Crocheted from the center outward using chenille yarn, this large and cozy afghan is a warm welcome to cold winter days. Warm as a woolen blanket and washable, this clever design is a keeper with its faux pom edging in lovely mint.

Skill Level: Easy

Size: 86″ diameter, not including pompom edging

Gauge: 8 sts and 6 rows = 4” [10 cm] in sc.

Materials

Yarn: Universal Bella Chenille (100% Polyester; 131 yards [120 meters]/100 grams): 110 Misty (MC,15 balls), 104 Honey Dew (CC, 2 balls)

Hook: US size M/13 (9.0 mm)

Notions: Stitch marker (1), tapestry needle

Pattern Notes

This blanket is worked from the middle out to the edge in the round.

Increases are done on each round.

Each round is joined using a slip stitch.

At the beginning of each round there is a ch 1, this does not count as a stitch.

When the pattern repeat is an odd number of stitches preceding 2sc into the next st, begin these rounds at the marker.

After Round 6, on odd numbered rounds the pattern repeat is an even number of stitches preceding the 2 sc into the next st. The first repeat is off set, that is to say the first half of the stitches are done on the first repeat followed by the 2sc into the next st, and the remainder of these stitches are done at the end of the round.  For instance. round 7, the 6 sc between each 2 sc into the next st is executed with the first set of 6 slip on either side of the marker, 3sc to start the round and 3 to end the round for a total of 6.  On round 9 there will be 8 sc between each 2sc cluster, therefore start rnd 9 with 4 sc, before the first 2 sc cluster and end the round with 4 sc.

Given the structure of the Bella Cheniile rather than use a pompom maker to create the pompom edging, the individual pompoms are made using two sets of popcorn stitches back to back between each set of ch5.

The circle is formed using a series of sc and 2sc clusters. The nature of the yarn and hand of the resulting fabric appears as a circle, it is not truly a circle, it is visually a circle however in fact it is a polygon.  Offsetting the rows upon which the 2sc clusters are done and starting the border off-set from the end of the round will contribute to making the form appear to be a circle.

Pattern

Using MC, begin with magic loop.

Rnd 1: Work 10 sc in loop, join with sl st, place marker to denote end of rnd. (10 sts)

Rnd 2: Ch 1, *sc in next st, 2 sc in next st; rep from * to end of rnd, join with sl st. (5 sts inc’d)

Rnd 3: Ch 1, *sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st; rep from * to end of rnd, join with sl st. (5 sts inc’d)

Rnd 4: Ch 1, *sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st; rep from * to end of rnd, join with sl st. (5 sts inc’d)

Rnd 5: Ch 1, *sc in next 4 sts, 2 sc in next st; rep from * to end of rnd, join with sl st. (5 sts inc’d)

Rnd 6: Ch 1, *sc in next 5 sts, 2 sc in next st; rep from * to end of rnd, join with sl st. (5 sts inc’d)

Rnd 7: Ch 1, sc in next 3 sts, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 6 sts; rep from * to last 3 sts from end of rnd, sc in next 3 sts. join with sl st. (5 sts inc’d)

Rnd 8: Ch 1, *sc in next 7 sts, 2 sc in next st; rep from * to end of rnd, join with sl st. (5 sts inc’d)

Cont in patt, repeating Rnds 7-8 increasing the number of stitches by one per repeat per rnd until there are 410 sts, 81 rounds.

Fasten off. Cut yarn.

Weave in ends.

Border

Using CC, pull up lp after second st of final rnd.

*Ch 6, dc in 3rd lp from hook, (yo, pull up lp, yo pull through 2 lps) 4 times (total of 5 lps on hook), yo, pull through all 6 lps, ch 3, dc in base of ch 3, (yo, pull up lp, yo, pull through 2 lps) 4 times, sl st through the base of the ch into which the first dc was made, ch 3, sk 4 sts along edge of blanket, sc into next sc of edge; rep from * until there are no additional sts which are to be worked (approximately 82 pompoms).

Fasten off.

Finishing

Weave in all ends.