whispers The rainbow stained glass window afghan is finally finished…
whispers more quietly …Apart from weaving in most of the ends. But what are four thousand flippy-floppy slippery unravelly cottony ends between friends? And won’t someone think of the children! Unpicking this beast could keep the toddler twinnage cheerfully occupied for hours.
You want to see a picture? (Please don’t say no. I’d have to cry, and that might embarrass us both.) A couple of caveats, though, before the photographic reveal:-
Caveat, the first: No, that’s not a real cat.
Caveat, the second: Yes you can see straggly ends trying to make a run for it. They Shall Be Dealt With just as soon as I regain my crocheting mojo.
Now, let me tell you that this thing is heavy. 2.4kg / 5lb 4oz, which is heavier than one of my twins at birth. It’s a couple of metres/yards in diameter. And it’s taken ten weeks of fairly intense hooking to make. I shall not be making another one.
I used, um, quite a lot of yarn, the equivalent of 48 balls of Rico cotton: that’s over 4km/2.5 miles of yarn. Hmmm, not so impressed with that stat. I’d been hoping to post, “I crocheted the distance from Oxford to Paris” or somesuch, but, “I crocheted the distance from here to the nearest supermarket” doesn’t quite cut the mustard. Clearly my next project (other than the housey yarn-bombing) needs to be bigger.
Anyway, here’s another picture:-
More seriously, thank you for your encouragement. There are plenty of people commenting on this blog who’ve said some very kind, supportive things. I’ve appreciated your generosity very much, especially at 3am whilst doggedly double-crocheting yet another round of black. Thank you.
Here’s another photo. I had to stand, wobblingly, at the top of the twinnage’s slide to be sufficiently high up to take it.
atelieroursonne says
It is absolutely amazing! I haven’t had much time for blogging lately but I actually wanted to check out my reader to see if the afghan was already fnished. And here it is. It looks so beautiful, I am sure you will never get tired to look at it.
And as a follower of your blog I am very happy that you want to make something even bigger 🙂 Can’t wait for that!
The Twisted Yarn says
Thank you! I’m a bit too prone to over-ambitious plans, so ‘something even bigger’ may not be a very clever idea.
Injy says
Hi. do you give permission to use this amazing pattern? cheers
The Twisted Yarn says
Hi,
Actually, this isn’t one of mine. I made it from somebody else’s design before I started seriously designing. The pattern is here: https://www.anniescatalog.com/detail.html?prod_id=86246 . It’s a well-written pattern. I recommend it. Enjoy!
pixelsandpurls says
This is absolutely incredible! My jaw has literally dropped – well done!
I’ve really enjoyed looking through your blog, so I just nominated you for a Liebster Award and you can read about it here: http://pixelsandpurls.wordpress.com/2014/03/27/liebster-award-nomination/
Have a great day! x
The Twisted Yarn says
Oh my goodness!!! Thank you soooooooooooo much!
Timeless1 says
Just Beautiful!!!
The Twisted Yarn says
Thank you.
donnarossa says
WOW! stunning work. I wouldn’t be patient enough to sew all the ends. That’s maybe why I’ve never started a blanket/ throw/ afghan
The Twisted Yarn says
Well I haven’t sewn them all in yet, either….. *Sighs*
Tina says
Beautiful!
The Twisted Yarn says
Thank you.
dotstestsite says
Taking photo from top of slide was inspired idea, really shows this amazing work off in all its wonderful glory!! well done!!
The Twisted Yarn says
Thank you! And I would like to publically honour you as The Person Who Volunteered To Sew In The Ends. Please come and stay with us again soon…………. (and not JUST so I can shamelessly use you as crochety manual labour).
JoJo says
That is stunningly beautiful! It may have taken you a long time to make it, but you’ll definitely enjoy this project for the rest of your life 🙂
The Twisted Yarn says
Thank you.
youngatfifty says
Words fail me and I am breathless (gasp gasp ..) !!!!!! Stunning, beautiful, brilliant, fantastic, wonderful …. (my vocab is pedestrian and cant go beyond that) I told you, you are a yarny Da vinci and this is your Mona lisa 😀
Hats off to your perseverance, patience, fortitude, sacrifices (I am sure you have missed sleep, snacking, tea, TV and even time with your twinnages !) and your determination to complete it more than anything. Mine would be languishing in a pile for months and who knows years too 😉
The Twisted Yarn says
Awww, your comment made me smile a lot, though it’s kinder than I deserve. I just have a habit of doing crazy over-ambitious things. And yup, much sleep and a little twinnage has been missed in pursuit of this project.
jenknitfer says
Epic. 🙂
The Twisted Yarn says
Thank you.
Jenn M says
Wow! That’s amazing!! Great job! 😀
The Twisted Yarn says
Thank you.
mamamakesandbakes says
That is absolutely brilliant. Well done. It looks fantastic. You are very clever and determined!! ?
