Joining blocks

[Rachel]

Hi!
As I have been working on my first afghan, I was wondering how does everyone join their blocks? The book says to do it with a yarn needle and whipstitch the blocks together.
Just curious as to what others did.
Rachel

[MommaChelle]

I used to whipstitch my squares together, but then got tired of pre-cutting the yarn and having a long string to work with. So, I worked on making up a new way to join squares. I sc in one stitch for square1, ch3, sc in square2, ch3, skip 2 stitches on square1 and sc in next st, ch3, skip 2 stitches on square 2 and sc in next st, etc. Likewise, for the Christmas Square Swap I did, I joined my squares together by chaining 2 instead of 3, and skipped one stitch instead of 2.

You can see the pictures here:

albums.photo.epson.com/j/...0&res=high (http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/View?u=4114509&a=31105133&p=66931911&Sequence=0&res=high)

albums.photo.epson.com/j/...0&res=high (http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/View?u=4114509&a=31105133&p=67270854&Sequence=0&res=high)

[Julie]

I whipstitch mine together, and actually enjoy it. I lay all the squares out on the floor in the order they will be stitched together in, then tie them together loosely on all the sides where they touch each other. I can carefully pick up the whole thing that way, it is loosely joined and easier to work with. Then, all I have to do is take a really long length of yarn, I find it easiest to use one that is twice as long as the strip I am stitching together, and start joining the squares. By using one long length of yarn for each strip, I don't have to worry about my squares falling apart eventually.

I do have a granny square afghan with gaping holes in it, from my first joining attempt. I should fix it, then either keep it, send it off to a charity, or gift it to a friend. I'll always have the excuse to make another! :laughroll

[Ambersafghans]

MommaChelle explained what is called the join-as-you-go
I do both of those. I like the join-as-you-go best!
Amber

[MommaChelle]

Join as you go? The squares are already complete, I just connect them with chains and single crochets. I dont join them as I make the squares. Though I have heard of people joining the squares as they make them.

[shelbyro]

Hi Chelle--I can't get the picture links to work--Is your method kind of like a zig-zag? Is there too much space between squares (on the seam)? My husband doesn't like getting tangled up in "holey, lacy" blankets :laughroll

I hate joining squares, and your method sounds faster than my usual sc'ing them all together.

[MommaChelle]

Michelle,

Here is a picture of the Christmas Swap Ghan I have, http://www.luv2crochet.com/blog/pics/christmasghansm.jpg, sorry the other links didnt work! I took my ghan out of the closet and took a closeup photo of the chain joining

http://www.luv2crochet.com/blog/pics/chainjoincloseup.jpg

The way I did this joining, I single crocheted in green around each square with 3 sc in each corner, then I joined them in green to keep an even look. I joined my yarn with a single crochet in a corner sc on square1, ch1, sc in corner sc of square2, ch1, skip one sc on square1, sc in next sc of square1, ch1, skip one sc on square2, sc in next sc of square2, ch1.....etc. With the chain 1's, it doesnt leave a big open look at all, but a nice tight look.

If you wanted a bigger space between squares, such as in this ghan I put together http://www.luv2crochet.com/blog/pics/lapghan.jpg, then you would just chain more and skip more stitches. It worked up so much faster for me than doing whipstitching.

When I layed out the squares in the order I wanted to join them in, I would join the top of one square to the bottom of the other. Then I would take the top of that square and join it to the bottom of a new square, etc. I would do that for each row, then after I have my strips all joined, I would join the sides in one long piece.

Hope this helps!

[Julie]

Chelle, thanks for posting those pictures!! Those are beautiful afghans, too. :U

[shelbyro]

Yes, that helps alot--now I am not even dreading putting all my squares together. Both me and my husband will be happy! :wink

[MommaChelle]

Thanks Julie!
Glad I could help Michelle :tup

[Donna]

Your joining is great, Chelle! Thanks for posting the details and pics! :tup

[crochetis4fun]

I just passed up doing a baby afghan, because I didn't want to whipstitch all those blocks together. (80 of them). I really liked Chelle's way of putting them together, I might try that afghan after all:)
Thank you for the ideas!
Joy

[rebeccav]

chelle - thanks for posting those details. i think i will use it to join my 63 squares = i was on the prowl for something because i hated the thought of whipstitching such a pretty ghan. :irk

[kahud48]

I do the same thing, sc-ch----sc-ch---back and forth, but I don't skip a stitch, it tends to make a bobbley textured look, also keeps the squares even with each, better for me.

It is how I put together Vicki's Mil comfortghan. She said she would show pics, then you can see the look that gives to the ghan as well.