Crochet Afghan – Aris Blanket

· by · in Crochet Afghans & Blankets, Easy Crochet Projects. ·

This is the afghan that has been staring at me for almost 4 months. Not quite finished but I will be waging war on it today. Two of us will enter the crochet ring – only one can leave – failure is not an option!!

I always find my self scoffing at the reality competition tv shows. Every contestant says “FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION!” Well that may be true, but it is a possible outcome for all but one of them. Though I’ve always unenthusiastically applauded the theatrics, I have found it difficult to understand their delusion.

Until today!

ArisAfghan 2

Now as far as WiPs go, an afghan taking several months to complete is not unheard of. But this one…..this one has been mocking me for at least the last 2 months! I see it staring at me from its place on the end table. I see it, perched there like it’s sizing me up. Looking for my weaknesses. I exposed my Achilles Heel to it almost right away. This blanket KNOWS that it is boring me to death!

My relationship with this afghan started out like most do. There was the excitement of something new! A new project, a new pattern, some new yarn. The honeymoon was over very quickly. It was a star-crossed project right from the beginning.

Strike 1 – My mother-in-law asked me to make it for my sister-in-law (husband’s brother’s wife) who I do not have a close relationship with. My crochet projects are usually made from my heart – I know so and so will LOVE this! I was not used to the idea of making something that I was not invested in the giving of it. But I do like MiL so I thought – yeah I can do this.

Strike 2 – MiL chose the color. And only wanted 1 color. That’s all I’m going to say about that.

Strike 3 – I love the pattern but it is a very easy fan & v stitch repeat from row 2 till the bitter end.

I only have about 5 more rows to do to get the length that I want. Then the border. It must be finished today because MiL was inquiring if it was almost done last week. Hubby is having lunch with her tomorrow so – I’ts on like Donkey Kong today!! I will finish this blanket and get it into the washer for a quick de-doghairing today!!

Failure is not an option!!

ArisAfghan 1

Seriously though – it’s a lovely blanket and a beautiful color. And ultimately, “A bad day of crocheting still beats a good day at work”!

Maybe I’m being a little too hard on this blanket. I may be biased because it is my last outstanding ‘winter’ project and I can’t just tuck it into a bin to try to reignite some passion for it next year.

It really is a pretty pattern that I will likely use again.

The color and the yarn (Loops & Threads Impeccable) is soft and pretty.

Okay fine! – I love this blanket. I just wanted to have some Monday Reality Crochet Drama!!

Thanks for reading!!

~ Tami

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75 responses to “Crochet Afghan – Aris Blanket”

  1. I know what you mean. My goal is to crochet a blanket for each member of my family. I always need to pick the right pattern then the right yarn etc. It is a beautiful blanket. I know you will be happy when you are finished and I now your sister in law will love it – she will especially love that it was hand made by you!

    Liked by 1 person

    • I hope she does – it is a pretty pattern that I thought using just one color would look fancy. It’s really my Mother in law that I’m trying to please. She loves it when I crochet something for her, or for her to give to someone else. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  2. you are so funny, if someone asks me to crochet/knit something for them my response is” oh I can send you the explanations by email”. Knitting is how I relax, so got to stay a pleasure. Although right now working on a top with the “point d’astrakan” and I missed it few time. That’s because I knit on the evening in front of the TV – got to watch something not too interesting next time.

    Liked by 1 person

    • I like to watch nature documentaries while I crochet – that way I’m never looking at the tv when the lions eat the caribou or whatever horrible sad nature things are happening! 😀

      Liked by 2 people

  4. Tami ~ Just think of how good you’ll feel tomorrow after it’s done!

    The first “thing” I ever crocheted was an afghan and I liked to never finished it. It was for me, but it was boring after awhile. It was simple double crochet rows, each a different color, and terribly crooked. I still have trouble turning in exactly the right stitch at the end of a row. (Thank goodness I discovered stitch markers!)
    Anyway, that so turned me off afghans, until I discovered granny squares. I realized I can make squares until I get bored, and then put them together in a rectangle of whatever size it comes to and I’m done. 🙂
    And then I got tired of weaving in all those loose ends! Sheesh. So much more work than you think it will be when you fall in love with all those pretty colors and that basket of scraps.

    Good luck!
    Jan

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hi Jan! I think I’m just really impatient to get some other projects started for Spring & Summer and this blanket has been a constant reminder that I never finished my winter projects. Plus I think it only being one color made it get boring faster than usual. I love grannies too! 😀

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  6. Oh no! I know exactly how this feels!!
    It is looking lovely and I am sure your sister in law will love it. You are better than me – people ask me to make items and exspect it turned round in a day!!! I’m like – hello!!!?? Do you actually know how long these things take?

    X

    Liked by 1 person

    • I’ve been really lucky, nobody usually asks me to make them something. Of course I am always making and giving them things they didn’t ask for so maybe I’m just staying ahead of it. Or maybe I look meaner than I am and they’re afraid to ask me to make something LOL!! 😀

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      • haha!! I doubt its the latter! I try and gift where I can. I do lots of baby items but I get bored easy so blankets or afgans are a nightmare for me!!

        Liked by 1 person

  9. You are so freaking funny! I love your sense of humor. 🙂 I barely remember when my Wips were just two months old…so many still hanging in there and hoping for closure after YEARS! What settings do you use for “Prewashing out Pet Hair?” If I use delicate, it’s still hairy…if I use regular, the hair is gone but then I need to use one of those Sweater Shavers to get all the little pills off.

