FLAG AFGHAN

I got it in my head that I wanted a flag afghan to put out on my sun porch on and about patriotic holidays. I picked out a pattern from the Pamphlet "Red, White & Blue Afghans published by the American School of Needlework in 1991. I don't remember where I got it. I used Caron Simply Soft yarn in Celestial Blue, Garnet and Off White. The 50 stars were crocheted separately. I finished all the crocheting and then procrastinated quite a while on finishing it off. I finally got it out and set myself a deadline of getting it done by July 4, 2011. I got the loose ends all worked in and the blue square attached and still procrastinated. I couldn't make up my mind how to attach the starts. I thought and thought and thought and sought advice from the Crochet Partners group on Yahoo. July 4 had passed when I finally decided "Today's the day."  I got some Elmer's Fabric and Paper glue. I laid out the stars on the blue field as precisely as I could. I started in gluing them with a generous amount of glue on the first round of the stars. They dried and cured overnight. Surprise! They seemed very secure and just a little stiff. Then I started sewing down the points of the stars with matching off white yarn. I had only done a few when I began to wish that I had just glued them all the way down. But I finished the sewing. It looked great but there was a right side and a wrong side.  I took some pictures and posted them on Crochet Partners and Facebook. I got some very nice responses from family, friends, and fellow crocheters. It feels so good to have it done. It is draped over one of the wicker chairs on the sun porch and I think I'll leave it there until after Labor Day (September 5).

Circle Afghan

When I was out in California at Lisa's earlier this year, I started a circle afghan in brown with tan highlights. It was a pattern I saw in the Annie's Attic 2011 Afghan calendar. In the calendar, the model was done in two shades of lavender and it was so spectacular! I just had to do it. It was an interesting design, with much of the contrasting color added on after the main color was done. I chose the brown color because I thought maybe Lisa (or Brian's or Jim's) could drape it over a brown sectional. I quickly finished it and recently put it on my bed and took some pictures.  It is decorative but not too practical, I'm afraid. One evening recently I tried covering up with it and found my fingers and toes and other body parts sticking out all over the place! It is too lacy. I thought it would be OK for the milder California weather, but    now I'm not so sure about that. Also, it is too doily-like to appeal to Lisa, I think. She is more a contemporary gal. So I don't know what I'm going to do with it but it was fun making it.