Restoring fire-damaged vintage afghan
Finished
July 30, 2025
September 3, 2025

Restoring fire-damaged vintage afghan

Project info
Crochet
Tammy E.
Hooks & yarn
2.5 mm
3.25 mm (D)
3.5 mm (E)
Salvaged yarn from project
Notes

07-27-2025

Picked up from Tammy’s and took photos.
12 squares x 7 squares, 44” x 26”

07-28-2025

Forum post requesting advice before I start: https://www.ravelry.com/discuss/ends/topics/4369854

07-30-2025

First I will remove the border to salvage as much of the white yarn as possible.

Based on input from the forum:
. Remove top 3 rows and bottom 3 rows and join together for a 7 squares x 6 squares blanket.
. Remove the damaged squares and REPLACE with squares from the undamaged top/bottom/side.

Border repeat: sc, sk 2sts, 3dc,picot,3dc, sk 2 sts REPEAT (over 6 sts)
Corners: 4dc,picot,4dc

I think the pattern might be this one, although it was published in 1982 and Tammy thinks the blanket was made in either 1971 or 1972. Ravelry link, website link.

08-02-2025

Continued working on removing the damaged bits.

08-03-2025

Worked most of the day on fixing the partially damaged squares. Spent an hour or so steaming the yarn, because using it curly was making it look messy, plus it was difficult to hold.

Got Tammy’s approval on the 8x9 formation when I put it back together.

08-04-2025

Hopefully I’ll get to work on this on my lunch break. I want to finish repairing the squares so I can start putting it together again.

08-07-2025

So it turns out steaming the yarn changed the texture of it, so it isn’t going to work. I need to undo all (or almost all) I’ve already repaired, because I’m just not thrilled with it. In the yarn that matches the best in terms of texture and size, there is no exact match. It’s between a white and an ivory. I think white matches the best, but I need to check with Tammy.

08-10-2025

With the ILTY dk, I’m only doing hdc instead of DC and I’m using a 3.25mm hook.

08-11-2025

Spent the morning undoing the repairs I’d already made. I’m sad because I really wanted to reuse as much of the original as possible. But it just doesn’t seem durable enough in the blanket. Maybe I can make something else with those parts??

08-23-2025

Finally got the three sections on the blocking board. They look so nice all stretched out. I decided to skip steaming, and I just sprayed them with hot water from a spray bottle. I made sure they were pretty wet, but the water didn’t stay hot for more than a few seconds. I think steaming my work that way too, but I’m hoping this is enough. Maybe I’ll spray them one more time in the morning, and let them stay on the board for another day.

08-25-2025

Not sure if I just don’t do blocking aggressively enough or if an inch shrinkage all around when removed from the pins is normal. I definitely know I wasn’t aggressive since I didn’t think it was wise to steam them. Maybe when I’m done with the border, I’ll wet it with warm/hot water and block it again.

08-26-2025

For the sc joining, I went down another hook size to a 2.5mm. That seemed the best size.
I got the 3 sections joined as of this morning before work. At this point, it’s 30.75” x 34”
Most sides of the squares have 18 sts, but I counted 1 with 19 sts. That means 162 sts on two sides and 144 on the other two sides.

08-29-2025

Started on the border a few days ago using the 2.5mm hook. That hook seems to be causing the yarn to split a little which is slowing down my progress.

Still need to weave in all the ends that didn’t get securely trapped in the border stitches.

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Finished
July 30, 2025
September 3, 2025
About this pattern
Personal pattern (not in Ravelry)
  • Project created: July 28, 2025
  • Updated: September 4, 2025
  • Progress updates: 4 updates