Retro Zag Mystery CAL Week 4 - Julie Yeager Designs

Retro Zag Afghan By Julie Yeager Designs

Loops and Threads Impeccable (#4 yarn with 4.5 ounce/127.5g skeins with 285 yards/260 m) Hook Size H ( 5.0 mm)
MC (Main Color): Aran 5 skeins Color A: Grass 2 skeins
Color B: Deep Forest 2 skeins Color C: Forest 2 skeins
Color D: Sphagnum 2 skeins Color E: Vanna’s Choice Espresso (discontinued) or Red Heart Super Saver Coffee 1 skein

Abbreviations and Special Stitches
beg – beginning BegPC – beginning popcorn Ch – chain dc – double crochet PC – popcorn sl- slip stitch sc – single crochet st – stitch sts – stitches sp – space
Beginning Popcorn: (Ch 3, 4 dc in designated st or sp.) Remove hook from 5th st. Place hook into the top of the beginning ch-3 from front to back, then into the working loop that was left hanging on the fourth dc, and pull that loop through the first st. The ch-2 that follows includes a ch-1 to tighten the popcorn.
Popcorn: (5 dc in designated st or sp.) Remove hook from 5th st. Place hook under the two loops of the first of 5 dc from front to back, then into the working loop that was left hanging on the fifth dc, and pull that loop through the first st. The ch-2 that follows includes a ch-1 to tighten the popcorn.

Space between groups: The 3-dc granny group is almost square, so when I say “space between groups” it either means a group of 3 dc whether they are lying vertically or horizontally. So we can work along the edge of rows in the same ratio as working in rows or rounds.

Ch-3 or Ch-2 at the beginning of a round counts as a dc. “Standing dc” can be substituted for the chain start.

Motif 4: Multi-Flowers

(Make 24 minis to be combined into 6 full motifs. Each of the 6 motifs will consist of 4 Mini Motifs, so you need a total of 24. You can start with 4 to practice the next step.)

Round 1: With E, ch 4, join with sl st to form a ring. Ch 3, (dc in ring) fifteen times, sl st to top of beg ch-3. Fasten off.(16 dc)

Round 2: Join A with sl st between 2 dc, Beg PC in same sp, [ch 2, sk 2 dc, PC in next sp between dc] seven times, ch 2, sl st to Beg PC, fasten off. (8 PC, 8 ch-2 sp)

Round 3: Join B with sl st in any ch-2 sp, ch 3, 2 dc in same sp. [(3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next ch-2 sp, 3 dc in next ch-2 sp] three times, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next ch-2 sp, sl st to top of beg ch-3, fasten off. (36 dc, 4 ch-2 sp)

After you do all 24 squares through the end of Round 3, you have a decision to make. If you are going to do your whole afghan with Continuous Granny Join as you Go, then you need to add a round and join these 4 squares only through the inner corners, in other words, the additional row and join will look like a plus sign “+” and will leave the outer perimeter unworked. Follow the bold highlighted instructions below.

If you are joining using other methods, (not using Continuous Granny Join as you Go,) then proceed with Round 4 around all the 24 squares, following the italics highlighted instructions.

Round 4 (if not doing Continuous Granny Join as you Go): Join MC with sl sp in any corner ch-2 sp, ch 3, 2 dc in same sp, [(3 dc in next sp between groups) twice, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next sp for corner] three times, (3 dc in next sp between groups) twice, 3 dc in same sp as beg, hdc join to top of beg ch-3, fasten off. (32 dc, 4 ch-2 sp) Join 24 squares into 6 motifs of four each using your favorite joining method, for example, whipstitch, slip stitch, single crochet, or any preferred method. I recommend slip stitch through the front loops OR Flat Slip Stitch Join.

Continuous granny join internal only! This Join will look like a “+” sign on the inner margins of the four squares. This join adds a (partial) round while joining the squares. The outer perimeter remains unworked. This is so the four mini-motifs together are equal in size to the other square motifs from Weeks 1-3 and can all be joined together at the end. It’s a little tricky but I will spell it out. There are many You-Tube videos of this technique. Our style of granny has “no” chains between groups and a “ch-2” in the corners. Some tutorials you see will have a “ch-1” between groups and a “ch-3” in corners but the principal is the same.

Line up 4 mini motifs in a square like this. MM1 means mini motif #1, etc. Marked means marked with a symbol. (The 1st motif has a symbol at the upper left corner, the #2 motif has a symbol at the upper right corner, the #3 motif has a symbol at the lower right corner, the #4 motif has a symbol at the lower left corner.
“Sp” can refer to a “space between groups” or a ch-2 corner space.

,4 ‘1
3, 2’

Join MC with sl st in marked corner sp of Mini Motif 1, ch 3, 2 dc in same sp, (3 dc in next sp between groups) twice, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next sp for corner, (3 dc in next sp) three times, ch 2.

3 dc in marked corner of Mini Motif 2, (sl st in sp between groups in MM1, 3 dc in next sp between groups in MM2) three times, ch 1, sl st in ch-2 sp of MM1, ch 1, 3 dc in same sp of current MM where you placed last 3-dc. (3 dc in next sp) three times, ch 2.

3 dc in marked corner of Mini Motif 3. (sl st in sp between groups in MM2, 3 dc in next sp between groups in MM3) three times, ch 1, sl st in ch-2 sp of MM 1 (diagonally across) ch 1, 3 dc in same sp of MM3 where you placed last 3-dc, (3 dc in next sp) three times, ch 2.

3 dc in marked corner of Mini Motif 4. (sl st in sp between groups in MM3, 3 dc in next sp between groups) three times, ch 1, sl st in ch-2 sp of MM2 (diagonally across), ch 1, 3 dc in same sp of MM4 where you placed last 3-dc, (sl st in sp between groups in MM1, 3 dc in next sp between groups) three times, join to top of beg ch-3 in MM1 with hdc, fasten off.