I'm flying...

12 days to go. I've done three of the seven border rounds on both afghans; eight rounds (total) to go. And I'm off work on Friday.

The pattern runs thus:

Daniel's: 12A 8B 4A 8B  12A 8B 4A 8B  12A 8B 4A 8B  12A 8B 4A 8B  12A 8B 4A 8B  12A--then the border: BBBAAAA
Ashley's: 12A 8B 4A 8B  12A 8B 4A 8B  12A 8B 4A 8B  12A 8B 4A 8B  12A 8B 4A 8B  12A--then the border: BBBAAAA

What's underscored is completed.

Originally posted: 28th-Jun-2007 09:59 pm

It's a new countdown...

14 days to go. I'm through the body for both afghans: 172 rows each. I've woven in all the loose ends; that had to be done so the border could be worked over those ends.

So I'm left with the border rounds to work. I'm planning 7 rounds per afghan (if there's enough yarn). So that's 14 rounds--in 14 days. One round probably will take 90 minutes or so to work.

The pattern runs thus:

Daniel's: 12A 8B 4A 8B  12A 8B 4A 8B  12A 8B 4A 8B  12A 8B 4A 8B  12A 8B 4A 8B  12A--then the border: BBBAAAA
Ashley's: 12A 8B 4A 8B  12A 8B 4A 8B  12A 8B 4A 8B  12A 8B 4A 8B  12A 8B 4A 8B  12A--then the border: BBBAAAA

What's underscored is completed.

Originally posted: 26th-Jun-2007 09:20 pm

Afghan countdown...

15 days to go. Daniel's afghan: 148 of 207 rows--59 rows to go. Ashley's afghan: 160 172 of 207 rows--35 rows to go (the border). Need to average 6.3 rows a day.

The pattern runs thus:

Daniel's: 12A 8B 4A 8B  12A 8B 4A 8B  12A 8B 4A 8B  12A 8B 4A 8B  12A 8B 4A 8B  12A--then the border*: BBBAAAA
Ashley's: 12A 8B 4A 8B  12A 8B 4A 8B  12A 8B 4A 8B  12A 8B 4A 8B  12A 8B 4A 8B  12A--then the border*: BBBAAAA

What's underscored is completed.

*One border round has been figured as the equivalent of 5 rows.



I'm off from work on Tuesday, so I'm hoping to get a bunch done. My next day off after Tuesday is Friday.

Originally posted: 25th-Jun-2007 11:51 pm

Flying along...

17 days to go. Daniel's afghan: 148 of 207 rows--59 rows to go. Ashley's afghan: 140 160 of 207 rows--47 rows to go. Need to average 6.2 rows a day.

The pattern runs thus:

Daniel's: 12A 8B 4A 8B  12A 8B 4A 8B  12A 8B 4A 8B  12A 8B 4A 8B  12A 8B 4A 8B  12A--then the border*: BBBAAAA
Ashley's: 12A 8B 4A 8B  12A 8B 4A 8B  12A 8B 4A 8B  12A 8B 4A 8B  12A 8B 4A 8B  12A--then the border*: BBBAAAA

What's underscored is completed.

*One border round has been figured as equal to 5 rows.

Originally posted: 23rd-Jun-2007 10:56 pm

Afghan countdown...

18 days to go. Daniel's afghan: 138 148 of 207 rows--59 rows to go. Ashley's afghan: 128 140 of 207 rows--67 rows to go. Need to average 7 rows a day.

The pattern runs thus:

Daniel's: 12A 8B 4A 8B 12A 8B 4A 8B 12A 8B 4A 8B 12A 8B 4A 8B 12A 8B 4A 8B 12A--then the border: BBBAAAA
Ashley's: 12A 8B 4A 8B 12A 8B 4A 8B 12A 8B 4A 8B 12A 8B 4A 8B 12A 8B 4A 8B 12A--then the border: BBBAAAA

What's underscored is completed.



Originally posted: 22nd-Jun-2007 08:13 pm

Afghan countdown...

19 days to go. Daniel's afghan: 116 138 of 207 rows--69 rows to go. Ashley's afghan: 128 of 207 rows--79 rows to go. Need to average 7.8 rows a day.

