Helping Hands for CAL

[pattilettenmaier]

I am at row 5... and the instructions says " Sl st in first ch-5 sp. Ch 4 (counts as dc and ch 1). This is where I am confused...."[1 dc. Ch 2. (1 dc. Ch 1) twice} in the same ch-5 sp. *[1 dc. Ch1. 1 dc. Ch2. (1dc. Ch1) twice) in next ch-5 sp."

Is the parenthesis with "(1 dc. Ch 1) twice" mean that I only do the parenthesis twice? Or does it mean I do the whole sequence in the brackets { & } twice?

This is complicated? Now I know why this is intermediate.....LOL I need this crochet-along for learning to read patterns. I am getting behind and the next clue is intermediate also..
Thanks patti

Help

[bglknitter]

I am at row 5... and the instructions says " Sl st in first ch-5 sp. Ch 4 (counts as dc and ch 1). This is where I am confused...."[1 dc. Ch 2. (1 dc. Ch 1) twice} in the same ch-5 sp. *[1 dc. Ch1. 1 dc. Ch2. (1dc. Ch1) twice) in next ch-5 sp."

Is the parenthesis with "(1 dc. Ch 1) twice" mean that I only do the parenthesis twice? Or does it mean I do the whole sequence in the brackets { & } twice?

This is complicated? Now I know why this is intermediate.....LOL I need this crochet-along for learning to read patterns. I am getting behind and the next clue is intermediate also..
Thanks patti

Help

Only do the part within the parentheses twice ... just like the 'good old days' of Algebra! So glad that you are hanging in and learning!

[karenarp]

... I ran into something else that should be obvious and that is make sure when starting a round in a new spot that you are still on the right side. Found a motiff that had been crocheted on the wrong side when I joined the yarn on the fifth round Happened when putting project aside and picking up later. Am certainly learning a lot!
Thanks for all your help.

A tip I heard of a long time ago has always saved me when I put my work down or have to join a new colour (and put it down before joining)
Look at your work, if the right side is facing you, you will be able to see a braid across the outer / top edge. Now turn it over, now the braid has disappeared.
Basically, look for the braid to find the right side.
I have noticed to be true in everything I have made since I heard of this trick. Go find different crocheted items and check for yourself! Pretty cool eh!?!

[Shandeh]

I am at row 5... and the instructions says " Sl st in first ch-5 sp. Ch 4 (counts as dc and ch 1). This is where I am confused...."[1 dc. Ch 2. (1 dc. Ch 1) twice} in the same ch-5 sp. *[1 dc. Ch1. 1 dc. Ch2. (1dc. Ch1) twice) in next ch-5 sp." ........

Here's my video of Round 5 for Clue #2. Hope it helps!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlJN_TNtvNA

[dcrozier]

... I ran into something else that should be obvious and that is make sure when starting a round in a new spot that you are still on the right side. Found a motiff that had been crocheted on the wrong side when I joined the yarn on the fifth round Happened when putting project aside and picking up later. Am certainly learning a lot!
Thanks for all your help.

A tip I heard of a long time ago has always saved me when I put my work down or have to join a new colour (and put it down before joining)
Look at your work, if the right side is facing you, you will be able to see a braid across the outer / top edge. Now turn it over, now the braid has disappeared.
Basically, look for the braid to find the right side.
I have noticed to be true in everything I have made since I heard of this trick. Go find different crocheted items and check for yourself! Pretty cool eh!?!

I tie (or weave through a stitch) a short piece of "other color" on the front side of all my motifs. It makes it much easier for me to keep up with the front especially when I am getting ready to join them.

[Type1Mom]

... I ran into something else that should be obvious and that is make sure when starting a round in a new spot that you are still on the right side. Found a motiff that had been crocheted on the wrong side when I joined the yarn on the fifth round Happened when putting project aside and picking up later. Am certainly learning a lot!
Thanks for all your help.

A tip I heard of a long time ago has always saved me when I put my work down or have to join a new colour (and put it down before joining)
Look at your work, if the right side is facing you, you will be able to see a braid across the outer / top edge. Now turn it over, now the braid has disappeared.
Basically, look for the braid to find the right side.
I have noticed to be true in everything I have made since I heard of this trick. Go find different crocheted items and check for yourself! Pretty cool eh!?!

I tie (or weave through a stitch) a short piece of "other color" on the front side of all my motifs. It makes it much easier for me to keep up with the front especially when I am getting ready to join them.

