MysteryGhan now named Octo’Ghan! We have come to the final Week of our Mystery’Ghan 2020 – Week 7 and Week 8 clues are posted on Ravelry and you should have received an email and an update in your Ravelry library. There were a couple of typos in the first version so I’ve already updated with a version 2. This week we tackle the border, and there are three options to choose from. Option 1 is for a 3.5 inch border and good if you are using the Stone Washed XL yarn pack and have limited yarn remaining. Option 2 is for a deeper border that can be expanded as large as you like. After I completed my afghan with Option 2, I realized I had too many stitches in each round as I had miscalculated the rate of increase needed for an octagon blanket. As my testers worked out Option 2, I saw that an Option 3 could happen, with Jacob’s Ladder braided stitch in the corners. I think it looks cute either way! Can’t wait to see what you all come up with, please share photos in the Ravelry thread and the Facebook CAL group . Join in and add to the chat!

Thanks to everyone who orders their yarn through my links. It really brightens my day when I see that someone thought of me before ordering. I get notifications of the date and amount, but of course, I do not know who placed the order so I am grateful to you anonymous kind people. If you are thinking of ordering online from  Wool Warehouse, Lion Brand Yarn,  Yarnspirations, Deramores, or KnitPicks/WeCrochet, please click this or any of my links or banners and I will get credit.

Don’t forget to post a photo of your finished MysteryGhan on your Ravelry project page, and I will send you the pattern free for JulieAnny Granny Blanket, our next CAL beginning February 28, 2020. For the JulieAnny Granny as written, you will need 12 skeins of Color Made Easy by Lion Brand Yarn, (5 Birch, 4 Malachite, 2 Blue Moon, 1 Kingfisher.) For a second version with 12 squares of 16 inches each, you will need 20 skeins of Knit Picks Brava Bulky (4 skeins Cobblestone Heather, 4 skeins Silver, 4 skeins Dove Heather, 4 skeins Denim, and 4 skeins Sky.)

Week 6 of our Mystery’Ghan 2020 is posted on Ravelry and you should have received an email and an update in your Ravelry library. This week we tackle the join. I added some photos in the Ravelry thread and the Facebook CAL group to help. Join in and add to the chat! I love to see what you come up with.

Thanks to everyone who orders their yarn through my links. It really brightens my day when I see that someone thought of me before ordering. I get notifications of the date and amount, but of course, I do not know who placed the order so I am grateful to you anonymous kind people. If you are thinking of ordering online from  Wool Warehouse, Lion Brand Yarn,  Yarnspirations, or KnitPicks/WeCrochet, please click this or any of my links or banners and I will get credit.

Stay tuned – this CAL is winding down – border next week!

Week 4 and 5 of our MysteryGhan 2020 are now available for download on Ravelry. Free sign-up ends today, but if you have downloaded the pattern you will receive updates at no charge. Any problems let me know. I will usually post the clue at 11 PM EST the day before so that we all have the clue in our hands on Friday; remaining clues every Friday until Feb 14. (I am planning to combine Clue 7 and 8 but not sure yet.)

This week we have a surprise! Can’t wait to see what you all come up with.

Tips, sharing, photos, and chatting are in full swing on my Ravelry Board and my Facebook Crochet-Along Group. The pattern is presented as a Mystery, so please do not post spoiler photos in the first photo of your project or on the boards except in designated spots.

While you are here on the blog, please clink on my links to purchase yarn and I will receive a commission. Yarn Packs are available in my Designer Store at Deramores. Click into the site from here, buy anything, and I will get credit, thanks! I also have an affiliate relationship with Wool Warehouse, Lion Brand Yarn,  Yarnspirations, and KnitPicks/WeCrochet.

Happy Valentine’s Day! Here is a free Coupon Code for Heart to Heart Afghan Block, good until end of February 2020: HEART. If you finish the block, please make a Ravelry project page or share photo on social media.

Week Three of our MysteryGhan 2020 is now available for download on Ravelry, still free with Coupon Code Mghan2020 until January 31, 2020.  I will usually post the clue at 11 PM EST the day before so that we all have the clue in our hands on Friday; remaining clues every Friday until Feb 21.

Tips, sharing, photos, and chatting are in full swing on my Ravelry Board and my Facebook Crochet-Along Group. The pattern is presented as a Mystery, so please do not post spoiler photos in the first photo of your project or on the boards except in designated spots.

