The mystery may be over, but the fun is still going on our forums. You can vote for your favorite designs, as well as recognize other members who helped you out. Follow the links below to view some of the gorgeous afghans and vote for the ones you really love.

• Best in Show: Vote for your favorite afghan! It can follow the pattern exactly, go way off script, or anything in between.
• Best Use of Color: Vote for your favorite color scheme. Traditional or modern, Waverly families or jewel tones.
• Best Original Layout: Vote for your favorite afghan from the KAL/CAL that does not match the official Bernat pattern. Modifications can be big or small.
• Most Helpful Member: Vote for the most helpful forum poster in the KAL/CAL. This is your chance to celebrate and thank members who have gone out of their way to help out.

Voting closes at 11:59PM EST on May 16th, so don’t put it off too long.

New to the event? Check out the first KAL clue or the first CAL clue.

Members have been using the afghans as fantastic ways to interact with other knitters and crocheters. liveforcrochet has been using the CAL as a great way to spend some quality time with her mother. They’re both doing the crocheted afghan, so they’ve been helping each other along the way while they crochet!

Don’t worry if you’re new to knit or crochet, because Forum member zhanie has been using the CAL and KAL to help teach new crafters how to knit and crochet.  She thinks the first week’s clues are perfect for beginners because they both begin with clues easy for new knitters and crocheters to understand.

CAL Tip – Remembering Your Shades

It is very important to use your five different shades consistently through your project to achieve the desired effect – once you start using a shade as Contrast B (for example), use it every time the pattern calls for Contrast B. If you’ve lost track, check out our Color Tutorial to find your bearings then write down which shades are which contrasts and keep it in a safe place!

• karenarp created vinyl stickers to label each ball-band. This way, she will always know that Stone Brown is her Main Color. While not everybody will have a  Cricut at her disposal, it is just as easy for you to write “MC” through “D” in permanent marker on the ball-bands.

KAL Tip – Increases and Decreases

Knowing when to increase and decrease can be tricky for Clue 1 (and for future weeks), but members have had a couple of great suggestions on how to keep track!

• We originally suggested putting a stitch marker or some scrap yarn on the right side of your work – when you see it, you’ll know it’s an increase or decrease row.
• jr15 put an elastic band on the needle they use for increasing and decreasing. When you knit a two-sided garment, one needle will always be the working needle for the right side, and another for the wrong side. When jr15 sees they’re using the needle with the elastic band, it’s time to increase or decrease!
• knitcrazzee used two different-colored needles, designating one for increase or decrease rows and the other for rows of plain knitting. This system works like jr15’s, but if you’d prefer a more obvious indication of what to do, this may work for you!

Stay tuned for Clue 2, which will be released on the Bernat Forums tomorrow!

That’s why we’re featuring 3 fabulous baby blanket patterns to knit or crochet. Enjoy!

Bernat Softee Baby - Lacy Stripes Blanket (crochet)

Bernat Baby Coordinates - Baseball Blanket (knit)

Bernat Mosaic - From the Middle Baby Blanket (crochet)

There are only two weeks left to prepare for the Waverly for Bernat Mystery Afghan Knit-Along and Crochet-Along, which means you only have two more weeks to memorize the order of letters in its acronym: WFBMAKALCAL. A lot of the participants have been itching to get started, so let’s take a look and see what’s been happening.

Since announcing the Bernat Forums at the beginning of January, over 2,600 Bernat fans have signed up! There are users from the United States to Sweden, England, Australia… even South Africa! Users are getting introduced while they help one another with shade choices, hook and needle recommendations, and which blanket to make (some are even making both!).

There’s been a lot of discussion about how to keep busy until the KAL/CAL begins. Here are some ideas:

• Find your perfect gauge! A couple of weeks ago we released a Gauge Tutorial to help you figure out how to get your gauge spot-on for your afghan.
• Share your Journey to a Better Gauge with other users on the Forums.
• Introduce yourself on the Forums and tell us all a little about yourself.
• Complete any UFOs (unfinished projects) floating around your house. If you can’t find any, we suggest looking in your craft room, the corners of your closet, or under your dog’s bed (you never know…). Then you can show us some cool photos of what you made!
• Finish reading that copy of War and Peace you’ve had sitting on your night table and tell us all about it on the Reading Books thread!
• Discuss with the other Forums members about what you’re doing in the meantime!
• Take up an obscure new hobby and share your adventures in the Other Hobbies thread. May we suggest beekeeping, extreme needlepoint, or cricket?