The pattern runs thus:

Daniel's:  12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A--then the border: BBBAAAA
Ashley's:  12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A--then the border: BBBAAAA

What's underscored is completed.

Originally posted: 22nd-Jun-2007 12:41 am

Afghan countdown...

20 days to go. Daniel's afghan: 116 of 207 rows--91 rows to go. Ashley's afghan: 116 128 of 207 rows--79 rows to go. Need to average 8.5 rows a day.

The pattern runs thus:

Daniel's:  12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A--then the border: BBBAAAA
Ashley's:  12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A--then the border: BBBAAAA

What's underscored is completed.

Originally posted: 20th-Jun-2007 11:42 pm

Afghan countdown...

22 days to go. Daniel's afghan: 116 of 207 rows--91 rows to go. Ashley's afghan: 109 116 of 207 rows--91 rows to go. Need to average 8.3 rows a day.

The pattern runs thus:

Daniel's:  12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A--then the border: BBBAAAA
Ashley's:  12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A--then the border: BBBAAAA

What's underscored is completed.

I probably won't get anything done Tuesday night; I work until 9 pm, and I have to be up Wednesday at 5 am for work. Wednesday night is the greyhound club meeting--if I have the energy for it--then I'm off work Thursday and Friday and hope to get a lot done.

Originally posted: 19th-Jun-2007 02:36 am

Afghan countdown...

23 days to go. Daniel's afghan: 108 116 of 207 rows--91 rows to go. Ashley's afghan: 109 of 207 rows--98 rows to go. Need to average 8.2 rows a day.

The pattern runs thus:

Daniel's:  12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A--then the border: BBBAAAA
Ashley's:  12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A--then the border: BBBAAAA

What's underscored is completed.

Originally posted: 17th-Jun-2007 11:40 pm

Afghan milestone reached...

24 days to go. Daniel's afghan: 98 108 of 207 rows--99 rows to go. Ashley's afghan: 96 109 of 207 rows--98 rows to go. Need to average 8.2 rows a day.

The pattern runs thus:

Daniel's:  12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A--then the border: BBBAAAA
Ashley's:  12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A--then the border: BBBAAAA

What's underscored is completed.

Fewer than 100 rows left on each afghan, and I finally have more rows worked than left to work.

Originally posted: 16th-Jun-2007 11:01 pm

Afghan countdown...

26 days to go. Daniel's afghan: 92 98 of 207 rows--109 rows to go. Ashley's afghan: 95 96 of 207 rows--111 rows to go. Need to average 8.4 rows a day.

The pattern runs thus:

Daniel's:  12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A--then the border: BBBAAAA
Ashley's:  12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A--then the border: BBBAAAA

What's underscored is completed.

Originally posted: 15th-Jun-2007 12:41 am

Afghan countdown...

27 days to go. Daniel's afghan: 84 92 of 207 rows--115 rows to go. Ashley's afghan: 90 95 of 207 rows--112 rows to go. Need to average 8.4 rows a day.

The pattern runs thus:

Daniel's: 12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A--then the border: BBBAAAA
Ashley's: 12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A 8B 4A 8B   12A--then the border: BBBAAAA

What's underscored is completed.

Originally posted: 13th-Jun-2007 11:59 pm

Afghan countdown...

29 days to go. Daniel's afghan: 82 84 of 207 rows--123 rows to go. Ashley's afghan: 76 90 of 207 rows--117 rows to go. Need to average 8.3 rows a day.

Have I mentioned? It's 143 stitches per row. 172 "real" rows (the rest are the border rounds). 24,596 stitches (plus the border). Per afghan.

But it's really only two stitches: double crochet and front-post double crochet. Three of one, three of the other, all the way across. Can you say "boring"? I rarely can stand to work a second afghan in a pattern I've just completed. In this case, I had just finished this afghan for my cousin's baby:



The afghans for Daniel and Ashley are the same stitch pattern, just worked with a larger hook, thicker yarn, bigger color blocks before I change to the alternate color, and a wider border. (The colors are way off in these photos.)



