pattern available here:
https://tinnacrochet.com/collections/all

A fun new mosaic crochet afghan pattern that comes in two versions. Ideal for using your stash!

Yarn:
You can use any yarn you like for this blanket and it’s perfect for scraps. I recommend DK weight yarn that fits hook no. 4 mm, like the one I used for my Casablanca afghans.

I like to mix scraps with one solid color and that’s what I did in both versions here. This way you get the best of both, the consistency of a one yarn project and also all the colors and joy of a scrap project! For the Big Casablanca I used scraps for color A and a solid black for color B. For the baby Casablanca I did the opposite, used a solid white for color A and then scraps for color B.

For example, I can recomennd Stylecraft Special DK (100% premium acrylic, 100 g = 295 m). The yarn amounts that follow here are given according to this yarn:

For the size given here for the full sized blanket you will need 9 skeins of color A and 7 skeins of color B for the body of the blanket. If you add a border I estimate you will need approximately 4-5 skeins for that. I’m sorry I don’t have the exact amount, since I did the twisted fringe for mine.

Now, you can of course make the blanket any size, so here’s the amount of yarn you will need per each repeat of the full sized afghan (my blanket for example is 6 repeats wide and 4 repeats long).

1 repeat of the big version in Stylecraft special DK requires:
1 skein of each color, or approximately 100 g for color A and 73 g for color B.

For the baby blanket you will need 5 skeins for color A and 3 skeins for color B, for the body of the blanket. The border takes just over one skein, so you’ll need two skeins for that. But if you are using a color you already used in the blanket, you could make do with one extra skein for the border and a bit of left overs.

Crochet hooks:
no. 4 mm for the blanket and no. 3,5 for the border. If using other weight of yarn, use a hook that is compatible with the yarn you are using and a hook that is 0.5 mm smaller for the border.

Gauge:
22 stitches and 22 rows = 10 cm.

Size:
The full-sized afghan is approximately 170 cm (67 inches) long x 130 cm (51 inches) wide, including the border, using the recommended yarn weight and cast on given here.

The baby version is approximately 85 cm (33 inches) long and 63 cm (25 inches) wide, including the border.

The full sized afghan is composed of a 38 ST and 84 row repeat.

The Baby version is composed of a 18 ST and 28 row repeat. So it’s quite easy to do other sizes and I explain this in detail in the description for each size.

Abbreviations (US terms):

ST = stitch
SS = slip stitch
CH = chain stitch
SC = single crochet
DC = double crochet

General instructions
The blanket is worked in the mosaic crochet technique and therefor all worked from the front side, from right to left (unless you are left handed, then it’s done left to right), so at the end of each round you break off the yarn. Therefore, there are lots of ends, but no worries they will be hidden in the double border of the afghan, so you don´t have to weave them all in! The blanket is striped the whole way through, and each round is worked with only one color at a time.

Work one round in color A and then one round in color B, alternating with each round. I recommend always using contrasting colors for A and B, that way the patterns pop more.

the pattern does include written instruction, but is not written up per each row, rather it’s shown in charts.

for more info on the mosaic crochet technique you can check out my video tutorial on youtube, there I also show you in detail how to work my mosaic charts!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHdgBFQ0BRg&t=983s

Border and the endless ends

Since the whole blanket is worked from right to left and you always break off the yarn at the end of each row, there are seemingly endless ends to deal with! Now, to every problem there is a solution.
First of all, there is always the option to just make a fringe with them, then I especially recommend using the twisted fringe method, that gives a great finishing look. If you choose to make a fringe, then decide how long you want it to be and always leave a tail at the beginning and the end of each row according to this. I recommend leaving approximately 10-15 cm (4-6”) tails for fringe.

I designed my blanket with a border and to get rid of all the ends I made the border double, that way all the ends get sandwiched inside the border. If working the double border, it’s enough to leave a tail of 5 cm (2”) at the beginning and end of each row. For my Casablanca’s I opted for a simple one color double border and then adding the tassels to each corner to give it a bit of Aladdin’s magic carpet feel to it! The double border is all worked with DC’s, so although it’s double it works up quite quickly.

Another option is to just weave in your ends as you go. If you go for this option, you can then just do a simple border, saving both the time and yarn it takes to work the backside.

For visual aide on how to work the border, check out my YouTube tutorial: Havana CAL –Double border and tails.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUYGnsrgK0Q&t=304s

Colorworks
This pattern really offers a great many color possibilities! You will need at least two colors for this project, 1 for the main color (A) and 1 for the pattern color (B).

I like to mix scraps with one solid color and that’s what I did in both cases here. This way you get the best of both, the consistency of a one yarn project and also all the colors and joy of a scrap project! For the Big Casablanca I used scraps for color A and a solid black for color B. For the baby Casablanca I did the opposite, used a solid white for color A and then scraps for color B.
If using scraps for color A you can go with stripes of different colors like I do here, just take care that there is a good contrast between all the colors A you are using and the color you chose for your pattern color. Also, I think it’s important to always complete a the whole row of the main color with the same color, that is to not change colors mid row. It’s busy enough as is!
When working color B with scraps, which is the pattern color, I recommend doing a rather smooth color fade, so that the pattern it self is clearly visible, like you can see in this pic.

When using the scraps for color B I think it’s quite alright to change colors mid row, since the color fading will disguise it. Just take care to change colors somewhere that you will be covering up with DC’s in the main color in the next row, that way it’s barely noticeable.

I used the Tequila Sunrise colorway for both my Casablanca afghans, that is basically just all the pink, red, orange and yellow yarn I had in my stash! And to ground it a bit I added some earthy colored browns, neutral and greys to it, to give it more depth.
For color B in the baby version I could then just use the tequila sunrise colored scraps I had left over from my full-sized Casablanca. So the left overs that I didn’t have enough of for one whole row in the big blanket, I could use for several rows as pattern color in the baby one. Oh the joy!

Now, if you’re not into scraps, you could of course work your blankets with only 2 colors, one solid color for A and another solid color for B. Working color A with a slow changing ombre color gradient and color B with a solid to contrast, or vise verse, would give a lovely look! As well as doing both A and B with an ombre color gradient cakes for example.

If you need any help with the pattern, please join us in my Facebook group, where me and my wonderful admin team will be happy to help you!:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/TinnaCrochetClub