GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

I've started another huge afghan.  Make that two Great American Aran Afghans. 

On a whim.  Spur of the moment.  Without thinking it through fully.  I signed up for a once a month class at Threadbear to complete the GAAA afghan. Sounded easy enough. $20 a month.  Two squares a month.  The instructor claims we'll be "bordered and seamed" by December.  She's taught the class 6 times and only ever had 1 student not finish.  I have to admit I'm questioning the validity of the last claim. But hey, I'll give her the benefit of the doubt.   I'm not giving myself anything but slaps on the forhead!

What was I thinking?  Well, the blanket is gorgeous. Look at the Rainy Sistes' (designer of the most popular sweater square) or Michelle's, pretty in purple.

Did you read that I said 2 afghans?  Hmmm...that's the insane part.  Kind of.  Why two?  I decided to use a gorgeous shade of green in Cascade Superwash.  As I knit...ewwww.  I didn't like it.  Me thinks me hands are a little spoiled from super soft sock yarn.  Plus, I didn't think my cables really popped out.

I'm pretty sure I must have superwash, blankets get dragged all over my house, so I figure I'll suffer the harshness and switched to this lovely boring beige (or tantalizing taupe-how do you see it?). 

Almost everyone in my class is knitting with white. Beige would help me be more of a conformist. (Ewww....since when do I want to conform?)  Beige would show my cables, i.e. hard work.  So beige it was.  But wait!  I already bought 2 balls of the green and used it!  I can't take it back and yuck I would never knit with it again.  Hmmm... I don't want it to go to waste, might as well knit two. At a cost of what $150 or $175 each?  Not to mention the class fees.  All to avoid wasting $20 worth of yarn.(Do enjoy being a secret eye into the twisted logic that is my mind?) But now, wait! 

Let me put this in small print so you may skip it and not think I've lost all common sense... I really want to join the Great American Afghan KAL sratrting next month at Threadbear.  How can I knit three at once and where will the Bandit find the cash for that? And how will she find time to knit those gorgeous Yarnissma socks?  The Very Tehri fingerless gloves?  The Koolhaus hat? Finsh those three sweaters?  Knit that Colinette Giotto tank in time for summer?

I have to say now that I've knit two squares, I am enjoying the yarn more.  It washed up and blocked so nicely.  It is now much softer and has a lovely drape. 

The first square above is the Carol Adams square.  I modified it slightly by knitting both cables as left cross cables instead of one left and one right.  It started as a mistake, but I noticed the bad cross after only an inch and decided I liked it better this way.

The second square is also vitim of a mistake. Now turned design feature.  It was supposed to be bobbled.  I've never bobbled.  I. of course, bobbled wrong and started getting these interesting ribs instead.  I didn't really like the way the bobbles looked in the book so kept the ribs. 

Now on my unphotographed green square I did bobble.  Conclusion: bobbling is fun (okay, not  rip roaring good time, but fun) and it looks good with them. But I don't reget my choice here: 

Is that center cable way cool or what?

My worry: 

They are not the same size.  Did you notice that?  Probably not.  Barely noticeable, huh?

(That's sarcasm, in case you were wondering.)

Is the size difference because of the ribs instead of bobbles?  WIll it all work out in the end? Will she ever really finish?

Will the Bandit lose her mind?   

Stay tuned folks.

Comments

[limedragon :-: Harriet]

Love the color you're using (I agree w/ other commenter, looks like taupe). It'll be gorgeous when done!

Have you checked out the Great American Aran Afghan Along bog? There are some tips and stuff archived there that you might like to check out.

[Carolynn]

PS...love the Rocky & Bullwinkle!! ;)

[Carolynn]

lol; I'm doing the blanket at Rae's and I'm starting to quake at the cost...$186 for yarn & pattern...hmmm. So what conclusion do I come to? I need to work the pattern in a second (cheaper) yarn to make the cost of the pattern worth it! lol

Those squares are gorgeous, though!! I think the beige is awesome. If it were me I'd do some brown & charcoal & (yes a few) snow white squares too. ;)

[Maple]

OMG! Three? I'm feeling a little scared because I'm working on two Wallaby sweaters, and you're doing THREE afghans. Wow!

[Kelly]

Umm… Bandit. Dear. I'm worried about you.

And it's definitely taupe.

[Ann]

I really admire you -knitting 2 afghans at the same time. I will never ever attempt to knit 1 as I don't think I have the patience & the perserverance to do so. Good luck.

[Stacey]

Hang on! It's going to be a bumpy ride! :) I love your logic actually, it's so similar to my own - two wrongs make a right, right? Or wait...

[Miss T]

Dang it, I've been tempted to make this afghan, and you're not making it any less tempting!

[Cindy, aka Maxfun]

I think you already answered that last question. You already have lost your mind! :) But then, a little craziness is good for us all now and then. :)

As to the size difference. . . In the shop where I work, we're doing the block-a-month thing with the GAA. Each of us knit a few squares and are taking turns teaching the classes. With many different knitters contributing and the variety of patterns, some of the squares turned out large, some spot on to the size they're "supposed" to be, and some much smaller. When the shop owner put it all together, she wet-blocked the heck out of some of the squares to make them fit. She also planned the placement strategically so that the smaller squares would be placed where they would be supported by more substantial squares on all sides in the hopes that they wouldn't distort everything too much.

It turned out great. I'm sure it was a lot of work on her part to get it together correctly, but it looks gorgeous.

The kicker? After all the work everyone put in on knitting and assembling the thing, the folks at Cascade gave her a free sample one (matching the one on the booklet cover) because she placed a large order with them. I guess we didn't need to go to all that trouble after all!

The good thing is, though, that we now have one in tone-on-tone colors and one in the more "vivid" colors they used. And we have one all done in Cascade and then ours done in Plymouth Encore with a strand of Kid Seta mohair carried along. So it gives customers a chance to see the different possibilities.

Remember, it's the process that counts! Enjoy! :)

[Ansley]

And you said..wait, what did you say? :goes to look:
"I want to knit like you when I grow up."
Well, I think the feeling is mutual! I don't have the stamina for a simple sweater, or even knee socks, and you're casting on for *three* *afghans*! I humble at your feet!