Entrelac Go Bye-Bye

Remember how way back in January I decided to make a Tunisian entrelac afghan? And how it took me forever to get it started right? And then I had to take it apart and start over because it was doing this?:

When I started again I figured out how to make larger squares and was quite pleased with me:

Well dad-gum and blast it all if I didn't have the same problem again. I was about a third of the way through when I laid it out and saw the same tapering issue happening again. A little more gradual than the other, but happening just the same. After a pep talk of sorts from my mother, we commenced frogging. Since this style of crochet isn't worked back and forth we could each unravel at the same time once one person was a few blocks ahead of the other. We made short work of deconstructing this.

I wasn't a lick upset, for a few reasons. First, the taper would have irked me no matter how gradual. Second, there was an odd loopiness happening on the back side of this that I wasn't fond of. It looked like it was begging to be pulled into obscene dangling loopiness. And third? I wasn't having any fun anymore. I began to dread working on it, as it was work--there was no enjoyment or relaxation about it. And when it's a hobby--what's the point of going on like that? It had taken me months to get not very far. That's not how I like my crochet to roll.

So I started again with the same kind of color scheme in mind, but with a much simpler, much more satisfying granny stripe. I am flying through this as I've only been working on it a little over a week and not even every day. There's no crazy wonk to it, which is delightful. Wanna see what I have so far?

I really wanted this afghan to not be crazy with color, and I think the tan is toning everything down nicely, even though the colors are bright. I'm excited to see it much further along to get a real feel for it. But no matter what--it's not coming out again. No sirree. This is it.

Nice neat edges, eh? I finally figured out where my issue was coming from with the other method. In a traditional afghan you work back and forth, turning the work at the end of every row. Even if you have a tighter hand, the pull on each edge will balance out. When you do Tunisian crochet, you don't turn the work. You go all the way across, cut the yarn, and start over at the other end. Your tension never gets balanced out by an equal pull from the other side. At least I'm thinking that's what it is because I've never had an issue like that with my afghans and that's the only thing that was different.

I dig the look of this stitch so far and it's so simple you can do it by feel (which is helpful when my shows are on). I'm excited for this one to be done, though--I'm kind of getting tired of looking at these colors.

And now that I know I'm pleased with how it's going I can work in those ends so I don't feel like crying when I'm finished.

If you're still with me here--have you ever had misadventures like this where you had to just throw in the towel on the original plan? I feel like I'm getting to be too good at that particular skill....