I am honored this week to be featured in the Moogly Block CAL 2020. My contribution is a fun floral block with a little bit of everything – popcorn stitch, post stitches, crocodile stitch, clusters, and more post stitches! I thought we could all use a little serenity now, and I thought the round mandala rhythms would be soothing. I hope you enjoy combining your colors as you put your own spin on my design.

Thank you to Tamara for featuring my work this week, and thank you to Yarnspirations for providing me with the beautiful Red Heart With Love yarn.

Check out all the designs in this years Moogly 2020 CAL, and thank you to all the generous and talented designers who contribute.

Please add a Ravelry project page, and share your creations on social media! #julieyeagerdesigns #serenitynowafghanblock

Serenity Now Afghan Block

By Julie Yeager

12” Afghan Block

U.S.Crochet Terms 

Materials: Red Heart with Love (100% Acrylic, #4, 7 oz/198 g; 370 yds/338 m)

Color A: Aran (40 g) B: Dusty Purple (10 g) C: Cameo (20 g) D: Lettuce (20 g)

Crochet Hook size J (6.0 mm)

Special Stitches and abbreviations: 

Beg – beginning  BLO – back loop only  Ch – chain dc – double crochet FLO – front loop only hdc – half double crochet  sc – single crochet  sk – skip   sl – slip   sp – space   tr – treble crochet 

BCl – beginning double crochet cluster: ch 2 (counts as dc), (dc until last step leaving one loop on hook) twice, yo and pull through all three loops on hook

BegPC – beginning popcorn, see Popcorn below.  Substitute ch-3 for first dc.

BPsc – back post single crochet – insert hook from back to front around post of designated stitch; yo and pull up a loop (2 loops on hook), yo and draw through 2 loops (1 loop on hook)

BPdc – back post double crochet – Yarn over,  insert hook from back to front around post of designated stitch; yo and pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), (yo and draw through 2 loops) twice 

Cl – double crochet cluster – (dc until last step leaving one loop on hook) three times, yo and pull through all four loops on hook 

FPsc – front post single crochet – insert hook behind post of stitch (from front to back), yo, pull through, bring up even with last stitch completed, yo, pull through 2 loops (1 loop on hook) 

Join with sc – (Standing stitch) With slip knot on hook, insert hook into designated stitch, grab yarn, pull through, (two loops on hook,) yarn over, pull through two loops

PC – Popcorn –  5 dc in one st or sp, remove hook, insert hook from front to back in first dc, grab working yarn and pull through, ch 1 to tighten. Ch 1 does not count as a stitch.

Picot –  Ch 3, sl st in 2nd ch from hook, ch 1

Notes:  Ch-3 at the beginning of a round counts as a dc.  “Omitting last stitches” means that those stitches were already completed at the beginning of the Round.

Instructions: 

Round 1: With Color A, ch 4, join with sl st to form ring, ch 3, 11 dc in ring, sl st to top of beg ch-3. (12 dc)

Round 2: Ch 3, dc in BLO in same st as join, (dc in FLO in next st, dc in BLO in same st) eleven times, sl st to top of beg ch-3, fasten off. (24 dc)

Round 3: Join Color B with sl st in any st, Beg PC in same st, (2 dc in next st, PC in next st) eleven times, 2 dc in next st, sl st to top of Beg PC, fasten off. (24 dc, 12 PC)

Round 4: (When working into PC, work into the loops of the ch that closes the PC.) Join Color A with sl st in FLO of any PC, ch 3, dc in BLO in same st as join, [dc in FLO in next st, dc in BLO in next st, (dc in FLO next st, dc in BLO in same st)] eleven times, dc in FLO in next st, dc in BLO in next st, sl st to top of beg ch-3. (48 dc)

Round 5: Ch 1, sc in same and next st, [(sc, ch 3, sc) in next st, sc in next 3 st] twelve times, omitting last 2 st, sl st to first sc, fasten off. (60 sc, 12 ch-3 sp)

Round 6:  Join Color C with sl st in any ch-3 sp, ch 3, (4 dc, picot, 5 dc) in same sp, [sk 5 sc, (5 dc, picot, 5 dc) in ch-3 sp] eleven times, sk 5 sc, sl st to top of beg ch-3. (120 dc, 12 picot)

