Country Hearts Crochet Afghan Pattern

Country Hearts Afghan

Designed by Katherine Eng
For Designs For America from Solutia

Size: Approx. 43" x 63".

Materials: Worsted-weight yarn Wintuk (100% Acrilan® Acrylic, 213 yards per 3-1/2 oz/100g skein) by Caron: 8 skeins #3032 Mulberry (MC), 6 skeins #3002 Off White (Col A), 2 skeins #3160 Dark Colonial Blue (Col B). Crochet hook size G/6 (4.25mm) or whatever size needed to get correct gauge; Yarn Needle.

Gauge: Rnd 1 = 1-7/8"; 1 square = 7". To save time, take time to check your gauge.

*Yarn requirements suggested in this leaflet are adequate. If you make any adjustments in length or width, or if your stitch gauge differs from the recommendation, then the yarn amount may not be sufficient.

Special Stitches
Shell (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in indicated st.
Beg Cl: (Beginning Cluster) Ch 3, [yo, insert hook in next st and pull up a lp] twice, yo, draw through all 3 lps on hook.
Cl: (Cluster) [Yo, insert hook in next st and pull up a lp, yo, draw through 2 lps] 3 times; yo, draw through all 4 lps on hook.
[ ] Work step in brackets number of times indicated.
( ) Work entire step in parentheses in indicated stitch or space.

Notes
Join rnds with a sl st unless otherwise indicated.

Square (make 40)
Rnd 1: With MC, ch 4, join to form a ring. In ring, work beg cl, ch 2, [cl, ch 2] 5 times, join in top of beg cl, fasten off.
Rnd 2: Draw up a lp of Col A in any ch-2 sp, ch 1, 2 sc in same sp, ch 1, [3 sc in next ch-2 sp, ch 1] 5 times, sc in first sp, join in beg sc.
Rnd 3: Ch 1, sc in same sc, ch 1, sk next sc, 7 dc in next ch-l sp (top left arch of heart), *ch 1, sk next sc, sc in next sc *, ch 1, sk next sc, sc in next ch-1 sp, rep from * to *, ch 1, sk next sc, (hdc, 2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc, hdc) in next ch-l sp (bottom point of heart), rep from * to *, ch 1, sk next sc, sc in next ch-l sp, rep from * to *, ch 1, sk next sc, 7 dc in next ch-1 sp (top right arch), rep from * to *, ch 1, sk next sc, sl st in next ch-1 sp (center top), ch 1, sk next sc, join in beg sc.
Rnd 4: Ch 1, sc in each st and ch-1 sp around with 2 sc in 3rd and 5th dc of each arch and (sc, ch 2, sc) in ch-2 sp at bottom point of heart, ending with sl st in (ch-l sp, sl st and ch-l sp) at top center of heart, join in beg sc.
Rnd 5: *Ch 4, sk 1 sc, sl st in next sc, rep from * around, with ch 4, sk 1 sc, (sl st, ch 4, sl st) in ch-2 sp at bottom point, ending with ch 2, sk center 3 sl sts, sl st in joining sl st of last rnd, fasten off—23 ch-4 sps.
Rnd 6: (Note: Work behind ch-4 sps in skipped scs of Rnd 4.) Draw up lp of MC in ch-2 sp (behind and bet ch-4 sp) of bottom point, *[ch 1, sc in next sc]* twice, ch 1, (sc, ch 3, sc) in next sc, rep from * to * 8 times, ch 1, sc in center sl st (behind and bet ch-2 sp), rep from * to * 8 times, ch 1, (sc, ch 3, sc) in next sc, rep from * to * twice, ch 1, sl st in same ch-2 sp as beg ch-1.
Rnd 7: Ch 1, sc in same st, *ch 1, hdc in next sc, ch 1, dc in next sc, ch 1, (3 tr, ch 2, 3 tr) in next ch-3 sp, ch 1, sk next sc, tr in next sc, ch 1, dc in next sc, ch 1, hdc in next sc, [ch 1, sc in next sc] twice, ch 1, (3 hdc, ch 2, 3 hdc) in next sc, ch 1, sc in next sc, ch 1, hdc in next sc, ch 1*, dc in center sc, rep from * to * in reverse on opposite side, join last ch-1 in beg sc.
Rnd 8: Ch 1, sc in each st and ch-l sp around, working (sc, ch 2, sc) in each corner ch-2 sp, join in beg sc, fasten offÑ19 sc each side bet corner ch-2 sps.
Rnd 9: Draw up a lp of Col B in 2nd sc to left of any corner ch-2 sp, ch 1, sc in same sc, *ch 1, sk 1 sc, sc in next sc, rep from * around, working at corners ch 1, sk 1 sc, (sc, ch 2, sc) in corner ch-2 sp, at end of rnd, ch 1, sk last sc, join in beg sc, fasten off.
Rnd 10: Draw up a lp of Col A in any sc on side, ch 1, sc in each sc and ch-1 sp around, working (sc, ch 3, sc) in each corner ch-2 sp, join in beg sc, fasten off—23 sc each side bet corner ch-3 sps. Weave in ends.

