Blue Star Afghan CAL

[MiztrezzLyn]

Those colors sound wonderful, I think it'll be beautiful! I think the Aspen Print and the Frosty Green will have enough of a contrast.

 

Makes me wonder about the colors that I chose for mine lol I am worried about one of the colors being kinda odd compared to the other colors.

 

I'm using Peaches and Cream cotton ( I know, shoot me) colors are:

 

winterberry

williamsburg blue

lt blue

mauve

ecru

 

I hope the williamsburg blue and the lt blue are enough of a contrast also and I'm concerned about the mauve. but there is a mauve-ish color in the winterberry so I hope its alright.

[Krystal16]

I debated over that same issue - the contrast. On the book, there isn't much contrast in the print vs. the solid blue - in the green afghan posted here, there *is* that contrast, and it makes ALL the difference. I was going to use all shades of blue, but my variegated has three shades of blue too. I think for my other color in the nine-patch I'm going to use RH cornflower so that I have contrast. I'm not really a "yellow" kinda person, but there is currently some yellow in my bedspread and it sets off the blue nicely. My other colors are Caron pounder in light country blue, a varigate I got in mill ends that is that same blue, a medium grey/blue and a dark country blue; and windsor. I will probably also use soft white.. Since I didn't look at the yarn req's very closely, I may have to fudge a little, as I only have a pound (maybe two, have to check my stash) of the variegated. And I'm not sure what I want where.. I have to do a bunch of other WIPs first - probably looking at April or May for me to start... I'll let you guys make all the mistakes and learn from you

[Krystal16]

By the way, what SIZE is this afghan as it's written?

[moonspinners]

Completed size is 60" x 60"

[MiztrezzLyn]

LOL Krystal, thanks for letting us be the guinea pigs for ya =)

 

Moonspinners or I guess anyone else who has the book already, could you possibly tell me what size crochet hook it requires? I am having hubby pick me up a bamboo hook and I don't have the book yet.

 

TIA!

[Krystal16]

Well, then I'll be adding a round of squares to this, I think... I have a king sized bed.

Maybe I'll mess with the star design and repeat a point on each corner and in the middle? I don't know...

[Lady_of_Roses]

Moonspinners or I guess anyone else who has the book already, could you possibly tell me what size crochet hook it requires? I am having hubby pick me up a bamboo hook and I don't have the book yet.

 

TIA!

 

Size G

[Ladykats]

Okay, I haven't received the book yet, but I finally choose my colors, I got Sirdar Country style yarn in dusty pink as MC, Bilberry blue A, light navy B, white C, Amethyst D. Now I get to wait for the book and the yarn. Not a big thing as I have the Bedspread CAL to work on.

[MiztrezzLyn]

Eew a size G? For some reason I hate working with a G hook, I wonder if it would be a problem to use a slightly larger hook, I have a preference for I but don't mind H so much. I am using cotton yarn and someone suggested using a bigger hook so that if it shrinks it won't pucker. What do you all think? I don't want it to alter the look of the afghan that much. I'm worried now lol

 

I also wonder what does that do to yarn requirements if you use a larger hook? I mean I assume it will go up but will it be a significant increase?

 

So now I gotta decide if I should use a bigger hook (buying bamboo) and which size? H or I....I don't have a good feeling about this now lol

[Krystal16]

Lyn,

 

I would do a sample square... the ones with the nine-patch for example. Try your regular I, measure the square before washing. Then wash it the way you plan to wash with the whole afghan. see how much it shrinks, how it feels, etc. Then decide what you need to do....

[MiztrezzLyn]

Oh! That is a great idea, thanks alot. I will try that and see what happens.

[dilyca2006]

OK.. I have ordered a book. Don't know how soon it will be here, but maybe it will give me time to get some of my WIP's done so that I can start it.

[MiztrezzLyn]

My yarn arrived early!! I ordered it new years eve and it got here today..pretty fast!

