Maker Monday! Meet Hortense from Knitting With Chopsticks – Crochet Sampler Afghan

This Maker Monday I have the pleasure of introducing you to a maker who combines texture and simplicity in her crochet and knit designs – which you will see in the beautiful Herfst striped crochet sampler afghan pattern she’s sharing with us today!

Say “Hello” to Hortense from Knitting with Chopsticks!

“I’m Hortense, a passionate knitter, crocheter and yarn addict. I created Knitting with Chopsticks to share my creations and help you make your own.

It’s thanks to blogs like this one that I have learned most of what I know about knitting and crochet. My mom taught me the basics of knitting when I was a small girl, bored on the beach (yep, that’s possible when you are 10) and since then I haven’t stopped. Always looking to learn, do more, do better and share my love of yarn, I created Knitting with Chopsticks to make knitting and crochet as simple as it gets so YOU can create what YOU want the way YOU want it.

Engineer by trade, crafter by passion, you will usually find me playing with some yarn while watching the latest episode of Grey’s Anatomy (and probably eating some chocolate, I’m from Belgium, what can I say?).“

The Herfst Blanket is the Perfect Striped Crochet Sampler Afghan

MATERIALS:

• 6 mm / US 10 – J hook
• 6 100g skeins (approximately 1450m / 1600 yards) of Royal Zeeman yarn (3 grey – color A, 1 pink – color B, 1 offwhite – color C, and 1 green – color D).
• Tapestry needle to weave in the ends.

ABBREVIATIONS (U.S. TERMS):

• st – stitch
• ch – chain
• hdc – half double crochet
• dc – double crochet
• FLO – front loop only

PATTERN NOTES:

Repeat the instructions between ** the indicated number of times or until the end of the row.

The climbing ch 1 and ch 2 are not counted as stitches throughout the pattern. I use a turning ch 2 for dc stitches as I find it gives me a neater edge.

When changing color, the turning ch 1, ch 2 at the end of the row should be done in the new color. For improved readability I will not mention it every time.

All stitches are worked in the stitch of the row below except when the stitch below is a ch stitch then the new stitch is worked in the ch space.

Gauge: Not terribly important for this blanket, but in rows of dc my gauge is 12st by 8 rows for a 10cm by 10cm square.

Finished Dimensions: This Herfst blanket is 1m05 by 1m30 (approx. 41 inches x 51 inches). To increase / decrease the width you can add / remove a multiple of 2 stitches to the starting chain. To increase /decrease the length you can add / remove rows.

Purchase the PDF version of this pattern from Ravelry HERE, or from Etsy HERE!

SPECIAL STITCHES:

• Puff stitch = Yo, insert hook in indicated st, yo, pull up a loop, (yo, insert hook in same st, yo, pull up a loop) twice, yo, pull through all 7 lps on hook, ch 1 to close the puff stitch.
• Bead stitch (The bead stitch is similar to a puff stitch but done horizontally. It’s worked up around a dc stitch.) = dc stitch, *yo around the dc stitch post, pull up a loop* repeat 3 times, yo and pull through the next 6 loops on the hook. This leaves 2 loops on the hook. Yarn over and pull through the remaining 2 loops. The bead stitch has the width of 2 stitches.

Crochet Sampler Afghan Pattern:

With color A, CH 120 + 2

R1 – R5: from the 3^rd st from the hook, dc across, ch 2, turn.

R6: dc across, switch to color C, ch 1

R7: hdc across, ch 1, turn

R8: hdc in the front loop only, ch 2, turn

Switch to color B.

R9: dc across, ch 2, turn

R10: dc, * bead st, skip 1* repeat across, dc, ch 2, turn

R11: dc across, ch 2, turn

Switch to color D.

R12 – R13: dc across, ch 2, turn

R14: dc, *puff st, ch 1, miss 1* repeat across, dc, ch 2, turn

R15: dc across, ch 2, turn

R16: dc across, ch 1, turn

Head over to Ravelry HERE or Etsy HERE to purchase the ad-free, downloadable PDF version of this pattern!

