GAAA (the Sequel)

When I first launched the online version of our Afghan Course, I decided to cast on and knit with my online students. I wanted to have each square done ahead of them, to refresh my memory (my previous Great American Aran Afghan project was completed 12 years ago) and to make sure I was best preparing them for what lay ahead.

We start with Barbara Selesnick's square, which I dubbed the "heart" square. In my evaluation of all the square we are covering for class, this one is the easiest and presents the most basic cables, which means it is well-suited to those that will be cabling for the first time. 

I whipped this little guy up in about 3 1/2 hours - which means it is completely do-able in a day for most knitters. Of course, I don't use a cable needle to cable, which speeds things up quite a bit. Cabling without a cable needle is one of the key skills we cover inside the course.

I used a wool-lover's wool for this round, and at first I was a little dubious. While knitting the cables, it felt more robust than I had anticipated. My finished square was .... let's say ... hearty. 

But oh, after blocking? 

This baby came out smoooooooth. I have zero sensitivity to wool, so I can use the "heartiest" of hearty yarns and not really notice. But even I was impressed with how absolutely lovely this yarn feels after blocking. And knowing that it has that good 'ole workhorse wool quality, I can be sure that this heirloom will last long enough to actually become an heirloom. 

While I did complete the squares ahead of my students in the 2020/2021 session of class, I stopped before assembling and completing the entire project. Why? Who knows. Why do we ever put down a nearly-completed project??? 

However, thanks to some gentle prodding by KAH staffer Julia, I picked it back up in early Fall this year, and now it is done. And I absolutely love it. If you think this sounds like something you'd like to try, head on over to sign up now. The course begins Jan 5, 2025.