Round 7: Ch 1, skip first dc, (BPsc in next 4 st, ch 1, sk picot, BPsc in next 4 st, sk last dc of this petal and first dc of next petal) twelve times, sl st to first BPsc, fasten off.  (96 BPsc,  12 ch-1 sp)

Round 8: Join Color A with sc in any ch-1 sp, ch 1, sk 2 st, sc in next st, ch 1, sk 1 st, [(tr, ch 2, tr)  in next st, ch 1, sk 1 st, sc in next st, ch 1, sk 1 st, (sc in ch-1 sp, ch 1, sk 2 st, sc in next st, ch 1, sk 1 st, sc in next st, ch 1, sk 1 st, sc in next st, ch 1, sk 1 st) twice, sc in ch-1 sp, ch 1, sk 2 st, sc in next st, ch 1, sk 1 st] four times, omitting last 2 st, sl st to first st. (13 st, 12 ch-1 sp, 1 ch-2 sp per side)   

Round 9: (All stitches in this round are worked into the chain spaces.) Sl st in ch-1 sp, ch 2 (counts as hdc), hdc in same sp, 2 dc in next ch-1 sp, [(2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in ch-2 sp for corner, 2 dc in next sp, 2 hdc in next sp, (2 sc in next sp, sc in next sp) twice,  (sc in next sp, 2 sc in next sp) twice, 2 hdc in next sp, 2 dc in next sp] four times, omitting last 4 st, sl st to top of beg ch-2. (24 st plus ch-1 sp per side)

Round 10: Sl st in next 3 st,  (BCl, ch 3, Cl) in same st (the 2nd of 2-dc), sk 2 st,{ [(Cl, ch 3) twice, Cl] in ch-1 corner sp, sk 2 st, (Cl, ch 3, Cl) in next dc, sk 2 st.  Tr in next st, picking up point of picot from Round 6, tr in next 6 st.  Tr in next st, picking up picot, tr in next 5 st.  Tr in next st, picking up picot. Sk 2 st, (Cl, ch 3, Cl) in next st, sk 2 st} four times, omitting last 2 Cl, sl st to top of first Cl. (7 Cl, 14 tr, 4 ch-3 sp per side)

Round 11: Ch 1, FPsc in same Cl, [3 sc in ch-3 sp, (FPsc in next Cl) twice, 3 sc in ch-3 sp, FPsc in next Cl, 3 sc in ch-3 sp, (FPsc in next Cl) twice, 3 sc in ch-3 sp, FPsc in next Cl, FPsc in next 14 st, FPsc in next Cl] four times, omitting last Cl, sl st to first FPsc, fasten off. (33 st per side)

Round 12: Working behind Round 11 into the stitches of Round 10, join Color D with sl st to first tr of any side, ch 3, dc in next 13 st.  [Returning to the stitches of Round 11, ch 1, sk 1 st (the FPsc around Cl), BPdc in next 3 st, ch 2, sk 2 st, BPdc in next 3 st, ch 2 for corner, sk next st, BPdc in next 3 st, ch 2, sk 2 st, BPdc in next 3 st, ch 1, sk next st, dc next 14 st of  Round 10] four times, omitting last 14 st, sl st to top of beg ch-3. (26 dc, 3 ch-2 sp, 2 ch-1 sp per side) 

Round 13: Ch 1, sc in same st, sc in next 13 st, [sc in ch-1 sp, sc in next 3 st, 2 sc in ch-2 sp, sc in next 3 st, 3 sc in ch-2 sp for corner, sc in next 3 st, 2 sc in ch-2 sp, sc in next 3 st, sc in ch-1 sp, sc in next 14 st] four times, omitting last 14 st, sl st to first sc.  (35 st per side)  
Round 14: Ch 1, sc in same st, sc in next 23 st, 3 sc in next st for corner, sc in next 34 st) four times, omitting last 24 st, sl st to first sc, fasten off. (37 st per side)

Copyright 2020  Julie Yeager Designs 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]