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| NEEDLEWORK: CROCHET Thought-Provoking Autumn Afghan |
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| Row 161-175: Repeat Row 2, using Bone. You might be wondering why the final Bone colored stripe consists of 15 rows instead of 14, since the first Bone colored stripe consists of 14 rows. Good question. The answer is, just because I felt like it at the time. Since the first Bone colored stripe truly consists of 14 HDC rows of PLUS the chained Foundation Row, you may wish to use single crochet stitches for Row 175 instead of Half Double Crochet stitches. By doing so, you will probably achieve a final Bone colored stripe that should be more equal in width to the first Bone colored stripe. However, I used HDC stitches for Row 175 because perfect symmetry did not matter to me for this project. After all, a thing need not be "perfect" to be both beautiful and functional. (Ah, Freedom!) The body of the afghan is now complete, but DO NOT finish off! So soft an afghan is best finished with a border to help it to keep its original size and shape. BORDER ROUND 1: As you prepare to crochet the first Border Round, the right side of the work should be facing you. (The beginning tail should be at the lower left corner, and your hook should be at the upper left corner.) SC 2 extra stitches in the last stitch of Row 174 to form the upper left corner of the afghan. Working down the left side edge of the afghan, towards the beginning tail, work 1 SC into the end of every row, (173 through 2), and work 3 SC into the end of Row 1 to form the corner. Working across the bottom edge of the afghan, work 138 SC across, and be sure to work OVER the foundation row, into Row 1. This makes the edge stronger with no unattractive gaps. Work 3 SC into the last stitch, which is the beginning of Row 1. Working up the right side edge of the afghan, towards the top, work 1 SC into the end of every row, (2 through 174), and work 3 SC into the end of Row 175 to form the corner. Working across the top edge of the afghan, work 138 SC across. Chain 1, and Turn. BORDER ROUND 2: Working around the four edges of the afghan, crochet 1 SC in each SC stitch, and 3 SC in each corner. At the end of the round, slip stitch to join to the first stitch of the round, then Chain 1 and Turn. BORDER ROUND 3-8: Skip the slip stitch and skip the last single crochet stitch of the previous round. Work 1 SC in every SC stitch, and 3 SC in each corner. At the end of the round, slip stitch to join to the first stitch of the round, then Chain 1 and Turn. (At the end of Border Round 8, slip stitch to join to the first stitch of the round, and then finish off.) As always, I wish you many happy hours of handiwork, and best wishes for success. The Pumamouse (MaryAnne) March 2004 |
| PSSST!!! PRINTING INSTRUCTIONS FOR THIS WEBPAGE ARE AVAILABLE WITHIN THE "PUMAMOUSE OBSERVATIONS" SECTION |
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| Squeak! If you use these instructions to make something, please email and tell me about your creation! I would love to read about it, and see a photo of your finished work, if available! |
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| Autumn is The Pumamouse's favorite season of the year. Although many view it as a sad time due to Summer's end, I have always thought of it as a new beginning. The days begin to grow shorter, and the nights begin to grow colder, and the preparations for winter hibernation are occurring all around us in Nature. Autumn is the perfect season for a healthy dose of mind and spirit healing introspection and mediation, and for me, it is a season which inspires nostalgia. Nostalgia, by standard definition, is a noun meaning a wistful desire to return in thought or in fact to a former time in one's life, to one's home or homeland, or to one's family and friends; a sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former place or time. The basic necessity and benefits of nostalgia to the human mind and soul are not so easily defined, yet they can not be denied or overstated. I was born and raised in the USA, in "The Garden State" of New Jersey. While certain sections of New Jersey have been developed as a busy metropolis, there are also more rural sections, and the beauty of the foliage during Autumn there is truly beyond description. As a result, I can not think of Autumn without vividly recalling the crispness of the air and the incomparable gorgeous colors of the falling leaves. This afghan was inspired by my memories and love of Autumn, and it has been designed to promote not only restful dreams, but serious contemplation. If you want a perfectly symmetric colored afghan, do not use this pattern. However, if you wish to make an afghan which is as unique as one of Nature's colorful autumn leaf, and if, like me, you appreciate the fact that their beauty - both the visual beauty of autumn leaves, and the deeper philosophical beauty of their restful slumber as they protectively blanket the earth against the coming winter cold - far outweighs the sad fact that they are dying in order to achieve their greatest excellence and purpose, this is an afghan for your consideration. |
| MATERIALS: "Caron Simply Soft" or other brand of 4 ply SOFT worsted weight yarn 10 oz Bone (Buff) 3 oz Persimmon (Orangey-Red) 3 oz Fir (Bluish Green) 3 oz Salmon (Pinkish Beige) 3 oz Dark Victorian Rose (Dark Red) 3 oz Cedar (Medium Brown) 3 oz Orange (Burnt Orange) 3 oz Evergreen (Dark Green) 3 oz Goldenrod (Dark Gold) 3 oz Cinnamon (Light Brown) 3 oz Carmen (Medium Red) "H" Hook Foundation Row: With Bone, Chain 142, Turn. Row 1: HDC 1 in the third Chain from hook, and in each chain across (140 total HDC). Chain 2, Turn. Row 2: HDC 140, Chain 2, Turn. Row 3-14: Repeat Row 2. Row 15-16: Repeat Row 2, using Persimmon Row 17-18: Repeat Row 2, using Fir Row 19-20: Repeat Row 2, using Salmon Row 21-22: Repeat Row 2, using Dark Victorian Rose Row 23-24: Repeat Row 2, using Cedar Row 25-26: Repeat Row 2, using Orange Row 27-28: Repeat Row 2, using Evergreen Row 29-30: Repeat Row 2, using Goldenrod Row 31-32: Repeat Row 2, using Cinnamon Row 33-34: Repeat Row 2, using Carmen Row 35-42: Repeat Row 2, using Bone Row 43-70: Repeat Rows 15-42. Row 71-90: Repeat Rows 15-34. Row 91-92: Repeat Row 2, using Bone Row 93-94: Repeat Row 2, using Carmen Row 95-96: Repeat Row 2, using Cinnamon Row 97-98: Repeat Row 2, using Goldenrod Row 99-100: Repeat Row 2, using Evergreen Row 101-102: Repeat Row 2, using Orange Row 103-104: Repeat Row 2, using Cedar Row 105-106: Repeat Row 2, using Dark Victorian Rose Row 107-108: Repeat Row 2, using Salmon Row 109-110: Repeat Row 2, using Fir Row 111-112: Repeat Row 2, using Persimmon Row 113-120: Repeat Row 2, using Bone Row 121-148: Repeat Rows 93-120. Row 149-160: Repeat Rows 93-112. Now, here is the most important feature of this afghan. There will not be enough of the ten colorful yarns to make two full rows from each yarn for the last multicolored stripe section. The ten colorful skeins of yarn are dying, just like the autumn leaves which they represent. However, there will be just enough of the scraps to stitch the 20 rows of the multicolored section if you use all of the scraps, changing colors as necessary, regardless of where the changes occur, in the center of a row. Since no two skeins of yarn are exactly the same length, and since no two people crochet with exactly the same tension, every afghan made using this pattern is destined to be a truly unique creation. |