The Endless Afghan.....

Every knitter has one. A project that started with high hopes and great enthusiasm that gradually moves into the category of "never ending". Mine is The Great American Aran Afghan.

Oh, it started innocently enough. A casual glance across the table at my LYS. There, sitting in the book/magazine rack was an unassuming little book. It didn't look like much at first. But as I got closer, my pulse quickened and I found myself irresistibly drawn to its cover. Without thinking, I picked it up and opened its pages. In a moment. I fell for it -- hook, line and sinker.

I decided I had to take it home. In anticipation of its arrival, I purchased 25 skeins of a wool/rayon blend in a lovely shade of cream. I thought that the project would be content with my initial outlay.

But once I cast on the first square, I discovered that this project was going to be neither cheap nor easy. This project was high maintenance and would demand much of my time and attention. In short, it required commitment.

My husband, Dan, saw what was happening and tried to intervene. He gently asked me if we truly needed another afghan living under our roof. He pointed out afghans require extra care and consume large amounts of yarn if not carefully measured and calculated. I pondered his comments and decided Dan was probably right. We did have quite a few afghans. I could let this one go and remain free and unencumbered.

But when I tried to put the project aside, I was once again drawn to its sultry, spiraling cables and its subtle hint of lace work. I decided there had to be some way to fit this beauty into my life. And that's when it hit me. The master bedroom in Washington was rather plain.

What if I simply doubled the squares necessary for the project and made a bedspread instead? It would allow the project to grow with our family and fit into our daily life. It truly seemed like a good idea at the time.

I immediately headed back to the yarn shop and spent the afternoon scouring the shop for that last 22 skeins in the same dye lot. The afghan had me where it wanted me!

And so, the endless afghan moved into my life and has been haunting me for the past 16 months. I need to finish this project and be free of its never ending presence......the way that it sits in the basket and reminds me day in and day out that I haven't worked on it for months. So, with the help of this blog I have decided that Sundays will be dedicated to fulfilling its full potential and letting me move on with my life.