A colorful afghan that brings a bit of your garden indoors and serves for a couch throw to be enjoyed on a lazy afternoon. The reversal of colors in the blocks lends interesting variety.
Materials: Chadwick's Red Heart Germantown Zephyr, 64 balls (30 yd. balls) of color 282 Rust, 21 balls of 686 Paddy Green, 43 balls of 666 Nile, and 29 balls of 323 Champagne. If 1 oz. balls are used, buy ⅓ the amount specified.
Milward's steel crochet hook No. 1 or Milward's Casein crochet hook No. 3 or 4.
This pattern can be developed as effectively in Chadwick's Red Heart Knitting Worsted (1¼ oz. skeins), estimating the amount of each color required.
For an afghan of about 40 x 60 inches, 96 blocks (each 5 inches square) are required.
Blocks are worked individually and then sewed together.
Block. Starting at center, with Champagne ch 10, join with sl st to form ring. 1st rnd: Ch 3 (to count as d c), 2-d c cluster in ring (to make a cluster, make 3 d c in ring, always holding the last loop of each d c on the hook; then, yarn over hook and take off all remaining loops. Ch 1 to fasten cluster), * ch 1, 3-d c cluster in ring. Repeat from * until 8 clusters are made in all. Ch 1, and join with sl st to tip of 1st cluster. 2nd rnd: Ch 3, 2-d c cluster in same place as sl st just made, * ch 3, 3-d c cluster in tip of next cluster, ch 3, cluster in same place (this is corner), ch 3, cluster in tip of next cluster. Repeat from * around. Join last ch-3 with sl st to tip of 1st cluster (12 clusters). Break off. 3rd rnd: Attach Nile, then ch 3 (to count as d c), d c in same cluster, 2 d c in next sp, d c in 1st ch of next cluster, d c in next ch of same cluster, 6 d c in next sp (for corner), 2 d c in next cluster as before, and continue thus around, making a solid rnd of d c (64 d c). Fasten and break off. 4th rnd: Attach Rust, ch 3, 2-d c cluster in same st as sl st just made, ch 2, 3-d c cluster in same place, * skip 3 d c, in next d c make cluster, ch 2 and cluster. Repeat from * around (16 groups of clusters). Join and break off. 5th rnd: Attach Green, ch 3, d c in cluster, d c in next sp, 2 d c in each of next 2 clusters, d c in next sp, 2 d c in next cluster, and continue thus around, making a solid rnd of d c and making 2 d c, ch 2, 2 d c, in each corner st. Fasten and break off. Darn in all loose ends. Then make another block, but using Rust where Green was used and Nile where Rust was used. Make 47 more of each of these two blocks.
Place blocks in position alternately (8 x 12 blocks) with wrong side on top. With Rust or Green, sew blocks together with over and over stitches, picking up only the top loops of d c's.
Edging. With right side of work toward you, attach Rust to one corner st, ch 3, 2-d c cluster in same st, ch 3, 3-d c cluster in same st, * ch 4, skip next 3 d c, s c in next d c, ch 4, skip 3 d c, 3-d c cluster in next d c, ch 3, 3-d c cluster in same d c. Repeat from * around. Fasten and break off.
