Crochet a large sunflower in this free 12″ square pattern. The Autumn Radiance afghan block features a sunflower motif and can be made in a solid color or several different hues. Join the squares together to make a sunflower blanket project for fall. Find the free crochet pattern instructions below, or purchase a print-optimized, ad-free PDF by clicking here.
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Sunflowers are a classic end-of summer decorating staple. This beautiful 12″ crochet afghan block is just the pattern you need to crochet a blanket for fall as cooler weather is just around the corner. It features a floral design in the center and smaller sunflowers in the corners.
Many different textured crochet stitches give this sunflower square pattern its charm. Look through the “Stitches Used”, and the “Additional Terms” sections before you begin this project so you can make sure you are familiar with them. I’ve included written instructions for the more challenging ones. I have written the majority of this pattern to use the same color in each round making the design easier than some of my previous 12″ block patterns. Round 19 is the only one where you’ll be switching between 2 colors.
I recommend using Red Heart Super Saver in Coffee, Aran, Café Latte, and Gold to get a square that looks like mine. It also looks amazing in solid tones if you don’t want to do a lot of color changes. Look at this solid gold block! Can’t you imagine a whole afghan done up like this? Breathtaking!
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Difficulty:
Intermediate/Advanced
Materials Needed:
5mm hook, or hook needed to obtain gauge
200-225 yards #4 worsted weight Red Heart Super Saver in Coffee (color A), Aran (color B), Café Latte (color C), Gold (color D)
Yarn needle
Scissors
Stitch Markers (at least 12)
Stitches Used:
ch = chain
sl st = slip stitch
sc = single crochet
hdc = half double crochet
2dc cluster = 2dctog in same st
2tr cluster = 2trtog in same st
BPsc = Back Post single crochet
BPhdc = Back Post half double crochet
BPdc = Back Post double crochet
FPdc = Front Post double crochet
FPtr = Front Post treble crochet
FPtr2tog = Front Post treble crochet 2 together
Additional terms:
Working in the 3rd Loop of hdc – Instructions: Look at the top of the stitch, and locate the sideways “V”, bend the stitch forward to look at the back and you should see another “V” made by the “yarn over”. You’ll be working into the back loop of that “V”. This is called the 3rd loop. Click here for a picture tutorial of this stitch if you’re stuck.
Puff = [YO, pull up a loop] 4 times in same st, yo, pull through 8 loops, yo, pull through final 2 loops
psc = picot single crochet – Instructions: insert hook, YO, draw up a loop, draw through 1 loop 3 times making a ch-3, YO, draw through both loops on hook. Pull your ch-3 sp towards the front of your work instead of pushing it toward the back.
BLO = back loop only
Back bar of sc – Instructions: Look at the back of the stitch and locate the short bar that runs horizontal. Work all stitches for the round into this bar.
Gauge:
5 3/4” across after round 9
Additional Notes:
-Ch 1 at beginning of round does not count as stitch.
-‘First st’ is considered the same stitch as join, or same st as where new yarn is joined to the round, unless otherwise instructed.
-Color changes at the beginning of a new round will be done with a chainless starting method.
-Mid-round color changes in round 19 will be made by pulling a loop of the new color through the final 2 loops of a BPsc, BPdc, or tr st, or the last 3 loops of a BPhdc st.
Autumn Radiance Sunflower Square Crochet Pattern (US Terms):
Click here to purchase an ad-free, print-optimized PDF of this pattern on LoveCrafts
With color A,
Round 1: in magic circle work [sc, psc] 6 times, join with sl st to first sc. (12)
Round 2: ch 1, 2 hdc in first st, hdc in next st, *2 hdc in next st, hdc in next st; repeat from * around, join with sl st to first sc. (18)
Drop color A, and fasten off.
Join color B,
Round 3: working in 3rd loop of hdc, *2dc cluster, ch 1; repeat from * around, join with sl st to first 2dc cluster. (18 2dc clusters, 18 ch-1 sps)
Drop color B and fasten off.
