This is NOT my pattern nor my (pretty pastel) photo. I found this on Pinterest and was looking for an excuse to make it.
From a post by firejen on Reddit: “I have been doing this pattern for years so its by memory now. Start with 3 colors. Each “block” is 9 stitches so for however wide you want the blanket, count in 9 to get your foundation (and always make it an uneven number of “blocks) eg: 19 blocks(makes it about 5′ long) 19×9=171 stitches then add 4 =175 sc for the foundation row.
Row 1-2:Sc, switch to next color Row 3: sc 2 stitches,* front post double crochet(look it up), sc, until you have 5 posts, sc 9, then repeat post pattern(5 posts, 4 sc=9)(9sc), 2 sc (there is 2 sc at each end) Row 4: sc, switch to next color
Repeat row 3-4 until you have 7 rows of posts
Then switch the pattern to: Row 1: sc 11 stitches, then start pattern Row 4: sc, switch to next c
So you will have your “blocks” of (5 posts & 4sc) and (9sc) with 2 sc at each end.”
Early on, I was thinking good yarns would be Caron Simply Soft Ocean (I have 2 skeins), Watermelon, and Sunshine… But... Mom wanted a new bedspread for her day bed and chose solid burgundy for the color scheme and Knit Picks Brava worsted for the yarn. She wanted a tight stitch so I figured this pattern will be perfect, with just the right amount of texture.
I started with a chain of 212. This is 23 squares of 9 stitches each plus 2 sc on the end of each row and 1 ch for the turning chain.
I thought 7 fpdc stitches were a bit much and I’m changing square positions after 5 fpdc.
The yarn photographs almost pink. In fact it is a deep merlot with a high shine under even dim light. Very pretty, very easy to work with. The pattern works up quite quickly. The checkerboard pattern is all on the front; the back is quite smooth against the skin with a subtle impression of the check that is on the front. I’m chuffed.
4 skeins makes about 6 full rows of squares (10 rows per set of squares). I’ve ordered more yarn before I really need it. I’m going to put an edging around the blanket. Mom wants scallops along the outer edges (the bottom edge and one long edge) as the bedspread will cover a daybed that sits in a corner.
On my 9th skein of yarn; had a couple of non-crochet days (horrors!) I tried photographing the bedspread again, with flash, without flash, yada yada, but it still turns out red or pink instead of the deep plum wine color it really is. My first afghan (the domino afghan) was a sc project and I was so bored I swore I’d never do another, but this one has just enough variation to keep my interest so it’s not boring me. It probably helps that RL has been, ah, interesting (as in the old curse “may you live in interesting times”) so that I’m grateful for a long, relatively easy, project to distract me from reality yet leave me with something useful to pass on.
Skein 13, the last of my original purchase. A fair bit over a third done including a generous overhang at the foot of the bed, so all is well. I don’t anticipate having to order more than the 15 skeins I have remaining, even with the small edging I’m planning for.
Skein 15. I’m working it at a table pretty much any time I’m working on it now. This rascal is hot work for summer! Still happy with it, though. It’s gonna be epic.
Skein 17. A bit over half done, finally. Still love it, but it is hot work! My knees got overly chilled last night, so I worked on it, which was nice since everyone else was complaining of the heat and wondering if the ac was working! Ha!
Mom still loves it. She even loves the fact that it currently lives laid across her dining room table where I work on it off and on between chores, etc. Just due to the weight, my next bedspread will be made with a 6mm minimum, and maybe jumbo yarn, but she wanted a dense, heavy fabric, so she’s happy.
Skein 19, finally. Not that I’m done, yet, but it took me forever to finish skein 18. Been busy with my so called real life. I decided to get this off the table and draped it over a high back chair to let it feel it’s own weight and stretch out a bit. Probably should have done this sooner…
