This afghan square was designed especially for the Ravelry BAMCAL 2021 group as the April Block of the Month. This is my 12th year of having a featured design with the group. It’s always been so much fun coming up with these designs and watching everyone make their own unique versions. Why not join the fun?
This design is inspired by a sweet little poem and mimics the verse by using various textures throughout. Stitch up your own, ever changing, April Girl.
The pattern is free, right here on my blog. If you’d like a nice pdf for your Ravelry Library, you can purchase it for a small fee of $2.98.
Click here to purchase the pattern.
MATERIALS & GUIDELINES
YARN
Cascade Yarns Anthem
A: Rose Shadow
B: Hot Pink
WEIGHT: 4 – Medium
SKILL LEVEL: Intermediate
HOOKS: H / 5.0mm and I / 5.5 mm
FINISHED SIZE: 12” X 12”
OTHER: Tapestry Needle, Scissors, Stitch Markers
ABBREVIATIONS:
Beg = beginning
Ch/s = chain/s
Dc= double crochet
Hdc = half double crochet
Hk = hook
Lp/s = loop/s
Prev = previous
Rem = remains
RM = remove marker
Rnd = round
Sc = single crochet
Sk = skip/skipped
Sl St = slip stitch
SM = stitch marker
Sp/s = space/s
St/s = stitch/es
Tog = together
Tr = treble crochet
Yo = yarn over
SPECIAL STITCHES:
Bead St:(Yo, insert hk from front to back around all 3 prev dcs, yo and pull up a lp back to front) 3 times (7 lps on hk), yo and draw through all 7 lps to close.
Beg Puff St:Pull up a ½” tall lp (1 long lp on hk), (yo and insert hk into same sp, yo and pull up a long lp) 3 times, yo and draw through all 7 lps on hk.
Cl (cluster): Work 2 tr in same st until last lp of each rem on hk, yo and draw through all 3 lps.
Dc2tog: Yo, insert hk into st indicated, yo and pull up lp, yo and draw through 2 lps, (2 lps on hk), rep into next st indicated until 3 lps on hk, yo and draw through all lps on hk.
Fan: [(Cl, ch 3) 4 times, Cl] all in same st.
Fpsc (front post single crochet): Insert hk from front to back and to front again around post of st indicated, yo and pull up a lp, complete as regular sc.
Picot: Ch 3, insert hk back into the top of the base st, yo, pull through all lps on hk.
Puff St: Yo, insert hk into specified sp, (yo and pull up a ½” tall lp) 3 times, yo and draw through all 7 lps on hk.
V-St: (Dc, ch 1, dc) in same st.
V-St2: (Dc, ch 2, dc) in same st.
NOTES:
- The center of square is made of 2 individual motifs which are worked separately and then joined tog, one on top of the other.
- This pattern uses two (2) sizes of crochet hooks, which are noted in the instructions.
Always Marry an April Girl
By Ogden Nash
Praise the spells and bless the charms,
I found April in my arms.
April golden, April cloudy,
Gracious, cruel, tender, rowdy;
April soft in flowered languor,
April cold with sudden anger,
Ever changing, ever true —
I love April, I love you.
INSTRUCTIONS
Motif A – (Use the H hook) Worked back and forth in rows, and then around perimeter.
Row 1: With A ch 9, dc in 5thch from hk (first 4 chs count as dc, ch1), ch 1, sk next ch, dc in next ch, ch 1, sk next ch, V-St in last ch, turn. (5 dc, 4 ch-1)
Row 2: Ch 4 (count as dc, ch 1), dc in first dc, ch 1, (dc in next dc, ch 1) 3 times, sk next ch, V-St in next ch, turn. (7 dc, 6 ch-1)
Row 3: Ch 4 (count as dc, ch 1), (dc in next dc, ch 1) 5 times, sk next ch, dc in next ch, turn. (7 dc, 6 ch-1)
Row 4: Rep Row 3.
Note: In Rows 5 & 6, the beg ch-2 and first dc count as a dc2tog.
Row 5: Ch 2, sk next ch-1, (dc in next dc, ch 1) 4 times, dc2tog placing 1st leg in next dc, sk next ch, place 2nd leg in next ch, turn. (2 dc2tog, 3 dc, 4 ch-1)
Row 6: Ch 2, sk next ch-1, (dc in next dc, ch 1) twice, dc2tog placing 1st leg in next dc and 2ndleg in top of dc2tog, turn. (2 dc2tog, 1 dc, 2 ch-1)
Note: The next Rnd is worked around perimeter of motif.
A sp is defined as a ch-1 sp, or a sp created from a dc post.
