Stripy popcorn afghan
Way back in October 2012, I started to work on an afghan that was intended to resemble a faded flag. Only my Mum came to visit a couple of days later and then I was busy applying for PhDs and then I was busy sorting visas and starting my PhD and, well, you get the point.
Then last December I finally got around to starting the planned project, only I switched gears and decided to just make a solid-colour afghan, using the dusty rose wool.
And now, I’ve finally got around to using up the other two colours (blue and off-white) to make my first-ever patterned afghan*.
I don’t know what the actual name of the stitch is, but I call this a popcorn stitch as it looks kind of 3D(ish). I really love the stitch and will probably use it more than the standard ripple pattern for afghans moving forward. (This one was given to my housemate, who has yet to use it but seems to like the look of it at least.)
If you want to make one, here’s the pattern:
- Begin with chain 108 for a twin-sized blanket. (Or any multiple of three stitches. I lost count, but I think I started with a chain of about 150.)
- Row 1: 2 dc in 3dr ch from hook, *skip 2 ch, 1 sc and 2 dc in next ch; rep from * across, ending with skip 2 ch, 1 sc ch in last ch. Ch 2, turn.
- Row 2: 2 dc in first sc, *skip 2 dc, 1 sc and 2 dc in next sc; rep from * across, ending with 1 sc in top of t-ch. Ch 2, turn. Rep Row 2 for pat.3.
- Repeat row 2 for pattern until desired length. (120-150 depending on if it’s for a lap blanket or for a bed.)
My afghan was 140 rows as follows:
15 blue
30 while
5 blue
15 white
10 blue
15 while
5 blue
30 white
15 blue
If you count from when I actually began the project, and not when I first told myself I’d start, it took me two weekends. Not bad for a beginner!
* Patterned as in actually making intentional colour changes at certain places, rather than a scrap afghan where I’m constantly changing colours as I run out of yarn.