Hi Knit-alongers! Our afghan’s are almost complete! Here’s what clue #8 looks like…
… and here’s what our afghan looks like with all the pieces sewn together.
That just about looks like an afghan doesn’t it? Almost! We have just one more clue.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PDF FILE OF CLUE # 9
It’s probably no mystery that our final clue is a border. Every masterpiece needs a frame! Seaming blocks of different knitting patterns can leave a less than perfect edge. Instead of knitting another piece for our ‘frame’ and sewing it onto our afghan, we’re going to pick up stitches along the edges and knit out from there. Let’s take a closer look at how to do that.
PICKING UP STITCHES
Our next clue has us “pick up and knit” stitches across each edge of our afghan. Pick up what? Where? Here’s a look at picking up stitches from the top edge of a piece of knitting, which is a cast-off edge:
Start at the top right corner, with the right side (RS) of your work facing you.
Insert your left-hand needle from front to back under both loops of the cast off edge.
Now get your right hand needle in there, and knit the two loops as if there were a regular stitch.
You can also try this pick up and knit technique with just one needle. This time insert your right hand needle under both loops of your cast off edge:
Then wrap the working yarn around your needle and draw up a loop:
You’re essentially doing the same thing as we did with two needles, but instead of knitting the stitch off the left needle, you’re knitting in thin air!
Whether you use one or two needles, repeat from right to left until the desired number of stitches have been picked up.
From the back it will look like this:
Remember the number of stitches on your cast off edge, may not be equal to the number of stitches you need to pick up. If you need to pick up less stitches, skip a stitch from the cast-off stitch every few stitches. If you need to pick up more stitches, pick up two stitches from the same space every few stitches. It’s not an exact science and the skipped or double stitches really won’t show in the end.
We also need to pick up stitches along the side edges of our knitted blocks. This means picking up stitches from edges that aren’t always as consistent as a nice bound off edge! Most of our afghan blocks have a garter stitch edge, so lets take a look at picking up stitches there.
Again, we want to pick up stitches from right to left.
In garter stitch, I like to pick up stitches from the “ridges”
From there, the technique is basically the same as before. Insert your left needle from front to back under that ‘ridge’…
… then get your right needle in the same space and knit ‘er up! (Of course, you can also use the one-needle method here as well.)
Continue from right to left until the desired number of stitches have been picked up.
Here’s what it looks like from the back:
If picking up stitches from a stocking stitch edge, I would pick up one leg from each stitch along the same row:
Remember there aren’t any hard and fast rules here! Just try to pick up your stitches evenly spaced along your edge.
TIPS
- When a large number of stitches are to be picked up, place safety pins along the edge to divide your work into smaller, even sections. For example; If picking up 100 stitches, mark the edge into 4 sections and pick up 25 sts per section. This makes it easier to evenly distribute your stitches across your edge.
- Having a hard time squeezing your needle into those edge stitches? Try using a smaller needle to pick up your stitches and switch back to your recommended size for the next row.
Once your border is complete – we’re done! Don’t forget to show us how your knit-along afghan turned out for a chance to win!
Starting today, you can submit your contest entry. Entry must include a photo of the finished project, the entrant’s name, contact information (name, phone number, address, and email), and a complete list of the yarn(s) and shades used. Your blanket can be made of any yarn, but must follow the basic pattern outlined in Clues 1-9 of the Knit-Along. Only completed Projects will be considered. Email all entries to Knitalong@bernat.com. You can also mail a photo of your entries (see contest rules for details). Entries will be accepted until March 12, 2010 at 11:59 EST. We will select a winner by random draw on March 22, 2010. The winner will be notified by email or phone.
What do you win?
The winner will be asked to select a blanket pattern from all available afghan patterns available at www.bernat.com. They will then be shipped the pattern and the yarn recommended to complete the pattern (in the color(s) of their choice).
All of the details and contest rules are available at http://bernat.com/contestrules/
If you have any questions contact Knitalong@bernat.com.
It’s been so great to knit-along with all of you! I can’t wait to see all of your creations. Thanks for making our first Bernat knit-along a big success!
Happy knitting!