Rnd 7: Ch 1, sc in same st, 2 sc in next sp, [sc in next st, 2 sc in next sp] around, join with sl st to beg sc. Finish off. (48 sc)
Motif B – (Use the I hook) Worked in the Rnd.
Rnd 1: With B ch 4, join with sl st to form a ring, or make a magic circle. Ch 3, 11 dc in ring, join with sl st to top of beg ch-3. (12 dc)
Rnd 2: Ch 3, dc in same st, 2 dc in each st around, join with sl st to top of beg ch-3. (24 dc)
Rnd 3: Rep Rnd 2. Do not finish off. (48 dc)
Note: Cont with the I hook and Color B to join both Motifs by placing Motif A on top of Motif B and aligning both joins.
Rnd 4: Ch 1, insert hk first into join of Motif A (on top) and then into join of Motif B, complete a sc, sc in each st around as before to join the 2 Motifs tog, join with sl st to beg sc. Finish off. (48 sc)
Rnd 5: Join A with sl st one st after join, ch 4 (count as dc, ch 1), (dc in next 3 sts, work Bead St, ch 1) 15 times, dc in next 2 sts, join with sl st to 3rd ch of beg ch-4, work Bead St, ch 1, sl st to next ch-1 sp. Finish off. (16 Bead St, 16 ch-1)
Rnd 6: : Prev join is in ch-1 sp. Join B with sc to 4th st after join, [sc in next ch-1 sp, sc in next 4 sts] around omitting last sc, join with sl st to beg sc. (80 sc)
Rnd 7: Ch 1, sc in same st, [sk next 4 sts, Fan in next st, sk next 4 sts, sc in next st, (ch 2, sk next st, sc in next st) 5 times] around omitting last sc, join with sl st to beg sc. (4 Fans, 24 sc, 20 ch-2)
Rnd 8: Ch 1, [{fpsc around top of next Cl, (2 sc, picot, sc) in next ch-3 sp} 4 times, fpsc around top of next Cl, ch 2, (sc in next ch-2 sp, ch 2) 5 times] around, join with sl st to beg fpsc. Finish off. (20 fpsc, 16 picot, 68 sc, 24 ch-2)
Rnd 9: Join A with sl st to the first ch-2 sp after the last Cl of any Fan, BegPuff St in same sp, [ch 1, (Puff St in next ch-2 sp, ch 1) 5 times, sk next fpsc, V-St2 in next fpsc, (ch 2, V-St2 in next fpsc) twice, ch 1, Puff St in next ch-2 sp] around omitting last Puff St, join with sl st to top of BegPuff St. (24 Puff St, 12 V-St2, 8 ch-2, 28 ch-1)
Note: In rnd 10, you may wish to mark your corner dc sts with a SM for future reference.
Rnd 10: Ch 1, sc in same st, [sc in next ch-1 sp, (sc in top of next Puff St, sc in next ch-1 sp) 5 times, sc in next dc, (2 sc in next ch-2 sp, sc in next dc) twice, (hdc, dc, hdc) in next ch-2 sp, sc in next dc, (2 sc in next ch-2 sp, sc in next dc) twice, sc in next ch-1 sp, sc in top of next Puff St] around omitting last sc, join with sl st to beg sc. ( 27 sc per side, 2 hdc per side, 4 dc for corners)
Rnd 11: Ch 4 (count as dc, ch 1), sk next st, dc in next 3 sts, work Bead St, (ch 1, sk next st, dc in next 3 sts, work Bead St) 4 times, [ch 3, dc in same st as prev dc (RM), dc in next 2 sts, work Bead St, (ch 1, sk next st, dc in next 3 sts, work Bead St) 7 times] around working last rep only 1 time instead of 7 times, ch 1, dc in next 2 sts, join with sl st to 3rd ch of beg ch-4, work Bead St over last 2 dc just made and beg ch-3, ch 1, sl st to 4th ch of beg ch-4. Finish off. (8 Bead St per side, 7 ch-1 per side, 4 ch-3 for corners)
Rnd 12:Join B with sl st to any corner ch-2 sp, ch 3, [dc in next 4 sts, (sk next ch-1 sp, dc in next 4 sts) 7 times, V-St2 in next corner ch-3 sp] around omitting last V-St2, dc in beg corner ch-2 sp, join with hdc to top of beg ch-3. (34 dc per side, 3 ch-2 and 1 hdc for corners)
Rnd 13: Ch 1, (hdc, sc) in same sp, [sc in next 34 sts, (sc, hdc, sc) in next ch-2 sp] around omitting last (sc, hdc, sc), sc in beg ch-2 sp to complete first corner, join with sl st to beg hdc. Finish off. (36 sc per side, 4 hdc for corners)
Weave in all ends, block as desired.
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