April Showers Pillow
PATTERN NOTES
Weave in loose ends as work progresses. Join with slip stitch as indicated unless otherwise stated. Chain-3 at beginning of round counts as first double crochet unless otherwise stated. Chain-6 at beginning of round counts as first double crochet and chain-3 unless otherwise stated.
SPECIAL STITCHES
Popcorn (pc): 5 dc in indicated st, draw up a small lp, remove hook, insert hook in first dc of 5-dc group, pick up dropped lp and draw lp through on hook, ch 1 to lock. Front post shell (fp shell): (2 dc, fptr, 2 dc) in indicated st. Beginning V-stitch (beg V-st): (Ch 6– counts as first dc, ch 3, dc) in indicated st. Cross-double crochet stitch (cross-dc st): Sk next st, dc in next st, working behind last dc, dc in skipped dc. V-stitch (V-st): (Dc, ch 3, dc) in indicated st.
Shell: (2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in indicated st or sp.
PILLOW
Rnd 1 (RS): Ch 6, join (see Pattern Notes) in first ch to form a ring, ch 3 (see Pattern Notes), 15 dc in ring, join in 3rd ch of beg ch-3. (16 dc) Rnd 2: Ch 2, pc (see Special
Stitches) in first dc, fptr (see Stitch Guide) around next dc, [pc in next dc, fptr around next dc] around, join in top of first pc. (8 pc, 8 fptr)
Rnd 3: Ch 1, [sc in top of pc, ( fpdc— see Stitch Guide, ch 3, fpdc) around fptr] around, join in first sc. (8 sc, 8 ch-3 sps, 16 dc) Rnd 4: (Hdc, 5 dc, hdc) in next ch-3 sp, [sl st in next sc, (hdc, 5 dc, hdc) in next ch-3 sp] around, join in sl st. (16 hdc, 40 dc)
Rnd 5: Ch 1, [hdc in each of next 2 sts, dc in next st, (2 tr, ch 2, 2 tr) in next st, dc in next st, hdc in each of next 2 sts, sk next sl st] around, join in first hdc. (8 ch-2 sps)
Rnd 6: Sl st in next ch-2 sp, ch 3, 4 dc in same ch-2 sp, ch 7, sc in next ch-2 sp, [ch 7, 5 dc in next ch-2 sp, ch 7, sc in next ch-2 sp] around, ch 7, join in 3rd ch of beg ch-3. (8 ch-7 sps, 20 dc) Rnd 7: Ch 3, dc in next dc, fp shell (see Special Stitches) in next dc, dc in each of next 2 dc, *6 dc in each of next 2 ch-7 sps**, dc in each of next 2 dc, fp shell in next dc, dc in each of next 2 dc, rep from
* around, ending last rep at **, join in 3rd ch of beg ch-3. (80 dc, 4 fptr) Rnd 8: Sl st in next fptr, beg V-st (see Special Stitches) in same st, *[ cross-dc st (see Special Stitches)] across edge to next fptr**, V-st (see Special Stitches) in next fptr, rep from * around, ending last rep at **, join in 3rd ch of beg ch-6. (4 V sts, 40 cross-dc sts)
Rnd 9: (Ch 3, dc) in first dc of V-st, *5 dc in corner ch-3 sp of V-st, 2 dc in next dc of V-st, dc in each of next 20 sts**, 2 dc in dc of V-st, rep from * around, ending last rep at **, join in 3rd ch of beg ch-3. (116 dc)
Rnd 10: Sl st in next st, ch 3, *sk next 2 sts, fp shell in next st, sk next st, dc in next st, [sk next 2 sts,
shell (see Special Stitches) in next st] 7 times**, sk next 2 sts, dc in next st, rep from * around, ending last rep at**, join in 3rd ch of beg ch-3. (28 shells, 4 fp shells) Rnd 11: Sl st in corner fptr, beg V-st in same st, *ch 3, sk next 2 sts of fp shell, sc in next dc, [ch 3, sc in next ch-1 sp of shell sp] 7 times, ch 3, sc in next dc, ch 3**, V-st in next fptr, rep from * around, ending last rep at **, join in 3rd ch of beg ch-6. (40 ch lps, 4 V-sts) Rnd 12: Sl st in ch-3 sp of V-st, (ch 3, 4 dc) in same st, *[ch 4, sc in next ch sp] across to next V-st, ch 4**, 5 dc in next V-st, rep from * around, ending last rep at **, join in 3rd ch of beg ch-3. (44 ch lps, 20 dc)
Rnd 13: Sl st in center dc of 5-dc group, ch 2, *fp shell in center dc of 5-dc group, [ch 4, sc in next ch sp] across to next 5-dc group, ch 4, rep from * around, join in first dc of fp shell. (48 ch sps, 4 fp shells) Rnd 14: Sl st in fptr, beg V-st in same st, *[ch 4, sc in next ch lp] across to next fp shell, ch 4**, work V-st in fptr, rep from * around, ending last rep at **, join in 3rd ch
of beg ch-6. (52 ch sps, 4 V-sts) Rnds 15–29: [Rep rnds 12–14 consecutively] 5 times. Rnd 30: Rep rnd 12. (116 ch sps, 20 dc)
Rnd 31: Sl st in center dc of 5-dc group, ch 2, [fp shell in center dc of 5-dc group, dc in each of next 2 dc, work 4 dc in each ch sp across to next dc, dc in each of next 2 dc] 4 times, join in first dc of fp shell. (480 dc)
Rnd 32: Rep rnd 8. (4 V-sts, 240 cross-dc)
Rnd 33: Ch 3, dc in each st around, working 5 dc in each corner ch-3 sp of each V-st, join in 3rd ch of beg ch-3. Fasten off.
FINISHING
Wet-block to measurements, stretching sides even. With sewing needle and matching thread, whipstitch edge (see illustration) of rnd 33 to the edges of front of Pillow.