Aran afghan throw - complete

The Aran afghan throw taught me a few things.

1 - How to read a pattern (Aran afghan throw - Free pattern from JoAnns)

2 - Bobble stitch

3 - Front and back post double crochet (not a big fan yet)

4 - Creator's control of design alteration :D

I used Red Heart super saver yarns:  

3.5 skeins of Cafe Latte, 

3.5 skeins of Coffee Cafe,

3 skeins of Real Teal.  

Each skein = 7oz/198g ; 364 yards.  TOTAL yardage:  ~ 3640 yards.  WOW!  I think that's a lot, right??  (And that DOES include the fringe).

Hook size J/10 - 6mm

Non-blocked finished size:  45" x 64" (not including the fringe).

I didn't follow the pattern completely.  I started altering after the first two stripes (on left).  For the next two stripe sections, I replaced the bobbles with treble-crochet (or is it triple-crochet?) stitches.  Oh yeah...another thing I learned is that there is a different between US pattern lingo and most other places.  

I brought the bobbles back in in the middle section, but I spaced them out every 3 single crochets, and built them up more (5 yarn-overs vs 3).    And then reflective-symmetry took me back to the other side.

As a last-minute idea, I added some fringe to this afghan.  And WOWZERS....did it make a difference! 

 I was running low on the teal, so I cut the yarn and organized it into equal-sized piles.  I had enough to do one fringe with each blue strip.....

:\

Eh.....

Wasn't liking it.  NOR was I interested in going out to purchase another skein of the yarn.

So, with a little bit more of design leisure, I mixed in some coffee and tan, thinned out the teal into two sections each, and v'iola.  I much more appealing fringe outline.

SO

Yes, I already have the next project lined up :D