Big Block Stash Buster Afghan - Crochet

Good morning,

This afghan was made for my daughter's first bed when she moved out of a crib. She is all grown up now, but the grand kids still use it with others to throw on the floor to cuddle up to watch movies.

I made several versions of this design over the years;  all of the others have been given away. I'm so glad we still have this one so I can write down the pattern to use it again. For many years I designed items that I never wrote down, then gave them away so will never have the pattern to use again. I've learned. I write them down now.

This pattern can be quite dramatic in shades of grey, white, and black, or in earth tones, or in blues.... In addition to the little girl colors above, I've made it in "guy colors" for my son and for other male friends.  The possibilities are endless and the results of color change and/or changing the size of the blocks give very different looking finished products.

Color changes can be made as you would like to have them. You can make sizes of blocks as pictured, or make the same number of rows between main color border rows on each strip to produce a pattern of like-size blocks.  If alternating as pictured, be sure to keep in mind where color changes are on the current strip being made and the resulting arrangement of color of adjacent strips and placement as you work. I enjoy doing this and make it a game as I work on the afghan. I make all strips, then lay them out to be sure I will like the way they will look side by side before crocheting them together.

If you make this one, I would love to see pictures of your creation.  :)

Best,

Lois

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Big Block Stash Buster Afghan - Crochet

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Materials:

#4 yarn, approximately 50 oz for block color (bc), approximately 8 oz main color (mc) for border as pictured.  Size J crochet hook.

If you are making more color changes using more border color on each strip and/or a deeper outside border, more main color will be needed.

Important:  The first row of each strip is the right side of your work.  Be sure to start the first row of the two rows made in the strips between block colors on the right side of work.

Make 5 strips, each 151 rows long (first and last rows are right side)

Work over ends as work progresses.

Directions:

Open shell stitch for strip (make 5):

Row 1 (rs): chain 35, sc in second ch from hook, skip 1 ch, *(dc, ch 1, dc) shell made in next ch, skip 1 ch, sc in next ch, skip 1 ch. Repeat across ending in sc in last ch. (8 shells with sc at beginning and end of row)

Row 2: Ch 3 (counts as first dc and ch 1) and dc in top of sc of previous row, *sc in center space of shell of previous row, shell in next sc of previous row. Repeat from * ending with shell in last sc.

Row 3: ch 1, *work sc in center of shell of last row, shell in top of sc of previous row. Repeat from * ending in sc in top of last shell.

Repeat rows 2 and 3 for pattern.

Work 151 rows from beginning.

Break off.

To crochet the strips together:

First strip:

Work 2 dc in sc st, ch 1, along long sides.  Work 3 dc in each sc st, ch1 along short ends of work.  Always work ch 3 in corners. When joining at corners, work ch 1, ss to corresponding space on next strip border, ch 1 in corner.

Second and subsequent strips:

Work as first strip, except on side where first and second strip is connected, replace middle ch on corner and each ch on side with a slip stitch into ch space on corresponding strip. You afghan goes together with no sewing and will have a neater, more secure joining than sewing can provide.

Border:

Working on right side, work border around entire afghan in same manner as strip joining borders.

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 Bernat Super Value Yarn: Solids, Lilac

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