By Sam Gilkey For The News-Gazette An Afghan is someone or something related to Afghanistan. But to others, including Shirley Ball, of Kissimmee, an afghan is a blanket, wrap or shawl of colored yarn knitted or crocheted. It is a work of art — a thing of beauty — that she spends many, many hours making. Afghans were first made in Afghanistan and often included geometric designs in the pattern. Ball will enter three of her creations she made during the past year in the creative category of the annual Osceola County Fair.

Shirley Ball, of Kissimmee, will be entering afghans in the Osceola County Fair once again.

“I learned how to crochet from my sister,” she said, “ but I couldn’t read a pattern at first. Of all the ones I have done only two or three were alike. All the others are different.”

Shirley is a relative newcomer to the Osceola County Fair, but a successful one nonetheless. She entered her afghans in the 2008 and 2009 fairs and came away with six blue and nine double-blue ribbons.

She said she wants to take home a “best of show” award this year, and, “on my bucket list is entering them in the state fair and a world’s fair.”

In order to make the three different afghans last year, Shirley had to work around a series of medical conditions and illnesses.

“I had polio when I was 11,” she said. “When I lived in Arcadia, I was in a traffic accident. I have carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands.

Sometimes my arms will go numb and I have to stop for a while. Last year, I was ill for several months. But I propped myself up in bed and spent nine months working on one afghan.”

That one is called “A Cameo of the Past,” and measures just over 5-by-6-feet. Another entry is 5-by-7-feet and a third over 8-feet square. Once completed, they are too heavy for her to move. Friends will help get them to the fairgrounds.

“I saw the pattern for the Cameo afghan in a book and had to adjust the size,” she said. “There are 40 to 50 colors in that one. I did the background with an afghan stitch then came back with a cross stitch for the pictures on it. Some days I would put in over 12 hours working on it. Everything has to be just right, because the judges look at both the front and back of the afghan.”

She usually buys the background yarn at local stores. Other people give her yarn from time to time, which she saves and uses to complete the work.

The Osceola County Council on Aging has found her a pattern book and other patterns have come from the local library. Some of the patterns are expensive to purchase, such as the one used last year that won her a blue ribbon.

“I have to keep busy and upbeat,” she said. “I’m already looking at next year’s entries. Each year they get harder and harder. But I would like to get some really difficult patterns to work on. If people run across some, I would sure like to see them.”