Julia.
well, I’m not opposed to trying new things but I’m very tempted to do a crocheted edge. Taking deep breaths. Here I go.
I felt better seeing the numbers. I can do 225 stitches. I was afraid we’d have to pick up all around the thing. One side at a time is doiable for me!
Hi Julie;
A crochet border would be lovely too!
Julia.
Hi…i have just printed out this knit along, but no where can i find where it says hoe many balls of each colour you will need. Can you help please?
Here’s what you will need for the Mystery Afghan Knit Along from 2010
Bernat® Satin (100 g/2.8 oz; 149 m163 yds)
Contrast A (04007 Silk) 4 balls
Contrast B (04010 Camel) 3 balls
Contrast C (04615 Banana) 3 balls
hhhmmmm…..what do we do with the corners? After the first edge is done on the top, do we move to the side and include the 8 rows of garter stitch in the 225 stitches to be picked up? then to the bottom, then to the next side, where there would be 8 more rows then the other side to use when picking up the stitches?? or do we do the top, then the bottom, and use the 8 rows at each end as part of the area where the stitches are to be picked up on the sides???Am I over thinking this?? HELP?
Hi knitting4me;
We start by picking up stitches and knitting a border along the top and casting off. Then we do the bottom border. You should then pick up stitches at all the way along each side, including the sides of the newly knit top and bottom borders. Does that make sense? I hope that helps – good luck!
Julia.
Ok, so you pick up all these stitches and then what? If I have 200 stitches on my needles, how do they come off the needles? Sorry, this is new to me !!
ok, I think I’ve got it, it threw me when the word “needed” was used…onward.
Hi Kayro;
Glad you got it figured out!
Julia.
I think instead of a garter border I’ll do a Moss st. I’m not a big fan of the garter st. I can’t wait until it is finished. It look really comfy. I’ve made tons of crochet afghans but this is my first knit afghan.
Hi Arlene;
Mmm.. I like moss st too! That will look nice. Happy knitting!
Julia.
Moss was my first thought also, Arlene. It must be something going back to my early knitting years, but I just never liked garter and will do almost anything to avoid using it! Wish I were closer to the finishing stage. I’m doing a baby blanket for a friend of my daughter’s and she’s due April 1, maybe sooner, so my KAL will have to wait!
“Your blanket can be made of any yarn, but must follow the basic pattern outlined in Clues 1-9 of the Knit-Along.”
Since clue 9 is the border, does that mean if we change it to a crochet border or moss stitch as suggested by a couple of the knitters it no longer qualifies for the contest????
For specific questions about what qualifies for the contest, send an email to knitalong@bernat.com. In this case, a crochet border or moss stitch border would still qualify for the contest.
Thanks so much. That’s all I needed to know.
I think I may do a seed stitch instead of the garter. Just a little more fun. We are leaving for a three week vacation this Saturday, so wont’ probably get the seaming and border finished till I return. Good luck everyone!!
Vacation….sounds really good, enjoy yourself and have a great time.
If you are knitting the boarder it would be easier using a crochet hook to pull the yarn though and put it onto the knitting needle. I use the crochet hook to pull yarn through when doing a boarder for button holes on sweaters all the time.
I guess I had better get busy joining the squares and doing the boarder (think I will crochet boarder) as we are leaving in two weeks for vacation. I will have to check out site when I get back home on March 15.
Good luck ladies, and I have enjoyed doing this KAL with all of you.
Joan
Question? Does or should the moss stitch have the same gauge as the stockingette or garter stitch? In this pattern for our boarder it doesn’t matter if we use it but what if it was a pattern for a garment like a sweater?
I like the idea of moss stitch or seed stitch for the border, and I would like to work it at right angles, where you cast on the width of the border and work across picking up one stitch of the blanket to knit with a border stitch on the incoming row…but what I *will* do is the garter stitch per the instructions. I think the texture of garter stitch will work well with the various patterns in the blocks.
Thanks juliaknits for the clarification. I have the top done, and wanted to stay home from work to finish the whole thing! Will there be pictures posted of other completed projects so we can see the “spin” that fellow KAL’rs have used?
