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They say hindsight is 2020, but I think right now we’re all just glad 2020 is hindsight. Celebrate with this free afghan block pattern and join the 2021 BAM CAL on Ravelry to play along all year!
Details
Pattern written in US crochet terms
Skill level: intermediate
Finished Size: 12 inch square in Aran or 9.5 inch in DK
Hook size: 5.5mm for Aran or 4.5mm for DK
Yarn: Aran or DK
Final Stitch Count: 39 sts per side
Final Stitch Count: 41 sts per side
Materials
For this sample square I used Stylecraft Special DK in my “Maybellene” color palette. Ok – actually – I tried to, but I got one of the colors wrong. (I used vintage peach instead of apricot. There’s a lot of colors in this pack!) It’s a color palette I originally designed for my Maybellene afghan block. The pack includes 13 colors – Saffron, Apricot, Shrimp, Pomegranate, Lipstick, Fuchsia Purple, Pistachio, Meadow, Spring Green, Teal, Turquoise, Cloud Blue, and Petrol.
You can get this as a color pack on Deramores.com.
I’m also using my go-to Tulip Etimo crochet hook set. For me personally these hooks provide the perfect ergonomic grip, and the smooth aluminum tapered heads are perfect for getting in and out of tight spaces for the advanced stitch placement we’ll be using in this pattern. The set comes with scissors, tapestry needs, and a lovely case to keep everything handy and safe.
Notes
This pattern is Copyright © 2021 Polly Plum. All rights reserved.
If you would like to share this pattern, please share the link to this webpage or the Ravelry pattern page (link below). Please do not distribute this pattern or photos in any other form. Please read more in the Copyright section.
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Help: If you need help or have any questions, scroll to the bottom of this page. There are links to where you can find lots of support.
Helpful Tutorials
All of the below tutorials are totally optional. You don’t have to use any of these techniques if you don’t want to. But if you’d like to see how they are done, you can watch them right here.
Standing stitches are a great way to start a new round with new yarn. If you don’t want to use them, see the special stitches section for the more traditional alternative.
Invisible joins make for really tidy looking crochet. I tend to only use them where I know they’ll show. For this pattern I used them in rounds 4, 5, and 9 through 16.
And just in case you get a little stuck trying to invisible join to a standing stitch, here you go.
I make picots a little bit differently than you may be used to. I find this method gives me a really smooth pointy picot.
And since we’re going to pin those picots down, here’s how to work into the center of the picot.
Abbreviations
- ch – chain
- dc – double crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- pm – place marker
- r(#) – round number
- rm – remove marker
- sc – single crochet
- sk – skip
- slst – slip stitch
- sm – stitch marker
- sp – space
- st– stitch
- tr – treble crochet
- yo – yarn over
Special Stitches
Bpsc – {back post single crochet} just like regular sc, but instead of inserting your hook in the top two loops of indicated st, insert from back to front around the post of the st
DEfptr – {double extended front post treble crochet} YO twice, insert hook from front to back around post of indicated st, yo and pull up a loop, [yo and pull through ONE loop on hook, YO and pull through two loops on hook] twice, YO and pull through last two loops on hook
Efptr – {extended front post treble crochet}YO twice, insert hook from front to back around post of indicated st, yo and pull up a loop, yo and pull through ONE loop on hook, [yo and pull through 2 loops on hook] three times
Fpsc/tr – {front post single/treble crochet} just like regular sc/tr, but instead of inserting your hook in the top two loops of indicated st, insert from front to back around the post of the st
Htr – yo twice, insert hook into indicated st or sp, yo and pull up a loop, yo and pull through 2 loops on hook, yo and pull through 3 loops on hook
PC – {popcorn stitch} 5dc into same st or sp, remove hook from working loop, insert hook into first dc made, put working loop back on hook and pull through first dc
Picot – ch3, slst to back bump of first ch
Sbpsc/dc – {shallow back post sc/dc} just like regular sc/dc, but insert hook under top two loops of indicated st from back to front and then under top two loops of next st from front to back
Standing Stitches
Standing bpsc – to start a round, with slip knot on hook, insert hook from back to front around post of indicated stitch, yo and pull up a loop, yo and pull through two loops on hook
Standing dc – to start a round, with slip knot on hook, hold slip knot in place with thumb or finger, yo and hold that in place too, insert hook in indicated stitch, yo and pull up a loop, carefully yo and draw yarn through two loops on hook twice {alternatively, slst to join yarn then ch3 to count as your first dc}
Standing fpsc – to start a round, with slip knot on hook, insert hook from front to back around post of indicated stitch, yo and pull up a loop, yo and pull through two loops on hook
Standing sc – to start a round, with slip knot on hook, insert hook into indicated stitch, yo and pull up a loop, yo and pull through two loops on hookStanding tr – to start a round, with slip knot on hook, hold slip knot in place with thumb or finger, yo twice and hold that in place too, insert hook in indicated stitch, yo and pull up a loop, [carefully yo and draw yarn through two loops on hook] three times {alternatively, slst to join yarn then ch4 to count as your first tr}
Pattern
Round 1
Ch4 {last 3 chs count as first dc}. 11 dc into 4th ch from hook. Slst to first dc to join.
