Knitch Magazine

Title:

Author: Bendy Carter

Date Published: 2011

Review Date: December 1, 2011

Who is this book for?

Five crocheted lap-robe sized picture afghans are included in Bendy Carter’s new book, Charted Picture Afghans. The projects are rated for intermediate skill levels, or those who can execute single and double crochet and read a chart. Five charming designs are suitable for home décor, baby or personal gifts.

What Yarn Does it Feature?

These 5 beautiful crocheted afghans, each with a unique fringe, are all stitched using medium (worsted) weight yarn. All projects are worked at a gauge of 12 stitches over 4 inches. No brand names are suggested, but each pattern includes yardage requirements. Choose your favorite fiber and color and size I crochet hook for any project in the book. When choosing yarn for these projects, it is best to avoid tweedy, textured and multicolored yarns because they will obscure the picture motifs. Stick with plied or roving yarns in solid, preferably light to mid-toned colors that will reveal the pictures to their best advantage.

What's Inside

Five projects, in sizes ranging from 35" x 46" to 45" x 58" excluding fringe are presented in Charted Picture Afghans. Each blanket has a distinctive fringe treatment, but you can use any of them interchangeably, as well as on other projects. Easy to follow charts are included for each crochet design including the alphabet for the monogram afghan. Other afghans included are My Prayer, African Safari, Lost Shoe & Mittens and Quick & Easy Cables.

Using It

Picture afghans are made using line art crochet. This is a technique that uses double crochet stitches in contrast to single crochet. The stiches create a picture and are made following a chart much like cross stitch. Each row of crochet is worked separately. All the work is done on the right side and the work is never turned. Each row starts and ends with a 12-inch strand of yarn that is used to form the fringe. There is a brief introduction to line art crochet in the book, and detailed instructions with a short instructional video are also available on the Annie’s Attic website. You can easily locate the tutorials under the Stitch Guide tab. Look for Crochet Stitches and click on Charted Picture Afghans for the video. Hint: to keep track of rows, you might consider enlarging the patterns and using highlighter tape available at your local school supply store to mark the rows. Be sure to check each row as you go to avoid the heartburn of ripping several rows of misaligned stitches.

Best Advice

Charted Picture Afghans introduces a new technique with loads of possibilities for adaptation. Use any of the five fringe styles in other projects. Create other crochet projects like dish cloths, hand towels, coasters, and placemats or table runners using the line art crochet method. You will have to use cotton materials for some of these projects, and find appropriately sized charts. Use one or two repeats of the cable motif to embellish a small coaster or placemat. You can also convert any of the brocade alphabets into a table runner. The letters of the alphabet are worked over 46 stitches high by 36 to 60 stitches wide. Using the recommended gauge of 12 stitches over 4 inches, a single letter monogram would be at least 16 inches wide and up to 20 inches long, exclusive of fringe and border rows. Create a changing pad for baby using one of the motifs in the baby afghan.

Recommendation

The line art construction method is an interesting challenge and diversion; one that may bring you renewed enthusiasm for crochet. Make a cherished and personalized afghan using this technique. The design choices are wide enough to appeal to anyone, especially the lovely monogram blanket. After you make one, you can continue through the alphabet or make one of the other projects that are suitable for any purpose.

Overall Recommendation

Charted Picture Afghans rates # 8. It is a compact collection of beautifully designed afghan patterns done in a relatively simple technique.