 

PROBLEM! The williamsburg blue and the light blue are almost IDENTICAL in color but they didnt look that way on the website. So do I continue with those 2 together anyway or should I order a different color? Here's the color page http://www.elmore-pisgah.com/solid%20colors%209-14.htm

 

Colors are winterberry, williamsburg blue, light blue, mauve, and ecru.

 

Oh, I should NOT be ordering any more yarn lol especially with the cost to ship and having to wait even longer. Or i guess I could go to Walmart or somewhere and see what they have (I know they carry Peaches and Cream also)

 

OH! and I can't believe how much softer this Peaches and Cream is than Sugar and Cream. It just feels totally different.

[moonspinners]

Because I crochet loosely I always have to go down at least two hook sizes, sometimes even three or four sizes down to obtain gauge. When it comes to afghans I don't concern myself with gauge. I cannot see doing this afghan with anything lower than a G hook. Therefore my afghan will be larger than the 60" x 60." I figure as long as I use the same hook I won't have any problems. And I always, always buy one or two skeins more than required because I know I'll need it.

 

I stated earlier that I got RH Warm Brown to go with my Dark Sage (instead of Med. Thyme), Aspen Print, Frosty Green and Cream. Well, typical me, I went ahead and changed the Warm Brown to Light Sage because I finally decided I wanted just one primary color throughout the afghan. Sure hope my color combo will look good once the afghan is done.

 

Pat: Basically we're using the same colors. I hope you don't mind that I'm sort of copying your color scheme. These greens are so pretty!

 

Lyn: You're right. You're going to want more of a contrast with the blues. Perhaps you can luck into a good sale locally.

[MiztrezzLyn]

Well I made 3 granny squares with some cotton yarn last night with G, H, and I hooks. I washed them and left them out to dry...this morning still not dry lol It doesn't look like they shrunk at all though?

 

I think the G is just way too tight and stiff, the I looks too loose and sloppy, and the H looks just about right, so I think I may go to an H instead of an I.

 

The color problem I'm having is bugging me because I know that Wal-Mart doesn't sell very much of the Peaches n Cream cotton, they have crap for variety...but I think I should still go take a look.

 

Last night my hubby wound up all my cones and balls of cotton into center pull skeins...he's so sweet...can you imagine? 5 cones of 880 yards and 6 balls of about 120ish yards..all wound up for me and ready to go =)

 

He also told me that if I am not happy with the two colors being so close together we can go see if we can find something a little different, which is awesome because he usually teases me and tells me I don't need anymore yarn lol He just said if I'm not going to be happy with those colors I should get a different one. I think he REALLY REALLY wants me to finish this afghan and he knows if I'm unhappy with something about it I probably won't finish =)

[Krystal16]

Lyn,

 

If you go to walmart, you will buy more yarn NOT for your project!! BEWARE

 

This could be a hint for the future - if it didn't dry by setting overnight, imagine how LONG it will take for a whol afghan. Do you have room for this? Without it draping and creating "points" where it was hung, because it WILL be heavy. You may have to dry partially, then hang or lay to dry. Then shrinkage might occur.

[crs5]

I have this book and I like all the afghans in it. Unfortunately I can't join the cal, too many other things going. But someday do want to make this afghan. I just wanted to know since you made some corrections are there mistakes in the book. Wanted to know so when I do make this I will copy the corrections you made.

 

Thanx

Carol:hook

I posted in the Seeking Patterns section looking for the pattern for this beautiful afghan

 

 

a couple of lovely people were very helpful in giving me the information I need and I have purchased the yarn and the book for this afghan, and should be receiving them in a few days.

 

I was wondering who, if anyone, was interested in doing this as a CAL? I am just notorious for starting something and losing steam on it fairly quickly and I would REALLY love to start AND finish this afghan, a CAL may be just the thing to keep me going.

