This beautiful and unique free crochet afghan square pattern is part of the Creative Crossings Crochet-A-Long. You can read more about it, and find the other square patterns by following this link.
The Desert Rose afghan square is a flowery crochet design filled with texture and lacy details. The colors add much of the interest to this piece. I used Red Heart Soft in Off-White, Charcoal, Sea Foam and Berry, but you can use any worsted weight yarn you have on hand.
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The crochet pattern starts out with a detailed and colorful center, followed by 3 layers of petals. Leaves are then created in two parts. The diamond shape between the petals is the trickiest part of this afghan square, but if you take it one step at a time and read the notes it will be easier to crochet. Even tension on your chains, coupled with blocking will ultimately make this section look its best.
This square can be used by itself to create a summery crochet afghan or wall hanging. It has a little bit of a succulent flower feel and could go well with a Boho style bedroom or living room. You could even use the center part of the flower and leaves inside a hoop to create a nature-inspired dream catcher.
I’d love to see what you do with this, so please don’t forget to favorite it on Ravelry and share your progress!
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Materials Needed:
4mm (G) hook, or hook needed to obtain gauge
5mm (H) hook, or hook needed to obtain gauge
Approximately 100 yds “Off-White” color B
Approximately 85 yards “Deep Sea” color C
Approximately 50 yds “Berry” color A
Approximately 20 yds “Charcoal” color D
Yarn needle
Scissors
Stitches Used:
sl sl = slip stitch
ch = chain
sc = single crochet
hdc = half double crochet
dc = double crochet
tr = treble crochet
BPsc = back post single crochet
BPhdc = back post half double crochet
BPdc = back post double crochet
BPtr = back post treble crochet
FPdc = front post double crochet
FPtr = front post treble crochet
Additional Terms:
Bobble = dc5tog in same stitch
tr cluster = tr3tog in same stitch
Spike st = with working yarn on hook, insert hook through bottom of round 2/top of round 1, yo and draw up a loop to height of active round, pull working yarn through both loops
Gauge:
3 ¼” across after round 5, 6” across after round 12.
Measurements:
12” by 12” when blocked.
Additional Notes:
When color change is indicated, new color is joined in the same st where the previous color fastened off.
This square is part of the Creative Crossings Crochet-A-Long. Click the link to get more information and all the other patterns!
Desert Rose Afghan Square Pattern (US Terms):
Using 5mm (H) hook,
With color A,
Round 1: 12 dc in magic circle. Join with sl st to first dc. (12)
Drop color A, and fasten off.
Join color B,
Round 2: ch 1, 2 sc in each stitch around, join with sl st to first sc. (24)
Drop color B and fasten off.
Join color C,
Round 3: ch 1, sc in first st, work spike st by inserting hook through bottom of round 2/top of round 1, yo and draw up a loop, pull through both loops (this will be an increase stitch), sc in next st from round 2 (your spike st may be covering it), * sc in next st, work spike st in next st between rounds 1 and 2, sc in next st from round 2 (your spike st may be covering it); repeat from * around, join with sl st to first sc. (36)
Round 4: *ch 3, skip 2 stitches, sl st in the next; repeat from * around, join with sl st to first sc. (12 ch-3 spaces)
Round 5: starting in first ch-3 space, *work (4 sc, sl st) in ch-3 space, sl st into next ch-3 space; repeat from * around, final sl st counts as join. (12 petals)
Drop color C and fasten off.
Join color A,
Round 6: bend the petals forward, and work this round in the stitches you skipped in round 4: ch 1, sc in in first stitch, sc in the next stitch, ch 1, skip stitch, *sc in the next 2 stitches, ch 1, skip stitch; repeat from * around, join with sl st to first sc. (36)
Drop color A and fasten off.
Join color B,
Round 7: sl st into ch-1 space from round 6, ch 4 *sl st in next ch-1 space, ch 4; repeat from * around, join with sl st to first ch-1 space. (12 ch-4 spaces)
Round 8: sl st into first ch-4 space, (hdc, 4 dc, hdc, sl st) in ch-4 space, *sl st into next ch-4 space, (hdc, 4 dc, hdc, sl st) in ch-4 space; repeat from * around, final sl st counts as join. (12 petals)
Round 9: working in the back of the petals just made, sl st over to center of first petal, *ch 4, sl st into center-back of next petal; repeat from * around, join with sl st to first ch-4 space. (12 ch-4 spaces)
Round 10: (hdc, 4 dc, hdc, sl st) in ch-4 space, *sl st into next ch-4 space, (hdc, 4 dc, hdc, sl st) in ch-4 space; repeat from * around, final sl st counts as join. (12 petals)
Round 11: working in the back of the petals just made, sl st over to center of first petal, *ch 4, sl st into back of next petal; repeat from * around, join with sl st to first ch-4 space. (12 ch-4 spaces)
Round 12: (hdc, 4 dc, hdc, sl st) in ch-4 space, *sl st into next ch-4 space, (hdc, 4 dc, hdc, sl st) in ch-4 space; repeat from * around, final sl st counts as join. (12 petals)
Drop color B and fasten off.
