Crochet -a- Quilt

[judianne]

I'll be interested to see what others have to say, since when I've done the afghan stitch I haven't been able to stop it from curling, either!

[Queen Mil]

I am thinking I can do it another stitch !!!LOL

[JulieKay]

Tabby -your new afghan sounds very pretty ! Will be watching for Photo Friday .

 

Queen -- I wish i had some help for you. I think I have heard others say that the afghan stitch just naturally curls up .. Maybe if you edge it when it's done that would help ?

Anyone else have an idea ?

[tahlara]

Hi there, I hope to do a prarie star quilt in this CAL. I see there are few others doing it too ?

 

Afghan stitch - I did this stitch few years ago as a crochet experiment. Here are my tips.

 

1. Try the purl stitch first few rows. It is better if its done loosely or created with a larger hook before you go into the main design with the right hook size.

 

2. Try the seed stitch , basically 1 knit, 1 purl, going on and on (first row), then basically 1 purl, 1 knit, on and (second row). Make sure that first and last stitch on each row is basic afghan stitch... it will keep work flat and it make nice edging too. Try it for few rows too. (Tip: I use smaller hook for this method then go up a hook for main design)

 

3. Steam Iron... just press the iron on the edges to keep them flat, and let it dry on its own.

 

I can think of few other tips, cant think of them right now. Just have fun and share any new tips!

[JulieKay]

Hi Tahlara

and welcome to the group ! Yes, Prairie Star is a favorite with a lot of the ladies .Have any ideas about colors yet ?

[judianne]

Thanks so much, tahlara!

I've written down your suggestions and will try them soon...

What's your first name?

[Queen Mil]

How do u do that with a crochet hook ????

[Misa]

How do u do that with a crochet hook ????

 

Glad I'm not the only one with that question

[dsabol]

Ok, here's my 2 cents on the afghan stitch.

 

I started a ghan doing that stitch and I HATED it. H-A-T-E-D I-T!!!

 

I ended up ripping the whole thing apart and doing it in single crochet.

 

Queen, I'm not sure what you're doing, but there's a good tutorial on "tapestry crochet" at this site:

http://iweb.tntech.edu/cventura/rightstitches.html

 

Those are the instructions I followed when I did mine. It still curled a bit (and I haven't finished it yet) but my plan was to do a single crochet border around the outside of the whole thing. I'm pretty sure that would help it lay flat if I did it wide enough.

 

This site has alot of info about the afghan stitch and curling (and how NOT to curl).

http://www.crochetcabana.com/specialty/tunisian.htm

 

I guess I crochet to tightly but the hook I had to use to do the afghan stitch was making my hand cramp. I had a hard time getting the stitches back off the hook. After one row I decided I couldn't do the whole thing that way, so I went w/the single crochet (which is what's shown in the first link I gave you.)

 

I have alot of other links, because I was researching it alot. Let me know if you want me to post them all here.

 

Good luck!

 

Tabby - Thanks for the hugs.

[dsabol]

By the way, I have 10 1/2 white squares and two black squares done, for the race flag 'ghan. I ran out of white last night. I started working w/the black and DH had a sudden attack of enthusiasm for all things domestic. Which I think was meant to spur me into action, too. (I tried to stay strong, but I helped a little...I did dishes. haha)

 

He started doing laundry (which DID need to be done), he made dinner (ok by me, although it was frozen chicken patties & tater tots), and he baked 2 dozen peanut butter cookies (the kind you get from the fundraisers that are frozen in individual balls, so you just have to put them on the pan)...and every batch that went through the oven I had to inspect for him because he couldn't tell if they were done.

 

And THEN he did something that I told him I was going to write about on my blog, but I think I'll just write it here. He cracks me up. This man.... :lol

 

He got the cookie sheet out last night and MEASURED IT with his measuring tape! I asked him why he did that and he says the directions say to place the cookies 2 inches apart and he wanted to know how much room he had. I told him it's just a guideline but he said, "Yeah, but the directions say 2 inches and I don't want my cookies to run all together. It says 2 inches, I'm doing 2 inches."

