Another Project Completed......

I must be an English teacher or something. I fretted and fretted (for about 2.5 seconds) about whether to entitle this post "Another Project Completed" or "Another Completed Project."

When I made an afghan a couple of months ago, Hubby intimated that he wanted it. I think he only said that because I told him I was going to put it in the auction at next year's Nash Bash, our family reunion. But my mind was made up, so I told him I would make one for him.

I had a relatively easy pattern called "Burgundy Expressions," and I had a ton of leftover burgundy yarn from another (never completed) project. I'm guessing it was meant to be.
Hubby said he would need something to keep warm with after he retires, and this is the perfect lap size. Good thing he doesn't have an enormous lap; I'd have to make another one.

To tell you the truth, I wasn't crazy about the pattern when I started it. I have a hard time making the stitch count come out right in rows. Blocks and hexagons (next project) I can handle, but the rows come up either a stitch or two short or long. Either way, the afghan begins to look retarded.

I always scan the directions for something before I commit to it, just in case there is something I don't understand or think I can't do. If I have to think too hard in order to do something, it stops being relaxing and therapeutic. If I can't crochet while I watch a football game or Dancing with the Stars, it's useless as a hobby.

This pattern was fairly painless, until I got all the way to the end. I didn't have a good picture of the finished product, so I couldn't tell what they were talking about on the border.
It's hard to tell in this (crappy) picture, but there is a row of off-white scallops BEHIND the burgundy scallops (which are actually called shells).

I often have a hard time with crochet instructions, because I want them to tell me WHY I'm doing a particular thing, and they never do. They just say things like, "sc in the next sc, skip two stitches, dc in the next sc, repeat until four stitches before the end..." If they would just say to me, "This sc is in the middle of the shell stitch, and THIS one is in between shells....." my life would be so much more orderly. It would make sense. Instead I have to figure out what they are talking about.

All in all I'm pleased with the finished afghan, though, and Hubby can't say I make things for everyone else but him, and I can get on with my NEXT afghan, which involves chunky yarn in a "fisherman" color (isn't it sort of racist to declare fishermen have to be all one color? I'm just sayin'.....), 53 hexagons, curlicues, and a border with a picot stitch.

I'm still struggling with the 53 hexagons. Prime numbers are not my friends.