I found this afghan in an old house where a tag sale of odds and ends was in progress. Hardly anyone was venturing to the second floor, where the rooms that had been bedrooms were nearly empty. Hidden away in a cardboard box tucked into a dusty corner was this remarkable find. It’s obviously handmade by someone who put a great deal of labor and love into it. It’s quite large–60″ by 80″–and it’s composed of 300 crocheted squares. I had to rescue it, though my taste usually runs to more restrained effects.
Not only does it feature a riotous assortment of colors, it also uses ombre and multicolored yarns for some of the squares–as if the patchwork effect of the variously colored squares wouldn’t be eye-catching enough.
Green ombre . . .
Yellow-orange ombre . . .
Gray ombre . . .
Rainbow multi . . .
Red, white, and black multi . . .
These are granny squares, but solid granny squares, unlike the lacier ones frequently seen in afghans. Here’s a good look at how the squares of various colors are arranged–organized but not too organized. Some diagonal rows are all one color, but others are suddenly interrupted by a new color, or just random. Ombre squares, however, seem never to interrupt solid rows or vice versa.
Not too many black squares.
Perhaps the creator wanted to save most of her black yarn to use for this decorative border.
It wasn’t until I spread it out on my sofa to get a good photo of the whole thing that I realized the squares had been arranged to form a striking chevron design.
Truly a remarkable tour de force!