Norah's Vintage Afghan: Update

Norah's Vintage Afghan

A Norah's Vintage Afghan post is long overdue!

I have been working on this project since February 2016.  You can see all of the prior posts HERE.  Between February 2016 and June 2018, I completed 12 blocks.  I resumed work on this project on Easter Sunday earlier this year and whipped out the final 8 blocks. They are all blocked and ready to be sewn together. It's going to be a big job and I am procrastinating.  But I really want to be done!  My personal deadline was to finish it in May 2019, but I am writing this on May 30th.  Below you will see some photos that I snapped while some of the various blocks were pinned out on the blocking mats.  Above you can see all of the blocks layed out in the manner in which they will be stitched together.  I'll be sure to post some nice photos when it's finally complete.

NOTE:  If you happen to be making this project, you may want to reprint your pattern. There was an error in the key for the Block 20 Chart.  The orange cable stitch had the stitches reversed.  The pattern was most recently updated in January or February 2019.

Girasole in Gray

Girasole

I've been knitting for ten years.
I think this might be my most very favorite completed project... EVER.



Believe it or not...
I started this in February 2016 and I adored working on this project for one weekend.
And then for some reason I stopped.
And it sat.





A few weeks back I finished up my Building in Color Afghan which had also lingered for quite awhile but NOT as long as this project.  It sure felt great to finish up such a big project when I finished Building in Color so I decided to tackle this next.



And it is done and I am so happy.

I really should have taken photos BEFORE and AFTER blocking. This project changed dramatically when it was blocked.  I soaked the afghan in water and then spread it out on a full size bed mattress that was covered in many layers of sheets and blankets (so as not to damage the mattress).  I turned on the ceiling fan above the mattress to aid in drying and it dried overnight. To give you an idea of how large this afghan is, it completely covered the full size bed mattress and also hung over the sides a few inches.  Big!



Pattern: Available on Ravelry "Girasole" by Jared Flood
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash
Needle:  US Size 9

Building in Color Afghan: Complete

Building in Color Afghan: Finally DONE!





This project has been in the works for a very long time. I selected the yarn for this project nearly two years ago.  I was scheduled to teach this pattern as a year-long class during 2017.  I had four students in my class and we met one time each month for a year.  No one in the class finished their afghans as far as I know it. We were all just kind of burned out.  These same students had all taken my year-long Building Blocks Afghan class during 2016 and I think we were all just sort of tired of afghan knitting.

During all of 2018, I have been teaching this pattern again as a year-long class with four new students.  These gals are on top of things and keeping me on my toes.  All year long, I've been telling these gals that I needed to get my panels sewn together.  This past Saturday we worked on the final panel in class (Panel #10) so I had to get my afghan done!  I in December, I show the students how to sew the panel together and in January 2019, we will learn how to knit the borders.

If you would like to see all of my prior posts about this Building in Color Afghan project, you can see those posts HERE.

As you can see, this project is comprised of 10 different long rectangular panels.  Some panels are made with two colors and other panels are made with three colors.  The panels were all stitched together with the mattress stitch and then borders with mitered corners were added at the end.  Sewing all of these panels together was very challenging, but it can be done. I ended up having to take apart the bind off edge of one panel to make it shorter.  The interesting thing about this project (aside from learning color work skills) is that you learn that each type of stitch pattern creates a very different fabric. Some panels wanted to stretch length-wise and others wanted to stretch width-wise. Some panels were super stretchy and others did not have much elasticity and were rather dense.

I've tried to take some photos so you can see the project well.  It's hard to get it all in!  I should point out four things I changed to the pattern.

(1) The bind off around the entire afghan was supposed to be a Picot Bind Off.  I did not like the look of it so I just did a regular bind off.
(2) One panel is sewn in upside down because I liked the looks of the wrong side better than the right side.
(3) One panel was supposed to have some embroidery stitch embellishments (the tan colored panel with the squiggly blue zig zag should have pink polka dots on it).  I did not like the idea of having just one panel with polka dots so I left them out.  In some of the photos below, you can see one lonely pink polka dot on the panel I am referencing.  I removed it.
(4) The pattern calls for DK weight yarn but I used worsted weight yarn and larger needles than called for in the pattern.



Below: Very first panel sewn together!  Woo hoo!




I cannot tell you how many hours I sat at my dining table between Saturday and Wednesday this past week.  I was sending my mom updates here and there via email as I was working on this and, when it was all done, she said, "Wow! You got that done really quickly!"

No, it took FOREVER but I was just so determined to get it DONE!

The sewing together did get easier as I went along but the mattress stitch was so tough because you are just not knitting together two panels in stockinette stitch. You are dealing with all sorts of fabrics and techniques and it's hard to find what you should grab for a nice looking seam both on the right side and the wrong side.  Also, you are constantly having to adjust how you worked the mattress stitch because you are easing in the fullness due to differences in the panels.

The borders were not too tricky but I ended up having to redo the border on one of the short sides. I had picked up far too many stitches and, as a result, had a very ruffled border.  I am glad I took it out and did it over.  My one complaint about the border is that it created so many more loose ends to weave in and also I had a tough time stitching together the mitered corners.  If I were to do this again, I would use one very long cable and knit the border in the round (you can buy extenders to hook together multiple cables... I think it could be done!)





