Cow parsley afghan square

Cow Parsley Afghan Square

by Lettice Rose

Inspired by Queen Anne's Lace scarf by Joyce Lewis. She kindly allowed me to adapt it into an afghan square. Cow parsley is our local name for the same plant, somewhat mundane, but this is a blanket square, not your fine fancy lace!

The square is made up of a central round medallion of four rounds, the six petals are worked individually in rows and then the background is added. The petals overlap each other, so it is important when stitching the base of the petals to the central medallion, that you pay attention to whether the stitches go in front of, or behind, the previously formed petals. All will be clear as you do it. Please note there will be Round 1, and also Petal Row 1, etc.

Materials: Sample was made using Stylecraft Special DK, and a 4mm hook Yarn Colour A (Background, meadow green) Yarn Colour B (Flower, parchment) Six removable stitch markers or contrasting yarn for marking stitches.

Size: Fine DK with an E/4/3.5mm hook comes up 9.25”, heavy DK with a G/6/4mm hook comes up 9.75”, worsted weight with an H/8/5mm hook comes up 12”. All sizes are approximate.

2015 Lettice Rose Cow Parsley Afghan Square Page 1 of 4

Stitches used (US crochet terms):

Chain stitch (ch)

Half double crochet (hdc)

Back post single crochet (bpsc)

Slip Stitch (sl st)

Double crochet (dc)

Space (sp)

Single crochet (sc)

Treble crochet (tr)

Wrong side (WS)

Right side (RS)

At the end of a round, where colours change, an invisible join will make a neater finish. Similarly, a standing dc plus ch-2 would be better than ch-5 when starting a round.

Instructions: Central Medallion.

Using Colour A, form a sliding circle or ch 6, sl st to form a ring.

Round 1: Ch 4 as first tr, 23 tr into ring, sl st to top of beginning ch-4 to close (24 tr). Fasten off.

Round 2: Some crocheters seem to get the bobbles landing automatically on the right side, some don’t. If yours end up on the wrong side, either pull them through with a hook, or if you are having a hard time, turn your work and do Round 4 from the wrong side, which you may find easier. Attach Colour B with sc into any tr, tr into same stitch, (sc, tr) into each of next 23 tr, sl st to first sc to join (24 sc, 24 tr). Fasten off.

Round 3: Attach Colour A with sl st into any sc, ch 5, [skip next tr, dc in next sc, ch 2] 23 times, sl st to 3rd ch of beginning ch-5 (24 dc, 24 ch-2 sps).

Round 4: Sl st into next ch-2 sp, ch 5, (sc, ch 4) into each of next 23 ch-2 sps, sl st into base of starting chain to join (24 sc, 24 ch-4 spaces). Fasten off.

You will now have the central medallion motif. You may need to just tweak each bobble with a hook to make it stand out properly.

Petals.

These are made one at a time in rows, worked back and forth rather than rounds, each petal being finished before you move on to the next one. Start with the work facing you. At the end of each row, you turn the work to the other side.

On the final row you will be working on the right side, ready to move on to the next petal. Each petal overlaps the previous petal a little, so sometimes you will need to stitch down behind the current petal, and stitch into spaces already used by previous petals.

Before starting, put a stitch marker in every fourth sc of Round 4. Or a bit of wool, or a paper clip. If you do not, you will get in an awful fix! Contrasting yarn is actually better as you won’t get hooked up on it. I normally consider stitch markers are for wimps, but this time they are vital. (6 markers)

2015 Lettice Rose

Cow Parsley Afghan Square

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First petal.

Row 1: Attach Colour B with a sl st into the ch-4 sp before any stitch marker, ch 5, sl st into the next ch-4 sp after the stitch marker, ch 5 and turn (2 sl st, 1 ch-5 loop, 1 ch-5).

Row 2: (WS) Ignore the sl st just made, sl st in the next sl st laying the ch-5 over the ch-5 loop from the previous row, ch 3, sl st into next Round 4 ch-4 sp, ch 1 and turn (2 sl st, 1 ch-3 space, 1 ch-1).

Row 3: (RS) Hold the two ch-5 loops together, treating them as one, 11 tr into this loop, sl st into next Round 4 ch-4 sp, ch 2, sl st into next Round 4 ch-4 sp, ch 1 and turn (11 tr, 2 sl st, 1 ch-2 sp, 1 ch-1).

Row 4: (WS) (Dc, ch 1) into each of next 11 tr, (dc, ch 1) into ch-1 sp, sl st into next Round 4 ch-4 sp, ch 4 and turn (12 dc, 12 ch-1, 1 ch-4, 1 sl st).

Row 5: (RS) [Sc into next ch-1 sp, ch 4] 12 times, sc into next ch-1 sp (13 sc, 12 ch-4).

Petals 2-5. (Worked so they slightly overlap the preceding petal. On row 2 and 4, you will end the row stitching into spaces of the medallion that have already been used by the preceding petal) Row 1: (RS) Ch 2, sl st into the next ch-4 sp which should be the one before the stitch marker, ch 5, sl st into the next ch-4 sp after the stitch marker, ch 5 and turn (1 ch-2, 2 sl st, 1 ch-5 loop, ch-5).

Row 2: (WS) Ignore the sl st just made, sl st in the next sl st, laying the ch-5 over the ch-5 loop from the previous row, ch 3, working behind stitches from previous petal, and placing stitch right next to the last sl st of previous petal, sl st into next Round 4 ch-4 sp, ch 1 and turn (2 sl st, 1 ch-3 sp, 1 ch-1).

