Wow, that's a lot of stuff going on. I'm impressed!
If you are feeling overwhelmed, I suggest focusing on the ones with the more pressing deadlines. Maybe those would be the holiday ones, since they are gifts to other people.
Here’s an afghan I completed a few weeks ago. It was my gift to my maid of honor (I got married a few weeks ago).
It’s based on a modified granny square, the same that’s being used in the 12” Crochet Square of the Month Craftalong (the October square, the “Solid Stripe”).
I used a J hook instead of a G as directed and the squares ended up being 14”. I added a dc border in each stitch in white. The yarn for both the borders and the squares was Caron Simply Soft in Raspberry and White.
Here are some more pictures of them being blocked and a close up of the detail. They’re laid upon a towel on my carpet and I used straight pins to place the red squares into shape.
The afghan is made up of 20 squares (five rows of four squares). I added the white dc border to each square later, then connected the squares using sc with the ridge on top. Finally, I finished the afghan with a few more rows of an sc border in the same colors.
And now, the long history of this project. In a fit of craziness, I originally thought that I could do five of these in six months, one for each bridesmaid, while also planning my wedding.
Wiser heads than I on this board told me that I shouldn’t try to do this, and I took the suggestion of one of the posters who said only to focus on the maid of honor.
Here's a floral cross-stitch I did a few years ago and had framed. It was the most complicated one I've ever worked on and it satisfied my cross-stitch urge for a good long while. I usually hang out on the crochet boards here, but I enjoy seeing all the cool projects on this board.
I'm whipping up some granny squares for an afghan and want to add a solid border row of dc around the square. In the ch 3 space that is each "corner" of the square, should I put in 3 or 4 dc? After the dc border row, I'll be joining the squares. Thanks.
Wow! Congratulations! Unfortunately I think your concern isn't unfounded--the 800 pound gorilla company vs. the single designer dynamic can get pretty hairy. Plus, the large company can walk away from negotiations and find another designer if the contract terms aren't what the company likes, while the same isn't the case for the artist.
There seem to be two parts to your question--should you "sell your soul" and if so (joke!), on what terms? The first one, only you can answer.
I am not a lawyer, but I am in the financial sector and with attorneys' assistance, I negotiate large-scale investments as my day job (that darn thing I do when I'm not crafting).
I'm not sure what your production set up and processes look like, so if you have already done what I'm about to advise, I apologize for the repetition. I suggest you go sketch out a business plan for your enterprise, taking a look at how many projects do can do in a month, how complex those projects are going to be, how much time they will take, the cost of materials/shipping/tools/storage, etc. For the record, "production set up and processes" is a formal term, but it could be your garage for all the company cares.
For the contract negotiation, you must have a lawyer on your side--I cannot emphasize this enough. Don't sign anything without having him/her review it first, nor negotiate without your attorney there. A lawyer will be able to walk you through setting you up as a formal business entity (if you have not incorporated already), will help you negotiate fair terms for you, etc. When you are reviewing your contracts, ask yourself questions like: How long do you want to sell for this company? How will I get paid? Are the store's production demands realistic? How does this fit in with my business plan?
As for where you can get folks to help you out with forming a business plan and getting a lawyer, contact your local Small Business Administration office (federal government agency), local chamber of commerce, craft guild/professional association (e.g., is there a National Association of Independent Jewelry Makers or something?), or ask your fellow artists for references. In addition, there are lots of books for sale about forming a business plan as well.
Everyone, thanks for your kind words. The photos actually make the blanket look better than it actually is. Truly, the edges are warped--the width is 60" in some places, 65" in others. It's not just the natural scalloping occurring in the pattern. I was using an N nook, so it wasn't small by any means.
I'm going to finish this ball of yarn and try to see if at least the bottom can be evened out, and maybe do a few test runs of the pattern border around the edges. If that doesn't work, I'll have to unwind the whole thing and go with granny squares, which are small enough for me to keep consistent.
Yes, if that happens, all my work so far is for naught, but I'd rather have to do it over and have a decent looking project rather than give someone a project with an "aggressively homemade" look. Thanks again.
I guess there are two parts to this post—a vent about my frustration with crochet and a request for an objective poster assessment of a project in progress.
Vent: I do everything “right”—I make a swatch, count stitches with nearly every row and mark with safety pins, measure every couple of rows, triple check my math when I alter a pattern, mentally try to keep track of consistent tension, and frog with regularity. Everything will seem to be fine and then one day I’ll look down and see warped edges and uneven stitches.
Project: I have started working on a variation of Lion Brand’s 4 ½ Hour Afghan at the suggestion of another poster, using Caron’s Simply Soft. Using a different yarn and increasing the size of the finished project, I knew going in that it would take more than 4.5 hours. I’ve spent over 20 hours over the past month on this project and have completed only a 5’ x 20” portion. And believe me, those measurements aren’t consistent throughout the work. Needless to say, this is not the fault of the poster who suggested the project, but my own ineptitude.
Vent part 2: Well, this should go away as I get more experienced, right? But I’ve been crocheting on a semi-regular basis for SIX YEARS. I’m not a beginner and 99% of my projects still look like crap. In that time, all I have to show for my efforts in terms of acceptable projects are three scarves and two single crochet neck pillows—and a significantly lighter wallet. Will this ever get better? What the heck am I doing wrong?
Project part 2: Is this project salvageable with adjustments of tension through the rest of the work? I took photos from each end of the project (notice the placement of the yarn ball and hook) and overhead shots of the edges. (Please disregard the mess in the photos—it’s post-holiday chaos at my place.)
Any words of wisdom on either subject are most welcome. Thanks for listening.
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I usually hang out on the crochet boards here, but I enjoy seeing all the cool projects on this board. 
