A Fistful of Hollers

The fringe work on the baby afghan for my grand-nephew is giving me fits.

I've got all 155 pieces for one side attached but not tacked down. I put the last one in last night and at first felt like celebrating but since them I'm spending half my time re-snugging back down the individual pieces that loosen up as I handle the afghan. Several I've had to pull back out and even up the ends and reattach.

After a dozen or so of these frustrating encounters in a two hour time span I wanted to scream.

I have several times had two to four inches or two to twenty fringe pieces tacked down with single crochet or slip stitches using a size 50 crochet thread. But each time something isn't right. Either my stitches were too snug which bunched up the fabric or, and most often, the tacking stitch wasn't catching all of the fringe strands so when I tested it I was able to pull one or more of the three strands out of the fringe.

This won't do if I want this to be a convenient and useful object for an infant. It needs to be safe to throw in the wash.

There has to be a better way.

I'm not sure why I'm having such an issue with it. Maybe I'm working with too short pieces their being only an inch folded over. Or maybe the bamboo thread is too slippery.

I have one more trick up my sleeve. It was Ed's suggestion. I'm going to switch from a size 9 crochet hook to a tapestry needle with the size 50 thread and from crochet stitches to a couching stitch.

Let's hope it works this time. I want to get this project out of my hair. I had hoped to have it in the mail six weeks ago. Spring is nearly over and this is a Spring and Summer weight baby blanket.