Materials: Chadwick's Red Heart Germantown Zephyr, 70 balls (30 yd. balls) of color 545 Dove, and 44 balls each of colors 575 Dk. Orchid, 666 Nile and 222 Maize. 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.
For an afghan of about 48 x 64 inches, without fringe, 48 octagon shaped blocks (each 8 inches in diameter from side to side) and 35 fill-in-squares (each 3½ inches square) are required. Each block is made up of 8 sections, which are worked individually and then sewed together.
Octagon Block. One Section: To begin, ch 2, turn. 1st row: 3 s c in 2nd ch from hook. Ch 1, turn. Hereafter pick up only the back loop of each s c. 2nd row: S c in 1st s c, 3 s c in next s c, s c in last s c (5 s c). Ch 1, turn. 3rd row: S c in each s c across. Ch 1, turn. 4th row: S c in each of 2 s c, 3 s c in next s c, s c in each of next 2 s c. Ch 1, turn. 5th row: S c in each s c across. Hereafter continue in this manner, increasing 2 s c in every other row until there are 17 s c in the row. Break off. Make 7 more sections in the same way, having two of each color. Then place them in the following order so that the point of each section form center: Dove, Maize, Nile, Dk. Orchid, Dove, Maize, Nile, Dk. Orchid. Sew together on wrong side with over and over stitches. This completes one octagon block. Make 47 more blocks same as this.
Place blocks in position, as in diagram, and sew together with over and over stitches on wrong side.
Fill-in-Square. With Dove, ch 27. 1st row: S c in 2nd ch from hook, s c in each ch across. Ch 1, turn. 2nd row: S c in each s c across. Ch 1, turn. Repeat 2nd row until work is square. Break off. Make 34 more squares. Place squares in sps between blocks, and sew in place.
Fringe: With right side of afghan toward you, attach Dove to one edge and make an s c. * Pull loop which is now on hook out to measure about 1½ inches, thus making a long loop. Then, holding this loop on hook, with the forefinger of right hand so that it will not draw back, insert hook in next st, yarn over hook and draw loop through, yarn over, draw through loop just made on hook. Repeat from * all around afghan, being careful that all loops are uniform in size. Fasten and break off.
