Secrets to Sensational Afghans, Part 3

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Thanks to everyone for their positive feedback on our afghan-making series! I'm glad to know that readers are finding the information helpful and that it's providing them with a handy reference resource.

In this issue, we'll talk about various joining techniques for afghans that are made with motifs or panels, as well as ways to block your afghans for a professional-looking finish. Proper joining and blocking both play a very important role in helping you get successful and satisfying results in your afghan projects.

Joining Techniques
Afghan blocks or strips can be joined by sewing or crocheting them together. Crocheting generally gives a stronger, more stable seam, while sewing often produces a lighter, less bulky seam.

Let's look at some of the most common joining methods for afghan pieces. You can choose a specific type of joining depending on the look you want or the strength that your afghan design needs.

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Whipstitch in One Loop
Perhaps the most common sewing method for joining afghan pieces is an overhand stitch, or whipstitch. Hold the pieces with right sides together and sew through the back loops only. Sewing through the back loops only gives a pretty result with the remaining loops forming a subtle outline ridge on the right side of the work that defines each block or strip.

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Whipstitch in Both Loops
If you prefer not to have a ridged outline around the blocks or strips visible on the front side, sew through both loops of the stitches as shown here.

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Single Crochet
For a raised ridge on the right side of your afghan, use a single crochet joining, holding the pieces with wrong sides together. The photo example is worked in the back loops only. This type of joining can also be worked on the wrong side if a decorative raised ridge on the front side of the afghan isn't desired.

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Reverse Single Crochet
Joining blocks or strips using reverse single crochet stitches produces a braided cord effect. As the name implies, you are working your single crochet stitches in reverse, or from left to right (right-handed) or right to left (left-handed).

To avoid awkward corners, join enough blocks to form the number of strips needed; then join the strips last.

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Slip Stitch on Front Side
This joining creates an attractive chain stitch on the right side of the work. Place the pieces with right sides facing up and edges overlapping. Keeping the yarn behind the pieces, insert the hook through the back loop of each stitch to the back of the work and draw the yarn through all loops to the front of the work.

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Slip Stitch on Back Side
Slip stitching the pieces together from the wrong side will produce an almost invisible joining. This method is faster and easier than sewing and will keep the seams flatter and the stitches more even. Place the pieces together with right sides facing and slip stitch either through the back loops only (as shown in the photo) or through all loops, depending on whether or not you want an outline stitch to be visible on the right side of the work.

Slip stitch on back side		Front view of slip stitch on back side.

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Slip Stitch & Chain
Joining blocks or strips with this method gives a pretty lattice-type insert between the joined pieces. Holding the blocks or strips with wrong sides together, simply slip stitch back and forth between the pieces, chaining two or three between and skipping one or two stitches on the motifs.

Have fun experimenting with different joining techniques to give your afghans stability and the right finished look. Knowing which technique works best for your project will help produce successful results time after time!

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Blocking & Steam Pressing
When an afghan is finished and all ends are carefully and securely woven in, lay it out on a firm, flat surface such as a bed, table or carpeted floor. Examine the afghan to determine whether or not it needs to be blocked or steam pressed. If the afghan puckers or ripples and will not lie flat in spots, it definitely needs help.

Blocking with steam must be done carefully, and it doesn't work with all yarn types. Yarns like angora and other animal fibers should never be exposed to heat and steam or they will "felt," which means they will become hard and stiff. Afghans made with ordinary acrylic yarns will respond well to the steaming technique.

Lay the afghan out flat on the carpet or a bed and shape to desired measurements. Smooth all seams and areas that are puckered or rippled as much as possible with your fingers. Heat the iron to permanent press setting, and with steam on, hold the iron just above the surface of the yarn and allow the steam to penetrate. Move the iron slowly over the surface never actually allowing the iron to touch the yarn. Allow to dry completely before moving.

You can also achieve beautiful results by blocking without the use of steam. As a former professional crochet designer, I always used the following method to block my afghans before sending them in to publishers -- and I always got great results.

Lay the afghan fully out on a bed or clean carpeted floor (but don't stretch it); arrange it into a nice, even shape. Using rust-proof pins, pin all edges down securely around the entire piece. If any stubborn areas don't want to lie down smoothly, adding a few extra pins in these spots usually does the trick.

Using a large spray bottle of chemical-free (bottled) water, mist the piece thoroughly until it is lightly wet (semi-saturated). Use your hand to gently press each area as it is sprayed. It's amazing how just the heat from your skin acts like a low-heat iron of sorts on wet yarn or thread, but without the possible damage to yarn fibers an iron can cause.

After the piece is thoroughly wet down and "hand pressed," have a fan blow on the project until it's completely dry. The results will be beautiful!

In the next issue, we'll wrap up our afghan-making series with ideas for some fabulous finishing elements such as fringe, tassels and edgings.

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Bold & Beautiful Afghans That Celebrate Color!
Here are two eye-catching afghans that make a bold statement in both design and color. These patterns incorporate two of the joining techniques discussed above -- single crochet joining that creates a raised ridge on the right side of the afghan, and whipstitching in one loop that forms a subtle outline ridge around each block on the front of the afghan.

I love the vivid color palettes of the Aztec Medallions and Joyous Squares afghans, but I bet you could really have fun using your color-wheel tips from the last issue to come up with some amazing color combos for these two artfully styled designs. Give it try!

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Crochet News Bits
Wow, what a great response I got from readers about the online crochet news bits I featured in the last issue! It's apparent that many of you would probably love to have this as a regular (or at least semi-regular) feature in the newsletter!

I have to agree -- it is lots of fun to see what's happening with crochet in this big wide world we live in. Here are a few more newsy bits for your reading pleasure. Enjoy!

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Crochet Rocks at Jazz Festival!
Hot crochet styles were seen all over at this year's St. Lucia Jazz Festival, showing yet again that crochet continues to be big on the fashion scene.

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Crocheting With Plastic Bags Helps People & the Environment
In a past issue, we did a feature on crocheting with plastic bags. More and more people are discovering that it's a great way to recycle and help the environment. In Zambia, crocheting items with discarded plastic bags is literally changing the lives of HIV positive women by helping provide support for them and their families.

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This Brand Stuck!
Did you know it's the 50th anniversary of Velcro®, the popular and innovative hook-and-loop tape fastener? During its history, Velcro® has had applications for just about everyone and everything, including NASA, the automotive industry and the medical community (not to mention scores of crochet and other craft projects!). And all that from a product whose name is French for "velvet hook": velour crochet.

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Former "Woodstock Hooker" Hooked on Hats
In our last issue, we introduced you to the "Hat Girl" of Sheboygan, Wis. Jonathan James is creating his own unique variety of colorful crocheted hats in Norway (Maine, that is).

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Crochet Club Makes School Days More Fun for Sixth Graders
Every day, more than 60 students at Morton Elementary School meet during recess to work on their crochet projects. They're finding it to be a fun hobby that's making a big difference in their daily school life.

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Move Over String Theory, It's Yarn's Turn!
Mathematicians have found that yarn is a valuable tool in tying up some loose ends in their mathematical research, and they are using crocheting and knitting to help solve a wide range of problems.

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If you find a newsworthy crochet item online, and you would like to share it with our readers, please send me the link, and I will try to include it in the newsletter.