Hola amigos! The poll – Which pattern should we choose for our Project Afghan – is now closed, the results are in and I declare Fireside Afghan the winner! I had expected that I’d be the only one to vote and maybe Nikhil though only under coercion. But surprise, surprise, ten of you obliged, and I didn’t even need to cast my vote.

Now that we know which Afghan we want to knit, let’s figure out some basics. The Afghan is to be knit one block at a time, so you need to first knit 20 squares (rather rectangles) of about 21.5 cm x 26.5 cm and then seam (or sew) them together in the end. You will then knit a pretty edge of 2-3 inches on all four sides to give the Afghan a finishing touch.

This is an enormous project, which requires a lot of yarn. I’m going to give you a couple of weeks to get everything you need assembled before we start knitting. My two recommendations, in case you plan to buy fresh yarn, are –

1. Weight

Since the original pattern uses worsted weight yarn, try to pick up yarn of similar weight. Worsted weight yarn has a label with the number “4” on it. If you’re new to or rusty on the concept of yarn weight, have a look at my post – What are Yarn Weights? – for a quick brush up. By using worsted weight yarn, you knit your Afghan, skipping the step of gauge swatching altogether.

In case anyone wants to know where to buy yarn from, I’m going to put up some links for worsted weight yarns at the end of this post.

Even if you are not buying fresh yarn for this project and intend to use yarn you already own, try to use the worsted weight yarn. If you don’t have any, then try to use yarn of a weight heavier than worsted weight like Aran or Bulky weight. Knitting with anything lighter than the worsted weight will only make for a long and fatiguing project and leave you with a thin shawl rather than an Afghan.

2. Colour

The beauty of this project comes from the colour scheme that the designer has picked for this Afghan. Since it’s varying shades of brown, it evokes memories of a fireside. But you need not stick to the same colour scheme. In fact, the colour scheme I have in mind is shades of pink mixed with white. So let your imagination run wild and pick out any five colours you like – just make sure that pick a range of colours from light to dark. A simple way to figure whether your colours range from light to dark in tone is to keep your the in a row and click a picture using the black and white filter. If all the colours stand out distinctly in a range from light to dark, then you’re good to go. Have a look at the yarns I have chosen in colour and black & white

Whether you buy your yarn or choose something from your existing stash, just make sure yarns all five colours are of the same weight. I would go so far as to say that you should choose yarns of the same brand and material (i.e. wool, acrylic or mixed), if possible. That will give the best look to the finished project. But the choice, in the end, is entirely yours.

I do have one more recommendation – this one for the anarchists. I, myself, turn to anarchy sometimes when I feel like flouting the rules. If you are in that sort of mood, then throw the other two recommendations out of the window and go with your gut. It’s your Afghan, and it should make you feel happy. So if using yarn of different weights and materials does that, then I say more power to you!

Whatever you choose, choose it wisely my friends!

The next question is how many yards/meters of yarn should you buy or set aside. Well, as per the original pattern and if you use worsted weight yarn, then you’ll need

5 skeins of Colour A
3 skeins of Colour B
2 skeins of Colour C, D and E each
where Colour A is the lightest colour and E the darkest of your colour scheme. Keep in mind each skein here is 156 m or 170 yards.

The Gauge as per the original pattern is 16 stitches and 22 rows in a 10 by 10 cm square in stockinette stitch knitted using 5 mm needles.

If you don’t intend to use worsted weight yarn, I suggest you do a gauge swatch first to avoid running out of yarn in the middle of knitting your Afghan. Based on your gauge swatch, you can find out how much yarn you should buy/set aside. I again point you to my post on gauge swatching to help you through this process.

Before I sign off, just one housekeeping announcement – after this post, I wouldn’t be sending out any more Afghan Knit-Along posts. After all, we can’t have people, who don’t like the nitty-gritty of knitting, complaining too much. For those who want to remain updated, I have added a button to the home page which will take you directly to the KAL page. The button looks something like this:

I will also regularly update our Facebook and Instagram pages. However, if you want to ensure that you never miss a KAL post, I recommend you sign up for the KAL so the post can land directly in your inbox (I promise not to send any spam – only mails related to the KAL). Sign up for the KAL by pressing the button below

This is all I have for today. Till next time then. Adios!
~P

Buy yarn for this Project

Vanna’s choice – The yarn used in the original pattern

Caron Soft – A nice machine washable yarn

Red Heart with Love – Available in several colours