Log Cabin Afghan- Part One

A while back I book marked this project I saw at Purl Soho for a Log Cabin blanket. I think what appealed to me were a) the warm, natural colors of the yarn and b) the sort of modern/minimal/geometric feel to the blanket. Recently when I began looking around for an afghan pattern, I suddenly remembered it and knew that it was just the thing I was looking for.

With that decided, I spent 2 ½ wonderful hours wandering around Michael’s yesterday and found the yarn I’ll be using. My requirements for this project are that the yarn be bulky (it’ll be a gift for someone in the North Star State) and low-maintenance (in other words it has to be machine washable and dryable). Although I like using natural fibers like wool or cotton, this afghan needs to be something they can simply throw in the laundry and not worry about. What I found that meets these needs is Michael’s Loops and Threads Charisma. To start my project, I picked up skeins in copper and brown, and I think I’ll also be using beige, gray and navy in some of the future blocks.

This morning, I spent a couple hours planning out the exact dimensions I want this afghan to be. And yes, I’m not following a pattern. I’ll actually be devising my own as I go along.

Here are two images from my planning this morning. The first is the “drawing” I did to plan out the color scheme. It was also helpful for showing my hubby what I’m thinking. The second is the exact dimensions I want each block to be. I noticed that pattern changed a little when I went from drawing it to graphing it out, so I’m glad I went through that extra step of planning.

Next up, I want to crochet a test swatch and make sure I settle on the gauge I want.