Thursday, February 25, 2010

10 Hour Afghan Pattern - My Remnant Throw Blanket

So in my search for big needle blankets, I found a blanket titled "6-Hour Afghan." I wanted to make a big needle blanket of my own, using left over Lion Brand Wool Ease yarn from my sampler afghan and various other projects. Is it possible to create a blanket like this in 6 hours? See my time log to see how the project goes.

This is more of a 9 hour 32 min blanket. See my time log to understand the real time progress of this project.

Materials
  • Size 50 knitting needles (Lion Brand 'Speed Stix;' 25 mm)
  • Remnant Lion Brand Wool-Ease yarn. Since I had a lot of the fisherman color left over, I hand-dyed some with koolaid . The project will take 32 balls of Wool ease yarn (6304 yards; 197 yards/ball*32 balls).
  • Finished Dimensions: 60"x60" (Measured on wood floor so stretching wouldn't become part of the measurments)
  • Gauge over seed stitch: 5 sts/3 inch, 16 rows/10 inches.

About 15 balls of Wool-ease yarn from my stash. I found another 11 equivalents around my apartment, and had to order 6 others to complete the project. See more details about yardage in the Time Log.

The Pattern
  • Cast on 33 stitches using 8 strands of yarn on size 50 knitting needles.



  • All rows: K1, *P1, K1* repeat from * across. (Seed Stitch)
  • Work in the seed stitch pattern for 100 rows and bind off. This is the first rectangle.
  • Repeat to make a second rectangle.
  • Stitch the two panels together using 4 strands of yarn. Make sure to stitch loosely so you do not lose the give and stretch of this afghan.
  • Weave in loose ends. If you choose to make a remnant afghan like I did, there will be many loose ends where you switch colors. The weave is so loose that a end woven in will stick out in some place, so you may need to play with it a bit to find something that you're happy with.
  • Enjoy!

The two rectangles before stitching them together.

I am unbelievably happy with this afghan. I had no idea how much I would love it when I decided to save up my remnant yarn for this project months ago. My hands are tired, but it is 100% worth the effort. This afghan is so cozy and squishy. It was quite comfortable to stitch the two pieces together while sitting on it on the floor.


The Final Skein, 19.6 grams, or 1/5 of a ball remaining. Now this 1 ball is representatative of the 4th set of 8 balls. But the 32 ball estimation of the project is very reasonable. You could add a fringe with the leftover yarn! (I am out of fun colors so I will not be doing that.)

I made my blanket huge. The seed stitch pattern is so stretch knit on these huge needles that even half of the blanket is enough for one person to cuddle with. The blanket will stretch to accommodate your body like a hug.


An illustration of the stretchiness of this afghan. I think you would need more than 8 strands of worsted-weight wool to make a knit that isn't so loose!


A closer look at the seam


Here I've folded the blanket so you can see the amount of color variation I have within this one blanket. You could plan one out to be uniform, or use this as an excuse to clean out your stash.

--------------------------------
This pattern was created by ChemKnits for your personal or charity use. This pattern is not to be re-published in any other way without the permission of the author. Please send a picture of your project to chemknitsblog@gmail.com when you've finished your afghan, I'd love to see your creation! © 2010 ChemKnits

45 comments:

  1. just a thought, but try a russian join, so that there are no loose ends to weave in. takes a second or two each time you need to add in a new yarn, but saves time and frustration in the end.

    Nice Blanket, thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I wasn't thinking too much about that when I started... but that would have been a good idea.

    I kept finding ends during the first week that I was using it!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Way to go, Chemmy person!!! this is from another Chem person..Organic for me. Go figure a science brain trying to figure out how to use up all that yarn. I bet I have that many skeins of LB, too, but the size of the needles, like you said, would kill my hands.

    Love the blanket and glad you finished it!

