No, Seriously -- I've Knit Yet Another Afghan! The Martin Storey KAL #2
Back in 2006 I named the following Ravelry project this: Aghan (And I Will Never Make Another Afghan!). I knit it to procrastinate writing my Ph.D. thesis -- and by the end I hated it so much that I finished my thesis first!
Well, I have been absolutely ignoring this credo lately. You know how people join clubs to make 52 pairs of socks a year, or 356 washcloths? I need to join an afghan a year club, it's gotten that bad.
Here's my proof:
My latest opus is the 2nd Martin Storey KAL from Rowan -- and somehow it came out so beautifully that it might be the best one of all. It's a free pattern you can get here.
Naturally, I changed it a lot!
The first thing to go was the color scheme. First off, I didn't like any of the Rowan color choices, and second, I wanted something more muted. All of the Rowan afghan KALs use the yarn Pure Wool Worsted and the colors I used (Mustard and Moonstone) were actually the ones I wanted for the first KAL, but they were backordered!
So back then, I went monotone instead:
Second, as you can see from the picture above, the first afghan was too short. Since the square format and gauge were identical in the 2nd KAL, I knew I need to add a couple of rows for length. I decided to go 10x5 instead of 8x6.
I also devised a way to keep my sanity when trying to block all these wonkily different sized squares to the same shape! THANK YOU, DUCT TAPE.
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| OHMing in Torrey Pines State Park, CA |
Let's see... oh yeah, there is always another change lurking somewhere in my projects! Because I had to guess how much yarn I needed, it turned out I had too much Mustard and too little Moonstone by the time the border came around. I improvised by using 4 rows of yellow to every 2 rows of grey, instead of 2 and 2 like in the pattern.
Naturally, the border was a pain in the ass! I was so impressed that the last Rowan KAL had a knitted on border, they regressed back to their old ways by requiring a sew-on one again. I was too lazy to figure out a mitered corner, so I slaved through the strips and contemplated using them as nooses more than once.
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| Trying to be zen about it... |
It was pretty painful, but in less ways than expected. If you remember my last post, I've been battling elbow tendinitis, and found that I could knit with the yarn in my left hand (continental-style) and still make this whole afghan. I can't believe I did it, actually!
So what do you think? Which afghan wins the Dayana-Will-Never-Do-Another-Afghan-Again-Prize? (mobile users, click for higher res photos!)
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| My Martin Storey KAL #1 |
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| My Scheepjes CAL |
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| My Kaffe Fassett KAL |
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| My Daisy Stitch Afghan |
See my Martin Storey KAL #2 on Ravelry
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| My Martin Storey KAL #2 |
My favorite is Martin Story KAL 1
ReplyDeleteI am certainly impressed! Very lovely. I've been working the Rowan Mystery KAL for over two years now. The squares are now finished, and I have about four more feet of the cable trim to go. I estimate the finish date in approximately two more years.
ReplyDeleteYour work is beautiful. Thank you for sharing
Hey, I always have a 4-5 year project in a basket, I'm with you! Good luck and thanks. :D
DeleteMy favorite of your afghans is the Kaffe Fassett. All are beautiful though.
ReplyDeleteThey are all awesome! How can I choose! I think if I had to choose though - the Fassett it would be. Also duct tape! I never would have thought about using duct tape. Genius! Thanks for sharing that! :)
ReplyDeleteAnd what's awesome is that duct tape is so popular, you can get huge rolls at dollar stores in crazy colors and designs to cheer you up!
DeleteWell, I do love what you did with the Kaffe Fassett afghan. I wish I had seen it before I bought the yarn for the damn thing. It was so butt ugly I gave up! They are all lovely, but I am beginning to think perhaps you need to get out more? Cheers
ReplyDeleteLol, Deb!! There's not a ton to do in Bar Harbor, ME most of the year -- knitting 4000 sq ft afghans may be my only hope!
DeleteAs for the Kaffe afghan, I designed those colors right from the start. Wish I had made it before the KAL so people could copy me. I adore how it came out.
I agree with Blue Dog Art. My favourite is the Kaffe Fassett blanket. I like how the colours in your latest blanket echo the spring landscape.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Blue Dog Art. My favourite is the Kaffe Fassett blanket. I like how the colours in your latest blanket echo the spring landscape.
ReplyDeleteLove the Kaffe Fassett!!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! I just found your blog and love it! Im in Encinitas. PhD at Scripps by any chance?
ReplyDeleteHi Pattye -- thanks for coming by, yay! Sorry for this late reply, I have no good excuse. I got my PhD at Columbia University. Never have lived in California, though my husband would love it. I bet that apart from Alaska and Hawaii, you live the farthest from me on the mainland!
DeleteHoly cow! Loooove the Kaffe Fassett afghan. Will be following the link to learn more about that one. (Enabler!) :)
ReplyDeleteI live to enable, my friend!! Follow my Dayana Knits page on FB to elongate your queue beyond all hope. ;)
DeleteThey are all lovely but the Kaffe Fassett afghan is my favourite!!! :)
ReplyDeleteLooks like I'm the only one not toeing that particular line, but the Fassett blanket whilst striking actually hurts my eyes. On the other hand, I love what you've done with the 2nd Martin Storey blanket - genius choice of colours and square placement: congratulations!
ReplyDeleteHa, yes, I can see how that pattern would do that! Though in person, you'd never see it all in one go, it just looks like stripes on your thighs. The new blanket is way more calming though, that's for sure. Ohm...
DeleteI think your 4/2 color ratio on the border improves on Rowan's 2/2. Well done! All your afghans are great; this one is a close second to the Kaffe in my personal rankings. Purl Soho has a handsome knitted coverlet/afghan pattern that may tempt me back into the fray. In my college years I crocheted three afghans and a hearth rug, for myself, my mother, and my grandmother, and haven't done one since. Perhaps I'm ready again!
ReplyDelete-- stashdragon
A hearth rug, now that's impressive! Well, those crochet blankets are just so much speedier. And you don't have to make modular pieces to sew either. Maybe that's the way to get back into it. HEARTH RUG ON LIST.
Deletei THINK YOUR AFGHANS ARE AWESOME, NO MATTER WHAT THE SIZE! kEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!
ReplyDeleteI didn't like this one so much in the beginning but now that it's finished I've changed my mind. I think the border is great; the asymmetry in the edging really makes a difference. Like most others, I like the Kaffe afghan the best. I'm glad that you are managing to knit despite injuries, Dayana!
ReplyDeleteI am trying my best! Though I became addicted to beading and have not been knitting so much, I actually can't find any craft that doesn't inflame the elbow. Do you know I went through an airline scanner recently and she had to pat my elbow down because she saw a big red spot there? Ugh.
DeleteI admire your persistence with Afghans! I have one long haul project on my needles for more than 2 years now (not an Afghan) and I think I will go crazy before it is finished xD
ReplyDeletebtw, I think the purple one, was a savior: they say that the best way to procrastinate is to start doing something that will eventually make you go back to the thing you were doing! ;)