This is a lap afghan I'm working on for my friend, Dee. Since I like to alter existing patterns to suit my purpose, I started out with "Cascade", one of only 2 patterns i brought to Florida with me.
As you can see, my alterations, being made up as I go along, are turning out just fine. This isn't always the case but it's working this time. I especially love playing around with the diamonds used as filler between the pattern.
The fourth row you see on my work is the center and I haven't yet decided to use the beige or a dark green so I'm waiting to reach that spot in the afghan once again so I can try out the dark green. I don't want to pull out the beige right now in case it's time and yarn wasted. I will continue to use the beige for the diamonds.
I'm using Caron Simply Soft yarn in bone, pumpkin, and possibly dark sage...I might not use the sage. I like to use at least 3 colors in an afghan but I like the way the 2...bone and pumpkin...look right now. Dee wanted something to go with the brown in her room and I really don't like brown or even working with it. That said, I've seen some really beautiful Swedish weaving afghans made where the weaver used brown.
I'm also weaving on white monk's cloth and could not have used the bone yarn if I'd chosen the ecru fabric. It would have disappeared into the cloth.
I'm very much enjoying this pattern I've concocted and am now weaving love into the afghan.
Note: I've decided to go with just the 2 colors...bone and pumpkin. I tried inserting some green again and it just didn't look right.
Not such a great photo but I hope it shows what I'm doing. I love the look of white yarn on white fabric and that's how I started this runner. What I hadn't taken into consideration is that the pattern I'm following is not a busy one and it started to look a little sparse to me. I'm also using Caron's Simply Soft Party which I'm not thrilled with but all I could find right now with a glitter thread.
While shopping, I noticed that Simply Soft Party also came in a soft grey color so I have outlined the pattern with that grey. I really like it and will show the completed table runner when I'm done.
I have made afghans using the white on white method and they are gorgeous but the patterns I used were quite busy. Maybe that's the secret.
Here is my latest project...denim blue monk's cloth with a variegate Simply Soft yarn. I used the Marquise pattern from the Diamond booklet and altered it just a bit to suit me.
I stay in an RV park in Florida for the winter and had to use the park sewing machine to finish this runner off...not happy with the way it worked because the tension was screwy so I won't be using it again. We've been told the park is buying 2 new machines for us to use but I'll believe that when I see it.
I really enjoyed the look of the variegated yarn on the denim fabric and would use it again in the future.
This table runner is almost done except for the fringeing. I don't have my sewing machine here in Florida but the park has one I can borrow. Some fabric will be wasted because I only want my fringe to be a couple of inches long.
I used the Marquise pattern for the center with a slight modification and then decided to use a part of the same pattern for the border...also with a slight modification. Altering a pattern slightly means making it your very own.
I brought 2 pieces of prepared monk's cloth to Florida with me to work on this winter. I've been wondering ever since why in the world I have 2 pieces measuring 28" wide to make a lap afghan. What was I thinking? Anyway, it stopped me in my tracks for a while wondering just what to do but I've decided to continue with the Marquise pattern (which I started in the middle) and work towards the edge until my work measures a decent sized table runner. Then I'll just snip off the excess.
Lately I've been preparing large batches of fabric instead of one at a time and I think this is what happened here. I must have been in a rush and didn't pay close attention.
Anyway, I'm using the beautiful marquise pattern from the "Diamonds" booklet but I'm also planning on edging it with a different pattern, one that meets up with the existing points, of course.
The yarn is Caron's Simply Soft in a variegated "baby brights" which looks lovely on the denim fabric. I hate wasting fabric but this time it was just necessary. I'll post a finished photo.
I have a very good friend here at my Florida park who is downsizing her craft supplies and I have gained the benefit of this. She sold me a ton of monk's cloth at the same price she paid for it a few years ago... much of it is remnants with sale stickers, too. I just hope she's still going to be doing Swedish weaving and has kept some for herself, though.
I already have more than my fair share of monk's cloth back home (mostly white and beige) but there is no way I could have turned away an opportunity like this...much is in colors I can't even find any more.
We crafters are a special breed. We enjoy crafting so much that we might be a little too irrational when it comes to amassing too many supplies. Some, like my friend, see the light and realize the time has come to downsize. Some, like me, did a bit of downsizing of crafts I haven't done in years but still continue to buy for Swedish weaving. I've said I'll have to live another hundred years to use up all my craft supplies and I'm not kidding.
Now, monk's cloth is fairly easy to find at Walmart or Joann's Fabrics in the white or beige but colors come at a much higher price so you Swedish weavers will understand why I've continued to add to my collection when I had the chance. And it just might be what's keeping me happy and alive.
One of my friends from the park here in Florida decided she'd accumulated too many monk's cloth remnants. Like me, she bought as many as she could when they were more plentiful and available at Walmart. Unlike me, she managed to buy a lot of different colors...even one lovely piece of red! Also, unlike me, she decided to sell what she has in an effort to downsize her craft supplies. I bought them all from her because I couldn't resist, especially since she only wanted what she'd paid for them. I think I now have enough monk's cloth to last me a few lifetimes.
I've already notified Faye and Donna that they will inherit it all if they survive me.
Hard core crafters will understand this completely. We know value, price, and availability. When product is scarce and expensive we can't walk away from a good deal. That said, I make no apologies for adding to my collection of monk's cloth.
