Yarncrazy Afghan 1oining Tips

Copyright 2004 Chris Simon

My ghans are joined using Priscilla Hewitt's instructions Ior the
Flat Braid Joining Method: http://www.priscillascrochet.net./
Ireepatterns.html
When we make comIortghans Ior Heartmade Blessings, the
squares come Irom lots oI diIIerent crocheters and may vary in
size a bit. We also don't have total control over what colors we
get. This method works very well Ior both handling diIIerences
in square sizes, and Ior using edging and joining colors to help
consolidate somewhat random squares into a very nice aIghan.
First, I take each square and add another row to it to make it 13
inches - iI the square is 12" to start, I use a round oI double cro-
chet; iI it's 12.5" to start, I use single crochet. (OI course, iI a
square starts out less than 12", I just use two rows to bring it to
13" instead oI one.) Then I use 14 loops per side oI each square
Ior the Ilat braid part (why 14? - just because that's the way I
chose to do it - others use diIIerent numbers). II you use the
same color Ior the extra rows and the joining, you can do both
in a single step, reducing the number oI ends to weave in later.
FYI - I Iind that the extra rows to bring the squares up to 13"
plus doing the Ilat braid joining takes almost an entire 8 oz.
skein oI yarn, so be careIul that you have enough oI your join-
ing color when you start.
AIter I do the Ilat braid joining, I do an edging around the entire
ghan. Here's my standard edging:
Round 1 - 3 double crochet in each loop around the aIghan,
with (2dc, ch 2, 2dc) in each corner, and only 2dc in each oI the
joining loops between squares (that will make sense once
you've joined a couple oI squares using Ilat braid, don't worry).
Round 2 - Using a contrasting color, I do a round oI (sc in dc,
ch 1 and skip next dc), with (sc, ch 2, sc) in each corner. (Note -
because each side oI the aIghan contains an even number oI
stitches, I do have to "Iudge" on this round - each side has one
place where I do (sc, ch 1, sc WITHOUT skipping a stitch) in
order to make it come out right).
Round 3 - Using a diIIerent color than round 2 color, (sc, ch 2,
sc) in each ch 1 space, with (sc, ch 2, sc, ch 2, sc, ch 2, sc) in
each corner.
I use the 3 rounds oI edging to pull in colors Irom the squares to
help "unite" the squares, or to bring out a contrasting color Irom
one or two oI the squares Ior a nice accent.
That's all there is to it!
Want more details on how to handle the inside corners using
this method? Turn to page 2!
Here are some examples oI the joining:





For this comIortghan, I used the same color Ior edging the
squares and Ior the Ilat braid joining.





Here's a closer view oI the outer edging oI a comIortghan.





I got a bit Iancy with this one. Here I did a checkerboard eIIect
by alternating colors on the edging and joining oI the squares.
One square edged and joined with purple, then the next one
with white, and so on. It made a really neat eIIect at the corners.





Here I used contrasting colors in the outer edging oI the aIghan
in order to pull out some oI the colors Irom the squares
(Continued on page 2)
Yarncrazy Hints for Handling inside
corner joining of afghan squares
Copyright 2006 Chris Simon
Lots oI people ask how I handle the joining oI the inside cor-
ners oI squares using the Ilat braid method. These photos
should help!
My strategy is to only join the loops that are diagonal to one
another at the inside corners. That sounds conIusing, doesn't it?
It's really not, once you see what's going on.




Here are the Iirst two squares. The corner loops at the top edge
have been joined together, but the corner loops at the bottom
edge have been leIt hanging Ior now. These are part oI an inside
corner and will be handled when I add the next row oI squares.




Closeup oI the top (outer) edge




Closeup oI the bottom (inner) edge




Here is the Iirst row oI my aIghan. Notice that the corner loops
at the top are joined, but the bottom ones are not.





Now I have added the Iirst square on the second row. I have
joined the top corner to its diagonal, but have leIt the other cor-
ner loop alone. You can also see that on the leIt side, I've joined
the corner loops. That's because that is an outer edge oI the aI-
ghan.





Closeup oI inner corner - step 1.





Here's what happens when I get ready to join the next square on
the second row. My hook is in the photo to show where I join
this diagonal.





This is the Iinished inner corner.
Just pay attention as you join each corner to whether it's an in-
ner or outer corner oI your aIghan, and you should have no
problems with this method!