Join color C,
Round 4: 2 sc in each ch-1 sp around, join with sl st to first sc. (36)
Place a stitch marker around each sl st in the following round. You will be working a FPtr around each of these marked stitches in round 10.
Round 5: *ch 3, sk 2 sts, sl st in next st; repeat from * around, final sl st counts as join. (12 ch-3 sps)
Round 6: *(4 sc, sl st) in ch-3 sp, sl st into next ch-3 sp; repeat from * around, final sl st counts as join. (12 petals)
Drop color C and fasten off.
Join color D in first skipped st of round 5,
Round 7: bend the petals forward, and work this round in the stitches you skipped from round 5, you will be skipping the stitch that was used in round 5: ch 1, sc in first st, sc in next st, ch 1, sk st, *sc in next 2 sts, ch 1, sk st; repeat from * around, join with sl st to first sc. (36)
Drop color D and fasten off.
Join color B,
Round 8: sc in first st, sc in next st, 2 sc in ch-1 sp, *sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in ch-1 sp; repeat from * around, join with sl st to first sc. (48
In order to get your shells in the following round to line up properly with the petals you created in round 6 you will need to skip the join and crochet the first shell in the very next stitch.
Round 9: *sk st, 5 dc in next st, sk st, sl st in next st; repeat from * around, final sl st counts as join. (12 shells)
Drop color B and fasten off.
Join color A,
Round 10: *FPtr around sl st from round 5, work this sequence across shell: BPdc around next st, BPhdc around next 3 sts, BPdc around next st; repeat from * around, join with sl st to first FPtr. (72)
Drop color A,
Join color D,
Round 11: *2dc cluster in top of FPtr, ch 1, sk st, 2dc cluster in next 3 sts, ch 1, sk st; repeat from * around, join with sl st to first hdc. (36 2dc clusters, 36 ch-1 sps) (72)
Drop color D and fasten off.
In the next round you will be working stitches across the current round and around the FPtr sts you made in round 10. The single crochet stitches will be worked in the ch-1 sps between the clusters and between the clusters themselves. This continues the pointed tip sunflower petal look when you crochet round 12 with a contrasting color to what you used in round 11.
Pick up color A,
Round 12: *2 FPtr around FPtr from round 10, sk st, sc in ch-1 sp, (sc between next 2 cluster sts) twice, sc in ch-1 sp; repeat from * around, join with sl st to first FPtr. (72)
Round 13: ch 1, sc in first st, sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in each of the next 2 sts, *sc in next 4 sts, 2 sc in each of the next 2 sts; repeat from * around, sc in final st of round, join with sl st to first sc. (96)
In the following round you will be working FPdc around the first FPtr stitch from the previous round, chaining 2, then working another FPdc around the next FPtr. The ch-2 sp is just a place holder for your puff stitches in the following round to sit between the 2 FPdc. **Make sure you skip 3 stitches in your current round to make room for this (FPdc, ch 2, FPdc) sequence.**
Round 14: ch 1, *FPdc around FPtr from round 12, ch 2, FPdc around next FPtr from round 12, sk 3 sts, sc in next 5 sts; repeat from * around, sk st, join with sl st to first FPdc. (60 sc, 24 FPdc, 12 ch-2 sps)
Drop color A,
Puff stitches in the following round will be worked between the 2 FPtr sts in round 12. Yarn over and insert hook from front to back above but not in the clusters from round 11. Yarn over behind the piece and draw up your loop for the puff st. The puff will enclose the ch-2 from round 14. My puff stitches measured about 1” tall.