Switch to color C

R17: hdc across, ch 1, turn

R18: hdc in the front loop only across, ch 2, turn

Switch back to color A.

R19 – R26: dc across, ch 2, turn (8 rows)

Switch to color B.

R27: dc across, ch 2, turn

R28: dc, * bead st, skip 1 * repeat across, dc, ch 2, turn

R29: dc across, ch 1, turn

Switch to color C.

R30: hdc across, ch 1, turn

R31: hdc in the front loop only across, ch 2, turn

Switch back to color A.

R32 – R36: dc across, ch 2, turn (5 rows)

Switch to color C.

R37 – R38: hdc across, ch 1, turn

R39: hdc in the front loop only across, ch 1, turn

R40: hdc across, ch 1, turn

Switch to color D.

R41 – R42: dc across, ch 2, turn

R43: dc, *puff st, ch 1, miss 1* repeat across, dc, ch 2, turn

R44: dc across, ch 2, turn

R45: dc across, ch 1, turn

Switch to color C.

R46: hdc across, ch 1, turn

R47: hdc in the front loop only across, ch 2, turn

R48 – R49: Repeat *rows 46 and 47*

Switch back to color A.

R50 – R61: dc across, ch 2, turn (12 rows)

Switch to color B.

R62: dc across, ch 2, turn

R63: dc, * bead st, skip 1 *, dc, ch 2, turn

R64: dc across, ch 1, turn

Switch to color D.

R65 – R66: dc across, ch 2, turn

R67: dc, *puff st, ch 1, miss 1* repeat across, dc, ch 2, turn

R68: dc across, ch 2, turn

R69: dc across, ch 1, turn

Switch to color C.

R70: hdc across, ch 1, turn

R71: hdc in the front loop only across, ch 2, turn

Switch to color A.

R72 – R74: dc across, ch 2, turn (3 rows)

Switch to color C.

R75 – R76: hdc across, ch 1, turn

R78: hdc in the front loop only, ch 2, turn

R79 : hdc across, ch 1, turn

R80 – R81: Repeat *rows 78 and 79* finish with a turning chain 2.

Switch to color A.

R82 – R87: dc across, ch 2, turn (6 rows)

Switch to color B.

R88: dc across, ch 2, turn

R89: dc, * bead st, skip 1 *, dc, ch 2, turn

R90: dc across, ch 1, turn

Switch to color C.

R91: hdc across, ch 1, turn

R92: hdc in the front loop only across, ch 2, turn

Switch to color A.

R93 – R97: dc across, ch 2, turn (5 rows)

Switch to color D.

R98 : dc across, ch 2, turn

R99: dc, *puff st, ch 1, miss 1* repeat across, dc, ch 2, turn

R100: dc across, ch 1, turn

Switch to color C.

R101: hdc across, ch 1, turn

R102: hdc in the front loop only across, ch 2, turn

Switch to color B.

R103: dc across, ch 2, turn

R104: dc, * bead st, skip 1 *, dc, ch 2, turn

R105: dc across, ch 1, turn

Switch to color C.

R106 –  R107: hdc across, ch 1, turn

R108: hdc in the front loop only, ch 1, turn

R109 : hdc across, ch 1, turn

R110 – R111: Repeat *rows 108 and 109*. Finish with a turning ch 2.

Switch to color A.

R112 – R116: dc across, ch 2, turn (5 rows)

Bind off and weave in the ends.

Easy, peasy, right? Crochet sampler afghan projects are so fun for learning and practicing new stitches! This striped one particularly warms my heart because it bridges the gap in the traditional crochet blankets that are done in rows and swatch squares sewn together.

Be sure to follow Hortense on your favorite crochet platforms! Links below!

Instagram: Knitting with Chopsticks

Pinterest: Knitting with Chopsticks

Ravelry: Knitting with Chopsticks

Etsy: Knitting with Chopsticks

Check out our other Maker Monday featured makers HERE!

Interested in guest blogging on YarnHookNeedles? Check out THIS post for more info!