Lacy Ferns Afghan

Design by Rena V. Stevens

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

50 inches wide x 61 inches long, excluding Fringe

MATERIALS

• Bernat Softee Baby light (DK) weight acrylic yarn (5 oz/362 yds/140g per ball): 3 balls each #030185 soft lilac and #002003 lemon 2 balls #030221 soft fern

• Size H/8/5mm crochet hook

• Tapestry needle

• Locking stitch markers

GAUGE

1 Panel = 6 inches wide before Edging and Assembly Gauge is not important for this project.

PATTERN NOTES

Weave in loose ends as work progresses. Chain-4 at beginning of row counts as first double crochet and chain-1 unless otherwise stated. When instructed to work in shell, work in chain-1 space of shell. Join with slip stitch as indicated unless otherwise stated.

SPECIAL STITCHES

Shell: (2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in indicated st or sp.

Back post double crochet (bpdc): Yo, insert hook from back to front to back around post of designated dc, yo, pull up a long lp to height of adjacent dc, [yo, draw through 2 lps on hook] twice. Front post double crochet (fpdc): Yo, insert hook from front to back to front around post of designated dc, yo, pull up a long lp to height of adjacent dc, [yo, draw through 2 lps on hook] twice. Single crochet join (sc join): Place a slip knot on hook, insert hook in indicated st, yo and draw up a lp, yo and pull through both lps on hook.

Chain loop (ch lp): Ch 12, sl st in 10th ch from hook, ch 2.

AFGHAN PANEL

Make 4 soft lilac & 3 lemon. Row 1 (RS): Ch 26 loosely, dc in 6th ch from hook and in next ch (beg 5 sk chs count as first sk ch, dc, ch 1), ch 1, sk next 3 chs, shell (see Special Stitches) in next ch, ch 3, sk next 3 chs, sc in next ch, ch 3, sk next 3 chs, shell in next ch, ch 1, sk next 3 chs, dc in next 2 chs, ch 1, sk next ch, dc in last ch, turn. Mark as bottom edge of Panel. (6 dc, 2 shells, 4 ch-1 sps, 2 ch-3 sps) Row 2: Ch 4 (see Pattern Notes), dc in next dc, bpdc (see Special Stitches) around next dc, ch 1, shell in next shell (see Pattern Notes), ch 3, sc in next ch-3 sp, ch 4, sc in next ch-3 sp, ch 3, shell in next shell, ch 1, bpdc around next dc, dc in next dc, ch 1, dc in 4th ch of beg ch-5, turn. (6 dc, 2 shells, 4 ch-1 sps, 2 ch-3 sps, 1 ch-4 sp) Note: First 2 rows will appear too loose until a few additional rows have been completed. Row 3: Ch 4, dc in next dc, fpdc (see Special Stitches) around next dc, ch 1, shell in next shell, ch 3, sc in next ch-4 sp, ch 3, shell in next shell, ch 1, fpdc around next dc, dc in next dc, ch 1, dc in 3rd ch of beg ch-4, turn.

Row 4: Ch 4, dc in next dc, bpdc around next dc, ch 1, shell in next shell, ch 3, sc in next ch-3 sp, ch 4, sc in next ch-3 sp, ch 3, shell in next shell, ch 1, bpdc around next dc, dc in next dc, ch 1, dc in 3rd ch of beg ch-4, turn. (6 dc, 2 shells, 4 ch-1 sps, 2 ch-3 sps, 1 ch-4 sp) Row 5: Rep row 3. Rows 6–107: Rep rows 4 and 5. Row 108 (WS): Ch 4, dc in next dc, bpdc around next dc, ch 1, shell in next shell, ch 3, sc in next ch-3 sp, ch 3, sc in 2nd ch from hook, ch 2, sc in next ch-3 sp, ch 3, shell in next shell, ch 1, bpdc around next dc, dc in next dc, ch 1, dc in 3rd ch of beg ch-4. Fasten off.

Edging Work 12.

Note: After Edging, Panels will be joined side by side vertically with RS facing, colors alternating and soft lilac Panels at outer edges of afghan. Leave righthand side edge of first soft lilac Panel and left-hand side edge of last soft lilac Panel unworked until assembly is complete. With RS of Panel facing, sc join (see Special Stitches) soft fern in 2nd ch of beg ch-5, sc in same ch-5 sp, working in ends of rows, (ch 2, sc) in each row across, sc in top or at base, respectively, of last st. Fasten off.

ASSEMBLY

Arrange Panels as indicated in Edging Note with bottom edges aligned and unworked Panel edges at outside edges of afghan. With RS facing, join each pair of Panels from bottom to top as follows:

Join (see Pattern Notes) soft fern in first sc of right-hand Panel, ch 11, sl st in 10th ch from hook, ch 1, sl st in first sc of lefthand Panel, ch 1; on same Panel, sk next sc, sl st in next ch-2 sp, *make ch lp (see Special Stitches); on right-hand Panel, ◊sk next sc, sl st in next ch-2 sp**, ch 1, sk next sc, sl st in next ch-2 sp◊, make ch lp; on left-hand Panel, rep once from ◊ to ◊*, rep from * to * across, ending last rep at ** on right-hand Panel; ch 1, sk next sc, sl st in last sc of right-hand Panel, ch 1, remove hook from lp, place marker in it to prevent unraveling. Starting at bottom, pull 2nd ch lp from back to front through first ch lp, then pull 3rd ch lp through 2nd ch lp; in same manner, braid lps tog to top, pulling last ch lp through ch lp below it; remove marker and insert hook in lp, (sl st, ch 1, sl st) in last ch lp, ch 1, sl st in last sc of lefthand Panel. Fasten off.

FINISHING Side Edging

Work Edging on each outer side edge of afghan, starting at bottom of right-hand edge and at top of left-hand edge, as follows: With RS facing, sc join soft fern in 2nd ch of beg ch-5, ch 1, sc in same ch-5 sp, working in ends of rows, (ch 1, sc) in each row across, ch 1, sc in top or at base, respectively, of last st. Fasten off.

Fringe

Make 8 soft fern, 9 lemon & 12 soft lilac. Working across bottom end only, place soft fern Fringe in each corner and in each joining braid; place 3 matching Fringes evenly sp on each Panel. Cut 12 13-inch strands for each Fringe. Fold 12-strand hank in half. Insert hook from RS in end of row, pull folded end through, catching beg and end tails with hook, pull ends through fold, pull ends to tighten knot. Trim ends evenly.

Crocheted in fresh spring colors, delicate filigree ferns are complemented by rich accents of surface post stitches and braided joins. Though complex-looking, the fern motif is actually a simple and easy-to-memorize two-row pattern.