Heirloom??

[dbriese]

I just gently washed an afghan made for me 25 years ago, Gentle and carefully. I noticed it is starting to fall apart. My grandmother only used redheart yarn. On the otherhand I have a quilt given to me by my mother 25 years ago on my wedding and this is like new. It wears like iron.

 

My question is my son just got married. I was working on an afghan. Now I am thinking maybe a quilt. I really expected the afghan would last forever. I want something that will outlast my life. So are we working so very hard on things that will someday fall apart. Fabric will outlast yarn.

What is your opinion on that?

[zeropixie]

If your son knows how much you enjoy crocheting then that might mean more to him. Eventually the quilt will fade or even fall apart it all depends on how it's care for.

My mom inherited a fifty year old crocheted afghan made of hexagon granny squares from my great grandmother and it too has started to fall apart but I think it's because she sewed it together with thread instead of yarn. I have tried putting it back together with no luck so know I am looking for a large frame and will frame the center of the ghan to display it as art.

[RoseRed]

It could be that the ghan was made with natural fibers instead of acrylic (plastic). When you say fall apart - are the ends coming loose or is the ghan disintigrating?

[dbriese]

It is falling apart becuse the fibers are getting weak she used RED HEART yarn always. I remember when she made it.

 

MY quilt from my mother is like new. So I am very on the fence about this.

[texasredhead]

I think RH yarn is better made now, maybe it is less natural, but made from fibres that will wear better. I would crochet him a ghan and make one that is not so large that it will always be stretching out from its use. Make one more like a couch throw that will probably get less pulling on it. Since you crochet, I agree that it would mean more to him coming from you. I have a couch throw that my mother made from huck weaving. I treasure it, because she made it in a medium that she enjoyed and I can still picture her making that throw. I just made my son an afghan for Christmas in squares. I crocheted them together which I feel will be more sturdy than whip stitching them as some people still do. I know he will have it long after I am gone!!

[cat3crazy]

Most of the time it is the quality of the materials and the care it is given that determine how long an item lasts. I used to work for a LYS/Quilting store and my philosophy is to buy the best that you can afford. Price isn't always the way to tell quality of materials though. With fabric, you can feel and see the differences. I think that with yarn, the feel is important but the true test is how it looks after it is washed. That's my worth now I get off my box.

[eyrthmother1]

I have a question on the 2 items. which do you use more, the afghan or the quilt? That may have an input on the difference in wear-n-tear factors. the quilts (made by my grandmother) in my family have gotten a LOT of use over the yrs and are very very worn/holey/repaired. She didn't crochet afghans at all. I also have some doilies she made that are like brand new but they've also been packed up most of the time.

 

Sandy

[Robyn]

My grandmother used an acyrlic yarn for her "play" afghans and thread for the others. The thread afghan my mother has is starting to come apart by the others aren't. I'm not sure what brand she used, but whatever it was, it's lasted.

[Real Deal]

There can be a lot of differences. With crochet, the tighter the stitches, the longer it will hold up in good shape. Double and treble stitches tend to stretch more and more over the years, and get thinner.

 

I have a throw I made 20 years ago, in single crochet and it's still going strong.

 

It can be the same with quilts too. I've seen quilts really ratted up at 20 years, but we have 70 year old ones in our family that my great grandmother made and they are in good condition. They might be older. And they are used, not put away.

[grandmalolly]

It depends on how it has been used. (and washed, cared for) the more use, and washing, the quicker it will "fall apart".

[purlwise]

I agree with the comment about smaller stitches making an afghan more durable. I have an afghan I made with with Lion Brand Jiffy in a pretty tight sc and double crochet fan pattern, there are no holes at all in the fans or between. And I've washed it in the washer and put it in the dryer and it is about 16 years old. Looks good as new and keeps me warm at night!

[Trinket]

"Nothing in this world is scratch-proof or unbreakable."

 

Everything wears out, and will wear out more quickly depending on how it was originally made and how much use it's gotten.

 

I've had fabric blankets fall apart that were only a few years old. But I have an afghan that was made by my husband's great grandmother, so it's older than we are, and it's holding up wonderfully, even with many washes and a good bit of use.