Joining Strips for Afghan

[dslp55]

I am currently working on an afghan that is made up of 5 strips, each strip having 6 different patterned squares. Is there anyway to insure that these squares are going to line up and what do you suggest would be the best way to assemble the strips?
Thank you,
Deb

[DorothyDot]

I'll assume you've used the same size needles and same number of rows for each patterned square on each strip - so that the patterned squares are all the same length.

Use bobby pins to join the two strips to be seamed together. Make sure the start/stop of each square matches up the corresponding square on the other strip. Then you can either use a yarn needle with yarn to whip-stitch the two strips together, or you can crochet them together using either a slip-stitch or a single-crochet stitch.

Here's a neat variation - but it would take a bit longer to do: knit a narrow strip of like a neutral color - say black, or red, or white, whatever goes with your squares/strips - in a plain old garter stitch or rib stitch. Then you can simply sew a narrow strip to a patterned strip, using the same bobby-pin technique. And then match a second patterned strip up with the opposite patterned strip on the other side of your narrow strip. So you have your lovely patterned square-strips highlighted by the adjacent narrow strips.

Hope this helps,
Dot

[cam90066]

DorothyDot covered it well but, yes, the key to alignment will be whether the st patts of the adjacent sqs resulted in sqs that are the same sz. They won't align if you have two sqs next to each other that are noticably different in length. I've used both crochet and mattress st to join afghan sqs and each has their place. Whatever you choose to use it needs to be sturdy so there aren't gaps or shifting.

Sometimes you just have to test out diff options and see what you like/don't like. What works for one person might not be what pleases another.

cam

[dslp55]

I'll assume you've used the same size needles and same number of rows for each patterned square on each strip - so that the patterned squares are all the same length.

Use bobby pins to join the two strips to be seamed together. Make sure the start/stop of each square matches up the corresponding square on the other strip. Then you can either use a yarn needle with yarn to whip-stitch the two strips together, or you can crochet them together using either a slip-stitch or a single-crochet stitch.

Here's a neat variation - but it would take a bit longer to do: knit a narrow strip of like a neutral color - say black, or red, or white, whatever goes with your squares/strips - in a plain old garter stitch or rib stitch. Then you can simply sew a narrow strip to a patterned strip, using the same bobby-pin technique. And then match a second patterned strip up with the opposite patterned strip on the other side of your narrow strip. So you have your lovely patterned square-strips highlighted by the adjacent narrow strips.

Hope this helps,
Dot

Thank you so much for the very detailed information. I got this sampler pattern from a yarn store. Each strip is made up of different "patterned squares all using the same yarn and needle. Some patterns though seem to be a little longer or shorter by virtue of the pattern. I think the key is to watch the length of each square and cross my fingers that it will all work out. A little blocking may help too. What do you think?

[cam90066]

What's the fiber content of your yarn? Blocking can do wonders in some instances. I'd opt for blocking the strips before seaming with hopes that'll get any wonky or skewed sqs more aligned with their adjacent ones.

cam

[knitgal]

I have knit a blanket this way too. I started it when I was new to knitting and finished it 9 months later. Needless to say my gauge etc. had changed so some of the squares were different shapes. The main thing was lining them up and sometimes I had to fudge it a little by skipping a bump or two when seaming (I used mattress stitch). Don't worry about it too much either because it's super easy to take out a bit of it and re-do it.
Blocking helped a LOT too. I stretched and pulled some of the smaller squares and try to squish together some of the big ones. You can't tell some of them are different sizes now.