How to Crochet a Sunflower Afghan

You’ll Need:

Red Heart Super Saver yarn in:

• Gold (2 skeins);
• Coffee (1 skein);
• Light Sage (1 skein);
• Buff (1 skein);
• Yarn needle;
• Scissors.

Stitch Control:

3 dc across = about 0.75 inches; 2 rnds of dc = about 1 inch in length.

Size:

One square measures about 10 inches square (about 9 inches square when assembled into an afghan).

Notes:

• Chains do not count as stitches in the stitch count throughout the pattern.
• Square will initially curl upwards while crocheting; this can be adjusted by stretching the square considerably when finished, pulling from corners outward until the piece lays flat.
• In Rnd 7 of Sunflower Square, you may wish to chain 8 instead of 7 if your work is curling too much.
• The throw blanket in this pattern consists of 24 squares (4 across, 6 down). The blanket size can be adjusted by adding or reducing the number of squares.

Instructions:

Round 1:

With Coffee, make a magic ring. Ch 2, 12 dc in ring. Join with sl st to first dc. Ch 2 (12 dc);

Round 2:

2 dc in each st. Join with sl st to first dc. Ch 2 (24 dc);

Round 3:

2 dc in first st, dc in next st; repeat around. Join with sl st to first dc. Join Gold in last st. Ch 2 (36 dc);

Round 4:

2 dc in first st, dc in next 2 sts; repeat around. Join with sl st to first dc. (48 dc);

Round 5:

Ch 5, sc in first st, tr in next 3 sts. Skip 2 sts on Round 4, and join with sl st in next st. Sl st in the next st. Repeat around for a total of 12 petals. Do not sl st twice on the last petal. (1 sc and 3 tr per petal);

Round 6:

Working around each petal made in Round 5, ch 1, sc in first st, hdc over next 2 sts, 2 dc in next, [3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc] in next st, 2 dc in next st, hdc in next st, sc in next st. Sl st in between the current petal and the next (second sl st from Round 5). Repeat around. Fasten off Gold. (2 sc, 3 hdc, 10 dc per petal);

Round 7:

Attach Light Sage in the ch-3 sp (from Round 6) of any petal. Ch 7, sl st into ch-3 sp of the next petal. Repeat around;

Round 8:

Ch 2, *make 8 dc in first ch-7 sp from Round 7, and 8 dc in next ch-7 sp from Round 7. [Dc 4, ch 3, dc 4] in next ch-7 sp.* Repeat from * to * 3 more times. Join with sl st to the top of the first dc. Fasten off, stretch fabric outwards considerably, pulling from corners, in order to relax the stitches and make square flatter.

Assembly:

Put 2 squares together with the right sides facing each other. Pull Buff through FLO of the square facing away from you, and through BLO of the square facing towards you. Ch 1. Sc in the same st, and repeat this process to sc the two squares together. Continue this process in each direction – sc two squares together both lengthwise and widthwise until squares are all completely attached. Fasten off, weave in all ends.

Edging:

Round 1:

Attach Buff in any of the four corners of the blanket. Ch 1, 3 sc in ch-sp of the corner. Sc in each st around the blanket, making [3 sc, ch 1, 3 sc] in corners. Make a sc in ch-sps along the edge of each square as well. In the last corner, where Edging begins, [sc 3, ch 1] and join with sl st to the first st of Edging;

Round 2:

*Ch 2, dc in next st, dc in next st, hdc in next st. Sl st over next 3 sts.* Repeat from * to * around, join with sl st to the first st. Fasten off, weave in ends.