Join color A,
Round 13: working in the back of the petals just made, sl st over to center of first petal, *ch 5, sl st into back of next petal; repeat from * around, join with sl st to first ch-5 space. (12 ch-5 spaces)
Switch to 4mm hook for rounds 14-16
Round 14: ch 1, *(4 sc, using tight tension ch 11, sl st loosely into second ch from hook and using tight tension again into next 9 chs, 4 sc) in ch-5 space, move to next ch-5 sp; repeat from * around, join with sl st to first sc. Note: each spike should measure exactly 2” long. Adjust your tension if they are coming out longer or shorter. (12 spikes, 96 sc)
Drop color A, and fasten off.
Join color C,
Round 15:
ch 1, *BPsc around next 3 sc, sk st, work this next part up the spike you created in the previous round: sc, hdc, dc, tr in next 3 sts, dc, hdc, sc, (sl st, ch 1, sl st) into end ch forming picot, sl st into end ch again, then work this part down the spike, in the back loop (this will put the pretty Vs going up the center of your leaf): sc, hdc, dc, tr in next 3 sts, dc, hdc, sc, sk st, BPsc around next 3 sts; repeat from * around, join with sl st to first sc. (12 leaves)
Drop color C, and fasten off.
Join color A,
In this round you will be creating a “diamond” shape between each leaf with chains. The side “points” of the diamond should be slip stitched to the back of the centermost tr stitch of the leaf that you made in the prev round–essentially a “back post slip stitch”.
Round 16: ch 1, bobble in first st, ch 4, sl st around back post of third tr stitch, ch 9, sl st to top back of spike from round 14 under picot from round 15. Note: It will be a snug fit to get your hook in there and if you have a smaller hook handy that may speed up this process. *ch 9, sl st around 5th st from bottom of leaf, directly across from the sl st on the other side of the leaf, ch 4, bobble in 3rd BPsc, ch 4, sl st around back post of 5th st from bottom of leaf, ch 4, sl st into 5th ch of ch-9 just made (counting from top of leaf), (the best way to do this is to remove your hook from the chain loop and insert it through the 5th ch of ch-9, place the loop back on your hook and draw it through from the back, then continue with the instructions), ch 5, join with sl st to top back of spike from round 14 this will create a diamond-shaped opening with a bobble at the bottom; repeat from * around, after joining to top of final leaf, ch 5, sl st into 5th ch from top of first ch-9, ch 4, sl st around back post of 5th st from bottom of last leaf, ch 3, sl st into top of first bobble. (12 bobbles, 24 spaces, 12 “diamonds”)
Drop color A and Fasten off.
Switch to 5mm (H) hook,
Join color B to ch-5 sp,
In Round 16, the ch-9 spaces were divided into ch-4 space on the bottom half of the diamond and a ch-5 space in the upper half of the diamond. In this round we will be working into the upper ch-5 spaces.
Round 17: ch 1, *6 sc in ch-5 sp, (3 hdc, 3 dc) in next ch-5 sp, (2 dc, 4 tr, ch 1) in next ch-5 sp (4 tr, 2 dc) in next ch-5 sp, (3 dc, 3 hdc) in next ch-5 sp, 6 sc in next ch-5 sp; repeat from * around, join with sl st to first sc. (144)
Drop color B, and fasten off.
Join color A,
Round 18: ch 1, *BPsc around next 6 sts, FPdc around chains at top/back of leaf, BPsc around next st, BPhdc around next 5 sts, FPtr around “diamond” from round 16, BPdc around next 4 sts, BPtr around next 2 sts, (tr cluster, ch 2, tr cluster) in ch-1 sp, BPtr around next 2 sts, BPdc around next 4 sts, FPtr around “diamond” from round 16, BPhdc around next 5 sts, BPsc around next st, FPdc around chains at top/back of leaf, BPsc around next 6 sts, FPdc around “diamond” from round 16; repeat from * around, join with sl st to first BPsc. (172)
Drop color A, and fasten off.
Join color D,
Round 19: ch1, sc in next 21 sts, *(2 sc, ch 2, 2 sc) in corner, sc in next 43 sts; repeat from * around, omitting 22 sts on final repeat, join with sl st to first sc. (47 sc/side, 188 sc)
Fasten off, and weave in ends.
With color D sl st around the edge of each petal in rounds 8, 10, and 12.
Fasten off, and weave in ends.
Block for best results.
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