It's time once again for the next square! Square 4 (April) of the Crochet Along Afghan Sampler is Vertical Ribs. Slightly more dense than previous squares, the ribs are worked on both sides keeping the blanket reversible.
I hope things are hooking up easily for you and you're making great progress. Just think, when you finish these squares you'll have the entire top row complete ...along with half of row three and half of row four. Look at you go!
SQUARE 4, APRIL
If you're just joining us, don't panic! The squares work up quickly and you can easily catch up: be sure to START HERE -- you can work the squares in any order, but the introductory post will help you plan your afghan color-scheme.
Speaking of colors, this fourth square will be worked up in Colors A & B. As I said above, this fabric is a little heavier, or stiffer, in comparison to our previous squares, but it should still work within the afghan. The vertical ribs are created on both sides with a front post double crochet and three single crochet stitches between each rib; one side will have eight ribs, the reverse will have nine. You should be a pro at front post double crochet after the basket weave of Square 2, so this will be a breeze. Like so...
Speaking of colors, this fourth square will be worked up in Colors A & B. As I said above, this fabric is a little heavier, or stiffer, in comparison to our previous squares, but it should still work within the afghan. The vertical ribs are created on both sides with a front post double crochet and three single crochet stitches between each rib; one side will have eight ribs, the reverse will have nine. You should be a pro at front post double crochet after the basket weave of Square 2, so this will be a breeze. Like so...
Hook
H/8 - 5.00MM, or size needed to obtain 9"x 9" square
Yarn
Colors A and B -- For me that means Caron Simply Soft in Grey Heather (Color A) and Light Country Blue (Color B)
Stitch
st: stitch
ch: chain
sc: single crochet
hdc: half double crochet
fhdc: foundation half double crochet
fpdc: front-post double crochet
ch: chain
sc: single crochet
hdc: half double crochet
fhdc: foundation half double crochet
fpdc: front-post double crochet
CONSTRUCTION
Row 1: Working in Color A, ch 37, hdc in third stitch from hook and each ch across OR 35 fhdc; 35 stitches
Row 2: ch 1 (does not count here and throughout), turn, sc, fpdc, [sc 3, fpdc], repeat within [] 8 times, sc; 35 stitches
Row 3: ch 1, turn, [sc 3, fpdc], repeat within [] 8 times, sc 3; 35 stitches
Rows 4 - 48: repeat Rows 2-3 {NOTE: each FPDC should be stitched into the FPDC two rows below -- the FPDC of row 4 will be worked into the FPDC of row 2, the FPDC of row 5 will be worked into the FPDC of row 3, and so on}; 35 stitches each row
Border: *work 38 sc along one side of the square, ch 1 (does not count as stitch); repeat from * on each side of the square. Yarn off, and weave in ends.
Repeat with Color B for a second, separate square.
*Edited 5/1/15 to the correct row repeats.
VIDEO
I've gotten feedback that some people found this square difficult to understand as written above. Here's a LEFT-HANDED video of me creating a sample swatch. Please keep letting me know if you think you've found a mistake or just can't figure out a square here and moving forward, and I'll keep doing my best to help you crochet a finished afghan.
Quick Tip: Watch the video in a mirror so it appears right-handed. (It's an old left-handers' trick. You're welcome.)
HOMEWORK
Get hooking! QUICK TIP: Use stitch markers on the end of your rows to keep count. This is the first square of the afghan where I couldn't easily count rows by sight and found I needed them. I like to use one color to mark every two rows (all along the same side) and a second color for every ten. I just keep moving up the two-row markers and leave behind only the ten-rows markers. No stitch markers? I've also been known to keep a pencil and scrap of paper nearby for old-school tally marks. Or download a free counter app for your smart phone. Do what works for you.
To stay on track, you'll want to have eight finished squares (in four different stitches) completed by Tuesday, May 26 (release date for Square 5, May). You can do it! Don't forget to label your squares. Then upload your progress to our Flickr Group and tag your Instagram shots with #afghansampler so we can all cheer each other on!
Other questions? Size? Rows? Border Count? Visit Frequently Asked Questions!
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| Use stitch markers to count rows along one side of your work; one color for 2s, a second color for 10s -- move the 2s up after you add the next 10. |
To stay on track, you'll want to have eight finished squares (in four different stitches) completed by Tuesday, May 26 (release date for Square 5, May). You can do it! Don't forget to label your squares. Then upload your progress to our Flickr Group and tag your Instagram shots with #afghansampler so we can all cheer each other on!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Looking for the rest of the squares? Click on the Crochet Along tab a the top of this site!Other questions? Size? Rows? Border Count? Visit Frequently Asked Questions!
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You should really see all that goes into each project!
From my marathon sewing sessions, to all that I do when I #shouldhavebeensewing catch daily updates on Instagram (and Flickr) of works-in-progress. Get that behind the scenes view you’re looking for, and sneak peeks of upcoming tutorials, too.
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