Finished

After knitting my way through the Steelers vs Colts game, 5 episodes of Babylon 5, You've got Mail and Australian Open my Great American Aran Afghan was completed very late last night. It has been 13 months, 17 skeins of Cascade, numerous hours and been great fun most of the time. Here is a picture from late last night hence the bad quality, it will be replaced by a better one later.

Here is a better picture of the squares before the border.

I really enjoyed this project and been in a happy mood all day. A group of Danish knitters just started an Afghan along and several are knitting GAAA. FYI some have had problems getting the pattern, it seems to be out of print now.
It will be a while before I use white wool again, unless it is homespun, and I have signed up for a cabling without a cable needle class. Oh yes, I have to sew the squares for a baby afghan together next week ;-)

My Last Square

Finally, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I very early on in the project decided to design my own square. There are several squares in the book that do not appeal to me. Moreover, I wanted something personal as well. Initially, it was just going to be a "normal" square with cables found in various knitting books. Later on I decided somehow to incorporate my name or initials as well as the year in that square, to date and sign my work. However, that would just be too obvious with latin letters. The intricate cables in aran knitting have many similarities to the decorations on jewellery, weapons and stones from the Viking Age. So I chose runes (Futhark alphabet), a tribute to my Danish heritage. I have employed the Faith, Love and Hope charts from the Sever square with my runes.

The upper line reads Ulla and the lower MMVI (2006), a more discret way of signing ones work. I used the pattern charts and translation in Elsebeth Lavolds "Vikingemonster i Stickar" (Viking Patterns for Knitting?). I think there may be an English translation, it is not the book featuring silky wool. Visit the designers viking knit home page for more information. I am going to start knitting the border tonight.

Blocking and finishing?

It is time to give an update, but first a questions:

I am comtemplating crocheting the squares together instead of sewing, would that be possible?

The Salpekar square is one tough one. I really like the square except there is too much finishing and ends to weave in for my taste. It was a challenge.

Campbell, 3rd time is a charm, the first attempt ended with the cast on being 4 inch too short, the 2nd went well except I joined the cast on twisted. You will get a very cool Moebius square, unfortunately unsuitable for an afghan. For picture see my blog on Jan 5th.


Two more squares remain, well they are actually knitted and currently being blocked, but it is too dark to post pictures. Thus, it is time for blocking the other 18 squares and knitting the border... I am using a 2x4 foot cork board (floor tile?) from Target as a blocking board. It allows me to block 4-6 squares at a time.

Bad KnitAlonger!

I haven't posted in ages!! shame on me! I will admit that I put the afghan down for a bit. But I have been working on it for the last couple of weeks. I'm on my 3rd last block now, the Carty block. LOVED knitting that block :)

The last two that I've picked to do are the Smith block and the Rainey block.

I'm thinking I may widen the afghan by a column and do up the last 4 blocks and then design a block of my own. We'll see.

The only block that I've had trouble with so far is the Salpekar block! I've tried to start it once already and failed ... I think I will try that one again. Going to look through the archives and see if any of you posted about this block. If you have any hints for me .... please please please comment *lol*

No pics of my blocks ... I'm cameraless for a couple more weeks :(

Happy Knitting!

Squares 13 to 16

Happy New Year.
I have just returned from 2 weeks visting my parents in Denmark and have had time to knit another 3 squares. Well, the first square is Georgia Vincent and was knitted in November in part during a trip to the Bay Area. It is classified as one of the 5 difficult ones. I did not find it very challenging.

The next square is designed by Ginger Smith and was fun to knit. Each pattern section is knitted separately and attached to the neighbour as you knit. It was nice to get some variation.

The Kathleen T Carty was the most challenging square so far. The design is brilliant and uses short rows to create the corners of the frame. Moreover, the assembling and grafting is tedious, but worth the effort.

Finally, the Barbara McIntire square one of the most beautiful, true aran squares in the book. It is one of my favourites.

I had time to knit a square or two more, but ran out of yarn and did not bring the right needles, doooooh!
A Danish online group has launched an afghan along for this year, quite a few are knitting the GAAA. Thus, 2006 may actually be the year I finish GAAA. I have decided not to buy any yarn before I have finished the afghan. Moreover, a certain, purple mermaid is trying to get my attention.

Next up, maybe the Betty Salpeka square?

Hello!

I am so glad to find other people who love this Afghan. I have only knitted two squares but I am looking forward to knitting more. I have knitted Carol Adams and Dana Hurt. I believe I want to try Barbara McIntire's square anybody want to take this on with me?

Claudiam