63 Squares Crochet Along

[princsstrish]

I have 3 more squares to go!!!! I did them by color, diagonally. Hehehe. When I finished a square, I circled the corresponding number in the book on the graph so I knew it was done. I also made sure to crochet over all ends, except for the last one of the edging and then I just cut out a little square and put it on the "tail" So each one of my squares is numbered, by color.

 

When I finally finish them all I'm going to put them in order of the strips and just start putting them all together. I hate weaving them together and wanted to crochet them together but I think that weaving them will make it the nicest. We'll see how I feel when I start.

 

Keep on moving along ladies! You can do it!

[pplcrochets]

Hi, Pam ()

thanks for the idea on the 7" cardboard - I think I'll make two; one 7", the other 8", since my squares have been running large. On the other hand, I've only done 3 so far, so that's not much of a trend, eh?

 

I'm trying to get back to crochet - I dropped off the forum Monday as I went into high gear "saving" money on yarn - ACMoore's 33% sale on all yarn ended Tuesday, and I "needed" to make sure I got my stash fully rounded out. So now I'm drowning in yarn until I can get it organized and put away. As soon as I magically expand my storage area. Hey, I know! I'll turn the excess into FO's! What a novel idea!

 

Julie - thank you for the suggestion about the 4 color scheme - I think I have just the rose (Caron SS Victorian Rose) to go with the deep red. Funny - it looks like I'll have the color scheme in the pattern, just with the addition of the dark red and dark green. And I thought I didn't like those colors originally.. I guess I just like more jewel toned colors...

 

 

....The other thing I've been doing to check up on gauge...I cut out a 7" cardboard square to compare the square to. It makes it so much easier to check on my progress.

[Ilene]

I finished my last square around 5 this evening and after supper I started putting my first row of 9 together. While looking at the assembly chart I realized that one of the prettiest squares was not in the middle, (#21) so I'm building the entire thing around it. Other than that I'm going to follow the suggested color layout.

 

JulieKay My husband's suggestion was to find a quilting wrack and lay it out on that. I think he had an alterior motive for that but I told him I wasn't going to start quilting anytime soon.

[JulieKay]

Hi Guys

Patricia,

I liked how you put that, you have spent the last few days saving money on yarn. I was thinking that meant you weren't buying any ---

 

 

Ilene,

I'm with you, quilting is a LOT of work ,and sewing is not my favorite thing to do. I hate to even sew on a button .

[clocke]

Ilene, that's actually the part I like the least: putting the pieces together. I arrange my pieces and then have to take a break; I get overwhelmed.

 

How do y'all keep the pieces in order for the duration of the stitching together? Do you leave them out overnights? Do you put them back into a bag and keep the arrangement stable as an image in your head? I guess for Ilene's, the arrangement is in the book, except for the modification of #21's placement, but what about for other modular projects?

[Ilene]

How do y'all keep the pieces in order for the duration of the stitching together? Do you leave them out overnights? Do you put them back into a bag and keep the arrangement stable as an image in your head? I guess for Ilene's, the arrangement is in the book, except for the modification of #21's placement, but what about for other modular projects?

 

Yes I did leave them out over night, when I got to where I was afraid that the cat or my grand daughter would get them I'd put them in a Walmart bag in order.

 

My squares are all now sitting out in 3 piles, one for each color. I thought maybe I would shuffle them like a deck of cards or just toss them up and the air and where they landed would be how I layed them out. Now working on my second row of 9, it's taking me about a hour to do 3 sqauares. I'm weaving my ends as I go along.

As far as project modification, I guess that would be like in sewing, suggeted fabrics, short sleeves or long, and amount of creative mind!

[JulieKay]

Hey Clocke

Yep, I lay mine out and leave them til they are all put together . It usually only takes a few hours or so, sometimes they lay out overnight. We don't have any pets that walk on them, my husband is trained to stay off of them , and I don't put them out on days when I babysit, so nobody bothers them !

They just lay there and wait for me .

[PBLKNP]

I've only made one other afghan that had squares you joined together, and it was a nightmare. I think, this time around, I'm going to pace myself and only do a bit a night. The funny part about the first one was that I ended up joining the squares in all the wrong order, but by that point I wasn't about to pick out all the sewing and start again...I ended up with a pattern that people really loved, ironically.

[clocke]

Hey Clocke

...my husband is trained to stay off of them , and I don't put them out on days when I babysit, so nobody bothers them !

They just lay there and wait for me .

That's pretty funny.

 

Maybe at the end I'll pick a Sunday and leisurely put them together. That way I'll avoid having the cat lay all over the pieces. He loves to walk on whatever I'm working on and lie down. I don't understand that in the least.

[JulieKay]

Hey Clocke

I don't know much about cats since I don't have one, but I have heard lots of ladies on here say when they take photos of their projects, their cats always want to lay on them, so either the cats like crocheted items, or they like getting their picture taken !

