Pattern for afghan blocks. A solid background is offset by thin lines in a contrasting colour. Two types of squares join together to make fan motifs.

Blocks are worked in the round, outside-in. While you crochet, you’ll have two live skeins, one of each colour. Attached with join-as-you-go.

YARDAGE AND TOOLS

It’s handy to have a locking stitch marker, hair clip, or safety pin to keep the live stitch of one colour safe while you’re stitching with the other. Blocking is optional.

Gauge is not important. Bigger hooks make bigger blocks, that’s all.

Using a 5mm hook and worsted weight yarn, one block uses about 22m colour A and 45m colour B; resulting block measures about 22cm on a side. Of course, individual results will vary.

If you want the fans to be different colours (like the white-and-blue example), I recommend sewing on a fabric backing so you don’t have to worry about keeping your floats nice. This does not apply to the other examples shown.

DIFFICULTY

This is a solidly intermediate pattern. I tried to make a very thorough phototutorial, so parts that you might not be familiar with (join-as-you-go, starting with a standing stitch) are spelled out in detail. You don’t have to be an advanced crocheter to figure it out!

On the other hand, some portions of the blocks have rows of slip stitches, and proper tension is extra important there. If you’re a beginner and are still practicing keeping your tension even, this might be very challenging. There is a consistent amount of counting in the pattern, as well.

VOCABULARY

Written in American crochet terms with Canadian spelling, for right-handed crocheters.

TAGS

op art, square twist, optical illusion, pursuit curve, math