Baby Afghan...

The baby afghan I made for a friend's grandbaby-to-be has arrived safely at her house (thank you, USPS).

The fancy doily I made back in May was from a pineapple-pattern called "Exquisite," and I made the doily in cream-colored thread. I had already picked a cream-colored yarn for the baby afghan, and I stumbled on a pineapple-pattern for an afghan named "Exquisite"--it seemed meant-to-be:

This project is cursed...

In the past few days, I've finished up a baby afghan and a shawl (pictures later). I've gone back to working on the accursed greyhound table runner. I have 12 rows to go (plus the edging), and I haven't omitted any of the border checkerboard blocks. And, near as I can tell, I haven't misplaced any of the blocks, either. Fingers crossed, but it looks like third time might be the charm.

(Actually, it took three tries before I worked out a shawl I liked: this one isn't triangular, but is just a nice, long rectangle. But it seems to be taking multiple tries before I can get things to work out, lately.)


Oh, honestly! Talk about an accursed project: I took a break in typing this to take Sam and Jacey outside. When we came back in, Sam darted ahead to sniff around where I'd been working to see if I'd left anything for him to eat. (I hadn't.) When I came back into the living room, he jumped down from where he'd been on the sofa (he knows better than to sniff around at that end of the sofa) and ran back across the room so he could look all innocent...and he hooked the damned crochet thread with his collar and unraveled nearly half of the most recent, carefully counted row.

Originally posted: 24th-Jul-2007 12:12 am

Finished...

The afghans are finished.



They measure about 50 by 77 inches. Precisely folded, one will just fit inside an office file-storage box. So now I just need to wrap the two boxes.



The camera wouldn't cooperate on the large picture of Daniel's afghan, but it was the same stripe pattern as Ashley's:



The colors are still (perpetually) off in the photos: the blue in Daniel's afghan is darker, and the teal in Ashley's afghan is greener.

And, just because I like doing the numbers: each afghan was something in excess of 29396 stitches.


Originally posted: 2nd-Jul-2007 03:32 pm

An announcement...

Yep. FINISHED.

Pictures, measurements, details, etc., should be posted later today. I'm going to bed now.

Originally posted: 2nd-Jul-2007 01:17 am

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