However you decide to spend your time, you should come on over to the Bernat Forums and tell us all about it! The clues will be posted to the Forums, so it’s the best place to be if you want any information first! If you’re looking for more information about the event, check out Waverly for Bernat Mystery Afghan KAL/CAL. The first clue goes out February 15!

P.S. Are you a little behind on getting your yarn? Don’t worry, because the Bernat Shop has free shipping for orders over 50$ this week! Order before February 7 to get this deal!

How to check your gauge

This tutorial applies to both knitting and crochet. See? We can all get along!

The gauge for the Mystery Afghans is:

Knit: 18 stitches (sts) & 24 rows = 4″ [10 cm] in stocking stitch.

Crochet: 12 double crochet (dc) & 7 rows = 4″ [10 cm].

Making a knitted gauge swatch

Using the yarn and needles recommended in the pattern, cast on enough stitches to create a swatch (or piece of fabric) at least 4″ [10 cm] wide. Why 4 inches? Most patterns, as well as yarn ball bands state a gauge measured over 4″ [10cm]. A larger swatch will be more accurate, but use your own discretion. Sometimes the gauge will be listed for only one inch, and in those cases making a 4 inch swatch is still advisable. Just multiply the number of  stitches per inch by 4  to determine your cast-on number and you’ll be ready to go!

It’s a good idea to knit your swatches with a garter stitch border to prevent curling and to make it easier to measure. Adding a border will mean adding a few more stitches to your cast on. Here’s the break-down of making a swatch for our Knit-Along Mystery Afghan:

We will want to cast on at least 18 sts for our knitted swatch. To create a border we’ll need to add a few stitches. Because we want to have 3 sts of garter stitch bordering the swatch on either side, we’ll add 6 sts.

3 sts garter st + 18 sts stocking st + 3 sts garter st = 24 stitches to cast on.

Here’s the “pattern” for the knitted gauge swatch:

Knit Pattern
Cast on 24 sts.
Knit 4 rows.
Continue as follows:
1st row: (WS). K3. P18. K3.
2nd row: Knit.
Rep these 2 rows for 4” [10 cm].
Knit 4 rows. Cast off.

Making a crocheted gauge swatch

Using the yarn and hook recommended in the pattern, chain enough stitches to create a swatch (or piece of fabric) at least 4 in (10 cm) wide. Why 4 inches? Most patterns, as well as yarn ball bands state a gauge measured over 4 in (10 cm). A larger swatch will be more accurate, but use your own discretion. Sometimes the gauge will be listed for only one inch, and in those cases making a 4 inch swatch is still advisable. Just multiply the number of  stitches per inch by 4 to determine the number of stitches over 4 inches. For our sample swatch pattern, we will add one stitch to each side of the swatch.

14 stitches needed to make 12 dc + 2 extra edge stitches  

Here’s the “pattern” for the gauge swatch for the Crochet-Along Mystery Afghan:

Crochet Pattern
Ch 16.
1st row: 1 dc in 4th ch from hook (missed ch 3 counts as 1 dc). 1 dc in each ch to end of chain. Turn. 14 dc.
2nd row: Ch 3 (counts as dc). 1 dc in each dc to end of row. Turn.
Rep last row until work measures approx 4” [10 cm].
Fasten off.

Measuring your gauge swatch

Now that we have a nice little sample, we need to measure it. Lay your swatch down flat (on something solid – your couch won’t do!) and go get yourself a ruler.

Place your ruler horizontally across one row being careful not to stretch or distort your swatch. Now start counting! Some people count stitches within 2″ [5 cm], though counting over 4″ [10 cm] will be more accurate. Try to count your stitches in a few different spots, perhaps turning your work upside down to make sure you get an over-all average. The number of stitches you count over 4″ is your “personal” gauge or tension.

