A few weeks ago, you asked about craft projects from materials bought at thrift stores. I broke my leg in February, and then got a staph infection in the bone, so I had lots of sitting-around time to knit. This is my scrappy knitted throw. My yarn stash from the Burley, Idaho Deseret Industries was in our storage trailer and I couldn't get to it, so I sent my husband and just told him to bring pastels. I finished this last week.
I had trouble with the edges curling, so I requested help from your readers. Several told me to put a couple of rows of single crochet around the edges. It worked! The second photo shows the edging. The throw adds lots of color to the living room. I enjoyed the way this came out so much that I plan to knit a simple sweater in autumn colors as soon as I finish the crocheted cardigan I'm on now.
There is no special pattern. I cast on 158 stitches and knitted in k2p2 for an inch and a half. After that it was knit one row, purl one row. When I ran out of a color, even in the middle of a row, I tied another one on and kept going. It is 5 feet wide and 6 feet long. It was fun to choose colors that I thought would lead the eye to the next stripe. It was pretty much stress-free. I wasn't trying to win the House Beautiful award; just relax and get better.
Thanks for all you do with the Thrifty Fun website. I read every issue and have saved many of the craft projects for later.
Here's the detail of the edging. I crocheted three rows on three of the sides. The ribbing didn't curl, so I left it alone.
Coreen from Rupert, ID
I want to knit an afghan large enough for my Queen size bed. I would like to knit it in long strips so it is not so hard to hold. Does anyone know where I could find a FREE pattern? Also the pattern needs to be easy as I am just a beginner and I can't do color changes yet. Thanks to all for your help.
By Marie from Lakeland, FL
I crochet a lot better than I can knit, but, I do have some ideas for you making your own pattern. Strips are easy to make, knitting or crocheting, and the strips are connected to each other.
Take the measurement of the size of the afghan that you want it to be. Figure out how many strips that you need to make the afghan to be the size it needs to be. Just figure it out on paper, to figure out how many inches for the size of the strips. That is if the strips are going to be all the same size. . .you can try different color strips, and even different widths of the strips, just as long as they all together match with being the sizes to make the size of the afghan that you want it to be. Just experiment how you want it to look on the paper, you may have lot's of tries until you figure it out how you want it to look. Keep track of the inches for the strips, and they all fit with the size that you want, mark it down on the strips, and if you are using different color strips, mark those too on the paper.
Also, you have to figure out if you are knitting from the long side, and less rows, or short rows, and lots of rows. Short rows on strips, other short rows next to each other, you may not like that look of them together. You might like long knitted strips next to short knitted strips next to each other, and they will give a lot of texture to the afghan, especially if the afghan is only one color. Mark on the paper with what texture each strip will look like. If they are knitted short row strips, mark the lines going across, enough to remind you anyway, and if they are knitted the long length, mark long lines on the paper to show which strips are knitted from the long length of the strip.
You may also prefer to knit some strips, and some strips are purled, so figure it all on the paper before you knit anything, the strips can give you a lot of great texture to your afghan when you plan on it.
After you have it all figured out on paper, and you can use graph paper if you want to, but, I just hand draw the rectangle, and mark the inches on each sides, and then figure out the size of the strips to fit within the size you want it to be. Mark everything that you can about how the strips are to look like, what color, what texture, then you have to figure out what yarn you are going to use, as well as what size of your needles, so take different samples and you should probably cast on at least 10-15 stitches, and go at least 10 rows. Now is the time to measure how many stitches and how many rows equal an inch.
When you know how many stitches are needed to make an inch, as well as how many rows to make an inch, then you can now figure out how many stitches to cast on to make your strips, so mark that all on to your paper. You can also figure out how many rows you need to mark on your paper, so if it's 4 rows equals an inch, and it's 85 inches long, then 85x4=340 rows. If there are 5 stitches to the inch, and the strip is 10 inches, then it needs 50 stitches.
Just measure the samples to get what you need to design your afghan, and mark it all on the paper, and just make your strips, attach them together, and you can do it yourself.
Ok, it's 2:30am now, and I hope I wrote this down well enough to understand this, and I should have been asleep now. <grin> So, if you have any questions, I'm sure others can help you with this, and I can try to explain things better if there is any problems, just design it all on the paper first, and when I know what you want it to look like, it will be easier for myself and others to help you better. Though, I think you can do this fine yourself. :)
Now, I'm not the best at knowing how much yarn is needed to make your queen sized afghan, but, I'm sure there is someone in here who can tell you how many ounces of yarn would be needed to make it. I also know that with knitting, you need less yarn then using crocheting.
Also, depending on the yarn, if it is fairly thick yarn, you may only need one strand, but, to make an afghan thick enough, you may need two strands of yarn while knitting. Just experiment to get the feel of what you want the afghan to look like.
Strips of simple basketweave make a great afghan that has no "wrong side". You can do it in any multiples you wish as well.
That looks wonderful for the stitches for the afghan grami. Like I said, I crochet more than I knit. Anyway, after I posted I was thinking about how thin it would be especially with one strand, and it would be only for one side. It would probably need a backing for the regular knitting. That is really great that the strips can be for both sides, and that the strips can connect together.
My friend knitted an afghan for me, and it was fairly lacy. It looked too complicated for me, however, she said they were so easy to make. She made a lot of them for the holiday, but she used her needles with the wire between them, so that was making the whole afghan, and not strips.
Glad you like the pattern, MrsJim. It can be made on any size needles with any weight yarn. This pattern makes great scarves, too. I've also made baby afghans with the pattern & everyone said they liked the warmth plus no "wrong side" made it very versatile. The needles with the wire is called double pointed needles. I can't use them as the weight is too great for me anymore. I rather prefer the strips anyway as I sew a few strips together sometimes just to take a break from the knitting. I used this patter with 3 strands of Caron Simply Soft in various shades of green. I used around size 13 or 15 needles & it came out wonderfully. It's hubsters favorite warm & cozy during the winter months.
I am looking for the free pattern for the "Tree of Life" afghan, that Lion Brand offered on their blog this past spring. If anyone has it and would share it with me I would appreciate it, as I want to make it for a wedding gift. Thanks in advance.
Oh, my goodness this is a miracle that I found this pattern by searching on Google. It's on the Mary Maxim website and all you have to do is sign up and the pattern is yours for free.
www.marymaxim.com/
Go to www.marymaxim.com
Click on register (at the top of the page)
Fill in your info
Once that is done go to Free Patterns
Click on Knit Patterns
The tree of life pattern will be there.
If you have any problems e-mail me I printed it out for myself and will send you a copy if you want.
We are knitting afghans (wheelchair lap rugs) for seniors. We were going to get each person to knit a block then sew them together, but I can't find a pattern. Does anyone have one they could share? Thank you.
By marie from Canada
If your wonderful people can crochet, the variety is much greater. If they can, click on the link below for more granny square patterns than you will ever need.
Also, they are called "Lapghan" now a days. Cool huh?
Poor Bur Proud
www.crochetpatterncentral.com/
and
www.google.com/
and
www.e-patternscentral.com/
for lapghans.
Here individual squares are knitted and then joined into a single lapghan
cache.lionbrand.com/
Quick knitted capelet
cache.lionbrand.com/
www.knittingpatterncentral.com/
Most people don't have the time, they think, to knit an afghan but I am making the "Anyone Can Knit an Afghan in 7 Minutes a Day." It's easy and it's fun.