I did the bottom border last night in garter stitch. It was fast, easy and I think looks really nice with the squares.
I would like to knit my squares together using the two needle weave and cast off; I have spent too much time and effort to just knit it off;
I am also going to arrange my squares in sequence
I hope that is alright?
We don’t leave for vacation for a couple days, so I decided to piece my blocks together since they dried. So far so good. I decided not to do the whip stitch but the running stitch. Yes I have a prominent wrong side and right side, but I am very pleased with the results. I tried to crochet them together, however, it was a little too tight of a stitch and it pulled the blocks out of shape. The running stitch is more flexible. This afghan is really soft. I am wondering how it would be in a washable merino wool. Very snugly I would imagine. Now that I have done this sampler afghan, I am ready to grab my “Knitting Stitch Bible” and make one of my own design.
I havw never put pieces of an afghan together as I generally make everything in one piece. The tutorial provided looked good but what color do you use to stitch the peices together.
HELP
Crystal V.
Imade 2 kal afghans one is for a bedroom, I used your pattern I found on line, “BERNAT BABY SPORT LACY BLANKET TO KNIT’ It almost looks like the border you should have. (eylets,bumps, garter stc) It really is beautiful, can I still enter the contest I still have the other one to border, Iwould like to do the same, but if is not acceptable I will do the garter stitch border. Thank you for a very enjoyable drab winter project.can’t wait for a crochet mystery one
Why is it, the very last block is taking the longest to finish. I had all the rows of blocks pin-basted, with a note attached to row 1 waiting for this last block. I finally finished the block while watching the Olympics Opening Ceremony.
Today I sewed the blocks in each row together by *sewing machine* set on longest basting stitch, leaving the cut ends long of the stitching. I then sewed the rows together, starting with Rows 6 and 5. I will hand-sew the seams then pull out the machine stitching. In this way all my blocks, of varying lengths and widths are coming out even.
I can start the borders before the machine-stitching is pulled out, which I will do to get all the knitting out of the way.
I have now picked up and knit the top border, cast off with a cable type bind off (knit first stitch, put it back on the needle, knit 2tog. through back loop, put the stitch back on the needle, etc.) and picked up stitches going down the one side. I decided I didn’t want to cut the border yarn, so will work this side then cast off in the direction to the start of the bottom.
Later I will come back to the border to do a 3 stitch cord around the perimeter to use up all the bits. For now it will be nice to have this project completed and on my couch!
Are we going to get to see everyone’s pictures of the completed afghans?
We sure are! in the coming weeks we’ll be showing off photos that you have submitted. So get your photos in soon! Even if an afghan isn’t eligible for contest entry (if it’s the second one you made, or is incomplete, for example), we’d still love to see it! Send all photos to knitalong@bernat.com
have you an idea when and where we can see the photos of all afghan
I’ve got the top and bottom border done! Excited to finish this. I’m not a big fan of block type afghans (maybe because I’m never satisfied with my seams) but I think the border really helps to pull this together.
Just getting back in the loop. Emails stopped coming again! Funny, it seems to only be the blog emails that this happens with because I get other emails from Bernat. I just have to send this silly reply so I can check the box again. Sorry.
Finished seaming my afghan! Will admit I procrastinated blocking each of the 24 pieces, but once I started, the process was painless. The hardest part was waiting for the blocks to dry. The results were worth it and am glad I took the extra time to complete that step before assembly.
Also changed the final placement of my blocks so that no two the same were next to each other (just my preference). The cable blocks are especially lovely and were real confidence builders.
Have been faithfully following along and will miss this KAL – Hope there is another, soon. Thanks Julia and Bernat.
My afghan is on the border of being done! Sorry, couldn’t resist!
I am done! I am so happy — it looks good — got the picture taken — I did move some of the blocks around so that there would be no duplicates right beside each other — I like the texture of the finished project BUT I didn’t like sewing them all together — I used the garter stitch on the edge and liked that especially since some of the blocks had the stockinette stitch edges on them — it blended together very well. I did put a single crochet edge around the entire edge of the blanket — I like how that “evens” everything out.
