Many beautiful finished Summer Mosaic Afghans are showing up on Ravelry and Facebook! So much great work.  Over 10,000 people downloaded the pattern while it was free for over three months!  Over 500 project pages were made on Ravelry, and there are over 4000 members on the private CAL group on FB.  That is a lot of crocheters!  And I thank you all for the support and the faith you have in my patterns.  Now many are crocheting along with Faded Love, and I’m hard at work on several more afghan designs (going to be awesome!)  Please think of going through my links when you order from Deramores , Joann, and amazon.  Thank you!  🙂

Here is my Summer Mosaic, done in the soft and beautiful Scheepjes Stone Washed XL:

Theresa Pearson got all “overachiever” and did 12 motifs – STUNNING!

Mary Flannery used the Scheepjes kit from Deramores but totally re-invented the border – AHMAZING!

Dakota Stamper was neat as a pin as usual and puts us all to shame (sometimes I hate her):

Cynthia Beatty has the “comfy couch” thing going on:

And Pragati and Emma Bjork refuse to listen to direction and aren’t we glad of that?  ;p

More next time.

Ignore my colors.  In this piece, the MC is green.

Round 3, Turn your piece and see the 12 stitches of Round 1.  Slip stitch into one of these.  

Round 3 complete.

Round 4 complete:

Round 5 Beginning

Trying to show that pesky treble in the corner in Round 5.

End of Round 6.

Round 7:

The skipped stitches of Round 6 that you skip in Round 7.  You will not use them again, just leave them be.

Round 7 corner with fpdc, fptr, fpdc all around the same st.

End of Round 8.  

Round 9:

End of Round 9. 

Where to join yarn in Round 10.

Some people joined with invisible join and cannot find the first stitch of the round.  I usually say to join to the first stitch of the round or the first stitch of any increase for ease of directions, but since the last two rounds had no increase stitch it is a little tricky.

So let us join to the third stitch to the right of the stitch that goes into the fpdc. Line it up over the increase in Round 7. There is no increase in 8 and 9 which makes it tricky but go to your first st of the increase in 7, move your finger up to 8, then to 9.  It’s the 3rd st to the right of the stitch that goes into the fpdc.  Thanks to Brittany Perrin for this photo:

If you start Round 10 in the wrong stitch you can adjust in Round 12. Round 10 is even, Round 11 is an increase round with 2dc in one st, dc in next 7. Once you get going in Round 12 you can easily see if you’re in the wrong place and you can adjust.

Round 12 can get a little tricky; read the directions carefully.  You are increasing in this round, and also placing the post stitches a little off-line.   Reading from right to left, each repeat consists of a fpdtr around the fptr below in Round 8, then you skip the st behind the post, sc in next 2, fptr around 3rd of 7 sc below in  Round 9, DO NOT SKIP, sc in next 3, fptr around 5th of 7 sc below in Round 9, skip the st behind the post, sc in next 2.  So each repeat contains 3 post stitches and 7 sc for a total of 10 st, x 12 repeats is 120 st.  Remember, you only skip behind 2 posts.  This is how the increase is made.  2 sc, 3 sc, 2 sc.

Here is a nice photo by Brittany Perrin:

Here are a few photos for Clue 1.  Round 3 Front and Round 3 Back which also appeared in the mini-clue are a little tricky.  In Round 3 Front you have to put a front post single crochet  around the post of the stitch below in Round 2, then chain 2, then another front post single crochet around the same post.  Without skipping or chaining, you move on to the second stitch with the same (fpsc, ch 2, fpsc) around the post, and repeat for each of the  remaining 22 st in the round.

I changed color to make it more clear.  This is the ch-1 to start the round (but in a different color.)

After the ch-1 you insert your hook from front to back to front around the post of the first st of the round (in this case the first st is the ch-3 which counts as a dc.)

Here is what it looks like after the first fpsc around the ch-2 post:

After the (sc, ch 2, sc) around the first post:

:

Here we are going right on to the second dc from Round 2, and working the fpsc around it:

Here are 6 stitches with the (fpsc, ch 2, fpsc) worked.

Completed Round 3 Front:

Now for Round 3 Back, hold piece toward you and peek behind these last completed stitches.  This is in two colors so it is easier to see, but you can see the unworked loops of Round 2 behind.  It is into these unworked loops of Round 2 that we will work Round 3 Back.  Easy peasy.

Now join your yarn with a slip stitch and carry on.

Later in Round 8, here is a photo of where you place your Fptr.  If you find it hard to keep your post stitch loose, you can add an extra “yo” and make it a Fpdtr.

DERAMORES UPDATE JULY 24, 2015 – Some yarnpack orders were delayed due to a huge warehouse move. I have been assured that all pending orders were being worked on today and that further orders are available for same day dispatch.

It is almost time for the beginning of our Mystery Afghan Crochet-a-Long!  I will start sending out the clues at the end of next week.  I had originally said August 1, but then I thought of changing to July 31 so that everyone would have the clue on Friday for weekend crocheting.  So I think I’ll actually send it out Thursday night my time (EST – New York) so everyone will have it on Friday (Hello, Australians!)

