When I first decided to knit 3 afghans in 6 months I knew it would be a challenge, but I didn't think it would be all that difficult. A single square looks like a fairly quick knit and I imagined myself knitting them all up with the speed of light in-between other more interesting projects. Seaming, borders, these might slow me down but the square? Well, how long can it possibly take to knit a square?
But squares are very deceptive. Add short rows, cables, dk yarn, and it takes a lot longer to knit a square than you think. 24, 63, 20...add them all up and that's an awful lot of squares. Add in some unknitting because no matter how simple a square may look at first glance, it is all too easy to make a mistake in a pattern or cast on the wrong # of stitches or bind off a whole pattern repeat too early or too late. Believe me, I know.
And when you have 107 squares to knit in three months you may just find that you are doing nothing but knitting squares and when you are doing something else, anything else, (even something you really enjoy) you will be thinking the whole time that what you really should be doing is knitting another square.
An unscheduled catastrophe will not, in and of itself, make for a bad day. If you were lucky enough to have your yarn and needles at hand while waiting for roadside assistance it will be a very good day indeed. But should something wonderful occur that puts you behind in your square knitting, you'll curse the day it happened.
As one now intimately acquainted with the square I warn you: BEWARE the SQUARE!
p.s. Squares also make for very boring blog posts. Sorry!
When I was crocheting a blanket for myself, it took me 180 hours to make it (70 squares plus border and seams). It was my summer task! There is no way I could make a blanket if I don't have few free months on my hands! I am fascinated by your determination!
Posted by: Kaede | 11/29/2010 at 03:43 AM
Ah Kaede, I'm now at approx. 189 hours on the Picnic Afghan and this is without seaming or border. I think you made amazing time. My determination borders on insanity. I'm prone to large, impossible feats of stupidity. It's in my genes!
Posted by: Wool Free and Lovin' Knit | 11/29/2010 at 07:15 AM
Knitting a 63-square afghan was one of my biggest knitting accomplishments. It took 9 months. You go, girl!
Posted by: Leslie | 11/29/2010 at 07:17 AM
But I did a crochet blanket, and for some weird reason I crochet twice as fast as I knit.. If I had to knit a blanket it would take me at least 300 hours!!
Posted by: Kaede | 12/01/2010 at 01:24 AM