Pattern is free with Coupon Code during the CAL until January 31, 2020. Code is Mghan2020, enter as prompted on the Ravelry purchase link. While you are here on the blog, please clink on my links to purchase yarn and I will receive a commission. Yarn Packs are available in my Designer Store at Deramores. Click into the site from here, buy anything, and I will get credit, thanks! I also have an affiliate relationship with Wool Warehouse, Lion Brand Yarn,  Yarnspirations, and KnitPicks/WeCrochet.

Week One of our MysteryGhan 2020 is now available for download on Ravelry, still free with Coupon Code Mghan2020 until January 31, 2020. If you downloaded the Mini-Clue, then you have already received your update notification. I will usually post the clue at 11 PM EST the day before so that we all have the clue in our hands on Friday.

Clue Schedule:

Week 1 – January 3, 2020

Week 2 – January 10, 2020

Week 3 – January 17, 2020

Week 4 – January 24, 2020

Week 5 – January 31, 2020

Week 6 – February 7, 2020

Week 7 – February 14, 2020

Week 8 – February 21, 2020

Tips, sharing, photos, and chatting are in full swing on my Ravelry Board and my Facebook Crochet-Along Group. The pattern is presented as a Mystery, so please do not post spoiler photos in the first photo of your project or on the boards except in designated spots.

Pattern is free with Coupon Code during the CAL until January 31, 2020. Code is Mghan2020, enter as prompted on the Ravelry purchase link. While you are here on the blog, please clink on my links to purchase yarn and I will receive a commission. Yarn Packs are available in my Designer Store at Deramores. Click into the site from here, buy anything, and I will get credit, thanks! I also have an affiliate relationship with Wool Warehouse, Lion Brand Yarn,  Yarnspirations, and KnitPicks/WeCrochet. 

Pattern in an aran-weight yarn requires about 3200 yards for a finished size of 66” square. In dk weight, less yarn is needed but the sizing will be smaller, about 44″ square, but I have worked out an adaptation for a 44″ x 54″ rectangle version. Will also suggest border enlargement ideas at the end.

Pattern consists of many motifs with a simple join and a surprise ending. Designed for the intermediate crochet or advanced beginner – some post stitches, popcorns, and interesting techniques, but mostly easy, like all my patterns.

Please make a Ravelry project page and spread the word on social media! Use hashtags #crochetalongwithjulieanny #mysteryghan2020 #mghan2020

If you purchase yarn through any of my links, I will receive a commission. Look for good prices at Deramores, Wool Warehouse, Lion Brand Yarn, Yarnspirations, or KnitPicks/WeCrochet. Thanks for thinking of me when you make your next yarn purchase.

Who is ready to Crochet Along with JulieAnny as we work through the eight weeks of Clues in MysteryGhan 2020 beginning January 3, 2020? The Mini-Clue and Intro is now available for download on Ravelry.

Create your own beautiful and unique afghan as you share and chat on my Ravelry Board and my Facebook Crochet-Along Group. The pattern is presented as a Mystery, so please do not post spoiler photos in the first photo of your project or on the boards except in designated spots.

Pattern is free with Coupon Code during the CAL until January 31, 2020. Code is Mghan2020, enter as prompted on the Ravelry purchase link. While you are here on the blog, please clink on my links to purchase yarn and I will receive a commission. Yarn Packs are available in my Designer Store at Deramores. Click into the site from here, buy anything, and I will get credit, thanks! I also have an affiliate relationship with Wool Warehouse, Lion Brand Yarn,  Yarnspirations, and KnitPicks/WeCrochet. I’m a new affiliate at Knit Picks and their new crochet-centered site We Crochet – click here and get a free We Crochet magazine with any $20.00 purchase with code 1MAGFREE at checkout.

Download Mini-Clue/Introduction now and you will automatically receive Ravelry updates each week of the CAL.

Pattern in an aran-weight yarn requires about 3200 yards for a finished size of 66”. In dk weight, less yarn is needed but the sizing will be smaller. You can make as a lapghan or add to border – will suggest at the end.

Pattern consists of many motifs with a simple join and a surprise ending. Designed for the intermediate crochet or advanced beginner – some post stitches, popcorns, and interesting techniques, but mostly easy, like all my patterns.

Please make a Ravelry project page and spread the word on social media! Use hashtags #crochetalongwithjulieanny #mysteryghan2020 #mghan2020

If you purchase yarn through any of my links, I will receive a commission. Look for good prices at Deramores, Wool Warehouse, Lion Brand Yarn, Yarnspirations, or KnitPicks/WeCrochet. Thanks for thinking of me when you make your next yarn purchase.

