Star Afghan

Video with the pattern that I used.
Reference more so for me. ^^

Chromium Star Blanket

While this star shaped afghan sports the usual gaps parallel crochet stitches form, a modified hdc2tog and an adjacent dc stitch fill in the cracks normally made by chains on an increase and skipped stitches on a decrease. The mhdc2tog and adc stitches may seem unconventional at first, but you might find after a few pattern repeats you will no longer need to reference the pattern.

If you are having trouble with the pattern, try the tutorial of the first three rounds. 

Materials
Bernat Baby Coordinates Sweet Stripes
5.3oz/150g/404yd 
2 skeins in Splash Stripes
Size F/5 (3.75mm) crochet hook
or size needed to obtain gauge
Blunt end yarn needle

Skill Level 

Gauge
15dc and 8 ½ rows = 4”

Finished Size
33” across from valley to point
21” from center to point

Special Stitches
Adjacent double crochet (adc)- yo, in previous st just made insert hook in bottom left front prong, yo and pl through prong, [yo and pl through 2 loops] twice.
Modified half double crochet two together (mhdc2tog)- yo, insert hook in next st, yo and pl through lp, sk 1 st, insert hook in next st, yo and pl through lp (4 lps on hook), yo and pl through all lps.

To make hole-less starting rounds, use the magic loop technique.

Ch 2
Rnd 1: in second ch from hook *sc, ch 1, rep from *4 times more, join rnd with sl st to sc.

Rnd 2: ch 1, sc in same st, ch 1*sc in ch-1 st, ch 1, sc in sc, ch 1, rep from * 4 times more, end sc in ch-1 st, ch 1, join rnd with a sl st to sc. (10 sc)

Rnd 3: ch 1, *sk ch-1, (2 dc, adc, 2 dc) in next sc, sk ch-1, sl st in next sc, rep from *4 times more, join rnd with a sl st to ch-1.

Rnd 4: [sl st in next dc] 2 times, ch 3, *(3 dc, adc, 3 dc) in adc, dc in next st, mhdc2tog, dc in next st, rep from * 3 times more, end (3 dc, adc, 3 dc) in adc, dc in next st, mhdc2tog, join rnd with a sl st to top of ch-3. (50 sts)

Rnd 5: sl st in next dc, ch 3, dc in next 2 sts, *(3 dc, adc, 3 dc) in adc, dc in next 3 sts, mhdc2tog, dc in next 3 sts, rep from *3 times more, end (3 dc, adc, 3 dc) in adc, dc in next 3 sts, mhdc2tog, join with a sl st to top of ch-3. (70 sts)

Rnd 6: sl st in next dc, ch 3, dc in next 4 sts, *(3dc, adc, 3 dc) in adc, dc in next 5 sts, mhdc2tog, dc in next 5 sts, rep from *3 times more, end (3 dc, adc, 3 dc) in adc, dc in next 5 sts, mhdc2tog, join with a sl st to top of ch-3.

Rnd 7: sl st in next dc, ch 3, dc in next 6 sts, *(2dc, adc, 2 dc) in adc, dc in next 7 sts, mhdc2tog, dc in next 7 sts, rep from *3 times more, end (2 dc, adc, 2 dc) in adc, dc in next 7 sts, mhdc2tog, join with a sl st to top of ch-3.

Rnd 8: sl st in next dc, ch 3, dc in next 7 sts, *(3dc, adc, 3 dc) in adc, dc in next 8 sts, mhdc2tog, dc in next 8 sts, rep from *3 times more, end (3 dc, adc, 3 dc) in adc, dc in next 8 sts, mhdc2tog, join with a sl st to top of ch-3.

Rnd 9: sl st in next dc, ch 3, dc in next 9 sts, *(3dc, adc, 3 dc) in adc, dc in next 10 sts, mhdc2tog, dc in next 10 sts, rep from *3 times more, end (3 dc, adc, 3 dc) in adc, dc in next 10 sts, mhdc2tog, join with a sl st to top of ch-3.

Rnd 10: sl st in next dc, ch 3, dc in next 11 sts, *(3dc, adc, 3 dc) in adc, dc in next 12 sts, mhdc2tog, dc in next 12 sts, rep from *3 times more, end (3 dc, adc, 3 dc) in adc, dc in next 12 sts, mhdc2tog, join with a sl st to top of ch-3.

Rnd 11: sl st in next dc, ch 3, dc in next 13 sts, *(2dc, adc, 2 dc) in adc, dc in next 14 sts, mhdc2tog, dc in next 14 sts, rep from *3 times more, end (2 dc, adc, 2 dc) in adc, dc in next 14 sts, mhdc2tog, join with a sl st to top of ch-3.

Rep rnds 8-11 four times more, ending on row 27, continuing to (3 dc, adc, 3 dc) in every tip for three rows and (2 dc, adc, 2 dc) in the next row, only changing the number of dcs between shells and mhdc2togs.

Border

Special Stitches
These stitches mimic the special stitches used in the body of the blanket, using the same technique and resulting in a slightly shorter stitch.

