Yesterday, I promised a crochet post. Predictably, it’s about the rainbow stained glass window afghan.
It’s going to be a few weeks until it’s finished I think, given that it’ll end up more than two metres across – that’s a lot of stitches. Someone on Ravelry posted that they’d finished the same design in more conventional colours within “about two weeks”. Even allowing for this meaning “almost three weeks”, and even supposing they spent that fortnight-and-a-bit omitting eating/sleeping/breathing in favour of their crochet hook, that’s pretty speedy. This thing is consuming my life. Give me a little more time, yeah?
It’s going well. I’ve done dark red, light red, dark orange, light orange, yellow, light green, and started dark green – with all the black in between, obviously. Just three more colours to go after the dark green.
But of course, as it grows, its swelling circumference adds hundreds of stitches to the round total. I’m a third of the way through (give or take) and each round already uses nearly a ball of yarn. It weighs 900 grams (1lb 15oz: hello North Americans!!) so far. That’s 18 balls of yarn. And the scary thing is that this much yarn remains, waiting to be hooked:-
But the ends! My goodness, the ends! This is the reverse of the afghan so far:-
Someone on Ravelry calculated that this pattern generates nine hundred and summat ends to be woven in. Yeeks. And I’m working in cotton. These blighters are slippery. So may I cheat? Rather than neat weaving in, followed by annoying unravelling as the twinnage jump on the finished article, I’m knotting, then I’ll use thread to sew the knots into permanence. I’ve read that it’s the only thing that works for really slippery cottony yarn. It’s. Not. Fun. I may yet resort to superglue. Please don’t tell the knitting police.
It’s gorgeous and I promise not to tell….LOL
🙂
I can’t wait to see the result. I love the whole project, I love rainbow colours, I love contrasting colours, but I hate, hate, hate weaving in ends. So superglue sounds like a good plan to me 🙂
Or you could just make knots, leave the ends out and put some nice fabric at the back and then all the little ends inside make it thicker and more cosy…. (she says hopefully)
Now that is a seriously good idea. Hmmm….
Yikes! This is beastly for ends, Im with Atelieroursonne on this one…backing material all the way!
Does it really work? It sounds like such a good idea.
Beautiful. Just beautiful. I would definitely use superglue. Or duct tape.
I’d say leave them. Most people will never see them and if they did unless they’re crocheters they won’t know if the ends are supposed to look like that or not ?
I’ll just have to hide the evidence when crocheters come round. 🙂
I’m a big fan of the knot and trim method myself…
You crazy crazy lady. Just looking at those ends makes me want to cry
Yup, crazy. And I agree that tears are an entirely appropriate response to all those ends.
I just about fainted when I saw the picture of allll those ends! Knot away, I say!
Looks like it’s pretty much a unanimous vote for knotting and possibly backing. 🙂 I was scared the fibre police would be on here to tell me I’m a Bad Crocheter.
I could not face those ends. I’d go with the backing fabric idea.
Also, knots are good. I like to make sure nothing’s going to unravel after you’ve spent hours on it 🙂
I have form for taking on insane projects. 🙂
That us some job with the ends. Shocked me to the core. How about backing it, I agree with the others. Sure you could source some non slip material so crocheters need not know it is to hide ends but that practicality wins with non slip? Just a thought.
PS I think you are very speedy!
Not as speedy as you. Your blanket is growing beautifully. Please keep blogging progress!
Oh my giddy aunt! Go the fire route ….. Darn all those and you will deserve a medal! Great work, enjoying watch it come together 😉
Ha ha
Its beautiful! Every end in cotton I have ever darned in has poked out the front. I say knot it! X
Agreed, on the knotting front. And thank you.
ha ha super glue. I have never thought of stitching ends down with needle & thread. I will have to try. 😉
Apparently it’s the way forward with stubbornly slippery yarn. Knot then sew.
Oh my. All those ends are like something from The Twilight Zone, Crocheter’s Edition. I’m with you on the super glue!
*Giggles*
Blimey! I don’t envy you that task- I HATE weaving in ends! Good luck.
Thank you.
I am sure when the Fibre Police see the finished result they’ll be so gobsmacked they’ll turn a blind eye to the ends. 😀
Nah, they’re pretty tough, the Fibre Cops.
Goodness me all those ends! I would have a breakdown/put on some backing material to that bad boy if it were me!!
You will get there in no time 🙂 All those ends look insane, but I am sure it will be manageable once you start weaving/knotting them. You are pretty fast I would say to get this far.
I feel your pain! (but it will all be worth it in the end :-))
I hope so…
Are you OK over there?????
Yup, thanks. 🙂
Glad to hear it. You really are getting your share of wet weather. I hope it ends soon for you all!
Thank you. But it seems as though almost everyone is getting extreme weather of one sort or another at the moment. I just feel for people whose homes have been flooded.
I’m new To the crochet life and love using many colors in my work! But I keep holding back because of all the ends! And your beautiful project? Now THOSE ends scare me.. You sare contemplating “knotting”. Is there an official “knotting for dummies” tutorial? I’ve never heard of it, and it sounds life changing! I’m chronically I’ll and need to save mental and physical energy! BTW, Dang you’re artistic!
Thank you! I haven’t found an official tutorial (sorry), but mooching about on the internet I found various bits of advice on cotton ends because cotton is so ridiculously slippery. Hope you’re enjoying your crochet – what are you making???
Hmmmm you are tempting me with this one! The colours are gorgeous and it would look perfect in our living room, but those ends! Yikes! I am in favour of your naplam option 😉
Hilarious! I thought I was the only one completely annoyed with endlessly weaving in the stops and starts. I will never, ever, ever complain about it again after seeing this picture. Best of luck!
Ha ha, thank you!
If I was a millionaire, I think I’d employ someone to weave in my ends.
Oh, and I vote for the backing!
Yes, it’s tempting…..