BAWJ2019 final Block for Week 48 will be released next Monday, 12/9/19.

Come Crochet Along with JulieAnny in January 2020 as I present our 2020 MysteryGhan. This will be my eighth Mystery Afghan since 2011 and I always appreciate your enthusiasm and participation as we crochet along. As you may know, my mystery afghans consist of about eight weeks of clues given without the help of photos as we crochet along to create unique afghans. We will chat on my Facebook Group, “Crochet Along with JulieAnny”, and my Ravelry board. As we finish each week’s clue, we welcome progress photos in a Spoiler thread on Ravelry, and in a reply to a Spoiler message on Facebook. Will explain more as we go along, or check thread for last MysteryGhan – Midday Mandala. Photos are helpful to those who need a visual, but those who love the mystery aspect do not appreciate photos spoiling their fun.

The pattern will be free with Coupon Code on Ravelry, and each week the pattern will be updated with that week’s clue, so you will receive notice of the Ravelry update. The Coupon Code will be revealed on this blog. Not sure of dates yet but stay tuned.

The afghan will consist of multiple motifs with an easy join. You will need about 3200 yards of yarn to complete the afghan. The finished size is about 66 inches long. You can use stash yarn and any type/weight yarn of your choosing, but I will give suggestions and list yarn packs in my Deramores shop. If you plan to purchase yarn online, please go through my links here on the blog to  Deramores, Wool Warehouse, Lion Brand Yarn, or Yarnspirations, and I will receive a few cents commission. Once you get on the website through my link, you can buy anything and I will get credit.

I used seven colors in my Patina colored sample, but you can use from 3 – infinite number of colors. You will need about 3200 yards total (I used about 3024 but to account for tension I add a little.) I would suggest choosing a palette of 5 – 9 colors that you love together. In my “Patina” palette the colors did not have much contrast. The main body of the afghan is like our sampler afghans in that you can change colors every round and choose colors from your palette randomly. You will each make a unique work with your own color selections. The body needs about 2350 yards of assorted colors. The border needs about 900 yards, including 240 yards for join; 325 yards of a dark color; 220 yards of a third color; and 120 yards of a fourth color. The body can consist of all 9 colors and then 4 of those colors can be used for the border/join. The dark color acts like a “ frame.”

Palette suggestions – I will offer these in my Deramores Shop soon.

Patina Colorway:

Scheepjes Stone Washed XL (50 g – 75 m/82 yd) – 40 skeins

8 skeins Lepidolite; 7 skeins Brown Agate; 6 skeins each of Yellow Jasper and Garnet; 5 skeins each of Enstatite and Boulder Opal; 3 skeins Deep Amethyst

Scheepjes Stone Washed (50 g – 130 m/142 yd) – 23 skeins

4 skeins each of Lepidolite, Garnet, Brown Agate, and Boulder Opal; 3 skeins Enstatite; 2 skeins each of Yellow Jasper and Deep Amethyst 

Stylecraft Special Dk (100g – 295 m/322 yd) -11 skeins

2 skeins each of Plum, Walnut, Mocha and Emperor; 1 skein each of Grape, Camel, and Gold

Stylecraft Special Aran (100 g – 196m) -16 skeins

3 skeins each of Plum, Camel, Mocha and Gold; 2 skeins Emperor;

1 skein each of Pale Rose and Dark Brown

Beachy Colorway

Scheepjes Stone Washed XL (50 g – 75 m/82 yd) – 40 skeins

8 skeins Obsidian; 7 skeins Brown Agate; 6 skeins each of Moonstone and Amazonite; 5 skeins each of Blue Apatite and Boulder Opal; 3 skeins Axinite

Scheepjes Stone Washed (50 g – 130 m/142 yd) – 23 skeins

4 skeins each of Obsidian, Moonstone, Brown Agate, and Amazonite; 3 skeins Blue Apatite; 2 skeins each of Axinite and Boulder Opal 

Stylecraft Special Dk (100g – 295 m/322 yd) -11 skeins

2 skeins each of Dark Brown and Stone; 1 skein each of Cream, Storm Blue, Duck Egg, Parchment, Mocha, Walnut, and Denim

Stylecraft Special Aran (100 g – 196m) -16 skeins

3 skeins each of Duck Egg, Parchment, Mocha, and Dark Brown; 2 skeins each of Cream and Storm Blue