Adjacent half double crochet (ahdc)- yo, in previous st just made insert hook in bottom left front prong, yo and pl through prong, yo and pl through all lps on hook.

Modified single crochet two together (msc2tog)- insert hook in next st, yo and pl through lp, sk 1 st, insert hook in next st, yo and pl through lp (3 lps on hook), yo and pl through all lps.

Rnd 1: sl st in next dc, ch 2, hdc in next 42 sts, *(3 hdc, ahdc, 3 hdc) in adc, hdc in next 43 sts, msc2tog, dc in next 43 sts, rep from *3 times more, end (3 hdc, adc, 3 hdc) in adc, hdc in next 43 sts, msc2tog, join with a sl st to top of ch-2.

*That’s Cool* a random fact

Stainless steel is not completely rust-proof, but because of a hearty helping of chromium, it oxidizes less than it’s counterpart.

© 2007  Laura Lynn Hanks

This pattern works with other yarns as well.  Here are other Chromium Star Blankets I have made:

Made with Red Heart Super Saver in Cherry Red and White and Caron Simply Soft Brites in Watermelon. 

Made with Red Heart Super Saver in Ranch Red, Pumpkin and Dark Orchid. 

Do you have a photo of a Chromium Star Blanket you would like to share?  Comment below or email me at thekidneybean@gmail.com to include your photo in this post. 

Equalizer Blanket

First of all, you need to know how to crochet a solid square:

Abbreviations:
American English: DC = double crochet
[British English: TR = treble crochet]
This pattern is in American English terms, the British terms are in [brackets].

An important note about corners:
I've used a DK weight yarn. This is lighter than a worsted weight yarn, so I created my corners by crocheting two DC [TR] + two chains + two DC [TR] into the corner space. If you find that your work is bunching or curling, it is possibly because your yarn is heavier or your tension is tighter. One way you can correct this is by only crocheting one DC [TR] into your corner spaces, i.e. one DC [TR] + two chains + one DC [TR] into the corner space.

Bright Colours 
Start by chaining 4, then join with a slip stitch.
Round 1: 
Chain 3 (counts as the first DC [TR]), do 2 DC [TR] into the ring. Chain 2, 3 DC [TR], chain 2, 3 DC [TR], chain 2, 3 DC [TR], chain 2 and join to the third chain of your first 'fake' DC [TR] - like this:

Round 2:
Chain 1, do 1 DC [TR] in the same stitch below. Crochet 1 DC [TR] in next two stitches, *in corner space crochet 2 DC [TR] + 2 ch + 2 DC [TR], then crochet 1 DC [TR] in the next three stitches.**Repeat from * to ** twice more. Join with slip stitch to the top of the first DC [TR].

Round 3:
Chain 1, do 1 DC [TR] in the same stitch below. Crochet 1 DC [TR] in next four stitches, *in corner space crochet 2 DC [TR] + 2 ch + 2 DC [TR], then crochet 1 DC [TR] in the next seven stitches.**Repeat from * to ** twice more. Join with slip stitch to the top of the first DC [TR].

Round 4:
Chain 1, do 1 DC [TR] in the same stitch below. Crochet 1 DC [TR] in next six stitches, *in corner space crochet 2 DC [TR] + 2 ch + 2 DC [TR], then crochet 1 DC [TR] in the next eleven stitches.**Repeat from * to ** twice more. Join with slip stitch to the top of the first DC [TR].

Change to BLACK
Round 5:
Chain 1, do 1 DC [TR] in the same stitch below. Crochet 1 DC [TR] in next eight stitches, *in corner space crochet 2 DC [TR] + 2 ch + 2 DC [TR], then crochet 1 DC [TR] in the next fifteen stitches.**Repeat from * to ** twice more. Join with slip stitch to the top of the first DC [TR].

Round 6:
Chain 1, do 1 DC [TR] in the same stitch below. Crochet 1 DC [TR] in next ten stitches, *in corner space crochet 2 DC [TR] + 2 ch + 2 DC [TR], then crochet 1 DC [TR] in the next nineteen stitches.**Repeat from * to ** twice more. Join with slip stitch to the top of the first DC [TR].

Chain two, yank tightly. Leave a long tail for joining, and cut yarn.

Now, the bad news...

(Yarn needed is given as an approximate amount. I was virtuously using scraps, so these amounts are approximate and represent the maximum amount I used.)

You need to crochet:

• 9 turquoise squares* (75g yarn)
• 17 green squares (150g yarn)
• 14 yellow squares (120g yarn)
• 11 orange squares (100g yarn)
• 6 red squares (50g yarn)
• 51 black squares + edging on other squares (1100g yarn)

* If you want to make a slightly longer blanket, crochet 18 turquoise squares, not 9!

Lay your squares out as per the diagram above and sew them together. I edged the blanket with a round of DC [TR] in black, then a round of SC [DC] in a contrasting colour (I used turquoise) and finished it off with another round of DC [TR] in black.