I will post photo tutorials for the tricky parts here on the blog. (Not too many; it is an easy pattern.) We can discuss the pattern here, on my Facebook page (CAL group,) and on my Ravelry board.  On Ravelry I have a Spoiler thread where photos are welcomed, and a No Spoiler thread for people who have questions but do not want to see yet how the mystery develops.

I hope you enjoy the Mystery aspect; I’m trying to keep you on your toes and guessing as long as possible as to what the afghan is going to look like.

Please “LIKE” my Facebook page ( I have 4,500 likes and some crochet bloggers have 200,000, so I am seriously slacking here,) post photos everywhere, and spread the word about Julie Yeager designs!

Clue 1:  July 31, 2015

Clue 2:  August 7, 2015

Clue 3:  August 14, 2015  (short clue, catch-up time)

Clue 4:  August 21, 2015

Clue 5:  August 28, 2015

Clue 6:  September 4, 2015

Clue 7:  September 11, 2015 (short, optional clue, catch-up time)

Clue 8 (Final Clue):  September 18, 2015

What can be expected with a Mystery’ghan? Well, this is the Fifth year I have designed a Mystery Afghan. I release the pattern a little bit at a time, over a period of 6 – 8 weeks, in a series of “Clues.” The clues are carefully written to preclude the use of photos. You will feel a sense of accomplishment as you complete the clue without any idea of what it is supposed to look like! It is great fun if you enjoy mysteries! If you can’t wait, photos show up within a day or so! I am going to have dedicated threads on my Ravelry board for “spoiler photos” and for “no spoilers.” After the clues are released, I can’t control that spoiler photos won’t appear, especially since we are on Facebook and other social media outlets now, so if you do not want to be spoiled, you have to be careful just to download your clue and avoid Ravelry and Facebook until you are done! I will post tutorial photos for tricky parts (if any) and you can always ask for help and you will always find an answer with all the helpful people in my group.

Now is a good time to prepare for our MysteryGhan as we still have ample time to stock up on the yarn needed.   I am very grateful and excited to have my design vision supported by a major yarn company, Scheepjeswol.  Not only do they produce gorgeous yarn, but they are very supportive of independent designers.  They’ve made arrangements for two sizes of custom yarn packs with the recommended Scheepjeswol Stone Washed XL to be available at  Deramores.com now.  This is a yarn super-store website based in the UK with an established track record of selling a fabulous array of yarn brands to the US and all over the world .  I have ordered from them many times and I’ve received my order in New York within 7 to 10 days.  The large size pack contains the yarn to make a 48″ x 72″  (122 cm x 182 cm) afghan.  The medium size contains the yarn to make a 48″ x 48″ (122 cm x 122  cm) afghan. If you order  from Deramores using these links – large pack, medium pack,  I will receive a commission on the purchase.  Thanks!

Download the mini-clue using the directions in the post below for more information.  Clues will begin on August 1!

For the fifth year, I am happy, proud, and excited to present the JulieAnny’s Mystery Afghan crochet-along. Thank you to all who purchase my patterns throughout the year and welcome to all who are new to my work.

This afghan is called Summer Mosaic and was inspired by the bright and hot summer sun shining down on colorful mosaic stepping stones.  Construction is mostly easy, with some post stitches and popcorn stitches, but very doable for an advanced beginner crocheter.

The first clue for the Mystery’ghan will be released August 1, 2015.  You can download the first mini-clue NOW on Ravelry using Coupon Code JulieYeagerDesigns.com. Once you’ve downloaded this first mini-clue, subsequent clues will be added as pattern updates and you can pick them up and they will remain in your Ravelry library at no charge.  At the conclusion of the Mystery CAL, about two months, the pattern will be available to newcomers as a paid pattern.  (Edit:  Pattern will remain free with Code until September 30, 2015.)

The afghan will be a 48″ x 72″ (122 cm x 182 cm) rectangle, but there will be an option to make a smaller throw at 48″ x 48″ (122 cm x 122 cm.)  Yarn packs in the suggested yarn Scheepjeswol Stone Washed XL are available for purchase at www.deramores.com now  – here are some links – UK large pack or UK medium pack.  There is free shipping and no sales tax to the US – US Large Pack  and US Medium Pack . For other countries there is a pull-down menu on the website. Stone Washed is a dream to work with!

Please give me a LIKE on my Facebook page, and follow the chat about this pattern at my Ravelry board.

I’m working out the final pattern details on this year’s Mystery Afghan.  As I stitch I am thinking of the best way to present the clues.  Final result will be a rectangular afghan measuring about 48″ x 70″ in aran weight yarn, but getting to that size will be the fun part!  I like to keep you all guessing!  I will give more details on yarn requirements and obtaining the clues as things become more clear.  I’m working on getting yarn packs made available.  Pattern will be FREE for the duration of the CAL, about two months, and then when complete will be a paid pattern.  The clues will be released weekly on Ravelry.com.  Watch for details here on my blog, julieyeagerdesigns.com, my Facebook Page – Julie Yeager Crochet and Knit Designs, and on my Ravelry board.