I am leaving the tails uncut from my beginning chain/magic circle (whichever you use). For me, it is always on the wrong side. Made it great when I was seaming the last two granny blankets I did.

[karenarp]

I tie (or weave through a stitch) a short piece of "other color" on the front side of all my motifs. It makes it much easier for me to keep up with the front especially when I am getting ready to join them.

I am leaving the tails uncut from my beginning chain/magic circle (whichever you use). For me, it is always on the wrong side. Made it great when I was seaming the last two granny blankets I did.

Learning this braid trick may help you more than you realize in the future, what if you volunteer to put motifs together? what if your other coloured string falls off? What if one time your tail gets moved to the front? There are many reasons I cannot even think of that could come up.

I do use the magic circle and I find sometimes it ends up on the right side, think it depends on how many stitches are placed into the circle?

[karenarp]

I have a few things to point out that is making me wonder about how well the end measurements were taken and double checked!
The two Mystery afghans say they will measure
KAL: Approx 45" x 59" [114.5 x 150 cm].
CAL: Approx 46½" x 62" [118 x 152.5 cm].
Does any one notice that when converted to cm's the CAL is only 2.5 cm longer than the KAL? But when you look at the "'s you can see it is 3 inches longer. (2.5 cm is about = to 1").

Observation 2, according to how many motives we have made so far and squares, almost no matter how you slice it or dice it the official measurements cannot be correct in any way.
For example, if we lay it out like in this photo:

CAL layout question.JPG

Not including any borders, it measures 44" x 66" with enough left over to make a nine patch pillow front.
We could remove 4 motifs off the bottom, but then it would only be 44" x 55" (remember, each clue was to measure 11"). So one way it is too long and the other it would require quite the border to get it to the correct size. Could someone at Bernat with acccess to the real live CAL please go and retake the measurement? If it is correct forget I said anything and I will need to learn patience till all is revealed. If it is incorrect please update this page
http://www.bernat.com/2012mysteryafghan/
That is the page I refer to most often other than the individual clue pages.
Now, admittedly, I could have done something wrong myself when I was making all the clues and not made enough or made too many ...

[dogfoster]

think you are missing some big motifs and little motifs with your schematic.
Clue 6-#6
2-6
3-6
5-#6 so #24 large ones all together per patterns?

Small motifs
clue 4 #12
1-12 so 24 small ones per patterns?

Please check the motif counts though, I may be wrong, I am exhausted.

ETA, sorry, I think I just noticed the other four big ones in your plan, are they the light ones in the corners?

Maybe it is in rows of 2,4,6,6,4,2
then they stick a lot of those little extra motifs around the edges to even it out? Sure will be fun to see!

[sethsmom2000]

I have a few things to point out that is making me wonder about how well the end measurements were taken and double checked!
The two Mystery afghans say they will measure
KAL: Approx 45" x 59" [114.5 x 150 cm].
CAL: Approx 46½" x 62" [118 x 152.5 cm].
Does any one notice that when converted to cm's the CAL is only 2.5 cm longer than the KAL? But when you look at the "'s you can see it is 3 inches longer. (2.5 cm is about = to 1").

Observation 2, according to how many motives we have made so far and squares, almost no matter how you slice it or dice it the official measurements cannot be correct in any way.
For example, if we lay it out like in this photo:

CAL layout question.JPG

Not including any borders, it measures 44" x 66" with enough left over to make a nine patch pillow front.
We could remove 4 motifs off the bottom, but then it would only be 44" x 55" (remember, each clue was to measure 11"). So one way it is too long and the other it would require quite the border to get it to the correct size. Could someone at Bernat with acccess to the real live CAL please go and retake the measurement? If it is correct forget I said anything and I will need to learn patience till all is revealed. If it is incorrect please update this page
http://www.bernat.com/2012mysteryafghan/
That is the page I refer to most often other than the individual clue pages.
Now, admittedly, I could have done something wrong myself when I was making all the clues and not made enough or made too many ...

First, I think your possible layout looks awesome! Very exciting, although I agree with the other poster that you seem to be missing some of the small squares.

Second, though, I'm not sure what the problem is with the size. Does it really matter at this point in the game? Odds are we'll be seaming them together next week, unless we have a catch up week before seaming, and then we'll know for sure how big the main part of the afghan is going to be.

My theory on all of this is to relax and let the mystery unfold. This is supposed to be fun!