Weaving Plaid According to the Instructions

I go to online sales places every so often and look for Bucilla kits that I don't already have so I can check out the patterns.  The yarn goes into my stash and I make any pattern I darn well want with the mesh.

The post that is the most viewed is the one where I completely botched the plaid pattern. Well, I finally found out how the manufacturer planned for it to be woven correctly.

First you weave the length of the mesh as usual. You'll include all the stripes in the colors you imagine - all as usual.

Here is part of the photo from the kit I bought. Honestly, you can get as fancy as you wish. It won't be any harder or easier one way or the other.

Once you have completed the length of the fabric, measure across the afghan. You are going to cut yarn to only 3-4 inches longer than the width. Only cut yarn in the colors you want the stripes to be. You don't have to cut anything in the main background color.

You will weave across the fabric under and over the lengthwise yarn. Do not weave into the mesh at all.

To finish the edges, the instructions say that you will weave in the ends on the back side in such a way that they don't show through to the front.

Wash this afghan carefully and don't put it in the dryer. Lay it flat to dry.

I hope this helps. I plan to work on a shawl with this kind of pattern soon. I'll post pictures when I do.

Thanks for visiting with me,

Kathi

Long Stitches

My mother-in-law asked me to make another afghan just like the last one I wove. Sigh! Needless to say, I won't bore you by going through the same stuff all over again.

I'm going to ask you to consider how a long stitch might spice up your work. I don't recommend giving this kind of afghan to a person with pets or young children whose fingers will get caught up in the work. (Although you just have to smooth the fabric to make it right again.)

Your long stitches can go any direction, just like the regular weave. Check these out.

Daisies

Long stitches - 2 or 3 holes

Herringbone decoration

I can't give you the whole pattern as I'm not sure what the copyright issues might be, But I wanted to give you something to spark your imagination.

Thanks for visiting with me.

Kathi

Finally Finished with This One

Crocheting goes much faster for me than mesh weaving. However, this afghan will be a gift for someone in Florida and I didn't want a heavy material. 

I really like working up a mesh woven afghan or shawl when it is for someone in a warm place or for use in summer weather.

Thank you for visiting with me,

Kathi

Tying Knots

When you are finishing the fringe, please use an overhand knot - or whatever the knot shown above is called. You can hold the left side and slide the knot into any position you want. I knotted three strands together in each knot.

I once tried tying off the fringe (in my young and foolish days) with square knots. The ends stuck out every which way and looked terrible. Please don't repeat my mistake.

Also this time I made the fringe shorter, about 4 inches. I have learned that if you leave long, luxurious fringe (6 inches or better) and then you wash your afghan, you will get the biggest tangled mess you ever saw.

Short fringe is better for blankets that will need cleaning once in a while.

Or you can wrap the whole thing in a towel while it is being washed and dried so the ends don't get a chance to interact with each other. Another option is to roll it up with the fringe in the middle, tie it that way, wash it, and then hang it over a clothes line or over the fence to dry.

Fair warning.

Thanks for visiting with me.

Kathi

Using Several Needles

Once before I tried using several needles at once and got them completely confused. This time I worked with five needles for most of the afghan and was doing well.

Here's the trick: The first needle you use goes closest to the place you are working on. The second needle goes above that by a few strands. The third is always in the third place, etc. 

When you advance to the next section, you take the needle closest to you and use that one first. Then the next needle and so on until you reach the opposite end. 

As long as you figure out a system that works for you every time, you can use as many needles as you are comfortable with. 

Five needles gave me about half an inch after each pass. Ten needles gave me just over one inch at a time. It also took longer. I spent about 25 minutes working ten needles from one end to the other. But it made the empty mesh so much smaller each time and I didn't have to shove the material back and forth as often.

Choose whatever works best for you. If you are happy working one strand at a time, God bless you. If you like to see more progress at once, try several needles. Set up a working pattern and you should be easily able to make a go of it.

Thanks for visiting with me,

Kathi

Short Ripple

I was hoping to do a soft ripple - easy to do in crochet, not feasible in weaving. The holes don't line up to make it work unless you skip some holes and make longer stitches.

Instead, a five stitch chevron will do for the design I was trying to achieve.

Also, since I like to start in the middle of the piece, I find it easier to weave if I cut the basting yarn at each end and slowly unravel it as I work out to each side.

Thanks for visiting with me,

Kathi

Selvage Edge

I noticed that three sides of this fabric have cut edges and one side has a selvage edge. This would make an unsightly border and can't be easily woven through.

My first step with this fabric will be to trim this edge off, being very careful to cut in the first rows of spaces - a straight edge.

Then I will fold all four edges and baste a different color of yarn to hold the edges in place until I can weave them together.

Thanks for visiting with me.

Kathi

Cutting the Yarn

I got a piece of mesh the right size for the project I have in mind. I laid it out and LOOSELY laid a length of yarn along its length, leaving several inches at each end for the length that will be taken up in the weaving and for fringing.

Next, I looked for something to wrap the yarn around that would be about the length I'd just measured against the fabric.

Too short

Too long

Even though three card table legs were more length than I needed, it was to closest thing I could find to wrap the yarn. 

Yes, you can cut a few lengths at a time to the exact length you want. That's not to my taste. I would prefer to trim some extra yarn at the end of the project and have a bunch of strands handy to weave. I always cut a large number at first and then count the number I will need when I get closer to the end of the project.

Here's how I do it.

Tie a slip knot at the beginning of the yarn. Slip it over the first table leg. Wind the yarn around the number of legs that will give you the proper length.

Cut the yarn at the same end as the slip knot.

For me, the easiest way is to hang the cut yarn over a hanger. That will keep the strands loose and even.

Next, I'm going to try to weave a soft wave rather than a chevron pattern. Wish me luck.

Thanks for visiting with me.

Kathi

New Mesh

I went to Joann Fabrics yesterday and bought almost a whole bolt of utility mesh. I noticed a couple of things right away.

First, the fabric is softer than the vintage Bucilla mesh I've been using. I think it would need to be handled carefully in order not to bunch up. I would need to be sure to stretch it after each pull of the yarn through the fabric.

Secondly, the fabric itself is spaced slightly differently.

Here's a comparison photo:

Bucilla on the left. Joann Fabrics mesh on the right.

Both will work. The Joann Fabric mesh will make a softer, sleeker product. Just remember to watch for bunching.

Thanks for visiting with me.

Kathi

Knotted and Done

The lap robe I've been working on is finished. I tied the edge knots and trimmed the long ends this morning.

Maybe you will be better at tying knots than I am. Please forgive the unevenness.

I do know that double knotting the ends makes a wild and crazy fringe. The ends stick out all over. They need to be tied with an overhand knot two or three at a time. You can tie more ends at once if you wish, keeping in mind that the clusters will be farther apart and you might bunch up the edge if you pull the knots too close.

The one thing to think of is that the knots need to include at least one over and one under strand so the knots stay at the edge where they belong.

I'm getting more fabric tomorrow. Big project to work on by the middle of July.

Thanks for visiting with me.

Kathi

Weaving Again

I'm putting together two new projects. One is a lap robe with interesting yarn.

I tried crocheting with this yarn but it made too dark a fabric. Using the same yarn for weaving on mesh spreads out the darker colors and makes a happier garment.

More to come.

Thanks for visiting with me,

Kathi