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SPRING
2012
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Abbreviations
beg
begin(ning)
BO
bind off
CCA
Contrast Color A
CCB
Contrast Color B
CCC
Contrast Color C
circ
circular(ly)
CO
cast on
cont
continue
EOR
end of round
IC
Inside Corner
inc
increase(s)/increasing
ins
insert
K
knit
K2tog
knit two stitches together
L
left
MC
Main color
ndl(s)
needle(s)
OC(s)
outside corner(s)
OC1
Outside Corner 1
OC2
Outside Corner 2
OC3
Outside Corner 3
OC4
Outside Corner 4
OC5
Outside Corner 5
P
purl
P2SSO
pass two slipped stitches
over the stitch just worked
prev
previous(ly)
PU&K
pick up & knit
R
right
rem
remove
rpt
repeat
Sl
slip
st(s)
stitch(es)
tog
together
wyib
with yarn in back
wyif
with yarn in front
x
times
YO
yarnover (wrap yarn
around ndl)
Skill Level
Advanced or adventurous intermediate.
Materials
Note:
This pattern is written for sport
weight or double knitting weight yarn
with any differences for using worsted
weight yarn shown in parentheses.
Yarn:
It can be made in sport or dou-
ble knitting weight yarn or the thicker
worsted weight yarn. You will need four
colors. For my sample afghans, I used
cream as the main color and the contrast
colors, in order of use, are burgundy,
forest green, and slate blue or dark pink.
Yardage for each is:
Main Color:
about 700 (900) yards
Contrast Color A:
about 360 (400) yards
Contrast Color B:
about 310 (350) yards
Contrast Color C:
about 175 (250) yards
Needles:
Several circular Size 6 (9)
needles or size to achieve gauge—one no
longer than about 24 inches and the other
one(s) longer. I needed to use two needles
with the sport weight yarn, and three with
the thicker worsted weight yarn, because
by the end of the afghan, there are more
than 800 stitches in a single round. Use
the needles as if they are very long double
point needles, meaning that you just knit
the stitches off one needle onto another.
You can tightly twist rubber bands around
the unused needle ends if you’re con-
cerned about the stitches slipping off.
Miscellaneous:
Stitch marker for end of round marker
Darning needle for weaving in ends
Small safety pins (optional) for marking
row/round counts
Rubber bands or small hair binders
(optional) to keep stitches from falling off
needles
Gauge
Worked in garter stitch, there are about
22 stitches and 22 garter ridges per four
inches with the sport weight yarn and
about 17 stitches and 17 garter ridges
per four inches with the thicker, worsted
weight yarn. It isn’t the gauge that is
so critical for this project as the “hand,”
which is the way the garter stitch fabric
of your afghan feels and drapes. What you
are looking for with your chosen yarn is
a gauge that gives you a soft afghan that
drapes well, but is not baggy. So if you
get the right “hand” at a different gauge,
that’s fine! Use the needles that give you
the right feel with your yarn. The result-
ant size of the afghan may be smaller or
larger than the dimensions I’ve given, and
you may require more or less yarn, but go
for the wonderful feel, don’t just try to
match my gauge.
Size
This pattern can be made in a range of
sizes, depending on your choice of yarn
and needles. Using the yarns described
here, it can be made in two sizes—either
36 or 45 inches.
sts, work OC2; then PU&K 5 sts in the L
edge of the extension, K 1 in the corner
(in the st below the last st of row 1 of the
extension) *, rpt * to * 3x (you will end at
the EOR marker). 408 sts. Do NOT turn.
Round 50:
P.
Round 51:
Rem EOR marker, Sl 1 wyib,
ins EOR marker, rpt (K 5, work OC5, K 5,
work IC, K 5, work OC5, K to center st of
the next OC, work OC5, K 5, work IC) 4x.
416 sts.
Round 52:
P. End with 2 MC garter ridges.
Cut yarn.
Round 53:
With CCB, rpt round 51. Note:
this is how all of the remaining circ K
rounds will be done—each IC and OC is
directly above the ICs and OCs of prev circ
K round. Also note that the st count be-
tween each pair of ICs and OCs is always
5 sts; but the counts between the pair of
OCs at the end of each extension will al-
ways inc 2 sts on each circ K round (for a
total inc of 8 sts for each round). 424 sts.
Round 54:
P.
Rounds 55-62:
Cont to rpt rounds 53-54.
End round 62 with 456 sts and 5 CCB gar-
ter ridges. Cut yarn at end of round 62.
Rounds 63-92:
With MC, cont to rpt
rounds 53-54. End round 92 with 576 sts
and 15 MC garter ridges. Cut yarn at end
of round 92.
Four MC Background Extensions:
Work back and forth in short rows, simi-
larly to the CCA extensions.
MC Extension 1:
Row 1
(see Figure 9
which shows all of
the extensions): Rem EOR marker, Sl 1 st,
ins EOR marker, Sl 25 sts (you are now