This week I am excited to have my re-designed Strawberry Blossom Afghan Square featured in the Moogly CAL 2019.

Tamara Kelly does a great job every year running her CAL and exposing us to the work of so many talented designers. Check out past CALs on her blog for more afghan square inspiration! Thanks for having me, Tamara! And thanks to Red Heart for the yarn support. Red Heart with Love is soft but sturdy and a pleasure to work with.

Strawberry Blossom Afghan Square by Julie Yeager Designs

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 (50 yards) Color B: Taupe (30 yards)    Color C: Tan (70 yards)

Crochet Hook size J (6.0 mm); Stitch marker

Special Stitches and abbreviations:

BLO – back loop only Ch – chain dc– double crochet FLO – front loop only hdc– half double crochet sc– single crochet sk – skip tr– treble crochet

BCL – beginning double crochet cluster: ch 3 (counts as dc), (dc until last step leaving one loop on hook) three times, yo and pull through all four loops on hook

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)

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

crab stitch (backwards single crochet) – single crochet worked from left to right instead of right to left. (Insert hook into next stitch to the right of the stitch just completed, draw up a loop, yo, and pull through both loops.)

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)

FPtr– front post treble crochet – yo twice, insert hook from front to back around post of stitch; yo and pull up a loop (4 loops on hook), yo and draw through 2 loops (3 loops on hook); yo and draw through 2 loops (2 loops on hook); yo and draw through 2 loops (1 loop on hook)

htr– half treble crochet – yo twice, insert hook in next st and draw up a loop (4 loops on hook), yo and draw through two loops (3 loops on hook), yo and draw through remaining loops (1 loop on hook)

lhdc– long half double crochet (spike st) – Yarn over, insert hook in the row indicated; work a half double crochet as usual bringing stitch up to same height as current row.

Instructions:

Round 1: With A, ch 4, join with sl st to form ring. BCL, (ch 1, tr, ch 1, CL) in ring four times, ch 1, tr, ch 1, sl st to top of beg CL. Fasten off A. (5 CL, 5 tr, 10 ch)

Round 2: With B, join with FPsc around any tr. (2 sc in ch-1 sp, FPsc around CL, 2 sc in ch-1 sp, FPsc around tr) four times, 2 sc in ch-1 sp, FPsc around CL, 2 sc in ch-1 sp. Sl st to first sc. (20 sc, 10 FPsc)

Round 3: Ch 1, sc in same st as join. [Sk 2 st, (2 dc, htr, tr, ch 2, tr, htr, 2 dc) in next sc, sk 2 st, sc in next st] five times, omitting last sc. Sl st to beg sc. Fasten off B. (45 st, 5 ch-2 sp)

Round 4: Join A with sl st to first tr of any set, ch 3. 2 dc in same st. (Place marker in BLO of last st made once.)  [(2 dc, ch 2 , 2 dc) in ch-2 sp. 3 dc in next st, hdc in next st, sc in next st. Sk next st, FPtr around tr below in Rnd 1. Sk 2 more st on Rnd 3, sc in next st, hdc in next st, 3 dc in next st] five times, omitting last 3 dc. Sl st to FLO of top of beg ch-3. (75 st, 5 ch-2 sp)

Round 5: Ch 1, sc in FLO of same st as join. Sc in FLO of next st, [hdc in FLO of next 2 st. 3 dc in FLO of next st, (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in ch-2 sp, 3 dc in FLO of next st, hdc in FLO of next 2 st, sc in FLO of next 2 st, sk 2 st, FPsc around FPtr, sk 2 st, sc in FLO of next 2 st] five times, omitting last 2 st, sl st to to beg sc. Fasten off A. (95 st, 5 ch-2 sp)

Round 6: Join B with sc in any ch-2 sp. Work a round of crab stitch (backwards sc.) Skip post stitches in the valleys and put 2 st in each ch-2 sp. Fasten off. (100 crab st, number not crucial)

Round 7: This round will be worked into the back loops and skipped stitches of Rnd 4. Join C with sl in BLO of marked st on Rnd 4. Ch 2 (counts as hdc), hdc in BLO of next st, [sc in BLO in next st. Ch 1, sk ch-2 sp,  sc in BLO of next st, hdc in BLO of next 2 st, ch 1, sk 3 st, tr in next 3 st (the second will be the tr from Round 3), ch 1, sk 3 st, hdc in BLO next 2 st] five times, omitting last 2 st.  Sl to top of beg ch-2. (20 hdc, 10 sc, 15 ch-1 sp, 15 tr, total 60 st including chains.)