 

This is the guy who measures 6 cups of water when he makes mac & cheese, because the box says to boil 6 cups of water. He gets a measuring cup out and actually measures it!

 

He's very smart, but he's a little to uptight about somethings. It's entertaining, anyway.

[judianne]

Donna, at least your DH ends up with an edible product...my sweet guy guesses at amounts - treating them like suggestions! Love him to pieces, though:manyheart

[thery4]

Oh Donna...that is just too funny! Our Hubbys' must be soul mates or related or something! That measuring is something mine does all the time! When we first set up our house he wanted to help me hang pics and such. I have always just eye balled everything...not this man...he measured to find the center of the wall from both corners, the floor, and the ceiling. Measured each picture to find their centers and then centered them on the walls. One picture to a wall is what he had in mind. No groupings of anything either. We had quite a discussion then, I finally said I would let him hang everything in the house if I got to go organize his garage and shed. From that day on I've hung everything, even threatened him a couple of times! LOL But I wouldn't trade him for the world either!

[dsabol]

 

Oh I could SOOOO see my DH doing that! He keeps bragging about being good at decorating or arranging a room, because he spent a summer, while he was in college, working for a "pair of guys" in Florida who decorated houses.

 

He spent an evening measuring my living room because he wanted to rearrange the furniture. He was going to put my couch diagonally in the room...I put my foot down on that one. As it is, he divided the room with my couch and I'm not sure I like it, but...I'll live with it for now. We're moving this spring anyway (I hope I hope I hope).

 

My DH inspects houses for a living, and writes up construction work orders, so he does alot of measuring and figuring space, etc. I guess he just can't stop. (plus I always tell him he has "management mind"...but it's not a compliment when I tell him that and he knows it. )

[QueenOfCrochet]

Too funny Donna & Theresa. My Hubby is the complete oppsite, he couldn't hang a straight picture to save his life. He is definitely NOT Mr. Fix-It. He does cook but he does everything by eye & that he is good at. Can't have everything, lol. Gotta love em.

[sewnsew]

Oh that's funny. Mine usually stands there watching me over my shoulder and then asks me why I only put so much or if I'm sure I'm using enough water or what ever. lol Yep gotta love them

 

Well I have been crocheting like mad. I now have 5 squares of the 12 done. I'm not counting the little squares just the big ones. I would probably go nuts if I counted all the little squares.

[JulieKay]

How do you guys all end up with the domestic men ?

 

My husband doesn't even TOAST his pop tarts. Eats them cold . ( NOT JOKING )

 

Once, many years ago, I went someplace and got home kinda late to make lunch. The kids were hungry, so he made them mac & cheese .

 

I come in the house and after I picked myself off the floor from shock that he had COOKED , the first thing I noticed was the SOUNDS coming from the dining room .

 

If any of you have seen the Chevy Chase Christmas Vacation movie when they cook the turkey too well done and they are all crunching on it trying to eat it, THAT is what sound I heard .

 

SO. I go in to see what the noise was . The kids were TRYING to eat the macaroni. He had no clue how to cook it, and didn't bother reading directions on the box. He put cold water in a pan, put the macaroni in, and as soon as the water began to boil, off it goes, cheese gets put in, and WA-La !

Lunch was served . CRUNCHY, but good roughage I guess .

[sewnsew]

Julie, my husband is not domestic at all. He won't even try to make the macaroni. He just likes to stand there and question me. I think it's to try and annoy me. He told me one morning that after I went to bed he was going to make macaroni and cheese and after getting the pan out and everything realized he didn't know how to make it so he just left the stuff there and ate some chips or something. Not one domestic bone

[JulieKay]

Donna- well I am glad to hear I'm not on the island alone then . We've been married almost 30 years, and that is the only time I remember him cooking ANYTHING .

[Misa]

How do you guys all end up with the domestic men ?

 

My husband doesn't even TOAST his pop tarts. Eats them cold . ( NOT JOKING )

 

Once, many years ago, I went someplace and got home kinda late to make lunch. The kids were hungry, so he made them mac & cheese .

 

I come in the house and after I picked myself off the floor from shock that he had COOKED , the first thing I noticed was the SOUNDS coming from the dining room .

