A completed afghan made from the larger squares. Picture courtesy Adrienne Jones

Materials

Odd balls and scraps of yarn in your chosen colours. Needles to suit the thickness of your yarn. I worked mine in DK wool on size 3.75mm needles. Amount of yarn depends on the size you want your finished afghan to be as it is worked in squares that are then pieced together.

Two different versions follow. The different size squares are not meant to work together but you could use the smaller ones to make a border around the larger ones if you can work the mathematics. This design relies on the different coloured stripes to make it work. Use one darker and one lighter colour per square. Try to vary whether you use the lighter or darker colour first as it gives a nice effect to the finished product. If you run out of one colour in the middle of a square join another that is completely different for an interesting effect. (Keep in mind that you should join a darker colour if you are replacing the darker colour and vice versa).

Abbreviations

SSK = Slip, Slip, Knit. Slip next st from left hand needle to right hand needle knitways. Slip next st the same way. Return both sts to left hand needle in their new twisted positions and k2tog.

Large Square:
* Change colour on the rows marked with an asterix.

Cast on 72sts 1st row: K33, SSK, (K2tog) twice, K to end

2nd and all alt rows: Purl (the shape does not turn out square if you work it in garter st)

3rd row: K32, (SSK) twice, K2 tog, K to end

5th row: K30, SSK, (K2tog) twice, K to end

*7th row: (strand the previous colour up the side of the work to avoid having to sew in all the ends) K29, (SSK) twice, K2tog, K to end

9th row: K27, SSK, (K2tog) twice, K to end

11th row: K26, (SSK) twice, K2tog, K to end

*13th row: K24, SSK, (K2tog) twice, K to end

15th row: K23, (SSK) twice, K2tog, K to end

17th row: K21, SSK, (K2tog) twice, K to end

*19th row: K20, (SSK) twice, K2tog, K to end

21st row; K18, SSK, (K2tog) twice, K to end

23rd row: K17, (SSK) twice, K2tog, K to end

*25th row: K15, SSK, (K2tog) twice, K to end

27th row: K14, (SSK) twice, K2tog, K to end

29th row: K12, SSK, (K2tog) twice, K to end

*31st row: K11, (SSK) twice, K2tog, K to end

33rd row: K9, SSK, (K2tog) twice, K to end

35th row: K8, (SSK) twice, K2tog, K to end

*37th row: K6, SSK, (K2tog) twice, K to end

39th row: K5, (SSK) twice, K2tog, K to end

41st row: K3, SSK, (K2tog) twice, K to end

*43rd row: K2, (SSK) twice, K2tog, K to end

45th row: SSK, (K2tog) twice,

47th row: Slip 1, K2tog, PSSO

Fasten off remaining stitch.

Take four patches and sew together so that the stripes form concentric squares. Sew together as many of these blocks as you need to reach your desired size. The fun thing about this afghan is that you can join the patches in many ways to form lots of different patterns!

Small Square (this one's my favourite)

Cast on 48sts Work as for large square, beginning at row 17.

Work stripes over 4 rows instead of 6.

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Copyright © Sarah Bradberry December 1995. This pattern may be given away at no cost providing this copyright notice remains intact. It may not be sold, nor may the finished product be sold without prior permission of the author. Images on this page are copyright Sarah Bradberry 1995 and Adrienne Jones 1999 respectively.