Square Guidelines
You might be wondering, Why have guidelines if they're donations? .
It is important to remember
that your donated squares will be assembled with 41 other 6-inch or 7-inch squares or
12 12-inch squares, probably from as many other people, all with their own styles
and creative flares. In order to make sure that the afghans can be assmbled
properly and evenly, each square needs to meet some very basic guidelines.
The following are the square guidelines for
a Comfort Afghan or Comfort Shawl:
The mission of Heartmade
Blessings is simple: to provide a comfortghan to someone who could
use comfort. Every square crocheted with love is
appreciated.
What kind of yarn can I
use?
Please use 4-ply acrylic, worsted-weight
yarn only. No 2-ply or 3-ply. No cotton, no wool, no thread, no
bouclé. Caron, Red Heart, and Wintuk are some of the common brands
used for HMB squares.
What color yarn
should I use?
There is no need to go out and
purchase a particular color, unless you want to. Using colors from
your current stash is perfectly acceptable, as there are plenty of
banked ghans and generic ghans made of any solid or variegated color
(except black).
What colors are least
requested?
Black is never used arbitrarily for a
comfortghan, and solid black squares should never be used in a
comfortghan.
What size are the
squares?
The most common size is a 12" square. It
takes twelve 12-inch squares to make a comfortghan (three squares
across by four squares down). This has become a very manageable
number of squares for most assemblers to work
with.
How do I measure the
square?
Brands of yarn and various colors work up
differently, so it's important to measure each square you make, no
matter how many you've ever made. Use the measuring guide on the
reverse side of this paper. Spread the square on a flat
surface. Don't stretch it; just spread it out. If you're within an
eighth or quarter inch of 12", you're good.
What's all this talk about knots?
Please,
please, please NEVER use a knot anywhere in your squares. When you
begin your square, leave a tail of five or six inches (some people
prefer seven to eight inches), then start your initial chain. When
your square is finished, leave another long tail (six inches, e.g.)
before you cut the yarn. If the manufacturer's skein has a knot in
it, cut it out and treat it as a color change.
How do I weave in the ends?
Use a darning
needle or tapestry needle. In a granny square, for example, the very
end of the last round will end up in a corner. After you've cut the
yarn about 6" long, use the needle and 'sew' the yarn through the
'half moon' section in the corner (just below the corner, actually).
Then skip a stitch and weave the needleback in the other direction.
Pull the area tight -- just a little bit tight -- and cut the yarn.
Then fluff it out and you'll never see the woven end. Be very loose
with the needle; easy does it, as you don't want it to pull too
tightly and ruin the look of the corner. With other types of
patterns, use the needle to 'scootch down' to a lower row, then sew
the yarn about an inch or two in one direction, skip a stitch, and
sew back across in the other direction, then cut the
yarn.
What pattern should I
use?
Pretty much anything goes. The granny square
is a perfect pattern for almost every comfortghan, but any pattern
you're comfortable making, go for it. Remember, you're never
obligated to make any square you're not comfortable making. If you
just want to stick with a granny square pattern, you are more than
welcome to do so.
Can I make a sampler
square?
Yes. If you crochet a sampler square,
please make sure it's a perfect square. If it's 10" vertically and
13" horizontally, it's not a 12" square. Just keep in mind that an
assembler is going to add another round of edging to the sampler
square.
What should my last round look
like?
It needs to be flat on all four sides. You
should end it with a round of sc, hdc, dc, granny clusters, or other
'regular' stitches. Anything frilly or ruffly or a shell-type edging
may work on a completed afghan, but not on an individual square.
Also, it's easier for the assemblers if your square has an uneven
number of stitches in each corner (3 or 5). When your square is
finished, pretend you're going to add another round and look at all
four sides of your square -- will someone else be able to insert a
hook in every stitch? Feel free to leave the tail hanging out
instead of weaving it in. Assemblers are very willing to weave in
the ends after they've edged the square.
It sounds as if my square needs to be absolutely
perfect.
No, not at all. Every square is stitched
with love and we all know it. The individuality of each square,
whether it's simple or complicated, adds to the wonderful variety of
a comfortghan.
What are
tags?
Please do include a tag on each square you
make. It can be your business card, a piece of an index card, a
paper luggage tag, even a small piece of paper - anything, really,
with your name, city and state, and e-mail address. At minimum, your
first name and state.
THANK YOU, each and every square maker,
for all you do on behalf of Heartmade Blessings. Whether you make
one square a year or several a day, your contributions are
appreciated beyond words.
Please send your square donations to: Wanda
Ellis
13 Hawthorne Drive
Durham, NC 27712
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