So there you have it!  Frankly I am just tired of this project and so happy to move onto something new.

Afghan burn out! It's a thing.

On a positive note, I am over the moon to have learned so many new skills from this project.  If you are up for a challenge and want to learn some new skills, this project is amazing.  While I've been excited to have the opportunity to teach this project in a class setting, you don't need to take a class.  The pattern designer, Michelle Hunter, has excellent videos for each skill on her blog.  Her videos are great; you can find them all here.

As a quick recap, here is a quick list of some of the many skills which were NEW to me in this project:

• Intarsia
• Double Ended Knitting
• Short Rows
• Knit Below
• Make One Purl
• Elongated Stitch
• Mosaic
• Butterfly Stitch
• Intarsia with a Cable
• Tuck Stitch
• Mattress Stitch

Happy Knitting! Hopefully I'll have some more completed projects to show you sometime soon.  

Norah's Vintage Afghan: Block #16 is Complete

Norah's Vintage Afghan: Block #16



I have not done any work on my Norah's Vintage Afghan Project in several months.  I had started block #12 (maybe?) several months ago and, when I pulled it out to work on it this past week, I then realized I was using the incorrect color. So I skipped ahead to Block #16 which called for the Black Currant color.  It is difficult to photograph the squares done in such dark colors, so here are just a few photos to give you an idea what this block looks like. The chart looks so complicated but this block was actually pretty easy.  There are just for different cable stitches and all are worked over just four stitches.  The instructions also call for a bobble. I think the bobble instructions are incorrect.  The instructions basically indicate you should "knit into the front and the back of the next stitch two times" which should result in FIVE stitches in the original stitch.  That just doesn't add up.  For my bobbles, I knit into the front and the back two times and then knit into the front of the stitch one more time to yield FIVE stitches.  I really like how the bobbles are knit up in this pattern. You do not have to turn your work repeatedly when you make your bobbles.




It was so fun to whip up this block. I think I'll start another.



Chart for Block #16 Norah's Vintage Afghan.

Building in Color: Final Panel Done!

Woo hoo! Panel number 10 of 10 in my Building in Color afghan project is complete.  This panel incorporates a "tuck stitch".  Basically, this is a dropped stitch that you grab and knit.



The row repeat is 2 rows of pink in stockinette, 4 rows of blue in stockinette, and then 2 rows of pink in stockinette.  But in the latter pink rows, you drop or unravel the blue stitches in predetermined spots all they way down to the former pink rows.  Really difficult to explain.  You can check out Michelle Hunter's wonderful video to see how "tuck stitches are created".  See video tutorial HERE.  I enjoyed this panel but the tuck stitch rows are slow going.

I could see incorporating tuck stitches in various other projects.  I think I have seen tuck stitches in the collar of a baby cardigan sweater in the past. Too cute!



I am anxious to get my Building in Color afghan all sewn together.  The sewing up incorporates the "mattress stitch" which is pretty straight forward but all of these panels are so very different. I hope I can be patient and sew it together nicely. I am always saying I am a pretty good knitter but my sewing can really foul up a nice project.  After the panels are sewn together, I will then have to figure out how to apply the afghan borders around the perimeter.  I am contemplating lining the back of the afghan with fabric.  I just don't know yet.

Building in Color: Panel #6 is Complete

Building in Color: Panel #6



I am getting really close to being done with my panels for my Building in Color afghan project.  This is panel #6 which has been on and off the needles since June or July.  I am working on panel #10 now and then I'll have to figure out how to sew the panels together and how to add the borders as described in the pattern booklet.  The new skill in this panel was "elongated stitches".  I enjoyed this panel; I was able to memorize the pattern repeat.  I find that kind of knitting more relaxing some times.

If you'd like to see the other posts about my Building in Color afghan project, you can see them HERE.  The yarn I am using is Cascade "Pacific" (worsted weight); it's an acrylic/wool blend.

Building in Color: Panel # 9 is Complete

Building in Color: Panel #9



I have been madly working on my Building in Color afghan.  This is panel number 9 of 10.

I recently completed another panel (Number 6) and I'll share that soon.

Happy Knitting!

Building in Color Afghan: Sneak Peek

Building in Color Afghan Project: Sneak Peek

I've been working a lot on my Building in Color afghan project lately and finally decided to unroll my panels, lay them out side by side, and get an idea what this afghan will look like. You can see them all above.  The alarming thing I noticed was that some of my panels are significantly longer than others.  I am optimistic that I can remedy some of this with REALLY AGGRESSIVE blocking.  The lesson I have learned is that these various color work panels all take on a life of their own and behave very differently.  Some want to stretch vertically and some want to stretch horizontally.  I think sewing them all together will be challenging, but like I said, I hope I can get some of them stretched a bit longer with blocking.  I don't want to have to take out any of the bound off edges, add more yarn, and add more length!  Above you can see... 7 of 10 panels done.  Woo Hoo!

