Xeno's Afghan

[lydy]

So, I used my new sewing technique and sewed three strips of eight, and then sewed the three strips together. This time, I left all my tails hanging, in case it didn't work. It didn't work. Oh, it holds together fine, unlike the last time. It's not actually falling into its constituent pieces. But there are large holes at the center of each star, because the long double crochets that form the corners are not as tight as they could be (though as tight as I could make them). I looked at it, and decided that I just didn't like the way it looked.

So then I did several experiments. I did not do all the various other techniques I thought of, some of which might work better than the technique that I've chosen, but I think I'm happy with the technique I've chosen. I'm joining the corners of the motifs with a single crochet, through both loops, then slip-stitch crocheting to the end through just the back loops, then finishing with another single crochet at the far corner. I did a four square to see what it looked like and decided it was good.

So, then, of course, I had to unsew the twenty-four motifs that I'd put together. Wasn't that fun? (Ansswer: no, not at all.) Then I had to uncrochet two of the four-square so that I could commence to make eight strips to be joined together. Uncrocheting is much faster and easier than unsewing.

I've done two eight strips, and crocheted them together using the technique described, and I like the way it looks. However, I left all my tails hanging, so there is a veritable forest of tails to weave in. Already. I usually prefer to weave in as I go along, since a concentrated session of weaving makes Lydy an irritable Lydy.

Merrily we go along, two steps forward, one step back. One day, it shall be an afghan.

Comments

[gerisullivan.livejournal.com]

Merrily we go along, two steps forward, one step back.

This afghan is a bittersweet tapestry of life itself. I so look forward to photos!

[carbonel]

I suppose it's too late to suggest taking it to Pat WINOLJ for advice?

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Yay, progress!?! Coming up with a fix that looks good seems like a major win, even if tails. So, these days, I will often weave in ends using a crochet hook and something like a Tunisian approach, which is to say I slip it through a whole buncha stitches, hook the tail, and pull it through all. I'm not sure it's any faster than using a bent tapestry needle, but it makes a change.

Like Geri, I am very much looking forward to seeing pictures of the finished piece.

[iraunink.livejournal.com]

Yeah! Lydy makes afghan that makes her happy!

I am a perfectionist when I knit and/or crochet. I ripped out the first sleeve of my cardigan three times before I was happy with the result.

Do what makes you happy even if it means all the tails get woven in at the end.

[lydy.livejournal.com]

This made me laugh out loud. I'm telling Steven on you.

[lydy.livejournal.com]

I have a solution I'm happy with. It may not be the best solution, but it is an adequate one.

[lydy.livejournal.com]

The tails are inevitable. I left them hanging to permit unravelling if necessary. It doesn't look necessary, so I've gone back to weaving them in as I go along. Each strip of eight has 14 tails. That's a fuck-ton of tails. I hate tails.