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Saturday, February 25, 2012

How To Whipstitch Afghan Squares

I have had a request from a beginner to explain "how to" put afghan squares together. I thought this might be a fun challenge to see if I can explain it and I'm always up for using my camera. :)

This is my style for whipstitching just about every afghan square together, no matter what blanket I am making. If I am making a blanket with very specific colors, I make sure that the yarn I am using for assembly matches my square edging so that my assembly does not stick out like a sore thumb. However, if I am making a scrap afghan, I will just use the yarn from the square that I am currently working on to attach to the next square.

This first picture shows the length of yarn I typically leave on the square (of this size) so that I can attach it to another scrap square.
Then I will weave my yarn through the back loops of the next two stitches so that I can get over to the "corner". It makes it look so much neater.

This picture shows that I am in the corner and ready to start whipstitching in the "next" stitch, which I will show you in the next set of pictures.

Here the squares are facing you with their "right sides".
Put the "right sides" of your squares together.
This would be the "next stitch" from the corner as shown in the previous pictures. Insert needle from back to front of work.
Go through all four loops, matching up stitch for stitch on both squares.
Here you see the yarn through all four of the first set of loops.Now entering from the same direction as the first set of stitches, do it again. Go through all four loops. You are essentially sewing a "circle" through your stitches.
See how the yarn makes a "circle" or "loop" over the stitches as you pull your yarn through?Continue down the length of the square. I always "end" my whipstitching where I "started" my whipstitching so that my sides are even. I always start my square in the "corner" and end in the "corner". First stitches only, otherwise you will end up throwing off your edging. Every single square gets whipstitched together the exact same way. That way when you go to do your edging and assembly everything fits together perfect, regardless of yarn differences that may make one square stitch up slightly smaller than another. It won't matter to you because you made sure that you had the right amount of stitches at the end of your square and you whipstitched every one of them the same.
Voila, we are done. This is what your whipstitching will look like from the front of your work, with your right sides facing you again.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Rainbow Sparkle Scarf- Beginner Pattern



Rainbow Sparkle Scarf - Beginner
by Elizabeth Mareno 2012

Materials Used:
Yarn Bee- Diva Sequin - Color "Bali"- 1 ball
I Hook
Lg eye needle for finishing

Row 1- Ch22, dc in 6th ch from hook (cts as "dc, ch1"), *ch1, sk next ch, dc in next ch*, repeat *to* across. (10dc, 9 ch1 spaces)
Row 2- ch4, (cts as dc, ch1), turn,*sk ch1 space, dc in next dc, ch1*, repeat *to* across, dc in 5th ch from original ch 6 from the row below.
Row 3- ch4, turn, *sk ch1 space, dc in next dc, ch1*, repeat *to* across, dc in 3rd ch from ch4 from row 2.
Row 4- Finish: Repeat row 3 till you run out of yarn. Finish off and weave in yarn ends.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Do It Your Way Afghan Pattern

Do It Your Way Afghan Pattern
by Elizabeth Mareno 2012

Supplies:
H hook
Scrap worsted weight yarn
Large eye needle for assembly

**I made 90 squares for this lap size blanket. You can use any color combination you want. You can change colors to make rows, or you can make all of the squares the same color. It's all up to you and your creativity! :)**

REGULAR SQUARE:
R1: ch4, sl st to 1st ch to join and make a circle. ch3, make 16 dc in the center of the circle. Join to first dc w/ a sl st. (16 dc)
R2: ch3, (cts as dc), dc in same sp as join, ch2, 2dc in same space (corner made), dc in next 3dc,
*(2dc, ch2, 2dc) in next dc, dc in next 3dc*, repeat from * to * two more times. sl st in next dc and ch 2 sp. (28dc, 4 ch2 sp)
R3: ch3, (cts as dc), dc in ch2 sp, ch2, 2dc in ch2 sp, (corner made), dc in 6dc, *(2dc, ch2, 2dc) in next ch2 sp, dc in 6dc, * repeat from *to* two more times. sl st in ch3 to join. (44dc, 4 ch2 sp)

STRIPED SQUARE:
Repeat the same for regular square through Row 2. Cut yarn after Row 2 and join with a different color for Row 3.

Cut. Leave a long end to whipstich to next square. (I go from one corner ch2 sp to the other) The original version has 9 squares whipstitched in a row. You can do as many squares as you want. This will determine your blanket's width. Once you have your row whipstitched together, put a border on that row.

BORDER: Use a "Main Color"
Starting in the "upper right" corner of your row, join with a sl st in a ch2 space.( Sc, ch2, sc in corner ch2 space, sc in each sc, hdc dec in the ch2 spaces between squares) repeat this around the row, finish with a slip stitch to the first sc. Finish off, leaving a very long end of yarn to whipstitch your rows together.

My personal suggestion would be that you use the same color as your "Main Color" throughout the blanket. This will help to anchor the blanket and pull all of the crazy color combinations together. :)

Create as many rows as you want. My blanket had 10 rows. This will determine the length of your blanket.

When you have all the rows you want, repeat the border around the outside of the whole blanket.

The biggest deal about this blanket?? Have fun with it! Be creative! Use your imagination! :)

Crafting Memories: Section 5 of the Memories Blanket CAL

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