Building in Color: Panel #8 Complete

Building in Color: Panel #8

Butterfly Stitch

 

I am trying really hard to remain focused on my Building in Color Afghan project.  You probably have not noticed, but #7 and #8 are done but I skipped over #6. I need to do #6 next. I have the first several rows of #6 done. I worked the pattern just enough to bring it to class for instruction but have not worked on it since. 

The panel I am featuring today incorporates the Butterfly Stitch.  In this stitch, you slip stitches three in a row, at regular intervals across the work, and you hold the yarn to the front (right side) of the work when you slip the stitches.  Below you can see a taupe horizontal strand of yarn, and above that there is a blue strand and a pink strand. 

To make the Butterfly Stitch, you take your right hand needle and you go under the horizontal strands from the bottom to the top (like a tunnel) and then you knit the prescribed stitch on the needle.  Then you take the tip of your right hand need back through the tunnel.  It's difficult to describe, but HERE is a link to a video if you'd like to see how it's done.

Above, you can see where I've just worked the Butterfly Stitch on the right and, on the left, you can see where the next Butterfly Stitch will be completed. Pretty cool, right? I thought so too!

I must tell you, I have some helpers working with me on this project.  Sandy lays her head on my yarn to ensure my yarn tension is not too loose.  Brutus brings me his ball (so I can throw it).  Brutus believes that dog drool on my knitting will come in handy when it comes time to block the panels.  The dog drool does have a rather sticky consistency after all.

One more thing I'd like to say about the very cool Butterfly Stitch is this.  Michelle Hunter points this out in here video as well.  The Butterfly Stitch looks dramatically different when you work it in a solid color.  Below is a Butterfly Hat photo; the pattern link is HERE.

In this hat pattern, the Butterfly Stitch is worked over five stitches (in the photos above, it was worked only over three stitches).  Also, in the Butterfly hat, the Butterfly Stitch gathers up a total of five horizontal strands (in the photos above, the Butterfly Stitch only gathered up three horizontal strands).  But the technique is the same. You can really see why this is called a Butterfly Stitch when you see it worked up on a solid color.  Almost makes me want to cast on a hat, but I really need to work on Panel #6!

Happy Knitting. I have a number of other projects to share. I'll do that soon.

Building in Color: Panel #7 Complete

Building in Color: Panel #7

Mosaic Knitting

I feel as if I have gotten really behind in my craft projects.  Sure, most craft projects don't have a deadline, but I am teaching a class where we are making the "Building in Color" afghan and I found myself teaching a new panel in August, and I still had not completed the panels we had started in June and July.  This week, I buckled down a bit and got the July panel done.  This panel is Mosaic Knitting. 

I am sure I've seen this technique in other knitting patterns and projects on Ravelry, but I've never tried to knit any of those patterns or projects.  If you ever see a pattern that calls for Mosaic Knitting, don't hesitate to try it. It's actually really easy and fun and the results you see above are created by just slipping stitches.  There are a few rules in Mosaic Knitting.  This project calls for two colors of yarn.  You work two rows in color A and two rows in color B.  You are not carrying both yarns across the row.  When you slip stitches, you always hold the yarn to the wrong side of the work so all of the slipped stitches are on the wrong side.  In Mosaic Knitting, the pattern usually does not spell out the wrong side rows because, on the wrong side rows, you are simply repeating what you did in the row below.  Not too difficult.  Mosaic Knitting creates a dense fabric.  I think I might look for a hat using Mosaic Knitting.  But before I get working on a Mosaic hat, I should probably finish up the panels we worked on in class in June and August.  I also have a lot of other UFO's/WIP's I have been working on.  More about them another time.

Building in Color: Panel #5 Complete

Building in Color: Panel #5

This is Building in Color Panel #5 and it is finally complete. I've been getting very behind when it comes to these panels. I am also working on Panel #6 and Panel #7 at this time.  I am teaching this class one panel each month and there are a total of 10 panels.  It's July so we just started #7 yesterday.  I told myself I had to get #5 (May's Panel) done by Sunday. I got it done just in time!

This panel was a slow knit.  The skills learned in this panel include Make 1 Purl (M1P) and a Star Stitch.  Make 1 Purl is an increase and the Star Stitch makes something that I could call a cluster.  To complete the Star Stitch, you knit three and then cross the first knit stitch over the second and third knit stitches.  The Star Stitch results in a decrease of one stitch.  This panel's design results in a really nice, dense fabric.  It's a fun panel to knit but just seemed to grow rather slowly. 

If you'd like to see my other posts about the Building in Color afghan project, click HERE.

Building in Color: Panel #5 in Progress

Here's a sneak peak of Building in Color Panel #5. I adore the look of this panel but it is very slow to grow.  I keep telling myself that I must not work on any other projects until I finish this panel! But I keep picking up Trillian Shawl No. 2, and I cast on another pair of socks, and I started a Granny Square Baby Blanket.  Terrible!  Just terrible!

Maybe I should set a deadline for myself. If I make that deadline public, maybe that will hold me accountable?

Okay, my goal is to complete this panel by Sunday, July 30, 2017.  But first, let me work on that heel on that sock I am knitting.