The Twisted Yarn says
Awww, thank you!
jenpedwards says
I just realized that the lovely person who has left comments on my blog is the same person I follow in my Newsblur lineup of blogs!! How cool is that! This afghan is truly a.m.a.z.i.n.g! Wow. You have mad crochet skills and sticktuitiveness! Brava!!
The Twisted Yarn says
🙂 🙂 🙂 Not so much sticktuitiveness as stubbornness! I love your blog. 🙂
jenpedwards says
That being you, of course!
lawlady1 says
Gorgeous! Truly a stunning project, both in terms of beauty and in appreciation of the hours and hours of hard work that went into it.
The Twisted Yarn says
Thank you!
knittingwithheart says
wOw-zers!!! That is absolutely stunning! Such handiwork as this (despite its loose ends) is matched only by your clever/witty writing style 🙂 I’m arriving here a bit late, so haven’t time to read 100+ comments… Just want to say your blogfulness has (always does) brightened my day! 🙂 ❤
The Twisted Yarn says
Thank you – that’s so kind on both fronts. 🙂 I do hope to entertain, so your comment means a LOT.
daniellajoe says
Gorgeous!!!! Very impressive!!!!! 🙂
Denise from ToadRockStreet says
I think you should sell tickets or have a blue plaque outside your house. I would definitely visit!
Do you ever sleep?
X
The Twisted Yarn says
Ha ha, thank you!!! I do sleep occasionally, but then a toddler or two kicks me in the back or nicks my pillow, so I wake up and knit/crochet…
rainbowjunkiecorner says
That is so beautiful. Rainbows and stained glass what more could I want! And ten weeks to make it! That is a very intensive making. I’m just amazed. 😀
The Twisted Yarn says
Awwwww, thank you!
ygassner says
You are nuts! I love it! 🙂
The Twisted Yarn says
Yes I am. And thank you. 🙂
Fran says
Love it. The pattern has been on my to do list for ages but your colour choice has moved it up to my must do list – except I never seem do anything with my afghans in case the cat snags them. They never see the light of day and this creation surely deserves to be displayed.
The Twisted Yarn says
Thank you. And I have toddlers to snag mine, but I don’t want to hide it away after all that work.
handmadebyhan says
This has inspired me to finally finish my Lizard Ridge, hope it’s ok but I’ve linked to you from my blog http://wp.me/p3FZPS-bT Thanks!
The Twisted Yarn says
Awww thank you, that’s very kind! Glad you’re on the case with your Lizard Ridge.
The DIY Homegirl says
Wow! This is stunning. What a statement piece! I love all the colors and even your fake kitty too. Thanks for sharing your creativity!
Shawn says
Well I am going to crochet me a pillow and sleep on this one… amazing! I am inspired!
The Twisted Yarn says
Awww, thank you! Your comment made me smile. A lot.
limesorbet2014 says
I’m a bit late to this post but your afghan is absolutely STUNNING! I love stained glass anyway but I don’t think I’ve ever seen such an effective textile version. I’d love to make something similar but having read how much yarn and effort it took, I may just wait until I retire and have sufficient time! 😉
The Twisted Yarn says
Thank you. 🙂 You could do it, you really could. It’s a bit of a faff, but do-able. Enjoy. 🙂
loramack says
Truly love it! Its huge, its colourful and its yarn!
Born To Organize says
That is one stunning piece of art, never mind that it also serves as a blanket. You are remarkable talented.
My mother taught us all how to knit and crochet, but I only stuck with knitting. It took me two years to knit a blanket for my sister. It was a labor of love, but not one I’ve repeated.
I was the lucky winner of a crocheted Bavarian quilt knee blanket from Teddy & Totty. The work is extraordinary.
carol says
Beautiful!!!! Do you have a pattern I could buy??? 🙂
The Twisted Yarn says
Thanks, Carol. This isn’t one of my patterns, but it’s available here: https://www.anniescatalog.com/detail.html?prod_id=21741&cat_id=24
It’s a well-written pattern. Enjoy. 🙂
Amy says
Oh, My, Goodness! You did a FANTSATIC job on this!! I love to crochet and looking at this makes me want to try it.. then I read your post about the miles of yarn used..and it’s obvious that there is a LOT of work necessary to recreate it and I am rethinking that.. haha. (You were cracking me up too, fyi 🙂
Check out my blog if your interested, I have a few crochet projects I posted recently and a BIG Area Rug that I am crocheting as we…type 🙂
http://www.AmyScrapSpot.blogspot.com
I’m going to follow you as well. 🙂
christine karmann says
hello have you the pattern of this fabulous cover thax
Johanna West says
I had to take a second look at you blanket, it looks like a magic marker colored picture. Very very cool! Although i bet it was boring at times crocheting the same color pattern over and over again, this project definitely deserves an award for sticking with it (don’t know if i could), but the results are well worth your efforts! It’s hard for me to accomplish smaller projects using multiple colors… My adhd won’t let me, but one day i hope to accomplish something like this one day just so i can own such a beautiful blanket, something like this would break my bank! Great job!
The Twisted Yarn says
Thank you so much for featuring my afghan. I’m honoured!