Gift Quality?

Some people believe that when they start a book, they have to finish reading it. Some people think the same thing about any project they start.

I want to give this plaid lap robe to hospice. Tell me if you think this is good enough to offer to someone who is suffering.

To me, it looks sloppy. Obviously, there is something about the process of weaving plaid that I have not yet mastered. I will eventually try again with a simpler pattern.

I want to make my time and your time worth while. If I can cut out the up and down part of the pattern, I will fill in the across weaving with white and offer that to hospice.
Even that will be a challenge.

What I wanted to show you at the end of this project is how to weave in the ends of the yarn on the sides where you don't want fringe. I guess that will be happening at another time.

I apologize for this glitch. But if you can see that I'm not perfect and that I don't have this whole thing securely under my belt, you will feel more ready to jump in too, knowing that we can grow into this together.

If I can remove the 44 up and down rows that I've put in, I'll show you the final project. If I wreck the whole thing trying to save part of the work - well, we'll be starting on something new over the weekend.

Thanks for visiting with me,

Kathi Linz

Starting a Blank Canvas

I've shown you how to trim and baste the hems. 

How do you plan a blank canvas if you have an idea, but don't know the exact size of each portion yet?

Here's how I do it.

This time, I'm working the length of the canvas rather than side-to-side.  However, I learned from the baby blanket that it's much easier to work across the table instead of reaching forward to work UP the length of the blanket. So I've incorporated that into the way I'm going to weave this afghan.

I'm starting on the outside edge. I will work far enough into the pattern to like the way it looks. Then I will flip the mesh and work the other side in the same pattern. 

As I get a little farther into this piece, I will show you what I mean.

Thanks for visiting with me,

Kathi Linz

Getting a Good Start - Part 2

Once you make sure your starting row is going in the exact direction you want it to go, there are still a couple more things you should watch for before merrily heading toward the finish line.

I wove 6 rows across in the ripple pattern I wanted to make. This is a side-to-side pattern, giving me the option of making fringe on all four sides or weaving in the ends on two edges.

At first, I was planning to make fringe only on the top and bottom of the blanket and weave in each strand on the sides. As I worked the first six rows, I left short ends to make the finishing of the edge easier.

Then after I saw how the blanket was beginning to take shape, I decided to leave fringe on each side. That meant I had to reweave those six rows to leave a longer tail on each side.

 

On my first weave, I skipped every other hole. When the six rows were done, I analyzed the look of the project. Fringe was only one consideration. I want this to look good all the way through as I intend it to be a baby gift. Skipping holes left too much of the mesh showing. So I rewove those rows, going through every hole.

 

That looked a lot better, but I was using baby yarn and the final effect looked too thin.

I did an experimental row using a double strand of baby yarn. (Worsted weight yarn is the best weight for this medium.)

 

After just one row, you can see that it looks fuller and more substantial. The color shows up better as well.

 

All in all, I believe I rewove those six rows five or six times until I was completely satisfied with the way it was looking.

 

 

Once I liked it, I started to fill it in.

 

 

 





At this point, the project becomes easy - almost mindless - depending on the complexity of your pattern.  The decisions have been made. The corrections improve the appearance. And on you go to a sweet finish.

Thanks for visiting with me,

Kathi