 

So, who's in with me? =)

 

Name of Book:

Herrschners Blue-Ribbon Afghans

 

Sources:

http://www.amazon.com/Herrschners-Bl.../dp/0848714601

http://herrschners.com/products/product.aspx?sku=348205

http://product.half.ebay.com/Herrsch...50351QQtgZinfo

 

Yarn Requirements: (Thanks Moonspinners)

worsted-weight acrylic yarn:

17.5 oz (990 yds) light blue MC (main color)

10.5 oz (595 yds) blue Color A

17.5 oz (990 yds) navy Color B

17.5 oz (990 yds) cream Color C

14 oz (700 yds) blue/cream varigated Color D

 

Corrections for the pattern: (Thanks mudpie)

CORRECTION AT CORNER BORDER:

 

Row 1: (rs) With rs facing, join B in sc 2 sts before any Wedge tip with sl st, ch 1; sc in same sc; ch 1, sk next 2sc, *(dc in next 3 sc, ch 1, sk next sc)7 times, (cl, ch 2, cl) in next sc, (point) (ch 1, sk next sc, dc in next 3 sc)6 times, ** sk next 4 sc, tr in next sc (joining), sk next 4 sc; (dc in next 3 sc, ch 1, sk next sc)6 times, (cl, ch 2, cl) in next sc (point),

(Ch 1, sk next sc, dc in next 3 sc)7 times, ch 1, sk next 2 sc, sl st in next 2 sc.

 

Row 10: do not turn.

[penitho]

Well I dug through my yarn stash and I have enough of the greens to do my afghan, if my book ever gets here. I had to pick up a contrast color, which I am not sure I will like??? Oh and yes it is true..........if you go to walmart you will come home with more yarn than you went for!!! hhahahahahaha....I found 2 skeins of the most beautiful color **real teal**. Got to have an afghan made of this......I will check each time I go back and buy all I can until I get enough for the afghan.....see...............it isn't safe at walmart!!!!

 

Has anyone started ther CAL yet?? Anybody going to do one in reds??? I love red, and been thinking about it????

[Aussie]

I have bought my book on ebay and now have to wait till it gets here. In the meantime Im deciding on colors. Im finding the varigated yarn the hardest to pick out. there isnt a lot of variety and so you cant just pick a shade you want to do then expect the varigated to be there. Has anyone had this problem

[MiztrezzLyn]

Well we went to Michaels, AC Moore, and Walmart. And yes its true, I went and came back with more yarn than I went for LOL also 2 clover soft touch hooks, a nifty knitter set thing (4 big round looms). Hubby has been wanting that for a while so we picked it up.

 

Ah well =)

 

What happened is I got a cone and 2 smaller skeins of white because I noticed my winterberry has white in it NOT ecru (which is what I had ordered originally) but still no other colors for my blues problem. I think I am going to have to do it with the two blues I originally started with and hope that I can place them so that they're far enough away in the pattern so that its not that big of a deal. Really disappointed with that though =/

 

I also picked up 3 skeins of a emerald frost variegated cotton and 3 skeins of dark green cotton and 3 skeins of baby green for some UNKNOWN MISC project that will be started soon LOL I just love the cotton.

 

And about the whole wash/drying thing it does give me pause for an entire afghan to be made in cotton in as far as how difficult it may be for drying the whole thing but....I ordered the cotton yarn already ($50 counting shipping, 5 cones and 6 small balls of cotton) so...I'm sticking with it lol

 

AND my darn book is still NOT here! It needs to hurry up and get here...I have everything READY to go...no patience

[darski]

Lyn, couldn't you begin your grannies for the nine patches?

 

from the picture, it seems you could tell how big they are.

[MiztrezzLyn]

Well I am not sure how big those grannies are...I would love to get started but...I don't know how I should make them.

[MiztrezzLyn]

I just got scared, there's like 200+ small squares to make for this and then to join together? /cry

 

LOL that seems daunting!

[moonspinners]

Penitho: Jump right on in and start the afghan! No need to wait on the rest of us. I think the afghan will look gorgeous in reds. Go for it!

 

Lyn: Actually some of the blocks are join as you go. Sure will help cut down on all the joining!

[MiztrezzLyn]

Oh that is so awesome to hear moonspinners! Thanks for that =)

 

The reds would be awesome I think! When I was first thinking about this afghan, I considered reds...but found the winterberry that I love so much so I went with that..I'd actually be kind of envious to see someone do it in reds! =)