    Christine

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow. Just, Wow. I would never attempt a project that big unless I could locate a long cable needle in the correct size; my hands couldn't manage that much weight on straight needles. It's gorgeous, congratulations and adulations!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Could you tell me what a Russian Join is, please?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Here is a good illustration of a Russian Join. http://www.knittinganyway.com/freethings/russianjoin.htm

    It is a great way to deal with loose ends as you work. (versus looking for them to pop out and then trim, which is what I did this time)

    ReplyDelete
  7. What a gorgeous creation! Now I simply must find out what a russian join is...

    ReplyDelete
  8. i have a bunch of lion brand homespun sitting around that was gonna be a blanket i got bored with. i think i will borrow your technique here, but only use 3 or 4 strands because the yarn is kinda bigger. thanks for the inspiration!

    ReplyDelete
  9. That would make a really comfy blanket. The lion brand homespun yarn is really cozy and warm. You're very welcome!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Nice blanket!! And I love the idea of the Russian Joint to join the loose ends. I'm going to start using it all the time, ^_^

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wow! That's so beautiful. You have an amazing talent!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I did something similar after Hurricane Katrina using all sorts of left over yarns from my stash. I did it in straight garter st, size 50 needles. Cast on as many sts as needles would hold with 8 strands of KW in dark blues, purples, red, and black, as each ball ran out I added a slightly lighter shade and knit it to about 65". It turned out a beautiful gradation of color which someone in Biloxi, MI, hopefully enjoyed through Lion Brand's "Blankets for Biloxi" project. BTW, I knit European style and was able to keep one needle on my lap almost all the time I was knitting.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Sounds like that would help with the weight!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Can you tell me what knitting "European Style" is? Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  15. This Wikipedia article explains European (or Continental) style of knitting quite well. https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Continental_knitting

    ReplyDelete
  16. it looks fun but i would hate to have to put it sew it together..

    ReplyDelete
  17. Yeah, that was a limitation of the size of the needles. I wonder if there are size 50 round knitting needles available....

    ReplyDelete
  18. Reminds me of a similiar blanket...Size 50 needles, 50oz knit worsted, 50 stitches,5 strands,knit every row, fringe if wan; making fringe at least 5 inches long. All 5's. very stretchy, smaller than above pattern, not too heavy until end. Have to smash stitches on needle...but can do. Definitely do the russian join.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Yeah, 50 stitches on these needles would be difficult, 33 was pushing it ;)


    Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  20. thank you so much for sharing this i cant wait to get started

    ReplyDelete
  21. You're very welcome. Have fun!

    ReplyDelete
  22. how many strands of yarn might one use if knitting with size 13 needles instead? i dont have size 50 and dont want to spend the extra money on a new pair of needles!! so i was wondering what you would do for size 13 needles...

    ReplyDelete
  23. How many strands you use depends greatly on your gauge and how thick you want the fabric to be. I could have used more than 8 strands with the size 50 needles, but I wanted the fabric to be pretty loose. I would play around with some swatches until you get something that you like.

    Also, using size 13 needles You will need to increase the number of stitches and rows if you wan the blanket to be as large as it is in the pattern. (So it could take more than 10 hours this way!)

    Good Luck!

    ReplyDelete
  24. thank you! my stash needs this!

    ReplyDelete
  25. You're welcome! It is so cuddly, and I love the reminder of projects past as I lay wrapped in it.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Addition to previous post:the size 50 needles, 50 ounces knitted worsted weight, 5 strands, (5" of fringe...if desired). Forgot to write: 50 ridges of garter. (100 rows). Am finishing one now. Russion joins this time...no yarns will pop out. A tight tension makes it very hard to knit with these needles; keep it loose. That's also how you get 50 stitches on the needle. Fun to knit...but not very portable.

    ReplyDelete
  27. No, this is not a portable project! I really wish I had known about Russian joins when I started my blanket. But I can say that even with the occasional end popping out, this is one of my favorite blankets to curl up with!