Join color B to top of first FPtr,
Round 15: *ch 1, sk st, insert hook between the 2 FPtr in round 12, puff stitch, ch 1, sk st, BPsc around next 5 sts; repeat from * around, join with sl st to first ch. (12 puff sts, 60 BPsc, 24 ch-1 sps)
Round 16: ch 1, sc in first st, sc in next 2 sts, *sk 2 sts, 7 dc in next st, sk 2 sts, sc in next 3 sts; repeat from * around, join with sl st to first sc. (12 large shells, 36 sc)
Drop color B and fasten off.
In this next round you will be working BP stitches around the shells, and FPtr2tog “peaks” over the tops of the puff stitches. Remember to leave a stitch unworked over the puff stitch for your FPtr2tog to sit.
Pick up color A,
Round 17: ch 2, BPdc around first sc, *FPtr2tog placing first leg around FPdc from round 14, place second leg around next FPdc from round 14, BPdc around sc, work this sequence across shell: BPhdc, BPsc around next 5 sts, BPhdc, BPdc around sc; repeat from * around, join with sl st to first BPdc. (120)
Round 18: ch 1, sk st, *FPdc around FPtr2tog from prev round, 2dc cluster in top of FPtr2tog, FPdc around FPtr2tog, sk st, hdc in next st, sc in next 4 sts, hdc in next st, sk 2 sts, FPtr around FPtr2tog from prev round, [2 dc cluster] 4 times in top of FPtr2tog, FPtr around FPtr2tog from prev round, sk 2 sts, hdc in next st, sc in next 4 sts, hdc in next st, sk st, FPdc around FPtr2tog from prev round, 2dc cluster in top of FPtr2tog, FPdc around FPtr2tog, sk st, hdc in next st, sc in next 5 sts, hdc in next st, sk st; repeat from * around, join with sl st to first FPdc.
Drop color A, and fasten off.
In this round you will switch between 2 colors. Carry color D along behind the post stitches leaving enough slack so you can crochet over the strands in round 20.
Join Color D to first FPdc of round 18,
Round 19: ch 1, *sk st, 3 sc in next st, sk st, with color C: BPhdc around next 2 sts, BPdc around next 3 sts, sk 2 sts, with color D: (2tr cluster, ch 1) in next st, (2tr cluster, ch 1, 2tr cluster, ch 2) in next st, (2tr cluster, ch 1) 2 times in next st, 2tr cluster in next st, sk 2 sts, with color C: BPdc around next 3 sts, BPhdc around next 2 sts, sk st, with Color D: 3 sc in next st, sk st, with color C: BPsc around next 7 sts; change to color D and repeat from * around, join with sl st to first sc. (24 2tr clusters, 28 BPsc, 16 BPhdc, 24 BPdc, 24 sc, 16 ch-1 sps, 4 ch-2 sps)
Drop color D, and fasten off.
With color C,
Round 20: ch 1, working in BLO sc in next 3 sts, working normally, sc in next 5 sts, *[sk st, 2 sc in ch-1 sp] 2 times, sk st, (2 sc, ch 1, 2 sc) in ch-2 sp, [sk st, 2 sc in ch-1 sp] 2 times, sc in next 5 sts, working in BLO, sc in next 3 sts, working normally, sc in next 7 sts, working in BLO, sc in next 3 sts, working normally, sc in next 5 sts; repeat from * around, join with sl st to first sc. (140 sc, 4 ch-1 sps)
Round 21: ch 1, working in back bar of sc, sc in each st around (sc, ch 1, sc) in each corner, join with sl to first sc. (37 sc per side)
Fasten off, and weave in ends.
Block if desired.
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You are welcome to share the link to this pattern, using one image of your choice, on your site, but please do not share the written patterns themselves, this includes my Ravelry downloads or translations of these patterns, or use additional images. You do not have permission to use my images by themselves to create pinnable graphics for Pinterest, however they may be included in a roundup pin if there are 4 or more other patterns. If you sell finished items online, please do not use my pictures for your listings. I’m positive that your work is of high enough quality for you to sell the finished piece. Have confidence in your abilities! <3 Thank you!
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