This pattern is not technically difficult, but it is the most poorly written pattern I’ve ever tried to work with, and some errata has been corrected in the version I downloaded…but not all of it. So it’s a total PITA. I hope my notes will make subsequent blocks simpler/faster.

If you are not cutting and reattaching the black for every color change, you will still have 42 ends per block to weave in. That’s 840 for the entire afghan, not counting the border around assembled squares. We’ll call it 850. Don’t save them all for last!!!!

My only yarn substitution is Aruba Sea for Light Mint, which has been discontinued. It looks fine. I will eventually list a rough estimate of yardage for a single square, through the joining rounds. I am carrying my black up through round 13 v. fastening off every time.

Work thru the back loop or in free loops of previous round unless specified otherwise.

Round 1: I used a magic loop rather than Ch5 loop.

Rounds 2 & 3: No change. 24 sts after round 3.

Round 4: No change. 32 sts.

Round 5: No change. 40 sts, 8 of which are trc.

Round 6: No change. 48 sts, 6 st repeat. Use the 4
free loops of Color C visible between the trc spokes.

Round 7: No change. Begin in a trc. Remember to use all the sts, even the ones behind the trc clusters.

Round 8: No changes. 64 sts.
8 st repeat - 7 sts between clusters. Sc into the cluster is not TBL.

Round 9: No changes. 72 sts.
7 sc between 2 FPDC

Round 10: No changes. 80 sts.
When DC between the 2 FPDC of rnd 9, work around the free loop only and don’t crochet around the black yarn. A bit fiddly.

Round 11: Join in the back loop of the DC made on rnd 10 between the 2 FPDC of rnd 9. 80 sts.
7 sc between the trc/sc/trc group.

Round 12: Join in the 1st trc of the trc/sc/trc group made on rnd 11. 88 sts.
There are 7 DC between the 4 sc groups.

Round 13: I worked this round 3 times before it came out right for me. Maybe my FP trc lean funny, but numbers are numbers and the st count is wrong.
Back loop join in the 2nd sc of a 2sc group on round 12 and work all stitches TBL.
4 sc, trc around the post of the trc below right. Skip 1.
Repeat the next 4 groups until only 2 stitches are left:
Sc, 2sc in same st, sc, trc below left, skip 1
5 sc, trc below right, skip 1
4 sc, trc below left, skip 1
6 sc, trc below right, skip 1.
Sc in the last 2 stitches of round 13, join & fasten off.

I memorized the order in case I’m interrupted mid-row: 2/5/4/6, knowing that the 2 doesn’t literally mean 2 but refers to the first group.

Corner Motifs Are all worked the same, starting with WS facing and working in the back loops on rows 3 and 4. You are working the motifs across a 4sc group between trcs.

I’ve worked 4 squares, and attached them per pattern. I hate the way they look. My corner motifs are way too wonky, and the method used to join the squares is just not appealing to me. I knew by the 3rd square that my corner motifs weren’t sitting properly, so I tried working with a smaller hook. I’m going to frog back and start over with the first squaring row, and work them into both loops v. back loop and hope for the best. As is, I could never give this as a gift!

I have moved down to a 5mm inline hook, working much tighter and I’m very pleased with the result. The corner motifs still tend to wonkyness due to both working the back loops and not securing the edges to anything. I used the tails to whip the petals to the adjacent black stitches. Much more stable.

May 23, 2015 Got sidelined for a long time due to tendonitis, but I’m back at it again. I was surprised to pull it out and find 8 completed blocks and 4 that only needed the last 3 rounds. Hopefully I’ll get it done soon. I’m making 20 blocks, so 8 more to go!

I ended up weaving in the ends while I was visiting him, so he had a chance to see how long that took and I think it added to his appreciation.