63 Squares Crochet Along

[loranger329]

I thought about doing this, too...the further along you get on the afghan, the more difficult the squares get (at least in my opinion). I took a look at some of the last ones and almost gave up on it a few weeks ago! I have to pace myself so that I don't get burned out on it.

[RebeccaVelasquez]

i gave up on getting mine done before Christmas , but sacrifices needed to be made oh well...

[Bretonne]

I did this afghan last year with Caron Simply Soft yarns in Country Blue, Dark Sage, and Victorian Rose. Once I completed it, I decided to make a matching sham. Here's a pic.

 

members.aol.com/ateisgrat...irloom.jpg

 

[Donna]

Oooh, very nice, Dani! :wow Great idea for the matching sham! :thumbsup Thanks for sharing that with us!

 

 

You're never too late too hang out with us and share your wisdom about this ghan! I'd be tickled to post your photo in the gallery, with your permission, of course. :yay2 I had been thinking it might be nice to make the gallery a place where anyone can have their afghan picture posted, even if they didn't crochet along with us, :)h because this afghan represents such an enormous amount of work.

[froggy]

Beautiful Afghan! Great Job!

[Bretonne]

Thanks to you all for the compliments. :cloud9

 

Donna... sure! You can put my pic in the gallery. And who knows, I may make another one this winter. It's funny; when I finished that thing, I swore I'd never make another, lol. Now I want to. I must be nutty...

[threeolivemartini]

for the shams did you just pick your favourite squares?

[Bretonne]

Yes, I picked some of the prettier squares for the sham... but also, ones that were more solid (no holes in the design), so you wouldn't see the pillow underneath. I chose the chevron, one with a puff stitch, annnnnd... I forget, lol. I just made the more solid squares with an interesting design. )

[Bretonne]

Also... I made 2 matching throw pillows out of 4 squares each, then blue on the background. They aren't in the pic.

[allimac]

Beau-teee-ful afghan and pillow, Dani! How long do you think it took you to do all of that? I'm just taking my sweet time, so many things going on, but am having fun with it. -Alli

[Donna]

Thank you Dani! I have posted your afghan in the gallery. :woohoo

[cdgayer]

Hi everyone!

 

I just started this crochet-along this past weekend. I have 3 squares made. I'm using the colors my husband picked out-off white, orange and amythyst.

 

I think reading this board has given me the solution to my problem. I am a very loose crocheter, so I was changing the number of beginning chains so the squares would be 7 inches. As you probably all know, this is confusing when it comes to the edging row. I think I will just crochet the number of chains the book says to do, and live with whatever size the square comes out to be.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

I did try to do this afghan years ago, but I got burned out on it. So this time, I'm doing a square here and there between my other projects, and hopefully I'll have it done in a few months.

[Donna]

Hi, Cindy! I'm glad you're joining us and that we've already helped you! I've added you to the list. It's so much more fun to work on this with a bunch of other folks! :cheer2

[loranger329]

I just figured out (halfway through the square) that I'm doing #44 ALL WRONG, but I like the way that it's coming out, so I'm just going to keep doing it my way. Partly because it's pretty, but mostly because I don't want to frog the entire thing and start over again. The "green" squares seem to be causing me so many problems lately...I almost dread when I come to one of them!

[woolandflax]

I want to make one of these for my bed, and a couple of the shams too! But I can't start anything new till after Christmas. Then I'm gonna start this and a pillowghan. So I'll just :fc that some of you will still be working on yours when I can join. )

But I do need to plan ahead for such a large project. I'll try to get the pattern book before then but if my secret pal is reading this, I might get it sooner!!!

How much more yardage do you need to make two of those pretty shams?

Can someone tell me how big the finished afghan is supposed to be? We have a king sized bed and I might need to make it bigger to fit. And would the yarn amounts still be the same if I used the arrangement here? I'm thinking of using Wool-Ease in Peacock, Hunter Green and Blue Mist to match our room. Thanks!!

 

~Rebecca

[cdgayer]

OK--I finished squares 1-3 today. I started over totally. I am using an H hook on all the squares, and just chaining fewer stitches, and measuring, measuring, measuring! Another thing I'm doing is writing down the changes I make for each square.

 

I crochet loosely, but I can't use a hook smaller than H because it makes my hand and wrist hurt too badly, know what I mean?

 

I'm glad I found this place.

[Donna]

Can someone tell me how big the finished afghan is supposed to be?

Approximately 59" x 75" if you make the squares the size according to the pattern, 7" before edging and 8" after edging.

 

And would the yarn amounts still be the same if I used the arrangement here?

No the quantities you would need of each of the three colors would not be the same. In the original pattern the number of squares is split evenly between the colors, 21/21/21. In that arrangement the number of squares for the three different colors is 28/20/15.

 

How much more yardage do you need to make two of those pretty shams?

The yardage needed for the whole afghan is listed as 5080. With a little fancy footwork on the calculator, you can get a rough estimate of how much you'd need for a sham.

[Donna]

I'm glad I found this place.

We're glad you found us, too, Cindy! :)h

 

I crochet loosely, but I can't use a hook smaller than H because it makes my hand and wrist hurt too badly, know what I mean?

Do you use the pencil hold or knife hold on your hook? I always used the pencil hold, but recently started trying the knife hold and find it a lot easier on my wrist.

[woolandflax]

WOW!! Thanks Julie. Man after figuring and measuring and figuring some more, I don't know if I can afford to make this to fit our bed. If I left the blocks the same size it would take 168 squares to cover and hang down the sides a bit. Way more than I was thinking. And that's not counting the shams!! But if I made the squares 11 in with a 1 in border then it would only take 72 squares. But when I start to figure the yardage, whoa momma!!! For the blanket and 3 shams front & back it would end up being like 18,520 yds. of yarn!!!!! Hubby would have a heart attack!!!:mad I guess I'm gonna have to think on this for awhile and see just how badly I want it to cover the bed. I could justify it cause we have a king size bed and almost nothing but queen size blankets and they drive us crazy. It would be soooo nice to have one that actually fit the bed. But am I willing to devote a whole stinkin year to this project? I know it would take me that long, or longer!! Hmmmm....... What to do? What to do???

 

~Rebecca

[Guest knuckles145]

most of my squares were turning out 9 inches across and after starting over too many times, I gave up and now am doing 9x9 squares. So it might not take as many squares as you thought.

[mollym78]

Hi, I just signed on to the crochet along. I can't believe it even exists!! It is my first afghan and I have been struggling through all by myself! I am now stuck on the Bushy Stitch and have started it 5 times!! Help!!! Please!!!

[Julie]

Yay Molly! I'm glad you found us, welcome to Crochetville!! Is it the actual stitch you are having problems with, or getting it to the right size? Feel free to yell and stomp your feet, lots of us have so far! !

[Donna]

You're welcome, Rebecca! I know, it's difficult to decide, isn't it?!

 

most of my squares were turning out 9 inches across and after starting over too many times, I gave up and now am doing 9x9 squares. So it might not take as many squares as you thought.

But you will still need a lot of yardage. 9x9 squares will take more yarn than 8x8 squares.

[Donna]

Hi, Molly! Welcome to Crochetville and to the 63 Squares Crochet-Along! I've added you to the list. Let us know more specifically where you're having problems with this square and we'll be glad to help!

[mollym78]

Hi everyone - I feel so relieved to be getting some help! On Square 13 - I can't seem to determine the chain sp. Is this where I chained 2 after the 2dc? If so, there is a real looseness to the sc I do after the 2ch. Does this make sense to anyone?