Last summer, I began a mystery Crochet-A-Long (CAL) introduced by Julie Yeager. I had seen her work many times, and really thought it all quite lovely, so the thought of actually working one of her patterns without a financial outlay excited me. I could try her pattern cost free to see if I was up to the task.So, last summer, she introduced the Summer Mosaic Afghan. Now, this was a mystery CAL, so we didn't have all the pictures of the afghan to see and assess. In fact, the primary reason I started the afghan was due to the speak peak picture she provided on her website. The soft fuzzy yarn looked so inviting. And I'd never used anything like that before, so I just had to try!
Since I wanted to buy my yarn locally, I did some research for similar yarns and concluded that Lion Brand Jiffy yarn would be close. It's a Bulky yarn, grade 5, and very soft. I read lots of complaints on Amazon regarding the yarn, but decided to make my own judgements after completing the project.
So, armed with a 25% off entire purchase coupon, I went to Joann's Fabrics. Lucky for me, the Jiffy yarn was on sale that day AND the coupon applied! So exciting. I wasn't able to get enough of the background color, so I later ordered that off Amazon at the same sale price as Joann's, just without the extra 25% off.
I started the project in July 2015 and completed it in April 2016. Since my life is a bit topsy turvy right now, and has been for a while, I would often just put the project down. I also almost gave up at one point, due to the fact I didn't really like the colors. But, I persisted, and my efforts did pay off with a completed afghan.I made tons of mistakes. Primary amongst them is the central squares. They were too large, but I sewed them in anyway. As a result, the afghan puckers. Additionally, the border was -- I'm guessing -- done too tightly, and it curls.
But! The blanket is lovably soft and warm. The yarn was very nice, and I really don't have any complaints regarding it's quality. It was a frustrating yarn to frog when I made mistakes, but that's not on the yarn -- that's on me for not paying attention to instructions.I'm really happy with the outcome, though I must confess that it's not my style or color. Currently, it's draped over a chair in the dining room -- a bit of an orphan without a home. I'm not sure what I'll do with it ultimately.
I'm grateful that the LORD gave me a talent like this! It's so very useful when life is so uncertain. Crochet has definitely turned into my stress reliever. I can crochet, relax under a blanket (often the very one I'm making), and lift up prayers to bolster my tired spirit and worn mind.