12 dc
Round 2
With new yarn: Standing dc in any dc. Dc again in same st.
Or, with same yarn: Ch3 {counts as first dc here and throughout}. Dc in same st as join.
[2dc in next dc] 11 times. Slst to first dc to join. Fasten off.
24 dc
Round 3
Work all sts into r1, sk all r2 sts.
With new yarn: Slst around post of any r1 dc and ch5 {counts as first fptr, ch1}. [Fptr around next r1 dc, ch1] 11 times. Slst to first fptr to join. Fasten off.
24 sts (12 fptr, 12 ch1)
Note: Optional, to help with stitch placement in r4, pm in second dc of each 2dc group. Rm after r4.
Round 4
Work all sts into r2, between r3 fptrs and under r3 ch1 sps.
With new yarn: Working between any two r3 fptrs and under the r3 ch1 sp: standing dc into the r2 dc that is aligned with the ch1 sp {the second dc of each 2dc group}. 2 more dc into same dc. Sk next r2 dc.
[3dc in next r2 dc, sk next r2 dc] 11 times. Slst to first dc to join. Fasten off.
36 dc
Round 5
This round will add shape and stability to your r4 sts. For best results, start first slst without a slip knot. Simply insert your empty hook into the first st and pull up a loop.
With new yarn: Slst in any dc.
Slst in each dc around. Cut yarn and invisible join to first slst to join.
36 slst
Round 6
With new yarn: Standing bpsc around 2nd dc of any 3dc group. Ch3.
[bpsc around 2nd dc of next 3dc group, ch3] 11 times. Slst to first bpsc to join.
48 sts (12 bpsc, 12 ch3 sp)
Round 7
With new yarn: Standing sc in any ch3 sp.
Or, with same yarn: Slst into next ch3 sp, ch1 and sc in same sp.
*^Ch2, [PC, ch2] twice in next ch3 sp, PC in next bpsc, ch2, [PC, ch2] twice in next ch3 sp,^ sc in next ch3 sp.*
Repeat from * to * twice more and from ^ to ^ once more. Slst to first sc to join.
72 sts (20 PC, 4 sc, 24 ch2 sp)
Round 8
Sk all PC, work only into sc and ch2 sps.
With new yarn: Standing fpsc around any sc.
Or, with same yarn: Ch1, fpsc around same sc as join.
*^Sk next ch2 sp, 4dc in next ch2 sp, (2htr, 2tr) in next ch2 sp, picot, (2tr, 2htr) in next ch2 sp, 4dc in next ch2 sp, sk next ch2 sp,^ fpsc around next sc.*
Repeat from * to * twice more and from ^ to ^ once more. Slst to first fpsc to join. Fasten off.
72 sts (4 picots, 16 tr, 16 htr, 32 dc, 4 fpsc)
Round 9
This round is worked into r8 fpsc and r7 PC ONLY. When working into PCs, keep work behind r8 sts.
With new yarn: Standing tr in any r8 fpsc, ch2. [Tr, ch2] 3 times in same fpsc.
*^Sk next r7 PC, [sc in next r7 PC, ch2] 3 times, sk next r7 PC,^ [tr, ch2] 4 times in next r8 fpsc.*
Repeat from * to * twice more and from ^ to ^ once more. Slst to first tr to join.
84 sts (16 tr, 12 sc, 28 ch2 sps)
Round 10
With new yarn: Standing dc in ch2 sp after first tr of any 4 tr group. 2 more dc into same sp.