 

If any of you have seen the Chevy Chase Christmas Vacation movie when they cook the turkey too well done and they are all crunching on it trying to eat it, THAT is what sound I heard .

 

SO. I go in to see what the noise was . The kids were TRYING to eat the macaroni. He had no clue how to cook it, and didn't bother reading directions on the box. He put cold water in a pan, put the macaroni in, and as soon as the water began to boil, off it goes, cheese gets put in, and WA-La !

Lunch was served . CRUNCHY, but good roughage I guess .

 

:rofl :rofl

[dsabol]

Cara - I second the :rofl :rofl

 

Oh, I was laughing so hard at your post, Julie, I had tears in my eyes! Oh my gosh, that was the funniest thing I've read all day!

 

I can totally picture it. What good kids, trying to eat it anyway.

 

My DH get's irritated if I'm in the kitchen when he's cooking. I can't say he's bad at cooking, but he makes it seem like it's such a production. As if I've never done it and I'll be impressed that it's so hard to do.

 

As for crocheting, I made ONE MORE square today. We had a going away party for my boss today and I didn't get to sit in my office and crochet for the whole hour, like I normally would have. However, many of you probably remember that the 'ghan that I'm makeing is FOR HIM, so I need to get it done. I have a meeting tomorrow night, so I won't have all evening tomorrow to work on it. I think I'll try to sew it together tomorrow night. So that leaves me tonight to finish the squares. And, DH called a little bit ago to ask what I wanted to do tonight, because my son is over at his dad's house....Uh, sorry hun. I have to crochet all night. Hey, will you go buy me some more yarn, dear?

[bama_belle]

When DH and I first got married we lived in an apartment. One Sunday morning I was making breakfast for the two of us, and had to run down to the laundry to check on the clothes I had been washing all morning.

 

I ask DH to watch the bacon until I get back.

 

DH watched the bacon just like I asked.

He watched it burn to a crisp.

He didn't turn it.

He didn't take it off the eye.

It was not just burnt black. It was DUST.

 

I asked him. "Why didn't you take it out of the pan or something?"

 

He replied, "You didn't tell me to do that, you just said watch it."

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[JulieKay]

Tina -that is FUNNY !!!!

 

Those men, you sometimes have to explain in DETAIL what you need them to do -- he just stood there WATCHING YOUR BACON BURN BLACK ????

 

FUNNY ~~~~~~ :lol

[bama_belle]

Tina -that is FUNNY !!!!

 

Those men, you sometimes have to explain in DETAIL what you need them to do -- he just stood there WATCHING YOUR BACON BURN BLACK ????

 

FUNNY ~~~~~~ :lol

 

he sure did... knowing that was HIS breakfast.

 

I just stood there looking at him. We had not been married very long. My mother-in-law said it was probably some passive aggressive bassackward attempt at training me not to ask him to do anything around the house but it backfired on him.

 

I put the burned bacon on his plate. LOL

 

He didn't eat it of course, but the look on his face was priceless.

[QueenOfCrochet]

Julie~ :rofl CRUNCH, CRUNCH :rofl

 

Also, what's wrong with a cold pop-tart. Huh?? I'm so busy or lazy that I just microwave mine for 20-25 sec.

 

 

Tina~Too Funny! I would've put it on his plate too. You go girl.

 

 

Umm...........and I guess I should talk about crochet, lol. Umm, yeah I did none today. Too busy. Jaden had a dentist appt. & he has post traumatic from the first visit so it is always fun to return but he had a wonderful woman today that worked with his fears and he didn't even cry. But I felt like I wanted to in the waiting room because I thought he was probably histarical & they don't allow parents in while the work is being done. Poor little man all for a stinking borderline cavity. It had to be done, I guess.

[JulieKay]

Tina- yea, thats what he gets, make him eat it if he wont even bother to take it out when it's done.

 

Tab - at least your poptarts are WARM ---

 

Cam is so brave about doctors since he has been sick so much. When I need to go, he always says he'll go with me and hold my hand when I'm scared .

 

What is wrong with THAT picture when someone who is 49 needs a 4 year old to hold her hand at the Dr ?