Complete Crochet Guide: Materials, Special Stitches, and Step-by-Step Instructions
You’ll Need:
DK Weight / 3 / Yarn (Lion Brand Yarn in Centaur color) (150 g / 5.3 oz / 590 yards / 540 meters / 100% acrylic) per cake – You’ll need approximately 3.75 cakes (2,200 yards);
Crochet hook 6 mm;
Scissors;
Yarn needle.
Special Stitches
Single Crochet Puff Stitch (puff st)
Yo, insert your hook into the indicated stitch/space, yo and pull up a long loop, (yo, insert your hook into the same stitch/space, yo, and pull up a long loop) 4 more times, yo, pull through all 11 loops on your hook.
Alternate Double Crochet – Double Crochet Cluster (alt-dc-cl)
After turning your work, do not ch, instead, insert your hook into the first st, yo, pull up a loop, yo, pull thru both loops, insert your hook between the legs of the st just made, yo, pull up a loop, yo, insert your hook into the same stitch/space, yo, pull up a loop, yo, pull thru 2 loops, yo, pull thru remaining loops.
2 Double Crochet Cluster (2 dc-cl)
Yo, insert hook where indicated, yo, pull up a loop, yo, pull thru 2 loops, yo, insert hook in same st, yo, pull up a loop, yo, pull thru 2 loops, yo, pull thru remaining loops.
Instructions
RND 1: With a 6 mm crochet hook, ch 2, in the 2nd ch from your hook work (sc, ch 2) 4 times. Join with a sl st to the 1st sc. Turn. (12 sts) *Chains (not including turning chains) are counted as stitches.
RND 2: Ch 1, * (sc, ch 2, sc) in the next ch-2 space, ch 1, skip the next st, repeat from * around. Join. Turn. (20 sts)
RND 3: * sc in the next ch-1 space, ch 1, skip the next st, (sc, ch 2, sc) in the next ch-2 space, ch 1, skip the next st, repeat from * around. Join. Turn. (28 sts)
RND 4: Ch 1, puff st in the next ch-1 space, ch 1, skip the next st, [ (puff st, ch 2, puff st) in the next ch-2 space, ch 1, skip the next st, (puff st in the next ch-1 space, ch 1, skip the next st) repeat from ( to ) across to the next ch-2 space ] work from [ to ] 3 times, then work (puff st, ch 2, puff st) in the next ch-2 space, ch 1, skip the next st, puff st in the next ch-1 space, ch 1, skip the next st. Join. Turn. (36 sts)
RND 5 - 7: Do not ch-1, [ (sc in the next ch-1 space, ch 1, skip the next st) repeat across to the next ch-2 space, (sc, ch 2, sc) in the next ch-2 space, ch 1, skip the next st ] work from [ to ] 3 times, then work (sc in the next ch-1 space, ch 1, skip the next st) repeat across to the end of the round. Join. Turn. *Stitch count increases by 8 each round. (60 sts at the end of Row 7) Approximately 4″ square at this point.
ROW 8: Alt-dc-cl in the first ch-1 space, ch 1, skip the next st, [ (2 dc-cl in the next ch-1 space, ch 1, skip the next st) repeat across to the next ch-2 space, (2 dc-cl, ch 2, 2 dc-cl) in the next ch-2 space, ch 1, skip the next st ] work from [ to ] 3 times, then work (2 dc-cl in the next ch-1 space, ch 1, skip the next st) repeat across to the end of the round. Join. Turn. *Stitch count increases by 8. (68 sts at the end of Row 8) Approximately 5″ square at this point.
RND 9 - 11: Do not ch-1, [ (sc in the next ch-1 space, ch 1, skip the next st) repeat across to the next ch-2 space, (sc, ch 2, sc) in the next ch-2 space, ch 1, skip the next st ] work from [ to ] 3 times, then work (sc in the next ch-1 space, ch 1, skip the next st) repeat across to the end of the round. Join. Turn. *Stitch count increases by 8 each round. (92 sts at the end of Row 11) Approximately 5.75″ square at this point.
ROW 12: Ch 1, [ (puff st in the next ch-1 space, ch 1, skip the next st) repeat from ( to ) across to the next ch-2 space, (puff st, ch 2, puff st) in the next ch-2 space, ch 1, skip the next st ] work from [ to ] 3 times, then work (puff st in the next ch-1 space, ch 1, skip the next st) repeat across to the end of the round. Join. Turn. *Stitch count increases by 8. (100 sts at the end of Row 12) Approximately 6.75″ square at this point.
Rep Rows 5 - 12, ending with a Row 11 rep, until your afghan is the size you prefer. You can end on any round you’d like.
Fasten off.
Weave in ends.