Working out Kinks and Fingering Yarn

Contributed by Mary Nettleton
marynet@centurytel.net

This afghan had its beginning with a project that my knitting group did for an auction. The group afghan was made in 4 colors with two-color blocks. Then I started to wonder how else the 2-color squares could be arranged. Our grand son was graduating from highschool at about the same time and he wanted black, red and white. I absolutely and unequivocally never give a high-school graduate anything in white so 2 colors were what he got.

the finished afghan made from simple granny squares has bold diagonal stripes. For a similar tactile effect, find a Color B yarn that is also of a different texture from Color A. The project itself is very portable. As I remember it took me about 1 1/2 hours to make 1 square.

Materials:
• 8 skeins each of 2 colors, Plymouth Encore Chunky, Wool-ease Chunky, or any chunky yarn. Designate 1 color as A and the second color as B.
• Needle size: 11 or 13. The size needle is governed by the density of the fabric you prefer.
• Yarn needle for sewing squares together and safety pins or some other convenient method of marking the B half of the squares.

Skill level: easy.

Gauge: not important

Afghan Square:
Make 30

With A, Cast on 3 sts. Leave a generous tail for sewing.

Row 1: Inc1 st in first St, K to end).

Repeat this row until there are 42 sts on the needle.

Break A and pick up B.

Row 2: K1, K2tog, K to end of row.

Repeat this row till 3 sts rem.

Last row: Sl1, K2tog, Pass slip st over and fasten off.

Leave a generous tail for sewing, and place a safety pin near the corner to mark side B of the square.

Assembly;:

The afghan is 5 squares across and 6 down. Find a place where the squares can be laid out and sewn together. A bed works well for this. Start in the lower left-hand corner of the bed.

1. Beginning at the left edge of the bed, position Square 1 so that half A lines up with the lower left-hand corner of the bed.
2. Position square 2 to the right of Sq 1 so that side B lines up with side B of the first square. With one of the B tails, and a yarn needle, pass a thread back and forth in the edge sts.
3. Position Sq 3 to the right of sq 2 with the A sides lining up. Sew as before, using color A tails.
4. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 one more time to attach squares 4 and 5.
5. Returning to the left edge of the afghan, position Sq 6 above sq 1 with the B sides together. Sew as before, using color B tails.
6. Position square 7 to the right of Sq 6, ( with the A sides together and sew in place, using color A tails.
7. Position Sq 8 to the right of sq 7, with B sides together, and sew in place, using color B tails.
8. Repeat Steps 6 and 7 one more time to attach Squares 9 and 10.
9. Repeat Steps 1-8 until all 30 squares have been sewn together.

If you sew and nip and tuck the ends as you go, it will be much less trouble later. How do I know this? Of course, if all else fails, ask for sighted help with the positioning or the ends.