Better color:



I'm really looking forward to finishing these. I know the kids will appreciate these once the cold weather sets in. And I'll appreciate having them out of my sight...

Originally posted: 11th-Jun-2007 11:38 pm

Afghan countdown...

30 days to go. Daniel's afghan: 64 82 of 207 rows--125 rows to go. Ashley's afghan: 71 76 of 207 rows--131 rows to go. Need to average 8.5 rows a day.

I got a little work done Friday morning while I was waiting for the FedEx delivery of proofreading work. I worked on the proofreading all day Friday, and I got an extension to work on the rest of the stuff Saturday night after I got home from the grooming salon. It's finally done (after all night Saturday), and I'm spending my Sunday afternoon/evening off working on the afghans again. One thing I'm sure of: Daniel and Ashley will find these things are warm.

Originally posted: 10th-Jun-2007 09:11 pm

Afghan countdown...

33 days to go. Daniel's afghan: 64 of 207 rows--143 rows to go. Ashley's afghan: 63 71 of 207 rows--136 rows to go. Need to average 8.4 rows a day.



Originally posted: 7th-Jun-2007 11:42 pm

Afghan countdown...

34 days to go. Daniel's afghan: 56 64 of 207 rows--143  rows to go. Ashley's afghan: 56 63 of 207 rows--144 rows to go. Need to average 8.4 rows a day.


Originally posted: 6th-Jun-2007 11:24 pm

Greyhounds in movies

Probably all dog lovers watch for their favorite breeds in movies and television. Greyhounds show up briefly in the good Pride and Prejudice (in the long version on DVD--Darcy has a pair on his estate).

In the original film version of The Lion in Winter, there is a greyhound in the scene when Henry comes out of Philip's room after just learning that his sons have betrayed him. Henry stands on the stairs, screaming, "God damn you! God, damn you!" while a red-fawn greyhound (like my Sam) stands behind him on the stairs, with his head cocked to one side, listening.

I'm watching the new(er) film version of The Lion in Winter--this one with Patrick Stewart and Glenn Close. Henry comes out of Philip's room after the betrayal scene, and this time he doesn't scream. He just sits down on the stairs and murmurs that he's lost all his sons. He hugs and pats and mourns...in the ear of a red-fawn greyhound.

Afghan countdown...

36 days to go. Daniel's afghan: 44 56 of 207 rows--151 rows to go. Ashley's afghan: 55 56 of 207 rows--151 rows to go. Need to average 8.4 rows a day. (I work until 9 on Tuesday night, so I probably won't get much done tomorrow.)

Originally posted: 4th-Jun-2007 09:41 pm

Boring craft countdown...

I'm working on the afghans for Daniel and Ashley. I really want to be working on a new doily, but I won't let myself do that until I get these afghans finished, which I'm foolishly hoping will happen by the wedding. I'm going to keep a running countdown.

The wedding is 14 July. I need to have the afghans finished by 12 July so I can wrap them before I leave town on the 13th. That means I have 38 days.

Each afghan is 172 rows plus, probably, 7 rounds of border; each border round will take about as long as five rows. That means the equivalent of 207 rows per afghan...at 15 minutes per row. And there are two afghans. Right now, each afghan has 44 rows done...163 rows (each) to go. I'll need to average 8.6 rows a day until the wedding.

TCM is showing the Wizard of Oz right now; Spirited Away comes on at 9:45 Eastern. Movies to crochet by...

A happy camper...

I ordered this blocking board in the evening of 24 May. The warning on the Joann's site was that I should allow 2-3 weeks for shipping. Since I needed the doily blocked by 16 June for a bridal shower, I just crossed my fingers, since a 3-week delivery would get the board here by the Thursday before the Saturday shower.

The board came today. 8 days! Yippee! The doily is pinned and drying now. Pictures will be posted as soon as it's completely dry, but that won't be before Saturday evening--or maybe even Sunday. (Note to self: Buy white towels. If I had some thick white towels, I could have gotten out more water before I pinned the piece, but I'm not about to squeeze cream-colored threads in my spruce-green towels.)