Free Pattern: Gretchen Afghan Square

I’m excited to be featured as the designer of the next square in the Moogly Blog Afghan Square CAL 2018!

Here is Gretchen Afghan Square, named after a talented crafter with wonderful color sense. I’ve made a few changes since the original version, and give two options for the first few rounds.

I used Red Heart With Love, a soft and squishy acrylic that is a joy to work with. Thanks to Tamara of Mooglyblog.com for featuring my design, and thanks to Red Heart Yarns for providing me with the yarn. See all colors here: Red Heart with Love at Joann.com .

There is a paid version of the pattern in my Ravelry Store for only $2.99, and see all of my afghan and afghan square designs on Ravelry, Etsy, or LoveKnitting.

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Gretchen Afghan Square

by Julie Yeager Designs

12” Afghan Square (Work through Round 9 for 9” Version)- Alternate Version on Right

Materials: Suggested Yarn – Red Heart with Love Suggested Hook Size: Size J (6.0 mm)

A: Aran B: Tan C: Lettuce D: Iced Aqua or Cornsilk E: Taupe

Pattern uses American crochet terms.

Gauge: 4 1/2” after 4 rounds, 9” after 9 rounds.

Abbreviations and Special Stitches

Sc – single crochet dc – double crochet hdc – half double crochet

sl – slip ch– chain st – stitch

sp – space yo – yarn over tr – treble crochet

FPdtr – Front post double treble crochet: YO three times, insert hook around post of designated stitch, yo, pull yarn through (you will have 5 loops on hook). (YO and pull through 2 loops) x 4.

Shell – 5 dc in one st

Dtr – Double treble crochet: YO three times, insert hook in designated stitch, yo, pull yarn through (you will have 5 loops on hook). (YO and pull through 2 loops) x 4

Note: Ch-2 at the beginning of a round counts as a hdc; ch-3 at the beginning of a round counts as a dc; and ch4 at the beginning of a round counts as a tr.

Instructions

Round 1: With A, ch 4, join with sl st to form ring. Ch 1, 12 hdc in ring, sl st to first hdc. Fasten off. (12 hdc)

Round 2: Join B with slip st in any st, ch 3, dc in same st as join, 2 dc in next 11 st, sl st to top of beginning ch-3. (24 dc)

Round 3: Ch 3, dc in same st as join, (dc in next st, 2 dc in next st) eleven times, dc in next st, sl st to top of beginning ch-3. Fasten off. (36 dc)

Round 4: Join A with sc in first dc of any paired dc (2 dc worked in same st in previous round), sc in next st, FPdtr in hdc below in Round 1. Not skipping any st in Round 3, (sc in next 3 st, FPdtr in hdc below in Round 1) eleven times, sc in next st, join with sl st to first sc of round. (36 sc, 12 FPdtr)

Round 5: Ch 3, 4 dc in same st. (Sk 1 st, sc in next st, sk 1 st, shell in next st) eleven times, sk 1 st, sc in next st, sk 1 st, join with sl st to top of beginning ch-3. Fasten off. (12 shells, 12 sc)

Round 6: Join C with sc in any sc, ch 2, sc in same st as first sc. [Ch 5, sc in next sc, ch 4, sc in next sc, ch 5, (sc, ch 2, sc) in next sc for corner] three times, ch 5, sc in next sc, ch 4, sc in next sc, ch 5, sl st in first sc of round. (Per Side: corner of (sc,ch 2, sc), 2 ch-5 sp, 1 ch-4 sp, 2 sc)

Round 7: Sl st into ch-2 sp, (ch 3, 2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in ch-2 sp. [5 sc in ch-5 sp, 4 sc in ch-4 sp, 5 sc in ch-5 sp,(3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in ch-2 sp for corner] three times, 5 sc in ch-5 sp, 4 sc in ch-4 sp, 5 sc in ch-5 sp, sl st to top of beg ch-3. Fasten off. (Per side: corner of ch-2, 14 sc, 6 dc)

Round 8: Join D with sl st in any ch-2 sp, ch 2, (hdc, ch 1, 2 hdc) in same sp for corner. [Hdc in next 8 st, sc in next 4 st, hdc in next 8 st, (2 hdc, ch 1, 2 hdc) in ch-2 sp for corner] three times, hdc in next 8 st, sc in next 4 st, hdc in next 8 st, sl st to top of beginning ch-2. Fasten off. (Per side: corner of ch-1, 20 hdc, 4 sc)

Round 9: Join E with sl st in any ch-1 sp, ch 4 (counts as dc and ch-1), dc in same sp. [Dc in next 24 st, (dc, ch 1, dc) in ch-1 sp for corner] three times, dc in next 24 st, sl st to third ch of beginning ch-4. Fasten off. (Per side: corner of ch-1, 26 dc)

Round 10: Join A with sl st in any corner ch-1 sp, ch 4, 6 tr in same sp. [Sk 1 st, (sc in next st, sk 2 st, shell in next st, sk 2 st) four times, sc in next st, 7 tr in ch-1 sp for corner] three times, sk 1 st, (sc in next st, sk 2 st, shell in next st, sk 2 st) four times, sc in next st, sl st to top of beg ch-4. Fasten off. (Per side: corner of 7-tr, 20 dc, 5 sc)

Round 11: Join C with sc in 4th tr of any corner, 2 sc in same st. [(Sc in next 2 st, hdc in next st, dc in next 2 st, hdc in next st) five times, sc in next st, 3 sc in next st] three times, (sc in next 2 st, hdc in next st, dc in next 2 st, hdc in next st) five times, sc in next st, sl st to first sc of round. Fasten off. (Per side: 34 st)

Round 12: Join E with sl st in 2nd sc of any corner, (ch 3, dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in same st for corner. [Dc in next 33 st, (2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in next st for corner] three times, dc in next 33 st, sl st to top of beginning ch3. Fasten off or continue to Round 13. (Per side: corner of ch-1, 37 dc)

Round 13: (Optional) Ch 1, sc in same and next st. [(3 sc in ch-1 sp for corner), sc in next 37 st] three times, 3 sc in ch-1 sp, sc in next 35 st, sl st to first sc. Fasten off. (Per side: 40 sc)

Alternate Beginning Rounds (Old version of pattern, pictured on right)

Round 1: With A, ch 4, join with sl st to form ring. Ch 1, 12 hdc in ring, sl st to first hdc. Fasten off. (12 hdc)

Round 2: Working in BLO (Back Loops Only) for this round only, join B with slip st in BLO any st, ch 3, dc in same st as join, 2 dc in next 11 st, sl st to top of beginning ch-3. (24 dc)

Round 3: Ch 3, dc in same st as join, (dc in next st, 2 dc in next st) eleven times, dc in next st, sl st to top of beginning ch-3. Fasten off. (36 dc)

Round 4: Join A with sc in first dc of any paired dc (2 dc worked in same st in previous round), sc in next 2 st, dtr in FLO (Front Loop Only) st below in Round 1. Not skipping any st in Round 3, (sc in next 3 st, dtr in FLO st below in Round 1) eleven times, sc in next st, join with sl st to first sc of round. (36 sc, 12 dtr)

Please do not post this pattern on the internet. Posting a link to my website – www.julieyeagerdesigns.com, or to my Ravelry store – where you can see all my patterns – http://www.ravelry.com/stores/Julie-yeager-designs, is appreciated.

Contact me via e-mail at [email protected]