Start to Finish - 60 Easy Pattern Stitches - Sampler Afghans

It hit me.
I was working on another square in the wedding afghan when I realized I was working the squares from one book. (OK, I threw in a straight stockinette square and another kind of square because I was bored.) But for the most part, the squares have all come from this book.

This afghan is going to be at least 20 squares big. That's a potential twenty posts because, I tell ya, each square has it own challenges. There hasn't been one yet that I would call beginner simple - no matter the title says easy to knit, they don't say easy for whom. So, now I feel compelled to share them with you. And I feel compelled to make all 60 - call it my homage to Julie/Julia.

I have nine squares made already so I am a little ahead of the game (but remember a few of the squares are not from the book so I won't be telling you about those) but I will tell you the trials and tribulations of each of these squares because while some have been an easier knit than others, they each have a story to tell. And since I am the closest ear they have - they are telling those stories to me and I will tell them to you. I would have started with one this post, but it is dark out and I don't want to take the picture at this time of night so I am waiting for the daylight. When the sun comes, the story will come.

I know you're all just waiting to see and hear.

Drop Stitch Wrap

Fresh off the needles is the drop stitch wrap. It hasn't even been blocked. Which can be the next post - showing the difference between something that hasn't been blocked and the same thing after it has been.

Anyway, this wrap is five feet long before blocking and was made on size 10.5 needles with Bernat Chunky yarn which is discontinued and I happened to get a boat load of it at Joann's for about $3.00 a skein. It is one of those skeins with about 600+ yards so it was quite a deal. I got two in turquoise and two in black. This wrap took about half the skein.

Cast on 48 stitches
Stockinette stitch keeping the first and last four stitches in garter stitch.

Work until the wrap is as long as you like it and then bind off in the following manner.

I used a tighter bind off because of the drop stitches. You can bind off the regular way or use the tight bind off which is done by k1, knit the next stitch but keep the new stitch on the right needle and the old stitch on the left and pass the last stitch over then drop off both stitches.

Bind off 8 stitches, drop the next stitch and make a ladder all the way down. Repeat.
Add fringe if you like. I added fringe to the ends of the ladders.

I will use a wet block and it should stretch another couple of inches and have a cleaner, more matte look. I think I just might have to do a post on blocking. I wasn't a fan of blocking until recently and now I think it will have to become a regular thing.

This wrap will be tagged and priced for the next craft sale we have in May. It is a very easy knit. I think I did it in no more than two days.