Knit

In this image, there are 12 stitches (stocking stitch) over 4 inches

Crochet

In this image, there are 12 stitches (single crochet) over 4 inches

Now count your stitches vertically to find your row gauge.

Knit

In this image, there are 13 rows over 4 inches

Crochet

In this image, there are 13 rows over 4 inches

So what happens if you don’t get exactly 18 sts and 24 rows (or 12 double crochet and 7 rows)? If you get more stitches than the suggested gauge, your finished project will end up smaller than it should be and the fabric you produce will be denser than it should be and you may require more yarn than stated. If you get less stitches than the suggested gauge, your finished project will end up larger than it should be and the fabric you produce will be looser than it should be. Even a variation of half a stitch makes an obvious difference in the finished size. What to do?

If you’re getting too many stitches, go up a needle or hook size. Let’s say you count 20 sts on your 5 mm needles. Try making another swatch using 5.5 mm needles/hook and count again. If you’re getting too few stitches (say, 16 sts), go down a needle or hook size. Keep changing needle or hook sizes until you get that magic number!

What about row gauge? In most cases, matching the row gauge of a pattern isn’t deathly important. If you get your stitch gauge, chances are your row gauge is pretty darn close, so don’t sweat it!

This is just one method for testing gauge. Do you have your own tip or trick for checking gauge? Let us know in the comments!

Before we begin, let’s look at what you need for your afghan.

Anthony Noberini, Design Director for Home at Waverly, discusses Waverly’s history, “lifestyles” and how to choose the  lifestyle that’s right for you. Zoe Nemetz, Home Product Designer at Waverly,  will show us photographs of various living rooms and how to choose shades for  your afghan so you pick the perfect colors to complement your home!

If you’re new to our Waverly for Bernat Mystery Knit-along and Crochet-along, visit us on the Bernat Forums for information on how to get started!

Bernat Blog (BB): Can you tell us a little about the history of Waverly?

Anthony Noberini (AN): Waverly has always been a premier decorator brand, established in 1923. Close to 89 years later, we continue to produce great designs, fantastic fabrics, and we are still known as one of the most important design houses for innovation and affordable fabrics.

BB: The Waverly for Bernat yarn shades were chosen to perfectly match specific Waverly fabrics. Why did Waverly decide to expand into the yarn world?

AN: Our strength in color palettes is one of the reasons why we decided to move into the yarn market. We wanted to work with a leader in the industry that can offer the consumer the option of color coordination, suitable for any decor. We want to offer knitters and crocheters the option of creating additional decorative products, handcrafted by themselves, in our up-to-date color palettes. Whether it’s an afghan, knit throw, accessory pillow, or craft project with the kids, we want the consumer to feel confident and comfortable with their color choices.

BB: Waverly fabrics and Waverly for Bernat yarns are organized into “lifestyles.” What are these, and why does Waverly organize its products this way?

AN: Our lifestyles are a simple way of describing the Waverly home decor styles. We all have very different tastes when it comes to our homes and decorating, so we have captured six ‘themes’ or ‘looks’ and most of us fit into a particular category.

BB: Currently Waverly for Bernat offers four lifestyles: Past Perfect, Beautiful Things, Town and Country, and Simplicity. What inspired them, and what sort of person do you envision using each?

AN: The visions behind the individual lifestyles are simple. We are focusing on four key lifestyles for the moment with Waverly for Bernat.

We start with Past Perfect, which represents a vintage chic ideal. Linen, cotton blends, fabrics that have a worn, ‘broken in’ quality, can be found in the Past Perfect lifestyle. The print quality on the fabrics often has a distressed look to create an aged feel to the design.

This consumer is a bit more casual and laid back, and they want their environment to feel comfortable and familiar. When describing this lifestyle I always say, think of that favorite, comfortable, weekend sweater you like to wear. This lifestyle should give you the same feeling!

Next is Beautiful Things, a lifestyle which leans heavily on the floral theme. Many of these florals can feel classic, but of the late, we have been developing newer looks, such as floral designs in watercolor techniques and more impressionistic florals. We have been pairing these florals with crisp stripes and more graphic prints to create an updated look.

This consumer is more traditional; she tends to be feminine and romantic in her decorating choices.

