Crochet with Me!! Winter 2017 CAL… Week 6!

Week 6 of our 2017 Crochet Mystery Afghan has been so fun…  Many of you asked about the way the center was… So open and worried that it wouldn’t be good.. I agree… So… Here is the Center Fill in Option… I am leaving mine with the fill in!… I loved the way it turned out with so little effort… The chains and cool way the purple edge really pops!!  You can leave yours open if you prefer… It looks great that way.. maybe just not practical…. One of the really cool things that is added this week is a crystal button to the center of the flower… What do you think??

Each year my Mystery CAL Afghan is a surprise to me too… I only design a week ahead of the release… so, it is just as fun for me to see how my designs in my head come out in person… I hope you love it… it is easy to do this section… just take your time. and find a great button!!

Here is what the back looks like… There is a slight pinwheel look due to how we increase… and a ridge where I joined using a single crochet method… But, if you like it smooth… you can just sew it into place!

Are you ready to get started… And make sure you go all the way to the bottom for information on the Awesome Red Heart Sponsored Giveaway we will have at the end of the project!

First, Choose a color that will make your project flower show up well… I picked white… My Pink would have been ok too… But the lightest color really shows off the chain spaces and the flower!!

When we left off at the end of Round 12, where the end of the opening is… There were 114 stitches… You should end up with 114 at round 14 of this circle

Ch 3, with sl st, join to form ring.

Round 1:  Ch 3, 7 dc in center of ring, join with sl st to top of ch 3. = 8 dc

Round 2:  Ch 3, dc in same st, 2 dc in each st around, join with sl st to top of ch 3. = 16 dc

Round 3:  Ch 3, dc in same st, *dc in next st, 2 dc in next st*, repeat *to* around, dc in last st, join with sl st to top of ch 3. = 24 dc

Round 4:  Ch 3, dc in same st, *dc in next 2 sts, 2 dc in next st*, repeat *to* around, dc in last 2 sts, join with sl st to top of ch 3. =32 dc

Round 5:  Ch 3, dc in same st, *dc in next 3 sts, 2 dc in next st*, repeat *to* around, dc in last 3 sts, join with sl st to top of ch 3. =40 dc

Round 6:  Ch 3, dc in same st, *dc in next 4 sts, 2 dc in next st*, repeat *to* around, dc in last 4 sts, join with sl st to top of ch 3. =48 dc

Round 7:  Ch 3, dc in same st, *dc in next 5 sts, 2 dc in next st*, repeat *to* around, dc in last 5 sts, join with sl st to top of ch 3. =56 dc

Round 8:  Ch 3, dc in same st, *dc in next 6 sts, 2 dc in next st*, repeat *to* around, dc in last 6 sts, join with sl st to top of ch 3. =64 dc

Round 9:  Ch 3, dc in same st, *dc in next 7 sts, 2 dc in next st*, repeat *to* around, dc in last 7 sts, join with sl st to top of ch 3. =72

Round 10:  Ch 3, dc in same st, *dc in next 8 sts, 2 dc in next st*, repeat *to* around, dc in last 8 sts, join with sl st to top of ch 3. =80 dc

Round 11:  Ch 3, dc in same st, *dc in next 9 sts, 2 dc in next st*, repeat *to* around, dc in last 9 sts, join with sl st to top of ch 3. =88 dc

Round 12:  Ch 3, dc in same st, *dc in next 10 sts, 2 dc in next st*, repeat *to* around, dc in last 10 sts, join with sl st to top of ch 3. =96

Round 13:  Ch 3, dc in same st, *dc in next 11 sts, 2 dc in next st*, repeat *to* around, dc in last 11 sts, join with sl st to top of ch 3. =104

This next round will help the fill in option fit correctly to the slight floral shape of the opening using sc to fit by the flower petals and dc and increases to fill in between

Round 14:  Ch 1, *sc in next 2 st, dc in next 7 sts, 3 dc in next st, dc in next 7 sts*, repeat *to* around, join with sl st to beginning sc. =114 sts

Now to crochet (or sew) this section on the afghan!

With wrong side of afghan facing, carefully line up the new section with the flower petals so that the 2 sc on the new fill-in piece line up with the slight dip where the tips of the flower petals are in the afghan round 11.  Join with a sl st in one of the dc’s in the fill-in piece. Now, going through 1 st of the backing and around the post of a st from round 12, make a sc. repeat this in each st around.

So, basically you will be crocheting one stitch of the backing with a post st of round 12… This causes a small ridge on the front side… Round 12 in my afghan is also white… Because round 11 was in purple… it looks really cool on the front!

Last step is to fasten a button from the front of the flower through the back of the fill in piece directly in the center… If you prefer not to use a button…. Just secure the centers with yarn.

That’s it… your fill-in is done…

Now for a row on both long sides of the afghan to tie last weeks color and stitching all together!

With Color D and working down the side of the rows/stitches of the afghan…

Round 48 (right side), Join with sl st to the top of ch 3 from the top right edge of the last rows worked last week. Ch 2, hdc 17 evenly to where round 40 of the afghan transitions stitch types to round 41, hdc in each st of round 4o including in the corner of that round(117 stitches), hdc 18 sts evenly in end of rows to the corner. Finish off = 153 hdc

Repeat on the opposite side of the afghan.

Congratulations!!! That is all of the crocheting for week 6!!

Now.. Here is a little more info on the Red Heart Sponsored Giveaway…  Red Heart Yarns is sponsoring a lovely yarn Giveaway worth $50...  By participating in the CAL and finishing your afghan in the allotted time… You will be eligible for the giveaway..

So, you may be wondering what the “allotted time” is??  Well, this is a 12 week CAL.. So the last weeks instructions will be posted on April 10th 2017… you will have until April 24th to finish the project in full! If you finish in time, you will email me a clear photo showing the full afghan.  Also giving permission to add your photo, first name and last initial to be posted in a grand finale post…  On April 29th, I will choose a winner using a number generator. Each photo will get a number and those will be put in for a chance to win!!  Good Luck!!

Happy Crocheting!!

Elena