Dragonfly Afghan Crochet-Along - Outside Rounds

This dragonfly design is an original by Sandi Marshall. The charted design, photos and the written directions to correspond with the chart are by Sandi Marshall, copyright 2005 by Sandi Marshall, licensed to About.com, Inc.

If you're just starting and need the beginning directions for the dragonfly afghan:
Part 1 (Chart, Intro and Rows 1 - 4) - http://crochet.about.com/library/ndflyafghan.htm
Part 2 (Written Directions For Rows 5 - 11) - http://crochet.about.com/library/ndflyafghan2.htm
Part 3 (Written Directions For Rows 12 - 18) - http://crochet.about.com/library/ndflyafghan3.htm

If you've been crocheting this design by following the written directions, at any time that you feel comfortable working directly from the chart instead, you may wish to jump ahead and finish crocheting the dragonfly filet crochet center of this afghan by following the chart. The written directions are intended to be compared with the chart, row by row, until a crocheter is able to follow a filet crochet chart without needing written directions. Most filet crochet patterns are crocheted directly from charts, so being able to do filet crochet without written directions opens up a whole new world of possibilities for a crocheter.

This part shows how to crochet the outside rounds around the finished filet crochet piece. The photo example at the top of this page shows a finished lapghan size. Below the Round 9 instructions, I have given guidelines for increasing the size up to a full afghan size.

Materials Used In The Example: Red Heart Worsted Weight Yarn, U.S. Size H Crochet Hook Color A - Aran, color number 0313 (also used for filet crochet center of afghan) Color B - Light Sage, color number 0631 Color C - Aspen Print, color number 0305 Color D - Frosty Green, color number 0661

Abbreviations: ch = chain, dc = double crochet, ea = each, sc = single crochet, sl st = slip stitch, sp = space

How To Slip Stitch (sl st) = Insert hook in stitch, wrap yarn over hook, pull yarn through the stitch and through the loop on the hook, at the same time. A slip stitch does not add any height and is commonly used to join a chain or stitch to another place in the crochet piece.

Used in Rnd 1: Photos showing how to single crochet around a dc post - http://crochet.about.com/library/blscdpost.htm
At the very bottom of this page is a photo showing a closeup look at the placement of the stitches of the outside rounds and showing what the corner stitches look like. As you crochet the rounds, if you find that you have questions about where to place any of the stitches, taking a look at that portion of the pattern on the closeup photo may be helpful.

Outside Rounds:

Rnd 1: With the right side of the finished filet crochet piece facing you, attach Color B in the first dc of the top row. Work a round of solid single crochet all the way around the outside edge of the filet crochet piece. How to do that: ch 1, (sc, ch 2, sc) in same place as joining, sc in each dc across the row until one dc remains in the row, (sc, ch 2, sc) in last dc of the row to make a corner, then, crocheting along the next edge: work 2 sc around each dc post at the edge of each row, (sc, ch 2, sc) in first remaining loop left from the starting chain (by first dc) of bottom edge, sc in each remaining loop (by each dc) across the row until you reach the last remaining loop of the row, (sc, ch 2, sc) in last remaining loop of the row to make a corner, then, crocheting along the next edge: work 2 sc around each dc post at the edge of each row, sl st in first sc of this round. End off color B. Rnd 2: Attach color C in any corner ch-2 space. ch 3 (counts as first dc), dc in same corner space, ch-2, 2 dc in same corner space, dc in next sc, continue to make a mesh pattern across the next side by working (ch 1, skip next sc, dc in next sc) across until you reach the next corner, (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in next corner ch-2 space, followed by a dc in the next stitch right after the corner space. You should also have a dc in the stitch right before each corner space. Continue in this pattern around the piece, ending with a sl st in the top of the beginning ch-3 of this round. At the end of this round, do not end off color C.

Hint: When doing rounds like this around a crocheted piece, if you find on a mesh round that you need to vary where you work the double crochet stitches for a corner to keep the same look for each double crochet group on each corner end, go ahead and do that. In other words, for a round like Rnd 2 (with a group of 3 dc on each end just before the corner chain), when you reach a corner, in order to keep a consistent look on the corners, you might find that you need to do something like: one dc in each of the last 2 sc just before the corner and then (1 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in the corner chain as a variation instead of the established corner pattern of doing 1 dc in the stitch just before the corner, then (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in the corner chain. Each way ends up with a group of 3 dc just before the chain-2 that is the corner. When you reach any corner, you'll know if the pattern is coming out right or if you need to vary where you place the stitches to keep consistent with the design.