Town and Country is one of my favorite lifestyles. Here we explore the richness the brand has to offer. The color palette is very rich, deep and jewel in tone; more regal tones come to mind for Town and Country.

The consumer again is classic in their home style, but more opulent in their decor decisions.

Simplicity explores the complete opposite end of the spectrum from Town and Country. This is our pure, zen lifestyle. Cotton blends, linen-like weaves, and nature-inspired prints, such as leaves and branches, call this lifestyle home. Neutrals and calming, soft hues in pale mist blues, soft celadons and neutrals round out the color story for this lifestyle.

This consumer wants a serene abode, where the hectic, chaotic part of their lives is left at the door; they want to enter into a peaceful, calming sanctuary.

BB: What are some of the initial considerations that should go into selecting shades for a room?

AN: There are many considerations that go into selecting colors for your rooms and it can become overwhelming if you allow it to. Ask yourself: do you like a more classic/traditional design, or do you lean more modern? Do you like both styles mentioned and feel your eclectic side suits you best? There is no wrong answer and you must feel comfortable in your home! When selecting shades for a room, choose tones that make you feel good. Modern spaces don’t have to be filled with bright colors, and traditional spaces don’t need to be all neutral.

BB: How do you create and use ‘mood’ in a room?

AN: Balance and contrast work well when creating ‘mood’ in an environment. Dark tones can look great with an accent of a bright color or a soft, pale neutral. Some simple solutions to create ‘mood’ are using various tones of the same color to create a tranquil environment.

Various shades of white can create a clean, tranquil feeling. Make sure the white tones aren’t too bright or cool, no one likes a too sterile looking environment! Classic colors having the same grayness can create a wonderful, comfortable living space.

These projects should be enjoyable, so have fun with them and don’t stress!

Choosing Shades From a Room

BB: Zoe Nemetz gives us some great tips on how to match the shades of yarn to colors in a room. She shows us some living rooms and the shades she would pick for matching afghans, and lets us know what inspired each shade!

If you were to use the recommended shades for each afghan, the shade ratio would look like this:

These are the general “feels” of each shade.

Crochet Afghan
Main Color (MC) 55008 Birch White – Background color
Contrast A (55200 Aqua Frost – Main color story. A, B, and C should work well together.
Contrast B (55630 Butter) – See A.
Contrast C (55010 Colonial Beige) – See A.
Contrast D (55290 Turtle Green) – Accent shade. Should contrast A/B/C and not be too close in value and shade to them.

Knit Afghan
Contrast A (55500 Porcelain Red) – Highlight shade. It is possibly one of the most prominent shades in the afghan, and will also be used as the border to frame the afghan.
Contrast B (55425 Bitter Rose) – B, C, D, and E are intended to be “mellow blends.” They should go well with each other and contrast nicely with A. The effect of all these shades together is the look of a time-worn quilt.
Contrast C (55615 Sundrift) – See B.
Contrast D (55460 Pink Suede) – See B.
Contrast E (55250 Irish Moss) – See B.

With that in mind, we’ve made images with Zoe’s recommended shades so you can see exactly how much of each will be used in the afghans.

Rooms with a ‘Waverly’ Feel (Knit)

Zoe Nemetz (ZN): The lifestyle most associated with this living room would be Town and Country. The color and mood of the room reflect the Town and Country color palette and create a warm and inviting environment with a classic feel.

To choose shades for this room, use the décor already in the room and draw inspiration from the colors by pulling out key accents.

Contrast A: 55014 Stone Brown. The main color using the wall paint color and the overall colors in the room.
Contrast B: 55135 Classic Navy. B and D are colors that work well with Contrast A.
Contrast C: 55011 Antique.
Contrast D: 55540 Gypsy Gold. A perfect addition as it lightens up the room and is placed in key spots in the room – the couch, floor, and lighting.
Contrast E: 55530 Tibetan Red. An accent shade drawn from the accent pillows.

Rooms With Many Colors (Knit)

ZN: Based on the use of decorative accents throughout the room and the wall color, the lifestyle associated with this living room would be a combination of Beautiful Things and Town and Country.

To choose shades from this room, use the most prominent décor as a starting point. Then pick up smaller accents that add to the atmosphere.

