THE VERSATILE GRANNY SQUARE
How to knit an afghan for winter warmth, including diagrams, instructions.
 |
Although Tom, Ella Jean's tomcat, constantly tried to devour one of the writer's colorful afghans, Elvis (Tom's son) seems to take comfort in them.
|
HANDWORKS
RELATED CONTENT
If you'd like to curl your hair but don't want to get into store-bought plastic rollers, metal pins...
With the right light, you can grow tomatoes indoors all through the winter....
Use cuttings from evergreen trees to make wreaths for your family, friends and to sell for holiday ...
Trio of siblings share winter craft ideas for a packing peanuts quilt, cozy head-warmers and wheat-...
After the holiday decorations have come down and your relatives have all gone home, you may find yo...
Make your own giant afghan to curl up in this
winter.
By Ella Jean Earl
Outside, snow is swirling to theground,adding an unknown number of inches tothe
crusty snow left over from the laststorm.Wrapped in my shawl, I collect anotherarmful
of wood for the hungry stove, andwonder if you're
enjoying the shawl youmade from last issue's
pattern. Hopefully,it has started to become a
part of youreveryday life.
You've probably even discoveredsome new uses for
it that I hadn't mentioned. I'm sure you feel proud of your
accomplishment, so let's forge ahead andmake a new project...
Now that you have the tools, ability, and most important,
the confidence to create more handwork, I want to share a
pattern with you that boasts versatility. This one pattern
can be used to create endless variations. After all, when
you decorate with crocheted items, there are no rules; your
imagination is the only limitation. So be daring: try
different color combinations and make different sizes. Your
hook flies, the colors blend, and the thread melds into a
beautiful new creation. Once you get started making
homespun items, your house will never look the same.
Arranging these handmade pieces throughout your home will
not only give it a warm and welcome feeling, but will
literally keep your family and friends warm. As you add
your creations to a plain room, you can watch the room
transform into a country garden of simple elegance. Just by
using the colors of your choice, you can actually change a
room's atmosphere-you may even find your mood uplifting as
you enter a room.
What better way to start adding colorful accents to your
home than with a beautiful afghan? This colorful blanket,
fashioned from yarn, is crocheted or knitted from strips or
squares. The most traditional version is the granny-square
afghan. It's easy to do, but gives a finished look that
will leave people raving. Make one to throw on the back of
your couch so you can wrap it around yourself while
watching a movie or reading a good book. Or leave it folded
at the end of your bed so you'll be ready when you need
some extra warmth on frosty evenings.
One of the best parts about crocheting an afghan is that
you can pass it down through generations-unless of course
your afghan meets the same fate of the one I made over 20
years ago. My daughters' old tom cat (appropriately named
"Tom") would frequently pull the black, red, orange, and
yellow afghan off the back of the couch, curl up in it, and
fall right asleep. One morning I took it up to refold it
and found several gnawed holes. Although I repaired it, he
found it and took his teeth and claws to it again. For the
next few weeks, no matter where I put the ill-fated afghan,
Tom would find the darn thing-until there was no mending
left to do. The reason for this afghan obsession evades me;
I'm just thankful that Tom only craved this one project,
since all the other crocheted items are left untouched.
Page: 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
Next >>