Round 8:  Work into each stitch of Rd 7 including chains. Ch 3, dc in same st as join. (Dc in next 4 st, 2 dc in next st) eleven times, dc in next 4 st. Sl st to top of beg ch-3. (72 st)

Round 9: Ch 3, (3 tr in next st, dc in next 2 st, hdc in next 3 st, sc in next 7 st, hdc in next 3 st, dc in next 2 dc) four  times, omitting last dc. Sl st to top of beg ch-3. (80 st.)

Round 10: Tip for picking up petal:  I worked into one strand of the crab stitch, but you can also work into a strand in the round prior to the crab stitch.  I separated and underlined the following instructions for clarity because each side is different.  The (2 dc, tr, 2 dc) form the corners.

Ch 3, dc in next st.

(2 dc, tr, 2 dc) in next st, dc in next 3 st, hdc in next 2 st, hdc in next st picking up tip of petal below in Rnd 6 and working st as usual. Sc in next 7 st, hdc in next 3 st, dc in next 3 st.

(2 dc, tr, 2 dc) in next st, dc in next st, dc in next st picking up tip of petal below in Rnd 6 and working st as usual, dc in next st, hdc in next 3 st, sc in next 7 st, hdc in next 3 st, dc in next st, dc in next st picking up tip of petal below in Rnd 6 and working st as usual, dc in next st.

(2 dc, tr, 2 dc) in next st, dc in next 3 st, hdc in next 3 st, sc in next 7 st, hdc in next st picking up tip of petal below in Rnd 6 and working st as usual, hdc in next 2 st, dc in next 3 st.

(2 dc, tr, 2 dc) in next st, dc in next 3 st, hdc in next 3 st, sc in next 3 st, sc in next st picking up tip of petal below in Rnd 6 and working st as usual, sc in next 3 st, hdc in next 3 st, dc in next st, sl st to top of beg ch-3. (96 st)

Round 11: Ch 3, dc in next 3 st, [(2 dc, tr, 2 dc) in next st, dc in next 23 st] four times, omitting last 4 st, sl st to top of beg ch-3. Fasten off C. (112 st)

Round 12: Join B with sc in any corner tr, 2 sc in same st. (Sc in next 27 st, 3 sc in next st) four times, omitting last 3 st, sl st to first sc. Fasten off B (or hold behind.) (120 st)

Round 13: Join A with sl in any corner sc (the second of 3 sc), ch 2. ( Hdc, ch 1, 2 hdc) in same st. [(Ch 1, sk 1 st, hdc in next st) 14 times, ch 1, sk 1 st, (2hdc, ch 1, 2 hdc) in next st for corner] four times, omitting last corner. Sl st to top of beg ch-2. Fasten off A. (72 hdc, 64 ch-1 sp)

Round 14: Join B with sl st in corner ch-1 sp. Working around and enclosing the st of Round 13, 2 lhdc in corner sc in Round 12 below (the second of 3 sc), [(lhdc in next skipped st in Rnd 12, ch 1, sk 1 st) 14 times, lhdc in next st in Rnd 12, (2 lhdc, ch 1, 2 lhdc) in corner sc in Round 12]  four times, omitting last 2 st, sl st to first lhdc. (76 lhdc, 60 ch-1 sp)

Round 15: Ch 1, [BPsc around next 2 lhdc, (ch 1, BPsc around next st)15 times, ch 1, BPsc around next 2 lhdc, ch 2] four times, sl st to first BPsc. Fasten off B. (76 BPsc, 64 ch-1 sp, 4 ch-2 sp)

Round 16: Join C with sl st in any ch-2 sp, ch 3. 2 dc in same sp. [Dc in next BPsc. (sk BPsc, 2 dc in next ch-1 sp)16 times, sk BPsc, dc in next BPsc, 5 dc in ch-2 sp] four times, omitting last 3 st. Sl st to top of beg ch-3, fasten off C. (156 st, 39 per side)

Weave in ends, block lightly.  

Copyright 2019 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]