Pondering An Afghan

[seamusandrosy]

I hope this is in the right part of the forums!

 

 

Well. Here's the deal. I need to make an afghan for my mother, for an apartment she is renting furnished. I'm having trouble deciding what to make. I'm heading to see my grandparents on Wednesday, and I'd REALLY like to take yarn with me and get as much done as possible while I'm there.

 

I have too many ideas! Could some of you throw your opinions out at me?

 

Here are my considerations:

 

1) The person who will (usually) be renting the apartment is a man. He's tall, so it should be reasonably large. No sweet little lacy things. No pink.

 

2) I want it to be pretty sturdy. I want people to be able to grab it and cuddle up and actually use it - this is not a decoration.

 

3) I'd like for it to work up pretty quickly. No fantastic, complicated things.

 

4) I'd prefer it to be worked in sections - it's June. I don't want a big old blanket on my lap until I'm piecing it together.

 

 

I'm (probably) going to use a creamy color for most of it - I was actually thinking of two different shades for some patterning. I will also want to stick in the green of the chair in the living room and a blue or yellow from the couch.

 

 

I'm trying to decide, first of all, what kind of yarn to use. Part of me would like to do it in crochet cotton, because I like cotton better than acrylic and I don't want to spend too much on this afghan. I am also thinking of a nice, bulky acrylic, unless I can find a cotton or wool that is cheap and soft enough. Does anyone think crochet cotton would be a Very Bad Idea for a blanket?

 

 

 

I've been looking at some patterns of individual squares and of entire blankets. Does anyone have any favorite afghan patterns that you think would fit?

[crochetluvknot]

i think cotton would be ok maybe a cotton blend would be better if not acrylic some pattern choices you could use are a mile a minute, granny squares, the flannelghan that someone here posted check out http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com they have all kinds of links to patterns may be able to find something there that is quick and easy for you good luck

[bettycrackpot]

i am currently making a round ripple for a baby gift, i am using acrylic(caron pounder) and a N hook. i started it less than a week ago and im almost done.....

[iamnichole]

i like the basketweave pattern. it's pretty masculine. my mom made one for my dad and he uses it all the time. they put it on their couch and no one can resist it. she used lionbrand chenille (sp?). it took her a bit, but just a thought.

[Lady_of_Roses]

As far as the yarn, I'd imagine cotton would be fine it it's still a 100% machine washable and dryable blanket after. If it'll get messed up by being washed and dried, it will get ruined. Guys don't seem to like special washing instructions. I'd go with an aran color, hunter green, or a nice blue if it's mostly going to be used by males.

 

I'd suggest stripes, basketweave, or a straight ripple. My husband went through my various afghan books a few months back, and he didn't point out a single motif-type afghan as one that he'd like. I think the closest he got to liking a motif-style afghan was the blue star afghan I made. I got the impression that for the most part the simpler the style, the more he preferred it.

[Addey]

I second the thought about the flannelghan that RoseRed posted as a CAL. They work up fast in strips, you can make them as long as you want (good thing, my DH is 6'7"!) and it's a very masculine look. I'd do an aran/beige and some green that would go with the chair, but nice and dark.

As far as yarn, Cotton will hold up well, but acrylic may be cheeper in the long run... I used 4 Caron pounders for my flannelghan and that was $24-30 or there abouts. I'm not sure I can get that much cotton yarn, in a dark green as well, for that much.

[Elvee]

How about using an N hook and two strands of yarn? I have made a fast afghan that way. I had a varigated yarn and used a strand of colored that looked good with it for contrast. I used the book "Afghans on the Double" If I recall it was like 123 stitches across and a basic 4 stitich repeat on the ripple. I don't have the book right now. You could probably just wing it with any ripple.

 

It is a nice heavy afghan but red heart yarn is cheaper and also easier care than cotton. I think mine took like 10 skeins to make. But it has been awhile!

 

,

 

Lorry

[seamusandrosy]

Thank you all so much! I appreciate all your suggestions.

 

Colorwise, I'm limited by my mother's choice in furniture - the great dark greens and blues would clash pretty horrifically. The couch is yellow with flowers, and the chair is yellow and green plaid. They go oddly enough with each other, I'm trying to stay as neutral as possible.

 

 

I had not seen the flannelghan, and I might well do that! It looks cozy, which is one of the main things I'm going for - the man renting it is a friend of a friend, see, who only will be in it about three days every week or two. The apartment is a few blocks from a major hospital. My mother and the man have a deal where she's going to rent out the apartment to people staying at the hospital when he's not there. That's one of the reasons I'm still leaning toward the cotton: it seems nicer on sick skin, and more fun to cuddle with when you are sad or tired or worried.

[Stitchinpick]

My husband and four sons like this one. I posted the pattern here:

http://www.crochetville.org/forum/showthread.php?t=17132&highlight=ripple

 

It has an amazing texture!

 

Stitchinpick

[sfgwife]

For summer and not wanting the how blanket on your lap I would say a MAM or squares. I would just pick a nice more open pattern so it isn't so hot to be under.

 

For an afghan for a person I don't know and don't know if they would use it or not I would probably just go with cheap ole RH. It does get softer after washing a few times. If it were for a person that I knew I would think about cotton or something wioth cotton but it just gets so expensive adn with the size of the man you are talking about it is going to have to be a large blanket.

[seamusandrosy]

Well. I actually did end up going with cotton - Michaels was having a sale on the really really big "Sugar'n Cream" cotton, so I bought four of those and four standard size cotton in fun colors to spice it up.

 

I'm actually really pleased with the yarn - I got two big white skeins, two skeins in a variegated blue, and then one bright yellow skein, one purple and green variegated skein, and two blue/white/yellow/green variegated skeins. The purple and green skein matches the couch nicely and the other variegated small skeins match the chair.

 

We're not giving the afghan to the man, just having it as part of the furnished apartment, so I might even see it again some day!

 

 

Also, the pattern. I showed my mother my favorite dozen patterns I'd picked. She did not like the flannelghan for this project, unfortunatly. We ended up agreeing on the Mile A Minute Crocheted Afghan. It is a bit girlier than some of the ones you suggested, but because of the blue, I don't think it will be TOO girly. It won't be as bright and busy as the one in the picture. Besides, if he hates it, there is plenty of closet space...

 

http://www.allfreecrafts.com/crochet/mile-a-minute-afghan.shtml

 

 

Thank you so much!