is from a Leisure Arts brochure that is in the bag with the squares and has comprehensible instructions.

 

So I'm between projects and I need to destash before my insane Herrschner's yarn sale purchase gets here, and I start working on the assembly. It's a bunch of afghan-stitch squares with cross-stitch on them that already have two rows of SC edging on them. The first thing you do is border the squares with sc-ch2-sc in the corner space, and SC down the whole side. If the squares were correct you'd end up with a happy 27 SC on each side and a ch2 space on each corner. Then you go around and make a set of ch3/sc lacy edging on each square, then lay 'em all out and join with that thing where you edge one square to the other in the middle of the ch3 lacy bits.

 

Well, oh my goodness. Not one of the squares I've looked at so far is correct. Easy-to-work-around mistakes are where for some reason she put two ch2s on each side of the corner instead of at the actual corner. It's not quite right to do what I'm doing -- kinda ignore the fact that I'm not really in the right space and make a new ch2 space that looks right-- but it looks kinda right. Not happy with this but can live with it since the main point is the purty embroidery in the square.

 

Ditto with the ones where she just plain forgot to work a corner space and SCed all the way around. These are tight as hell and need super blocking to stop curling up. Again, not great, but probably livable when you start joining up and especially when I block it. Also there were some where the number of SC wasn't quite right -- she lost a stitch or two somewhere. Fine, I can sneak a few extra SC in to get to 27.

 

So now on to the next kind of square I worked with. I had to add more than six SC on each side to get to 27 sc. I realized "Hey, the problem here isn't inconsistency in corner spacing, this sucker is just TOO SMALL." And the whole square is indeed way too small. Even if I ripped out the SC edging that Grandma did and used the increases the right way, there is really no way for me to go back in time and increase the size of the square in the afghan stitch.

 

I could add an INSANE number of SCs to get it to the right number but I fear that the noticeably smaller squares might look really weird connected to the other squares in the afghan that are the right size.

 

Experienced crocheters, I ask for your help. The answer may be obvious but I haven't slept on it and it's not exactly a dispassionate and emotionally detached project for me.

 

Lemme know if pix would help or if this explanation wasn't sufficiently clear.

 

Thanks,

Elissa, slowly spooning her brains back in. This is payback for thinking that the project might be easy.

[Cuddlefish]

Couldn't you just add additional rows to the ones that are too small?

[hudelei]

I was looking at a book of crocheted square patterns the other day and they had some squares that were composed of four granny squares, or nine granny squares (obviously, they were just the center and maybe a first round). Would it be possible to undo some of these little squares you're worried about and take them back to a size where you could combine four of them into a single square with a common border? It's the only solution I could think of (although maybe someone else here will have a brainstorm).

[Cuddlefish]

Hm, I think it would be easier to judge if we could see the squares.

[natalie058]

I was looking at a book of crocheted square patterns the other day and they had some squares that were composed of four granny squares, or nine granny squares (obviously, they were just the center and maybe a first round). Would it be possible to undo some of these little squares you're worried about and take them back to a size where you could combine four of them into a single square with a common border? It's the only solution I could think of (although maybe someone else here will have a brainstorm).

 

Good idea, but since Pragmatica's squares are done in afghan stitch as opposed to the traditional granny pattern, I don't think that's an option for her.

 

My suggestion would be to slap some extra edging on those suckers and just stick them on the border, where the difference won't be *quite* so noticeable.

[queen_mo]

Although pic would defiately help, I think this might be the answer to both problems 9the stitch count and the guilt factor). How many 'big' squares and how many 'small' squares do you have? Are both quantities enough to make a project out of each? Maybe a poncho for your daughter AND a lapghan for your mom? Then they could 'share' in the project begun by your gran and finished by you; a real cross-generational endeavour that you could eventually cherish...once your brains are firmly intact!

 

Post some pics and maybe we can offer some more constructive suggestions...

Monica

[BarbaraJean]

Hm, I think it would be easier to judge if we could see the squares.

 

What I was thinking...

 

Still, it sounds like it's going to be very difficult to follow the original pattern working with what you have. Can you use them in a different way?

[buggaboosmommy]

I think putting the afghan together the best you can, even without following the pattern left by your grandmother, would be a way to honor her. Personally, it sounds like (based on the previous thread as well) you just don't want to put it together...and we all know if we don't want to make something, there isn't a way to make it work! I would love to see photos of your progress though.