I’m finished! I’m really happy with the way it turned out. I ended up doing the garter border and it looks great. This was my first knit afghan. I have always crocheted afghans before. I really like how warm this is, no air holes, like in a crocheted afghan! I can’t wait until there is another KAL. I really enjoyed it.
I am finished, too. I just now sent the photo to Bernat.
When all the blocks were assembled I noticed I had two cable pieces one atop the other, of the same pattern (#8) and they matched beautifully. I’m glad that happened. I can visualize making a blanket just in this pattern in vertical stripes. The other cable pattern would be nice in a long strips of different coloured blocks as well. Now I also want to make a whole cloth blanket just with the #4 pattern, and my ‘mistake’ of the floats on the wrong ‘right side’ LOL – love the honeycomb appearance and that it would be warm and soft.
Next I will decide what to do with the bits. As someone mentioned first off, a matching cushion in random stripes would be one idea.
This project was great for ideas and inspiration, thanks Bernat and juliaknits, and all who took part in comments!
Added two colors to the afghan…now realize I do not have a cable long enough to fit all the stitches along the side for the border. Another “didnt think it through” mistake lol
If I use two sets of circulars, does anyone know if I just pick up and knit as I would with one set? Will there be a problem when I get to where one set starts and one set ends?
Seem to remember something about more than one set of circulars used for the Star afghan project but can not find that part of the blog.
Thanks to anyone who can help
Good for you for figuring out another border — I thought about it too — I Thought that a lacier edge would look nice — But I do like how this ended up with the Garter stitch edge. I did as I said before, crochet around the edge and had very little yarn left.
If you use two sets of Circular needles you would just join and keep going like if they were double pointed needles. I would move your joints so that your tension would stay even.
Can hardly wait to see all of the pictures.
I have done this, it is like knitting on very long and flexible dp needles!
If you have 3 to use, one will always be active and the other two will hold stitches, slide the stitches along as required.
Thanks to those who helped with using more than one set of circulars.
Looking foward to seeing all the pictures
I just sent in my entry! (Although, it was difficult to get a picture without a cat in it.)
I can’t believe I can knit now! My first knitted afghan!!!!!!
This has been TOO COOL! Thank you, Bernat!
When is the the next KAL (or CAL?)
Did I win yet?
Yeah!!! I am finished. I haven’t posted anything in a while, was in Texas with our daughter and our new born grand daughter (yes, she is beautiful). I really had to get these fingers busy to get everything knitted and submitted. Oh, my poor arthritis. LOL
I’ve enjoyed doing this KAL, this was my first and am looking forward to the next one.
Thank you Bernat!
I am so jealous with everyone submitting their completed afghans. I am not going to finish by the deadline but I plan to finish by the end of March.
i am looking forward to seeing everyones afghans.
I’m so upset with myself that I fell behind. I did great until #7 and then my first block came out so huge I just gave up for awhile. I now have 2 of #8 done but will never finish in time for the contest. With tax time coming up and running my own business all my extra time has to go to mounds of paperwork. I will be done by the end of April but that just won’t cut it. I am so looking forward to seeing everyones afghans when they are done and am looking forward to Bernats next KAL. I will be there with my needles ready to go. Thanks everyone for the great time!!! (And congratulations to the winner, I just wish I could have at least stood in the running)
Check out the newest post on the blog with some finished afghan photos submitted by Knit-Along participants! Don’t forget to submit your contest entry by March 12, 2010.
I’m looking for mystery knit along clues #5 & #7 I have misplaced them. Thanks You
I am trying to look at the pictures of the clues from the KAL, and can’t view them. The rest of the pics in the blog come out okay – the ones showing how to do stitches, the finished pic of the afghan, etc. Its just the pic of the previous clue that I can’t view. Is there something wrong at my end, or are the pics not available anymore? Thanks!
Where can I find the KAL of 2009? Has it been published and put into a pattern book? I am enjoying the CAL immensely and will be having a handcraft Christmas this year!
The KAL is now available as a free pattern in the Bernat library. Enjoy!
http://www.bernat.com/pattern.php?PID=5037
Is there some place where we can find all the clues to the knit along mystery afghan from last year?