A comfortable cozy afghan for the woman who prefers to knit. The warmth of the firelight is reflected in the reds and yellows with teh accent notes of blue and black. Withal, a simplicity of design that lends itself to the modern setting as well as to the popular period furniture.
Materials: Chadwick's Red Heart Germantown Zephyr, 13 balls (1 oz. balls) each of color 232 Buttercup and 848 Skipper Blue, 24 balls of 252 Dk. Orange and 19 balls of 12 Black. If 30 yd. balls are used, buy three times the amount specified.
Milward's Phantom Knitting Pins, 1 pair No. 3 (3 mm. size).
Milward's steel crochet hook No. 1.
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 50 x 70 inches, including border, 24 blocks (each 10 inches square) are required. Each block is made up of 4 sections which are made individually and then sewed together with over and over stitches.
Block. Starting at center, with Skipper Blue cast on 2 sts. 1st row: K 2 sts. 2nd row: Increase in 1st st (to increase, k 2 sts in 1 st), k across. Repeat 2nd row until there are 28 sts on needle. Break off. Then work as follows: 1st row: Attach Black, increase 1 st, k across. 2nd row: Increase 1 st, p across. 3rd to 6th rows incl: Repeat 1st and 2nd rows (34 sts). Break off. 7th row: Attach Dk. Orange, increase 1 st, k across. 8th row: Increase 1 st, k across. 9th row: Increase 1 st, p across. 10th row: Increase 1 st, k across. Break off. 11th to 16th rows incl: Attach Skipper Blue and repeat 1st to 6th rows incl. Break off. 16th to 19th rows incl: Attach Dk. Orange and repeat 7th to 10th rows incl. (48 sts). Repeat 1st to 19th rows incl. once more, but decreasing 1 st at beginning of each row (instead of increasing 1 st); 28 sts remain. Break off. Attach Buttercup and work in moss st (on one row k 1, p 1 alternately, and on next row k over the p sts and p over the k sts), making the usual decrease at beginning of each row until 2 sts remain. Bind off. This completes one section of 1st Block. Make 3 more sections in same way.
Joining. Place the 4 sections together, having the 4 Buttercup sections forming a square. Sew together on wrong side so that the colors of each section meet. Make 23 more blocks. Join blocks into 4 strips, having 6 blocks in each strip. Then join strips so that each color meets and the Blue section also forms squares, as in diagram. To complete the Blue half squares at sides work as follows: 1st row: Attach Blue to one of the Blue half squares at side and with crochet hook work across Blue section only, making 11 ch-3 loops across at equal distances (ch 3, 1 s c forms 1 loop). Ch 1, turn. 2nd row: S c in 1st loop (1 loop decreased), * ch 3, s c in next loop. Repeat from * across. Hereafter work as for 2nd row until 1 loop remains. Fasten and break off. Complete all half squares on each side in the same way, thus giving scallop effect.
Border. With right side of work toward you, attach Black to center of 1st Black stripe adjacent to Blue square on side of afghan and work as follows: 1st row: Ch 2, 2 d c in 1 st turning ch-3 loop of scallop, * ch 2, 2 d c in next turning ch-3. Repeat from * 3 more times. Then ch 2, 2 d c in top corner loop, ch 2, 2 d c in same loop, ch 2 and continue down other side to correspond, ending row with ch 2, sl st along Black stripe to 1st row of Dk. Orange. Ch 1, turn. 2nd row: 2 d c in 1st sp, * ch 2, 2 d c in next sp, repeat from * across, making 2 d c, ch 2, and 2 d c in corner sp, then ch 2 and continue down other side to correspond, ending row with ch 2, sl st to end of 1st Black stripe. Fasten and break off. 3rd row: Attach Dk. Orange to center of 1st Dk. Orange stripe, ch 3, 2 d c in 1st sp, * ch 3, 2 d c in next sp. Repeat from * along previous row, making the usual 2 d c, ch 3, 2 d c in corner sp, then ch 3 and continue down other side to correspond. Sl st to corresponding point at opposite side, sl st to next Skipper Blue stripe. Ch 1, turn. 4th row: 2 d c in 1st sp, * ch 3, 2 d c in next sp. Repeat from * along previous row, making corner as before. Fasten and break off. 5th and 6th rows: Attach Skipper Blue to next Skipper Blue stripe and work as for 3rd and 4th rows. Fasten and break off. 7th row: Attach Dk. Orange to last Dk. Orange stripe. Then ch 3, * s c in next sp, ch 3, 3 d c in same sp. Repeat from * along previous row, ending row to correspond with beginning. Fasten and break off. Finish all half squares in same way. Make border on ¼ squares at corners in same way, but making the d c-groups in the sts (instead of in loops).
Tassels. With one strand of Dk. Orange and 1 strand of Black together, wind around 2 fingers about twelve times. Break off. Then pull a strand of Dk. Orange through the loops and tie securely (this is top end of tassel). Then, about ¼ inch from top of tassel, wind a strand of Dk. Orange around tassel, tie securely. Break off. Make 19 more of these tassels. Sew tassels between scallops, as in illustration.
Pom Pom. Cut a cardboard ½ inch wide and 3 inches long. Cut 1 strand of Buttercup 10 inches long. Double it and place it across the length of cardboard for ties. Wind 1 strand of Buttercup and Dk. Orange together around the width of cardboard about 20 times. Break off. Pick up tie ends, and tie at center securely. Remove cardboard, and trim ends neatly. Make 23 more of these pom poms and sew to center of each Buttercup square. Make 15 more pom poms in Dk. Orange, and sew to center of Blue squares.