    Liked by 1 person

    • LOL my 10 year old second hand washer only has one setting that I use – extra wash – I’m afraid to touch the dial because I’m worried that it might break!! I haven’t really had any pilling problems, but if I did then it would be called a “Textured Afghan” instead of a boring regular “Blanket”!!!! 😀

      Liked by 1 person

      • I LOVE that!…Textured Afghan… 😂 Throw an “Irregular” at the front and you’ll have a pretty good idea of how my blankets turn out! (If I miscount my stitches, I NEVER fix it…so there’s always an odd angle or shape in the finished piece somewhere.) 😂😂

        Liked by 1 person

  10. It’s really pretty but I can see how it would be a bit boring to do with no colour changes and all in the same stitch. Still, not many ends to darn in so that’s a huge bonus of using just one colour, eh?
    Good luck getting it finished 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  11. Good luck! It really is a very pretty pattern. I find projects made using one colour only quite challenging too, hence my penchant for buying variegated yarn! Hope you get it finished. 😊

    Liked by 1 person

  12. I know how you are feeling Tami! I would never knit or crochet anything for my sister-in-law! Because she’s the type who always says ” I would have liked it smaller, larger, softer …” (I can write this because she will never read this comment as she can’t speak english… )

    Liked by 1 person

    • LOL Hannah, I thought about doing that but then I decided that my love to crochet outweighed the obvious family politics dilemma. 😀

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    • Well Mama, at least when I get too bored crocheting a blanket I can always just stop and say its a shawl or a scarf. But with writing you really don’t have an escape hatch, unless you make it into a real cliffhanger and end with a … 😀

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    • You’re right Kate. I should look at it like that. I hope I can exchange my karma points for yarn!! I finished it and sent it out the door with hubby this morning and didn’t have time to get more pics. I ended up just going around in simple DC for 2 rounds. Since it was done in a single color I wanted the eye to be drawn to the pattern not the border. It did turn out pretty though. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Thanks!! I did like the way it came out, it was just so boring after the first dozen rows. I may try to work that fan and v stitch pattern in to a tank top or something smaller because I really like the pattern. 😀

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  17. “Two of us will enter the crochet ring – only one can leave – failure is not an option!!” Oh my gosh, Tami, I laughed so much when I read this post. You know Stephanie Pearl McPhee’s blog and books, right? (Probably) Your wonderful voice in this post totally reminded me of her very funny and very touching work. Don’t lose this!!!! I loved the way you talked about the project sitting there, baiting you. How it had to be done today b c MIL asked for it last week. How your projects normally come from the heart. How you have to de-dog-hair it (w me it’s cat hair) before it can go out. Soooo Great! Five Stars!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thanks Theresa!! Oh this project was so boring. I wanted to write a nice little story about this blanket but at some point the blanket became an adversary. I thought it could use some Real Housewives style drama and panache! I’m going to have a look for Stephanie McPhee right now! 😀

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  21. I’m so glad I read all the way to the end of your post… because you write with such candor and humor… How wonderful that you got that project over with and now you can start a new project that you are excited about! Can’t wait to read about it! :).

    Liked by 1 person

  22. LOL… I love this story and can SO relate! 🙂 It also reminds me a little of the little engine that “can” story… I think I can.. I think I can.. Ithink I can… I COULD… 🙂 Keep on going – its looking great 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thanks Nina! I felt like that blanket was such a huge weight dragging me down! Now I have enough room to put 2 small WiPs in that newly empty spot on my end table!! 😀

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  25. if I were you, I’d teach MIL to crochet ^^
    I always feel rather flattered when family members ask me to make something for them, and I always oblige BUT we never set deadlines, and most of the time I am free to “do my own thing” regarding colour, design etc. I think if I was given a specific pattern and a specific colour to work with, it would take all the fun out of creating.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Oh that’s a good idea! Thanks Claire! It would give us a nice activity to do when we visit each other! Either that or I make a stockpile of crocheted things in case anyone ever asks me to make them something – I can just open a box and say “here pick one”!! 😀

      Liked by 1 person

      • well, as someone is learning to crochet late in life, I’m having lots of fun, so I’m sure your MIL would enjoy it too. Since she obviously appréciâtes and admires the work you do, she might well fancy learning herself.

        Liked by 1 person

  26. It is both a pretty pattern and color! I don’t have the patience for long repeats so I don’t know if I’ll ever tackle a single stitch afghan, but at least I know my limits lol. The mermaid tails with their double crochet are too much as it is! But it’s always so exciting to hold it up and see it completed and I’m sure that will happen for you too!

    Liked by 1 person

    • I’m just glad it’s done! Chevron patterns are nice. Not too much counting, easy enough to do while watching tv, and the repeat is not too boring. Hmmmm I may have just talked myself into starting a chevron blanket!! LOL

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    • Thanks! I’m so glad it’s finished. It’s good to get back to working on things that I can’t wait to pick up my hook every day! 😀

      Like

  28. Haha, I love your article, you’re very funny. Especially love the expression “a de-doghairing”. I have use for that myself, with the dog running around, leaving hair everywhere – even at places he’s never actually been to 😀

    Liked by 1 person

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  30. I truly understand what you’re saying here. It is a gorgeous stitch and color but I’m with you, I really don’t enjoy crocheting something at someone else’s request. Call me selfish but I much rather come up with the idea, pattern and color myself. I’m sure she’ll love it though!

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