Customer Reviews

100 Afghan Squares to Knit: Patterns and Instructions for Mixing and Matching Afghan Squares for Blankets and Throws

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

You'll like this book if you're crazy about intarsia knitting. Only a small selection of squares uses pattern instead of colour. Many squares have beads and sequins - I imagine it makes for an interesting-looking but uncomfortable blanket! The individual squares themselves are uninspired - geometric (lots of squares and circles), stripes, simple motifs like hearts and stars. Still, for the price, it's not a bad book. By "for the price" I mean that as of February 2004, you shouldn't have to pay more than US$ 7 for this book - it's been remaindered. I picked up my copy yesterday at a Canadian book superstore for CAD$ 7.50, and there were skids of them.

At first glance, I was very disappointed with this book. The "afghan squares" are mostly pictures such as flowers, shapes, and blocks. All were a bit too 80's for my taste (bright, tacky patterns). The technique section in the back kept this book from being an utter failure in my opinion. This section explains knitting with beads and sequins, working with different colors, and gives tips on blocking and piecing blocks together.

The best thing about this book is that although the squares are put together into specific afghans, there are clear instructions on how to mix and match them to make your own customized afghan. The patterns are all relatively simple and well-explained, and the color combinations are really striking. The only drawback is that all the suggested yarns are made by rowan. The back flap of the book says that the author is a Rowan employee, so it's understandable that she would suggest these yarns, but Rowan yarn is out of the price range of many knitters, especially for the size of an afghan that could cost hundreds of dollars with a yarn like that. But as a starting point for some great combinations, I think it's a great book to have on your shelf for reference! I learned a lot just adapting some of the squares.

This is a lovely book, but the size of the squares, among the different afghans, is not uniform. For instance, the "flower power" afghan squares are 6" x 6", and the "lithograph" afghan squares are 7 1/2" x 7 1/2". If I want to pick a few squares from each afghan and put them together in my own design, it is not possible unless I use a complicated mathematical formula to make the designs fit together, which strains my brain and takes all the fun out of the project. I wish all the squares were designed to be knit the same size, so that I could mix and match effortlessly.

I saw this book in a Rowan magazine and searched it out. Unfortunately, it was not available from the publisher until closer to Christmas. So I waited, and waited, and waited somemore. And boy, I am so glad I did. It is well worth the wait. The patterns are beautifully explained and photographed with complete directions for those who are less experienced. I think it is a must for your collection and by far the most updated styles and patterns. Unlike most Afghan patterns books which all seem to come from the 1970's.

Don't hesitate on this one, buy it now....you won't regret it!!!!

This is truly like no other afghan book I have seen. The photographs and designs inthis book are absolutely beautiful--afghans taken to a new level of art, incorporating buttons, beads, and sequins with unusual patterns and color combinations.

This book also has easy to follow charts and directions. It is a book that even a fairly basic knitter could work with happily!

I have just started knitting the Picnic afghan, starting on p. 87. I just discovered that the directions for the Basketweave square are incorrect. Row 13 -- the purl count in the parentheses should be 5, not 6.

So far, the other squares are fine and it is quite lovely.

The title of this book was misleading, and if you don't know how to do intarsia, you are wasting your time.
And your money.
I am so disappointed in the contents of this book, it's hard to describe.

I got this book from the library initially (have sense ordered my own copy) to make a quick afghan as a graduation present. The patterns are fun to choose from. I didn't try to mix and match yet, so didn't have an issue with square sizes when combining them. However, I did have an issue that options weren't given for smaller size afghans - lap size. You have to make your own call on how many squares to do (and which ones) to make a smaller size blanket. Additionally, I used needles larger than recommended for slightly larger squares that have worked out nicely. I made the "Flower Power" afghan in 6 bright colors - mixed and matched for the stripes and flowers and did one solid of each color. The larger needles made the squares approximately 10 inches each. I am very happy with my results and am looking forward to starting another one. I will, however (thanks to another review) be careful to watch that my squares are the same size if I mix patterns.

I found this book not only a great book for different knitting patterns for afghan squares, but an color inspiration on what colors compliment others and how to combine different patterns in the same afghan. Love it.