Donna

[Cuddlefish]

If there's a lot of small squares, then maybe if you edge them up to size, you can scatter them among the others, and make it look as if it's the same square in a miniature version. Maybe you could add a round in one of the colours from the center inbetween the white rows, and make it look completely intentional. It could look like a cool design choice, and not a rescue attempt. I think that's what I'd do.

[lene]

One thing that may help is the remember that not all the squares have to be uniform. Some of the inherent charm of old quilts or other pieced work, including older crocheted work, is that things just aren't perfect. The crafters back then were often working with whatever scraps of yarn or fabric they could lay their hands on, and often squares would end up in differing sizes, or in combinations of colours that we wouldn't normally think "should" go together. But these wonderful pieces *work.* They're delightful. And even if you can't make your grandma's afghan squares all uniform in size, or they have other quirks that a piece made nowadays might not have, the finished project will almost certainly be lovely in it's own way nonetheless.

 

Have you ever heard of the Japanese concept of wabi sabi? I love this! I'll quote from a website here -- "Wabi-sabi is a beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete. It is the beauty of things modest and humble. It is the beauty of things unconventional." Wabi sabi is what makes those old quilts or afghan sing with beauty despite their flaws. It's what makes a cracked pottery vase a poem. It's what makes an overweight momma in her late 40's look radiant to her husband and son. (thank heavens!)

 

I think it's what your grandma's afghan will have when you've completed it. It has it even now, in pieces in the bag. Even if you never finished it, you could find joy in holding a square of that afghan in your hand, thinking of your grandma and looking at the work of her hands.

 

Lene'

[pragmatica]

Thanks to everyone for their helpful and thoughtful replies. FWIW, I *do* want to put this thing together -- my last comment in the original post was "Hey, I finally got up the guts to look at this and it's not bad at all!" I was so excited -- all the squares were done, the instructions were there, and there was sufficient yarn to finish the project. It was like a huge weight was lifted from me. Plus, it wasn't nearly as ugly as I remember it. It's actually kinda pretty.

 

And I had time on Wednesday to get started stitching it together, which was in line with my "No more new projects and no more new yarn until you finish everything that you're thinking about and bought the yarn for." Finishing this would make a nice 'ghan for my daughter, get my mom off my back, honor my grandmother, and clear a big space in my storage area. Plus, I didn't want to do anything difficult, so stitching squares together seemed perfect!

 

So I was really disappointed when I realized it would take a lot more analysis and a lot more work.

 

When I have the energy to face a project that's actually a challenge, or when the urge to GET THIS DONE AT LAST overtakes my inertial tendency, I'll do the analysis and figure out what I can do to fix this.

 

I will, indeed, have to sort by size. The ones that are a little too small I can just fix with subtle increases but for the ones that are way too small, I'll have to actually implement your advice instead of just thinking "Wow, I'm glad to have access to people who can think this through for me." Probably a second layer of lacy edging around them will be the right thing.

 

Until then, I will continue to destash until I have the fortitude to face this again despite the knowledge that it's actually not going to be quite as easy as I thought.

 

Thanks again....

 

Elissa

[BarbaraJean]

Thanks to everyone for their helpful and thoughtful replies. FWIW, I *do* want to put this thing together -- my last comment in the original post was "Hey, I finally got up the guts to look at this and it's not bad at all!" I was so excited -- all the squares were done, the instructions were there, and there was sufficient yarn to finish the project. It was like a huge weight was lifted from me. Plus, it wasn't nearly as ugly as I remember it. It's actually kinda pretty.

 

And I had time on Wednesday to get started stitching it together, which was in line with my "No more new projects and no more new yarn until you finish everything that you're thinking about and bought the yarn for." Finishing this would make a nice 'ghan for my daughter, get my mom off my back, honor my grandmother, and clear a big space in my storage area. Plus, I didn't want to do anything difficult, so stitching squares together seemed perfect!

 

So I was really disappointed when I realized it would take a lot more analysis and a lot more work.

 

When I have the energy to face a project that's actually a challenge, or when the urge to GET THIS DONE AT LAST overtakes my inertial tendency, I'll do the analysis and figure out what I can do to fix this.

 

I will, indeed, have to sort by size. The ones that are a little too small I can just fix with subtle increases but for the ones that are way too small, I'll have to actually implement your advice instead of just thinking "Wow, I'm glad to have access to people who can think this through for me." Probably a second layer of lacy edging around them will be the right thing.

 

Until then, I will continue to destash until I have the fortitude to face this again despite the knowledge that it's actually not going to be quite as easy as I thought.

 

Thanks again....

 

Elissa

 

Best of luck with it, Elissa! I know that it will be very dear to you! I'd like to see a picture when you get it finished.