Free Pattern: Crochet Dragon Fly Afghan

 

 As much as I love the summer months, I do enjoy the comfort of cooler weather.  I enjoy the delicious smells in my kitchen, sitting in front of a crackling fire and snuggling under a cozy blanket with my family.  It's also that time of year again, the time when I'm scouring through patterns and ideas looking for Christmas present opportunities! My mother is my biggest fan yet I'm ashamed to say I seldom crochet for my mom.  I'm not sure why, but aside from a quick scarf I hooked when I first started learning, I haven't thought to share one of my creations with her.  Being a lover of the dragonfly, when I saw this instructional video for the dragonfly stitch I knew it was perfect for a project for Mom!  This afghan not only worked up quickly, it's also easy for beginners!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8LyxJN4P54





Materials:

Yarn - (Mom has a romantic rose color theme in her bedroom)

Color A - Lion  Brand Pound of Love in Oxford Grey
Color B - Caron One Pound in Rose
Color C - Lion  Brand Pound of Love in Antique White
5.0 mm (H) Hook
Tapestry Needle for finishing

Abbreviations:

CH - Chain Stitch
SC- Single Crochet
DC - Double Crochet
SL - Slip Stitch
SK - Skip Stitch
TRC - Triple (Treble) Crochet

Instructions:

Afghan:

(Color A) - CH 157
Row 1 (Color A) - DC in 3rd CH from hook.  DC across, CH 2
Row 2 - DC Next 12 *CH 1, SK next st, DC next 12* Repeat between (*) across, CH 2 and turn
Row 3 - DC Next 8, *CH 3, SK next 3 st, SC in space left by CH 1 in previous row, CH 3, SK next 3 st, DC Next 8* Repeat between (*) across. CH 2 and turn
Row 4 - DC Next 7, *CH 4, SK next 4 st, SC in SC from previous row, CH 4, SK next 4 st, DC next 7* Repeat between (*) across. CH 2 and turn
Row 5 - DC Next 7, *DC in 4 CH from previous row, TRC in SC from previous row, DC in 4 CH from previous row, DC Next 7* Repeat between (*) across.  Ch 2 and turn
Row 6 - DC Across, Tie off and finish

Row 7 (Color C) - SC across

Row 8 (Color B) - DC in 3rd CH from hook.  DC across, CH 2
Row 9 - DC Next 12 *CH 1, SK next st, DC next 12* Repeat between (*) across, CH 2 and turn
Row 10 - DC Next 8, *CH 3, SK next 3 st, SC in space left by CH 1 in previous row, CH 3, SK next 3 st, DC Next 8* Repeat between (*) across. CH 2 and turn
Row 11 - DC Next 7, *CH 4, SK next 4 st, SC in SC from previous row, CH 4, SK next 4 st, DC next 7* Repeat between (*) across. CH 2 and turn
Row 12 - DC Next 7, *DC in 4 CH from previous row, TRC in SC from previous row, DC in 4 CH from previous row, DC Next 7* Repeat between (*) across.  CH 2 and turn
Row 13 - DC Across, CH 2 and turn
Row 14 - DC Next 12 *CH 1, SK next st, DC next 12* Repeat between (*) across, CH 2 and turn
Row 15 - DC Next 8, *CH 3, SK next 3 st, SC in space left by CH 1 in previous row, CH 3, SK next 3 st, DC Next 8* Repeat between (*) across. CH 2 and turn
Row 16 - DC Next 7, *CH 4, SK next 4 st, SC in SC from previous row, CH 4, SK next 4 st, DC next 7* Repeat between (*) across. CH 2 and turn
Row 17 - DC Next 7, *DC in 4 CH from previous row, TRC in SC from previous row, DC in 4 CH from previous row, DC Next 7* Repeat between (*) across.  CH 2 and turn
Row 18 - DC Across

Row 19 (Color A) - SC across

Repeat pattern (Row 1 - 19) and color scheme until desired length completed.  I repeated 5 times and finished with a repeat of Rows 1-6.  This gave my afghan a consistent start and finish with a single row of dragonflies. 



Edging:

Round 1 - (Color A) Single Crochet around perimeter of afghan
Round 2 - (Color C) I started at the SC before a corner - SC, CH 2, SK 1 around.  In Corners SC, CH 2, SC in each corner ST. 

If you'd like a finished product please visit my Etsy store: 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/490954307/dragonfly-afghan

https://www.etsy.com

Project: Temperature Afghan

I don't know about you, but my New Year has been very busy! After a 2 week stay-cation through the holidays I'm trying to transition back to a normal routine and I'm having a difficult time getting into a groove.

Week 1 of my stay-cation was full of Christmas prep, holiday guests and travel. While exhausting, it was a week full of love and laughter as my family enjoyed our first Christmas with my new granddaughter.

She reminded us all of the true meaning of the holidays as she was more excited about the lights and attention than any gift she received. (She was my favorite gift this year!)

Week 2 of my stay-cation was a week of relaxation and reflection. Michael's had a ridiculous sale on yarn and I thought I had stocked up for winter but, with a week off work I'm finding that I'm near empty on my yarn stash already. I am not ashamed to admit that I stayed in my pjs most of the week and enjoyed the view... 

I am not a fan of winter (not even a little bit) and when temps dip below 80 degrees I begin my annual hibernation. Thankfully the hubs keeps my fireplace roaring and he's supportive of my yarn addiction. He even helped with my new storage crates in my 'office' last week. 

But alas, all good things must come to an end. Last week was back to reality for me and I've returned to the land of responsibility. In my time off I whipped 2 afghans and various hats and boot cuffs. If you're like me, when I start a project I can't rest until it is done. I'm an instant gratification gal and an unfinished project is the stuff bad dreams are made of!! Eek!! Now, with limited free time I'm looking for a project that will keep me entertained while not consuming my thoughts while at work. 

Several of my fellow hookers have introduced me to the Temperature Afghan concept. Crochet Crowd reviews a bit of history and some suggestions for your very own Temperature Afghan in the link below: 

http://thecrochetcrowd.com/crochet-temperature-afghans/

I've started mine for this year and I'm really excited about this project! What a great gift idea for next Christmas!! It only requires a couple of minutes each day and the end result will be not only a beautiful peice, but a bit of recorded history. The creative liberties are endless here! 

The temperature gauge I've created for my afghan:

So far my afghan has lots of Jade and Teal... Boo!! (Why don't I live in a warmer climate!?!) I'm hoping my finished product will have no Orchid and lots of Tangerine and Cherry rows! 

As you can see, I've decided on the Easy Ripple Afghan pattern for my design. Handcrafting with Love shared an easy to follow pattern if you'd like to give it a spin - easy for beginners! 

http://www.handcraftingwithlove.net/yarn/pat-ripple.html

We had a dusting of snow yesterday and I've toyed with the idea of adding a SC white-cap to those days (rows) that see snow. Maybe a blue or gray SC cap for rainy days? Hm... Endless possibilities!! 

When summer returns I will be elbow deep in dirt in my garden in my spare time. I'm excited that I can easily continue this quick project with a couple of minutes each day. Until then, my yarn-addiction continues and I will supplement with scarves, hats and boot cuffs. 

If you make a temp afghan of your own please share! I'm excited to compare the variations! 

Enjoy! 

Update: I did it! I added a row of white SC for the snow we saw yesterday! I love the little accent and it will be fun to see how many snow-capped rows I end up with (seriously hoping there's not many) at the end of the year. I think I'm going to add a SC of gray for the rainy days.  To be continued...