[Ilene]

JulieKay _ I have taken a picture of what I've done so far to send to my friends and front and center is my cat, Milo on the couch. Last night he got up in my lap and started to eat the yarn I was working with as well as try to bat it out of my hands. I do feel for our friend, I know what she's going through!

[Texapan]

I made only 2 more squares last night and none tonight. I sorted through some of my yarn stash, and books I feel better - - not as stoned on my new meds as I was. I hope to feel less tired real soon . I'm off to bed for tonight .

Joyce

[princsstrish]

Last night I finished up the 62nd square and now am halfway through the very LAST one!!!! I can't believe I made it. I had to stop halfway through to look and think back about all that I've done and all the places that the squares were made. It feels weird to know that this project will be almost done. It was kind of my fall back when I was bored with other things. Cuz squares are so quickly and easily done. I'm sure I'll have another square blanket started in the near future.

 

Now to start the joining...UGH.

[JulieKay]

Good for you, Trish !

All you have left is the quick and easy part !

[Ilene]

I'm about halfway through assembling my afghan and was getting ready to put #58 in and low and behold, it was an inch to long. So I did what any self respecting crocheter would do (after screaming that is). I took it apart just to the next row in order and then finished it off.

 

Somewhere along the line I lost the tape measure I had been using and was using the square before it for judgement. Must have been tired that night, lol.

 

Should have row 4 done this evening.

[JulieKay]

Ilene -

I don't blame you, I'd of done the same thing with that square ! Keep up the good work, you're doing great ,

[cdgayer]

OK. This pattern has been silently mocking me for a long time. I started it back when this CAL first started, I think. I got way frustrated (too much measuring and changing hooks!) and said forget it. Now I have started again. I MUST FINISH THIS AFGHAN.

 

Anyway, I chose my new colors: dark orchid, orchid and lavendar. I might add more colors as I go along.

 

Of course I have run into the old problem again--how to get the guage right. No way can I get the squares 7 inches. On square 1, I did it with a G hook and the square was way too big. I changed to an F hook, and the square turned out to be about 8.5 inches. I must re-do it, though, because the F hook makes my forearm hurt too much. Next time I re-do square 1, I'm using a clover hook size I and living with the results. Who cares if my squares are 10 inches? Maybe I'll make it big enough to fit my king size bed. I know one thing--if my arm hurts all the time during this project, I'll quit. Clover hooks never make my arm hurt.

 

So anyway, I'm back to this CAL. I will finish this afghan before I die, and I'm going to live a very long time.

[Texapan]

I finished my 10th square tonight. I had to mess with my printer for most of the night and finally gave up and ordered a new one. The ink cartridges are as expensive as gold bars Well my printer was 2 1/2 years old and I got good use out of it. My right leg is hurting me tonight from diabetic neuropathy (pain) and I'll be up most ofthe night not being able to sleep, so I'll be making squares. Seems good always comes out of bad Well I'm off for a cup of coffee.

Hugs , Joyce

[JulieKay]

Hi Cindy-

Yep, you can't give up == keep on working on it , make up your mind that YOU are gonna win this fight, not the PATTERN .

What type yarn are you using ? I used Red Heart for mine and my squares came out 8 inches . It's ok, as long as they all come out close to the same size, it doesn't matter if they are 7 , 8 or 8, just so they all come out as close to the SAME size as you can get them .

 

Joyce- keep on working, just take a little at a time. If one hook bothers you, try a diffeent one !

[cdgayer]

JulieKay-

 

I use Red Heart for almost everything I do. Love that Super Saver! I just crochet really, really loosely. I did re-do the first square with an I hook, and without the 2nd round of edging, it's 9 inches square. That's not as big as I thought it would be.

[JulieKay]

Hi Cindy-

Nothing wrong with Red Heart yarn ! It's a very sturdy yrn and should hold up well for a long time !

Your squares and afghan will turn out fine, just so they all measure as close to the same as you can get them. They don't have to be exact, just close .

Your colors sound pretty !

 

PS- you'll finish this LONG before you die, and probably have time to make about 700 more afghans in your lifetime !

You're still a young'un . ( Younger than ME anyhow ! )

[Ilene]

I had a productive evening last night! Got row #4 attached by 9 PM then did up a quicky web page so my friends and family can see without me bogging down their e mails. Hopefully me adding my web page here worked so if anyone is interested in looking they can.

 

Wasn't holding my mouth right again! LOL

[JulieKay]

Wow, Ilene !

That is REALLY pretty ! Looking good !!!

[Texapan]

For me to get 7" square I've had to use F, G and H hooks. I measure at the end of the 2nd row to be sure the hook size is correct for that particular square

[Ilene]

I had to stop after doing row #5 of my afghan. My daughter and granddaughter came in and Giana (the grandbaby) had to cuddle in my chair with it till bedtime.