Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Mile-a-Minute Afghans by Leisure Arts, Inc.



After I brought the mile-a-minute afghan that I was working on for a friend, it seemed that the knit and crochet ladies were interested in this kind of pattern. The book above is Mile-a-Minute Afghans by Leisure Arts, Inc.

While we don't have this book in our library, it can be requested through Evergreen Indiana. This book has 56 patterns for this technique. What I like most about it, is that you can make as many or as few strips as you want. One strip can make a scarf, three or four make a shawl, and anything above that makes an afghan up to one that can cover a king-sized bed.

They can be worked in one color, a couple of colors, or - my favorite - use variegated yarn somewhere in the pattern with a couple of complementary colors to set off the design.



This one is ten strips wide and covers a double bed. You can also adjust the length of the strips making this a very versatile technique.

Happy crafting,

Kathi

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

3 Recent Crochet Projects

Here are three projects that I recently completed.



This one is made with 14 colors. Make a chain half as long as you want the width to be. Decrease by 2 stitches at the same end of each row until you finish the pie wedge. Start the next color and run it the length of the first wedge. Decrease each row as before. I joined with single crochet. You can also simply sew the two sides together. Then go around the afghan with each of the colors used in the wedges. (Done in sc, ch stitches)



This round one is simpler than the one above. Simply increase each row by 12 stitches. I ended up with visible "corners" because it was easy to increase in the same place on each row. (Done in dc)



And one mile-a-minute pattern.

We have - or can get from another library - patterns similar to this for anyone who's interested.

Happy crafting,

Kathi Linz

Bridal Afghans

Do you know anyone special who is getting married?

Bernat has two beautiful afghans for brides.

This is the knitted one:

Gift of Love Cable Afghan

http://www.bernat.com/data/pattern/pdf/Bernat_SuperValueweb45_kn_afghan.en_US.pdf?utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Bernat&utm_content=Bernat+April+Newsletter+2

And one for crocheters:

Wedding Rings Blanket (crochet)

http://www.bernat.com/data/pattern/pdf/Bernat_Mosaicweb13_cr_blanket.en_US.pdf?utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Bernat&utm_content=Bernat+April+Newsletter+2

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Warmer Weather, Smaller Sections

Image of Half Square Triangle Blanket

http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/L20049B.html?noImages=

This afghan is made of small sections diagonally knit and then sewed together.

Image of USA Afghan

http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/L20281.html?noImages=

This afghan is crocheted in squares and sewed together. You could get it ready for Flag Day or the Fourth of July.

Image of Mod Hex Afghan
http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/L20287.html?noImages=

Good at granny squares, but want something a little different?  This hexagonal granny afghan can be worked on vacation and assembled later - like when the weather cools off again.

Thanks to Lion Brand Yarn for their excellent patterns.

Happy crafting,

Kathi Linz