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graph afghans single crochet newbies and oldhatters


snapdragon928

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Maybe I shouldn't call this a graphghan as it's intended as a wall-hanging. I took 2 photos of my husband and me and am trying to recreate them in a Warhold style.

 

I hadn't thought of using needlepoint thread, but it works great. I'm using DMC Pearle 5 -- there's a store near me that carries about 200 colors. I'm using a 2.0 mm hook. The DMC has a great sheen and feel about it. My stitches are tight enough that weaving in the colors isn't visible at all.

 

The hardest part for me is getting the photo down to a manageable number of colors. I used Paint to do this. Then I found an online program at bighugelabs that turns the photo into a Warhol-like photo. Knowing that my SCs aren't square, I then used Paint again and stretched my photo by 25%. [if a do a swatch 4 inches wide that has 20 stitches and 20 rows, it won't be square. I have to do 25% more rows to get it square].

 

I took the stretched Warhol and put it through Microvolt. I was in the process of hand coloring the inbetween shades when someone told me about a free download called KG-Chart. This is for cross-stitchers. You tell it how many colors you want. It allows you to manipulate the individual squares. I got an output that was exactly 4 colors and the software uses DMC colors.

 

I'm using 2 valuable tips I learned in this thread: (1) flip the work and rotate the box of colors. (2) put the yarn you've just finished on the side not facing you.

 

I'm expecting the final size to be about 17 inches square.

 

So without further ado, I show you 15 rows completed and the graph I created.

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Mary Pat that is an incredible project. I can't wait to see the finished project.

 

I started my quiltghan graph and with all the great tips here it is going fast. I've got about a third of it done. If I can get my camera working I'll try to get some pictures up.

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Mary Pat that is an incredible project. I can't wait to see the finished project.

 

I started my quiltghan graph and with all the great tips here it is going fast. I've got about a third of it done. If I can get my camera working I'll try to get some pictures up.

 

Please get your camera working.

 

I'm enjoying this one so much more than the Obama one. I understand the different approaches to doing these and I've picked up some great tips.

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Okay, if I can get this to work :think I'm going to try to get a photo up. I've got just over 1/3 done so far. Hopefully I'm doing it right.

 

I think I have the technique down and that flipping and rotating makes it sooooo much easier. :yay Once you get going you can get a lot done really quickly. ;)

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Thanks Teri, compared to the first one I tried (which kept tangling until I was ready to scream), this is going great. I think it is certainly easier to do it this way, but, I will say, sewing the squares together really gives more of a feel of a real quilt.

 

However, I'm not that big a fan of making hundreds of squares, let along all the sewing. So when I finish this one I think I will plan on another graphghan, this time more of an actual picture. Then I have a good few more patterns of quilt style I came up with. I just decided doing all the half and half squares is too much trouble. I'd like to do another large scale quiltghan. This one is laprobe or large baby size.

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I can't believe how fast this is going. I'm two-thirds of the way done now. I've found if I do half doubles my 10 x10 sections are square. I might be able to finish up this weekend. I can't wait to get this done so I can start another. The problem is going to be deciding what to do.

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I can't believe how fast this is going. I'm two-thirds of the way done now. I've found if I do half doubles my 10 x10 sections are square. I might be able to finish up this weekend. I can't wait to get this done so I can start another. The problem is going to be deciding what to do.

 

That looks great! I may have to try that sometime. I love the crocheted quilts, but really hate joining squares. You just may have found the perfect solution!

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Okay, if I can get this to work :think I'm going to try to get a photo up. I've got just over 1/3 done so far. Hopefully I'm doing it right.

 

I think I have the technique down and that flipping and rotating makes it sooooo much easier. :yay Once you get going you can get a lot done really quickly. ;)

 

 

I never thought of creating a quilt effect until I saw your photos. What a wonderful idea. It would be so easy to take advantage of some of the beautiful quilt patterns available. I don't know why the light bulb didn't go off in my head that this could be done.

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Has anyone tried Todd's method (Crochet by numbers) where he cuts and knots off at every color change. Tried it for a few rows and seems like an awful lot of knots and I'm afraid of it coming undone.

 

I haven't used his method because I didn't really know about it when I created my wall hanging. It seems like his method would be considerably faster. I had to look at my chart and create bobbins for each area of color. With his method, I think you can simply crochet a color for 20 stitches in a row and then knot. No need to estimate how many stitches will need that color.

 

His method seems to allow a lot more of a photographic effect with more detail because the color changes are easier.

 

If you want a reversible afghan, I'd think there'd be a lot of strands hanging off the back with Todd's method.

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That's why I never did it. It does look a lot faster, but, I had sewing and the thought of trying to get a back on a scroochy, slippery pile of crochet, and have it look good, just isn't me. :lol

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Here is the finished project. Thanks to all the great tips this took less than a week to do. I'm really happy with how it came out and already planning a much more complicated design. Thanks for all the help. :hug

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Here is the finished project. Thanks to all the great tips this took less than a week to do. I'm really happy with how it came out and already planning a much more complicated design. Thanks for all the help. :hug

 

That's really quite beautiful.

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:thairI made one of these, but didn't have the great tip on how to keep things from getting tangled. If I had know that I would have enjoyed it a lot more. So, I'm getting ready to try another one.

 

I loved the quilt ghans from granny squares on the Happy Yellow House. But, I found out I hate making saltines and sewing them together. I did design my own quiltghans for the saltines but tabled that as those little squares drove me crazy. :thair

 

so I redid some of the charts as graphghans and I am getting ready to try one out. This is it. So anyway wish me luck. It may be a few days until I get to it. I have to wind some cakes:devil

Leslie, I think you're the one who got me hooked on the little squares! I still enjoy making them (it's very ZEN) but I adore making graph ghans...I think I'm going to have to play!

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Here is the finished project. Thanks to all the great tips this took less than a week to do. I'm really happy with how it came out and already planning a much more complicated design. Thanks for all the help. :hug

Gorgeous!!! How big is it? I do a lot of charity hooking, so this is a great idea for me

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judianne, sorry it took me so long to answer you. Both the DH and I have been trading a bug back and forth and I just haven't felt like getting on line much. given my rather loose gauge the afghan came up just about 40 inches square. I say just about because I'm not quite perfect . It's about 40x41 kinda.

 

I used Caron Simply Soft so it is very soft and stretchy. I think I used just about 2-1/2 skeins of each color. Sorry to be so inexact. I never pay attention to how much yarn I'm using. ;) I just go until I get done and if I need more I get it.

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Leslie, I'm not precise with this stuff, either:lol Thanks for the info - and I;m assuming you used to suggested hook size for the SS....

That's close enough for me. I have plenty of stash that will work with this.

Another one on the WIM list:lol:lol:lol:lol

 

I hope you and hubby are well now...and stay that way for a long time!:hug:manyheart

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:D did you ever start one in tunision? I didn't know you were thinking of starting one. I just started Cody's football graphghan. Already have to much yarn going and the only craft store around here is joanns and they don't carry yarn bobbins:angry
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