Joining Techniques
Afghan blocks or strips can be joined by sewing or crocheting them together. Crocheting generally gives a stronger, more stable seam, while sewing often produces a lighter, less bulky seam.Let's look at some of the most common joining methods for afghan pieces. You can choose a specific type of joining depending on the look you want or the strength that your afghan design needs.
Whipstitch in One Loop
Perhaps the most common sewing method for joining afghan pieces is an overhand stitch, or whipstitch. Hold the pieces with right sides together and sew through the back loops only. Sewing through the back loops only gives a pretty result with the remaining loops forming a subtle outline ridge on the right side of the work that defines each block or strip.
Whipstitch in Both Loops
If you prefer not to have a ridged outline around the blocks or strips visible on the front side, sew through both loops of the stitches as shown here.
Single Crochet
For a raised ridge on the right side of your afghan, use a single crochet joining, holding the pieces with wrong sides together. The photo example is worked in the back loops only. This type of joining can also be worked on the wrong side if a decorative raised ridge on the front side of the afghan isn't desired.
Reverse Single Crochet
Joining blocks or strips using reverse single crochet stitches produces a braided cord effect. As the name implies, you are working your single crochet stitches in reverse, or from left to right (right-handed) or right to left (left-handed).
To avoid awkward corners, join enough blocks to form the number of strips needed; then join the strips last.
Slip Stitch on Front Side
This joining creates an attractive chain stitch on the right side of the work. Place the pieces with right sides facing up and edges overlapping. Keeping the yarn behind the pieces, insert the hook through the back loop of each stitch to the back of the work and draw the yarn through all loops to the front of the work.
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Slip Stitch on Back Side
Slip stitching the pieces together from the wrong side will produce an almost invisible joining. This method is faster and easier than sewing and will keep the seams flatter and the stitches more even. Place the pieces together with right sides facing and slip stitch either through the back loops only (as shown in the photo) or through all loops, depending on whether or not you want an outline stitch to be visible on the right side of the work.
Slip stitch on back side Front view of slip stitch on back side.
Slip Stitch & Chain: Joining blocks or strips with this method gives a pretty lattice-type insert between the joined pieces. Holding the blocks or strips with wrong sides together, simply slip stitch back and forth between the pieces, chaining two or three between and skipping one or two stitches on the motifs.
Have fun experimenting with different joining techniques to give your afghans stability and the right finished look. Knowing which technique works best for your project will help produce successful results time after time!
Blocking & Steam Pressing
When an afghan is finished and all ends are carefully and securely woven in, lay it out on a firm, flat surface such as a bed, table or carpeted floor. Examine the afghan to determine whether or not it needs to be blocked or steam pressed. If the afghan puckers or ripples and will not lie flat in spots, it definitely needs help.
Blocking with steam must be done carefully, and it doesn't work with all yarn types. Yarns like angora and other animal fibers should never be exposed to heat and steam or they will "felt," which means they will become hard and stiff. Afghans made with ordinary acrylic yarns will respond well to the steaming technique.
Lay the afghan out flat on the carpet or a bed and shape to desired measurements. Smooth all seams and areas that are puckered or rippled as much as possible with your fingers. Heat the iron to permanent press setting, and with steam on, hold the iron just above the surface of the yarn and allow the steam to penetrate. Move the iron slowly over the surface never actually allowing the iron to touch the yarn. Allow to dry completely before moving.
You can also achieve beautiful results by blocking without the use of steam. As a former professional crochet designer, I always used the following method to block my afghans before sending them in to publishers -- and I always got great results.
Lay the afghan fully out on a bed or clean carpeted floor (but don't stretch it); arrange it into a nice, even shape. Using rust-proof pins, pin all edges down securely around the entire piece. If any stubborn areas don't want to lie down smoothly, adding a few extra pins in these spots usually does the trick.
Using a large spray bottle of chemical-free (bottled) water, mist the piece thoroughly until it is lightly wet (semi-saturated). Use your hand to gently press each area as it is sprayed. It's amazing how just the heat from your skin acts like a low-heat iron of sorts on wet yarn or thread, but without the possible damage to yarn fibers an iron can cause.
After the piece is thoroughly wet down and "hand pressed," have a fan blow on the project until it's completely dry. The results will be beautiful!