Assembly
With MC and RS facing, whipstitch squares tog through back lps of sts to make 5 strips of 8 squares each. Sew strips tog, matching corners.

Border
Rnd 1: (WS) With WS facing, draw up lp of Col A in 6th or 8th sc to left of any corner ch-3 sp, ch 1, sc in same sc, *ch 1, sk 1 sc, sc in next sc, rep from * to corner sp of first square, ch 1, sc in corner sp, ch 1, sk joining seam, sc in next corner sp, rep from first * to corner of afghan, (sc, ch 3, sc) in corner sp, rep from first * around, ending with ch 1, sk last sc, join in beg sc, ch 1, turn.
Rnd 2: (RS) With RS facing, sc in same sc, sc in next ch-1 sp and in each rem sc and ch-1 sp around, working (sc, ch 3, sc) in each corner ch-3 sp, join in beg sc, fasten off.
Rnd 3: With WS facing, draw up lp of Col B in 8th or 10th sc to left of any corner ch-3 sp, ch 1, sc in same sc, *ch 1, sk 1 sc, sc in next sc, rep from * around, working ch 1, (sc, ch 3, sc) in each corner ch-3 sp, join in beg sc, ch 1, turn.
Rnd 4: Rep Rnd 2.
Rnd 5: With RS facing, draw up a lp of MC in 20th sc to left of corner ch-3 sp on either long side edge, ch 1, sc in same sc, *sk 2 sc, shell in next sc, sk 2 sc, sc in next sc, rep from * around, working sk 1 sc, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in each corner ch-3 sp, sk 1 sc, sc in next sc, at end of rnd, join in beg sc, sl st in next dc, ch 1, turn.
Rnd 6: (Sc, ch 3, sc) in next sc, *ch 2, (sc, ch 3, sc) in ch-2 sp of next shell, ch 2, (sc, ch 3, sc) in next sc, rep from * around, working ch 2, sk 2 dc, (sc, ch 3, sc) in next dc, corner ch-2 sp and next dc, ch 2, sk 2 dc, (sc, ch 3, sc) in next sc, at end of rnd, join last ch-2 in beg sc, fasten off.
Rnd 7: With RS facing, draw up a lp of Col A in any ch-3 sp above a shell away from corner, ch 1, sc in same sp, *shell in next ch-3 sp, sc in next ch-3 sp, rep from * around, working (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in corner ch-3 sp, sc in next ch-3 sp, at end of rnd, join in beg sc, fasten off.
Rnd 8: With WS facing, draw up a lp of MC in any ch-2 sp of shell on side edge away from corner, ch 1, sc in same sp, ch 2, (sc, ch 3, sc) in next sc, rep Rnd 6 from * and corners, at end of rnd, ch 2, sc in first sp, ch 3, join in beg sc, ch 1, turn.
Rnd 9: Sc in first ch-3 sp, rep Rnd 7 from * and rem of rnd, join in beg sc.
Rnd 10: Ch 1, sc in first sc, *ch 3, (sc, ch 3, sc) in ch-2 sp of next shell, ch 3, sc in next sc, rep from * around, ending with ch 3, working ch 3, sk 2 dc, (sc, ch 3, sc) in next dc, (sc, ch 4, sc) in corner ch-2 sp, (sc, ch 3, sc) in next dc, ch 3, sk 2 dc, sc in next sc, at end of rnd join in beg sc, fasten off. Weave in ends on WS. Block carefully.