Polish Afghan
Materials Required:
51 skeins Bear Brand Zephyr Germantown, 8-fold.
24 skeins contrasting color, 8-fold Germantown.
1 pair amber knitting pins, No. 9.
1 amber crochet hook, No. 9 (14 inches long).
(Note—These directions are based on 16 skeins to the box Germantown. If the “10 skeins to the box” wool is used, the number of skeins required will be proportionately less.)
STRIPE IN CRO-KNITTING: with the principal color cast on 30 stitches and knit three rows. Do not break off wool.
Change to the contrasting color and knit 2 rows; then using same color and crochet hook make first pattern row. Insert the hook through the loop on the knitting pin as though it were a second knitting pin holding the wool over the fingers of the left hand. Draw wool through first stitch and chain 2. Slip the knitted stitch from needle. * Wool over from back to front and pick up a loop in second stitch on pin, wool over and through 2; wool over in same way and pick up a loop in first stitch, wool over and through 2, slip the 2 knitted stitches that have been worked into from the pin and repeat from * all along row; ending with ch. 2 in final stitch as first stitch was made.
Second pattern row: with same wool and knitting pin, slip 1, * over, knit 2 together and repeat from * all along row. Knit final stitch. When knitting from the crochet hook, the point of the hook must be kept pointing downward to avoid catching the wool.
Third row: with principal color, knit 1, * knit 1, knit the back of next stitch and repeat from * ending with knit 1 in the final stitch.
Make three plain garter stitch rows in the principal color, followed by 2 garter stitch rows in the contrasting color.
These 8 rows constitute one pattern and are repeated over and over until the stripe measures 68 inches. Finish with the garter stitch row of principal color. This stripe should be 8½ inches wide.
Make three more stripes in Cro-Knitting.
Braided Twist stripe: with the principal color, cast on 19 stitches and knit first row.
Second row: knit 5, purl 9, k. 5.
Third row: k. 5, slip the next 3 stitches on to a spare pin and drop them in front of the work, k. 3, knit the 3 stitches slipped, k. 8.
Fourth row: like second.
Fifth row: knit plain.
Sixth row: like second.
Seventh row: k. 8., slip the next 3 stitches on to extra pin and drop them behind the work, k. 3, knit the 3 stitches slipped off, k. 5.
Eighth row: like second.
Repeat these eight rows until the stripe is same length as the Cro-Knitting stripes. Make 2 more stripes of same length.
Join the stripes, one of each kind alternately, working with principal color in s. c. and on the wrong side.
The border around entire afghan is made of the braided twist stripe as the connecting stripes were made. Each corner is mitered as follows: cast on one stitch and in it knit 1 stitch, then knit a second stitch on the back thread of same stitch, thus increasing, turn, knit 2 stitches in first stitch, one stitch in next.
Continue increasing 1 stitch on each row always on the same side and being careful to carry out the directions for the pattern until there are 19 stitches on the pin. Keep outside edge straight. Then work until stripe is desired length and decrease by knitting together 2 stitches at the same end of every row as the increasing was done. Sew up the mitered corners and sew or crochet border on working from wrong side, as before.