    ReplyDelete
  28. I made these last year for Family Christmas gifts. Everyone that received one loves it and then I had to make more for other Familie members
    birthdays

    ReplyDelete
  29. Awesome! I'm glad that they are loved. :)

    ReplyDelete
  30. Wow! I can't believe these are still being made! I did one in 1975 as a Christmas gift - was in such a rush to finish I knitted two days straight and gave myself tendonitis of the elbow (very painful!). My parents still use it on their bed, almost 40 years later; it has held up well. Weighs a ton.
    Can't wait to get back into knitting!

    ReplyDelete
  31. This afghan certainly weighs a ton! I love it dearly.

    ReplyDelete
  32. I love this pattern-it'scertainly on my to-do list (after I make my son's overdue wedding quilt and now their baby's quilt)-may have to squeeze this in- When I get tired quilting or sewing,I just pick up my needles and make a project-They don't call them UFOs for nothin'! Thank you so much for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  33. You're very welcome. I love snuggling with this afghan, and it is a great (and fast) project to sneak into your queue.

    Cheers,
    Rebecca

    ReplyDelete
  34. Great job on this.

    I make these as well and if you want a smaller blanket, but bigger than the LB size 50 needles (and don't mind the weight of the extra stitches) I ordered a pair of size 50 needles that are 2' long from http://www.etsy.com/shop/baahurrah they weren't much for what I was requesting and I got to pick my needle end color! In hindsight, I probably should've started with an 18" pair because it took a while to get used to the length and size of the needle in addition to accommodating the weight of my projects!

    ReplyDelete
  35. Wow, 2' long needles would come in handy for this project, but the weight of it would definitely get to me after a while!

    ReplyDelete
  36. hi there i am just about to start knitting this blanket i see you are using a 25mm needle the nly needle size i have is 20mm do you think i could still get the 8 strands on these thanks gillian

    ReplyDelete
  37. I suppose it depends on how tightly you knit. My gauge was pretty loose, so I would imagine that you could fit this on slightly smaller needles. If it ends up being too tight for you, go down to 7 or 6 strand.

    ReplyDelete
  38. I was very daring and I made this in a larger version. I cast on 54 stitches and I was able to do it and still keep all the stitches on the needles.
    It came out a perfect size.
    I used purple and lilac, it's so beautiful.
    I also made matching slippers for the recipient.

    ReplyDelete
  39. hello i love this blanket gorgeous could you knit this in all garter stitch instead of seed stitch.

    ReplyDelete
  40. You certainly could make this in garter stitch. Most of the big needle blanket patterns out there are in garter stitch, which is why I wanted to do something a little different, but still simple. The seed stitch also retains it shape better than garter (wool/acrylic blends are much harder to block.)

    ReplyDelete
  41. I made one almost like this for a Calif. king. I used 4 strands of Simply soft on a size 50 needle, and I can hardly pick the thing up. It is warm. It took me several years to make, because I couldn't work on it unless it was cold. I made it all one piece. I took the yarn to Home Depot and matched my paint to the yarn. Turned out great. I used a circular needle (of course) and the cord was as thick as the needle. I didn't really like that. I found it hard to move the stitches.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. WOW, I have never seen size 50 circular needles! I love the idea of picking a paint to go with a huge afghan.... I may need to do that when I have a house of my own someday.

      Delete
  42. I have a new pair of circular needles German made in size 17. I have made 2 Afghans (2 strands of worsted weight yarn) in one month and finished a 3rd that I started a few years ago. I want to do a 4 of 6 strand of stash yarn on these needles. Can you tell me how many stiches to cast on for a 50 x 65 (or perhaps 72) afghan using this size needle. I don't have 50s.
    Thank You.
    Patti

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Patti,

      What is your gauge? My gauge over seed stitch was 5 sts/3 inch, so if I wanted to make a 50 inch wide afghan I would need to cast on (50/3*5) 83 stitches.

      Knit a small swatch (5 inchx 5 inch square) so measure you gauge. From there you can calculate how many stitches you want for your afghan. Good luck!

      Delete