"It's Hard to Fit In.......

 

....When You're Born to Stand Out."

I love these styles of afghans so decided to plot one out of one of my favorite phrases.  

I'm not a fan of sewing blocks together, so this is designed as a continuous crochet, with color changes as needed.

Select your favorite colors.  This is a good one for using up those extra skeins in your stash.  I used (mostly) Red Heart skeins in sizes of 370 yards per skein.  Making two blocks of each color, I needed about one skein plus about half of a second skein.  

So plan on two skeins per color.  I would  plan a large block and a small block of the same color or you may need more per color.

For instance, I had yarn left over from one skein on the dark blue squares, but used a small amount on a second skein on the yellow squares.  You can see the 2nd row blue/yellow squares are slightly different in size from each other, which logically explains the yarn usage difference.

My afghan came out wide enough to cover a queen bed (roughly 56" x 56").  The length ran from the foot of the queen bed to just to the edge of the pillows.  If you want a narrower afghan, like for a twin bed, it's easy to just omit the white heart sections.

I've uploaded the pdf version, and if it were me, I'd print them out and tape them together.  I've also uploaded the plain excel version, which can be read directly from the screen, all in one piece.

Helpful Hint #1:  I make a copy of the excel version.  As I complete each row, I change the color of the entire row to grey, so I can see where I am when I pick up the hook the next day.

If you've never done a bobble, don't worry.  It's pretty easy.  Here is a website that walks you through it, TS Country Crochet:   How to Read a Bobble Pattern

Helpful Hint #2: look at the bobble side now and then to make sure your bobbles are lining up the way they are supposed to.  Trust me, nothing is more annoying than to discover the next time around that one bobble is out of place!

Hook:  Used a size "J" (6.00mm)

Yarn:  2 skeins per color, doing 2 blocks of each color.  Yarns used in model:  Red Heart With Love @ 370 yards per skein.  For the white, I had two Lion Brand Pound of Love on hand (1020 yards each) and hooked one up on each side.  I had yarn left on both of them when done.

To start, ch 177. 

Row 1: In white, sc in 2nd chain from hook.  Sc across.  Do 2 more rows in white.

Row 4: Follow chart in colors of your choice.

Finish:  If you want to add a finish, a simple sc row all the way around looks nice.

PDF ----> Click here for PDF version

EXCEL ----> Click here for Excel version

State Fair Winners

I entered my very first Indiana State Fair competition in 2017, at the age of 58 years old.  I had been crocheting for 51 years at this point, and it seems odd that this was my first year entering. 

It was my sister-in-law who suggested I enter the bedspread that had taken me 600 hours and close to 10 months to make.  My first entry in my first year at the fair and it won not only a First Place Ribbon but also won Best of Show!  Yes, I was in tears when I saw those ribbons on my blanket!

The State Fair Bug had bitten me, so I entered the next year (2018) and walked away with two more ribbons. Not first place, but that didn't matter to me.  I was just as excited that I won something!

In 2019, I entered three thread doilies and walked away with three more ribbons.

This one is not a doily but is a small tablecloth.
It measures approximately 45-50" across.

I'm pretty sure I'm addicted to this annual competition now.  I've already picked out next year's project.  Sometimes I wonder why I picked a pattern that starts out with "Chain 485" .... in thread!

I will keep you posted!!