Row 3: (RS) Holding the two ch-5 loops together and treating them as one, 11 tr into this loop, sl st into next Round 4 ch-4 sp, ch 2, sl st into next Round 4 ch-4 sp, ch 1 and turn (11 tr, 2 sl st, 1 ch-2 sp, 1 ch-1).

Row 4: (WS) (Dc, ch 1) into each of next 11 tr, (dc, ch 1) into ch-1 sp, fold previous petal towards you and work behind it, sl st into next Round 4 ch-4 sp, (sharing with the previous petal) ch 4 and turn (12 dc, 12 ch-1, 1 ch-4, 1 sl st).

Row 5: (RS) [Sc into next ch-1 sp, ch 4] 12 times, sc into next ch-1 sp (13 sc, 12 ch-4).

Petal 6. (worked so it tucks under the first petal, completing the overlapping circle) Row 1: As Row 1 of Petal 2-5.

Row 2: As Row 2 of Petal 2-5.

Row 3: (RS) Holding the two ch-5 loops together and treating them as one, 11 tr into this loop, sl st into next Round 4 ch-4 sp going behind first petal made (stitch next to the sl st from first petal), ch 2, sl st into next Round 4 ch- 4 sp, still working behind first petal, ch 1, and turn (11 tr, 2 sl st, 1 ch-2 sp, 1 ch-1).

Row 4: As Row 4 of Petal 2-5.

Row 5: (RS) [Sc into next ch-1 sp, ch 4] 12 times, sc into next ch-1 space, ch2, sc into next Round 4 ch-4 sp behind first petal, (this will be the one before the next marker) (13 sc, 12 ch-4, 1 ch-2, 1 sl st). Fasten off.

2015 Lettice Rose

Cow Parsley Afghan Square

Page 3 of 4

Background.

Round 5: Making a foundation chain for the background, this round is worked with back post stitches behind the petals, into Row 3 treble shell. Use the same colour as the petals so the stitches will be invisible. The work may cup a bit on this row, it will work itself flat over subsequent rows, however, try not to chain too tightly.

(RS) Counting from right, attach Colour B with slip stitch to back post of 3rd tr of any petal row 3. Start stitching into this same stitch, then repeat in each petal round; [bpsc into 3rd tr , ch 2, bpsc in 5th tr, bpsc in 6th tr, mark this stitch only on the first repeat, ch 2, bpsc into 8th tr, ch 2, sc into last Row 5 ch-4 sp of same petal, ch 2] 6 times, sl st into first sc (24 bpsc, 6 sc, 24 ch-2 sps). Fasten off.

Round 6: Worked with the right side facing you, but stitching behind the petals. You may need to fold the petals forward a little. Attach Color A with a sl st into the marked stitch, ch 3, 2 dc into next ch-2 sp, dc into bpsc, continue placing 2 dc into ever ch-2 sp, dc into every sc and bpsc round (remember each petal has a 2 bpsc grouping) (78 dc).

Round 7: Ch 3, dc into same st, [dc into each of next 2 dc, 2 dc into next dc] 4 times, *[2 dc into next dc, [dc into each of next 2 dc, 2 dc into next dc] 4 times, repeat from * 4 times, sl st to top of beginning ch-3 (108 dc).

Round 8: Ch 1, sc into same stitch, sc into each of next 3 dc, hdc into each of next 4 dc, dc into each of next 4 dc, tr into next dc, (2 tr, ch 2, 2 tr) into next stitch as corner, [tr into next dc, dc into each of next 4 dc, hdc into each of next 4 dc, sc into each of next 8 dc, hdc into each of next 4 dc, dc into each of next 4 dc, tr into next dc, (2 tr, ch 2, 2 tr) into next stitch as corner] 3 times, tr into next dc, dc into each of next 4 dc, hdc into each of next 4 dc, sc into each of next 4 dc, sl st in first sc to join (32 sc, 32 hdc, 32 dc, 24 tr, 4 ch-2 corner sps).

Round 9: Ch 2, hdc into each of next 14 sts, [(hdc, dc, ch 2, dc, hdc) into ch-2 corner sp, hdc into each of next 30 sts] 3 times, (hdc, dc, ch 2, dc, hdc) into corner ch-2 sp, hdc into each of next 15 sts, sl st into top of beginning ch-2 (4 ch-2 sps, 8 dc, 128 hdc). Fasten off.

Round 10: Attach Colour B with sl st in any ch-2 corner sp, ch 1, (sc, tr) in same sp, [[skip next dc, [sc into next hdc, tr into next hdc] 16 times, sc in next dc, (tr, sc, tr) in ch-2 corner sp] 3 times, skip next dc, [sc into next hdc, tr into next hdc] 16 times, sc in next dc, tr in first ch-2 corner sp, sl st in beginning sc (72 tr, 72 sc). Fasten off.

Round 11: You may need to substitute dc or sc for this row to get it up to your preferred size. Attach Colour A with sl st in any corner sc, ch 2, (hdc, ch 2, 2 hdc) in same st, [hdc into each of next 35 sts, (2 hdc, ch 2, 2 hdc) into corner sc] 3 times, hdc into each of next 35 sts, sl st into top of beginning ch-2 (156 hdc, 4 ch-2 sps). Fasten off.

Thank you to my helpful testers; Jojo99, Stueysmom, Bioelle, and Amanda. Particularly a big thank you to Joyce, who not only let me adapt her pattern, but tested/tech edited it, and gave me no end of help and advice along the way.

2015 Lettice Rose

Cow Parsley Afghan Square

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