Or, with same yarn: Slst into next ch2 sp, ch3, 2 more dc into same sp.
*^(2dc, ch2, 2dc) in next ch2 sp {ch2 counts as corner here and throughout}, [3dc in next ch2 sp] 3 times, dc in next sc {this is the sc that aligns with the r7 picot},^ [3dc in next ch2 sp] 3 times.*
Repeat from * to * twice more and from ^ to ^ once more. [3dc in next ch2 sp] twice. Slst to first dc to join. Fasten off.
Place a st marker around the 11th and 13th dc of each side for use in r13.
23 dc per side plus ch2 corners
Round 11
Be careful to skip exactly one st behind each post st.
With new yarn: (Standing sc, ch2, sc) in any corner ch2 sp.
*^Sc in next dc, DEfptr around 4th tr of r9 4tr group {forward lean}, sk next dc {now hidden}, sc in each of next 3 dc, Efptr around next r9 sc {forward lean}, sk next dc, sc in each of next 11 sts, Efptr around previous r9 sc {backward lean}, sk next dc, sc in each of next 3 dc, DEfptr around next r9 tr {the first of the 4tr group; backward lean}, sk next dc, sc in next dc,^ (sc, ch2, sc) in next corner ch2 sp.*
Repeat from * to * twice more and from ^ to ^ once more. Slst to first sc to join. Fasten off.
25 sts per side plus ch2 corners (per side: 2 DEfptr, 2 Efptr, 21 sc)
Round 12
With new yarn: (Standing dc, dc, ch2, 2dc) in any corner ch2 sp.
*^Sbpdc around each st across side,^ (2dc, ch2, 2dc) in next corner ch2 sp.*
Repeat from * to * twice more and from ^ to ^ once more. Slst to first dc to join. Fasten off.
29 dc/sbpdc per side plus ch2 corners
Round 13
With new yarn: (Standing sc, ch2, sc) in any corner ch2 sp.
*^Sc in next dc, Efptr around r11 DEfptr {forward lean}, sk next sbpdc, sc in each of next 3 sbpdc, Efptr around next r11 Efptr, sk next sbpdc, sc in each of next 3sbpdc, DEfptr around next marked r10 dc, RM, sk next sbpdc, sc in each of next 4 sbpdc, sc into center of r8 picot and next sbpdc TOGETHER, sc in each of next 4 sbpdc, DEfptr around next marked r10 dc {backward lean}, RM, sk next sbpdc, sc in each of next 3 sbpdc, Efptr around next r11 Efptr, sk next sbpdc, sc in each of next 3sbpdc, Efptr around next r11 DEfptr, sk next sbpdc, sc in next st,^ (sc, ch2, sc) in next corner ch2 sp.*
Repeat from * to * twice more and from ^ to ^ once more. Slst to first sc to join. Fasten off.
31 sts per side plus ch2 corners (per side: 2 DEfptr, 4 Efptr, 25 sc)
Round 14
With new yarn: (Standing dc, dc, ch2, 2dc) in any corner ch2 sp.
*^Sbpdc around each st across side,^ (2dc, ch2, 2dc) in next corner ch2 sp.*
Repeat from * to * twice more and from ^ to ^ once more. Slst to first dc to join. Fasten off.
35 dc/sbpdc per side plus ch2 corners
Round 15
With new yarn: (Standing sc, ch2, sc) in any corner ch2 sp.
^Sc in next sbpdc, [Efptr around next r12 Efptr, sk next sbpdc, sc in each of next 3 sbpdc] twice, Efptr around next r12 DEfptr, sk next sbpdc, sc in each of next 15 sc, Efptr around next r12 DEfptr, sk next sbpdc, [sc in each of next 3 sbpdc, Efptr around next r12 Efptr, sk next sbpdc] twice, sc in next spbpdc,^ (sc, ch2, sc) in corner ch2 sp.*
Repeat from * to * twice more and from ^ to ^ once more. Slst to first sc to join.
37 sts per side plus ch2 corners (per side: 6 Efptr, 31 sc)
Round 16
With new yarn: (Standing sc, ch2, sc) in any corner ch2 sp.
*^Sbpsc around each st across side,^ (sc, ch2, sc) in next corner ch2 sp.*
Repeat from * to * twice more and from ^ to ^ once more. Slst to first sc to join. Fasten off.
39 sc/sbpsc per side plus ch2 corners
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