Rnd 3: Continuing with color C, make a round of solid double crochet. How to do that: ch 3 (counts as first dc), dc in next dc, (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in next corner ch-2 space, continue with dc in ea dc and dc in ea ch-1 sp, (for solid dc in this round), working (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in each corner ch-2 space. At the end of the round, sl st in top of the beginning ch-3 of this round. Do not end off color C.
Rnd 4: Continuing with color C, sl st in ea dc to reach next corner space, sl st in corner space, ch 3 (counts as first dc), (dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in same corner space, dc in next dc, ch 1, skip next dc, dc in next dc. Continue with a mesh pattern across each side by working (ch 1, skip next dc, dc in next dc) across the sides and by working (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in each corner space, followed by a dc in the next stitch right after the corner space. You should also have a dc in the stitch right before each corner space. At the end of the round, sl st in top of the beginning ch-3 of this round. End off color C.
Rnd 5: Attach color A in any corner chain space. ch 1, (2 sc, ch 2, 2 sc) in same corner space. Work a round of solid single crochet by doing an sc in each dc and an sc in each ch-1 space along each side, with (2 sc, ch 2, 2 sc) in each corner space. At the end of the round, sl st in top of the beginning sc of this round. end off color A.
Rnd 6: Attach color D in any corner chain space. ch 3 (counts as first dc), (dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in same corner space, dc in next dc, ch 1, skip next dc, dc in next dc. Continue with a mesh pattern across each side by working (ch 1, skip next dc, dc in next dc) across the sides and by working (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in each corner space, followed by a dc in the next stitch right after the corner space. You should also have a dc in the stitch right before each corner space. At the end of the round, sl st in top of the beginning ch-3 of this round. Do not end off color D.
Rnd 7: Continue with color D. This round is solid double crochet all the way around. ch 3 (counts as first dc), dc in ea dc, dc in ea ch-1 sp, working (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in each corner ch-2 space. At the end of the round, sl st in top of the beginning ch-3 of this round. Do not end off color D.
Rnd 8: Continue with color D. Read through all of the Rnd 8 instructions before starting to crochet Rnd 8. ch 5 (counts as first dc and a ch-2), dc in same corner space, dc in ea of next 3 dc, ch 1, skip next dc, dc in next dc. Continue with a mesh pattern across each side by working (ch 1, skip next dc, dc in next dc) across the sides and by working (dc, ch 2, dc) in each corner space, followed by a dc in each of the next 3 stitches right after the corner space. You should also make a dc in each of the 3 stitches right before each corner space. At the end of the round, sl st in top of the 3rd chain of the beginning ch-5 of this round. End off color D.
Rnd 9: Attach color B in any corner ch-2 space. ch 1, (2 sc, ch 2, 2 sc) in same corner space. Work a round of solid single crochet by doing an sc in each dc and an sc in each ch-1 space along each side, with (2 sc, ch 2, 2 sc) in each corner space. At the end of the round, sl st in top of the beginning sc of this round. end off color B.
Any Additional Rnds: If you would like to make a larger afghan, you could continue with the established pattern, as follows:

In color C: a dc mesh rnd, a solid dc rnd, another dc mesh rnd (as in Rnds 2-4)

In color A: a solid single crochet rnd (as in Rnd 5)

In color D: a dc mesh rnd, a solid dc rnd, another dc mesh rnd (as in Rnds 6-8)

In color B: a solid single crochet rnd (as in Rnd 9)

As the size of the rounds increase, you might get a more favorable look on the corners by using (dc, ch 2, dc) in each corner on the larger rounds, rather than the (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) used for the corners in the earlier rounds.

Crochet Homepage: http://crochet.about.com

Links to this pattern are welcome. Main Page For This Pattern-
http://crochet.about.com/od/learnmorestitches/ss/dflyafghan.htm,
URL of this printing page is http://crochet.about.com/library/ndflyafghanedge.htm

Copyright, Terms Of Use: This is my original design. The design, my written instructions and the pattern example images are copyright 2005, 2006 by Sandi Marshall, licensed to About.com, Inc. Free for your own personal use only (this means that you can make items from the chart as many times as you wish for yourself or for gifts ... but you cannot sell or give away the design, alterations of the design, reproduced copies of the chart or reproduced copies of the pattern instructions). You are welcome to link to this page but, per copyright law, do not place the actual content of the page on another website; do not redistribute the actual content of the page in any form (even for free)! Thank you! Any reproduction or redistributing of the design, pattern instructions or pattern images on this page involves the written permission of both myself and About.com and involves the drawing up of legal paperwork detailing the specific permission to be granted, any fees for the requested use in reproducing or redistributing the pattern and signing of said legal paperwork by the parties involved. In light of the fact that having the exact same content on multiple websites can damage the original web site's standing with search engines, permission to reproduce on individual websites will not be granted. Permission for companies or publishers for print publication will be considered.

Copyright Myths Explained - www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html, U.S. Government Copyright Office - http://www.loc.gov/copyright, United States Copyright Law FAQ: http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-general.html