We had a lovely, quiet Christmas. Myria cooked a feast that started with a baked ham, all sweet, smoky tenderness - and it just got better from there! I gave her perfume; she gave me yarn - we were both happy :)
I have been thinking about an afghans (or a couple of them) for quite a while now. What has stopped me is the fact that I don’t tend to do well with big projects. Once I’ve figured out the pattern I get bored. Well, I finally realized that my burgeoning stash was beginning getting a bit out of control (I even have some yarn in the kitchen) and that one storage area contained nothing but Red Heart Supersaver yarn. Old Red Heart that I had purchased 6 or 7 years ago for - guess what? Afghans! And it occurred to me that if I could use up that stash of yarn, I could clear quite a bit of storage space and have a new blanket into the bargain!
So I looked around for a while and finally settled on Priscilla Hewitt’s beautiful, crocheted Skipping Stones Circular Afghan. I really liked the pattern but worried that a round afghan might not be so useful. However, Myria seemed to think it was a pretty cool idea and that the shape would make it all the easier to wrap up in - so off I went.
I went through my various storage areas and found that my Red Heart acrylic seemed to divide itself evenly into pink/rose/wine shades and random colors. Well, okay - maybe there’ll have to be two afghans to use this stuff up. I gathered all the pink/rose/wine stuff and went to work. As the pattern specified a double strand of yarn and a large hook, I figured this wouldn’t take any time :)
Now, see in the pattern where it says “hook size N”? I thought that was ridiculous and started with a size K hook instead. I should have known something was wrong when I read in the pattern that rows 1, 2 and 3 should give me a piece about 3” in diameter. What I had wasn’t even close. Never the less, I persevered until I had a round piece that was…erm…pretty dense. Thermonuclearly dense. It could stand up by itself and I’m pretty sure it was bullet proof. Sigh…
So I took it all out and started over again with the recommended hook. That hook took a while to get used to as I’ve never worked with anything quite that size before (honestly, I’m happiest in the F - H range). For a while I had to do every treble twice - once to screw up and once for real - until I got the hang of manipulating the size N hook from hell! Nah, it wasn’t that bad - just a matter of adjustment.
At 11:36 PM, New Year’s Eve, this is what I had…
Skipping Stone Afghan
I messed with the pattern to the extent that I used multiple colors instead of only one, and I added another section to the afghan to make sure it would be big enough to be used as a blanket and to wrap up in. Those last seven rows had almost 1000 stitches in them and took a looooooooong time to do :) The afghan took about 15 7-8 oz. skeins of yarn and is approximately 73” in diameter.
Color Range
Of course there’s one more thing to tell you about this blanket. I realized that I wasn’t going to have enough of the claret color to keep the color range consistent. ACK! So I had to go and buy more yarn for the project that was supposed to be using up stash yarn. The Universe will have it’s little laughs :)
Black Water Abbey color card
I also received my Black Water Abbey color card in the mail. Beautiful colors, strong, hard-finished yarn for outer garments or penitents :) There are two remarkable things about this color card - first, it’s free. That, all by itself, warrants recognition. The second thing is that it arrived in my mailbox about 2 days after I’d requested it! I’m used to ordering something and then forgetting all about it because it takes so long to get to me. Not this! I’ll probably be looking into ordering a bit of this later on in the year - just to see how it works up.
Happy New Year, everyone!
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Happy New Year!
Isn’t the yarn card nice? I’ve got some of the dark green, enough for a vest of some sort if I ever get to that project.
LOL your stash busting yarn buying makes me laugh! Now you know how consuming the last rounds are… I picture the old pacman gobbler thingy chasing your stash yarn LOL
That’s a very pretty afghan! I have some acrylic in my stash that is going to be turned into an afghan at some point (crocheted). I started out making little granny squares, but decided that I need to rethink that plan or it’s going to take me forever! Maybe one huge granny square instead! :) I’d like to make the one you did, but I don’t have that much acrylic in my stash!
That’s one gorgeous afghan! What a great way to finish one crafting year & begin another. :) I’m wishing you & Myria the happiest of new years too. :)
Aarlene - You’re imaginary stash-chasing Pac-man is very appropriate :) But it was either buy more claret or stick in the gold, green and purple that was still languishing in the cabinet. Nuh-unh!
Natalie - Funny you should say that - I thought about making squares to sew together but I really feel that because this is all one piece, I stuck with it and actually got it done. This is the biggest thing I’ve ever made all in one piece.
Bron - thank you kindly for both the compliment and the new year’s wishes. It was your afghan partly that got me going on this. It took four days of doing very little else - but I’m pleased with it :)
holy batwoman, robbyn- that is a seriously large afghan there- and absolutely gorgeous too- dana’s afghan from that pattern is only about 2/3 the size of yours, and i thought i had put lots of stitches into it-
your holidays were productive- geez, you made real progress working through stash (the better to buy MORE) and have something lovely to show for it-
i will now retire to a cluttered corner in this messy house and pout- wonder if more cleaning and less pouting might make barb a more productive person- aww, who really wants to find out?
stay happy-
Barb - Oh sometimes a little pouting is good for the soul :) Of course, now I have to figure out to do with the rest of the stuff. I guess I’ll drag it all out and see what I have. If it amounts to another 15 skeins or so, I guess I make another afghan :) But I won’t try to finish it in four days. I have no idea why but it seemed somehow important for it to be done in 2005. Silly, hunh?
Happy 2006! I have been paying bills all day and all the checks say Jan. 02, 05 on them. haha! Great work on the afghan, I may use that pattern for my charity blankets. Now talk about an acrylic stash! 8 rubbermaid tubs full of red heart!!
That is a *massive* afghan! Way to go!
Hi Robbyn! Cool afghan. And I looove your description of the possible uses for the Blackwater Abbey yarn. 
Laura - LOL! Okay - you’ve got me beat :) Just think how big an afghan you can make!
Jume - Thanks :) It was fun!
Rob - Heheh :) Beautiful colors but I can’t imagine wearing this stuff next to my skin.
Now that is a stashbuster….What a great afghan. Happy new Year to you too!.
Thanks Maureen!
Why does that photo of pink M&Ms; in a pink bowl totally make me happy? I don’t have them, I can’t eat them, they’re just some pixels on a screen, but they still make me happy.
Ryan - Some things aren’t quantifiable :) If it makes you happy, it makes you happy! I’m delighted to have been able to contribute to your joy today :)
Ooof - that’s one serious afghan! Now all of my Red Heart from days gone by is begging to come out and play. I have to explain to it that it why I’m sneaking in all these fine wools. You set too good of an example! :) Glad you used up stash, though - those old acrylics seem to be the hardest to get rid of.
Colleen - Sorry to have set your stuff to nagging you :) Actually, I like the old acrylic for many things - easy care blankets, for example. I wasn’t so much trying to use them up (i.e. to get rid of them) as to create some more storage space and get a nice afghan as well :) If I hadn’t thought I could do it quickly (quickly enough to not get bored with it), the stuff would probably all still be sitting there!