Contrast A: 55640 Gypsy Gold. Featured on the walls, it’s the most prominent color in the room.
Contrast B: 55500 Porcelain Red. Accents throughout the room. Found on the chair cushions and decorative accessories.
Contrast C: 55615 Sundrift. Works well with the room and doesn’t overpower, found in the sofa’s color.
Contrast D: 55011 Antique. Accents throughout the room, see Contrast B.
Contrast E: 55135 Classic Navy. Accent shade that brings the room together with a dark pop of color.

Rooms With Minimal Color (Crochet)

ZN: The mood of the room is simple and serene and is most associated with Simplicity. Since the palette is simple, look for the colors that pop against the neutrals. The pillows, greenery, and artwork all have decorative elements.

Main Color: 55008 Birch White. The main color of the room is white, a logical choice for the main color of the afghan.
Contrast A: 55200 Aqua Frost. A, B, and C all work nicely together without competing. The shades are drawn from the accent pillows.
Contrast B: 55630 Butter. See above.
Contrast C: 55010 Colonial Beige. See above.
Contrast D: 55290 Turtle Green. A strong accent shade, the greenery in the room adds a pop of color and works well with the room.

BB: Thank you very much, Zoe and Anthony, for taking the time to give us these shade-hunting tips!

Hopefully you (the reader!) will now feel confident enough to choose your own shades. If you need help visualizing the shades together check out My Palette, and if you aren’t finding the perfect combination, we have a list of recommended shade combinations for each lifestyle in knit (PDF, 140KB) and crochet (PDF, 150KB)! Come on over to the Bernat Forums, where we’ll be talking about our shade choices! Share with us what you chose, and get to know some of the other participants.

Photo Credit
Knit Afghan 1 – Living Room by theswedish
Crochet Afghan 1 – My living room by Sammylee
Knit Afghan 2 – Living Room xmas 2007 by JAGwired

1/17/12 Editor’s note: The crochet percentage previously posted was incorrect; there is more of the Main Color and less of Contrast D than previously stated. We apologize for this error and the images have been fixed. This image had no influence on the number of balls required, so the afghan yarn requirements remain the same.

My Christmas sweater is FINISHED, and I can now wear it to all the holiday parties I will be attending this year.  Woo Hoo!

Using Bernat “Happy Holidays” yarn, I made the Yoke Sweater, which was designed for Bernat Softee Chunky yarn.

My sweater is so sparkly and fun to wear.  I just love it!

After completing the yoke, I got to work on the collar, knitting it in the round with a 16″ circular needle.  I didn’t make it as long as the directions called for, because I have a short neck.  The collar went very quickly, and it was fast work to fold it inside and attach it securely.

Now, I have the Christmas sweater I’ve always dreamed of.  Thank you Bernat Yarn!

- Shandeh

I am having SO much fun doing the fair-isle yoke on my Bernat Yoke Sweater. I am using Bernat “Happy Holidays” yarn, in Twinkly White, Silvered Red, and Glittery Green.

After knitting all that white yarn for the body of the sweater, it is very satisfying to bring on the color!  The red and green yarns just POP against the white background.

Before I actually got started knitting the fair-isle yoke, I decided to re-educate myself on the Fair-Isle Knitting techniques I have learned.  I took a class a few years ago, and it helped me understand how to do colorwork better.  There was a handbook for that class, and I also have some other books on Fair-Isle as well.

After reading for a while, I felt better about getting started.  I decided to use the two hand technique, with the right hand knitting English style, and the left hand knitting Continental.  I place the colored yarn in my left hand, so it will stand out in the foreground of my knitting, and the white yarn stays in my right hand, so it will sit behind the stitches, to let the colors shine.  I made a video that shows how I do this:

It didn’t take long for me to get in the hang of things, and I was able to finish the yoke in just a few days!

Next, I will be adding the collar, using green yarn.

Check back to see the finished sweater next time!

- Shandeh

We are starting to get to the fun part now. Woo Hoo! Time to join all the parts together, and get started on the colorful yoke. Exciting!

For the next while, I will be knitting round and round, like an ice skater spinning around a frozen lake. What a lovely thought.

Check back next time to see the festive colors being added to the yoke!

- Shandeh