Free preview · full pattern in the Vintage Afghans & Bedspreads
Americana Afghan (1952): vintage crochet pattern
A red, white and navy afghan of 135 square motifs with long-dc and puff-stitch rounds; half the blocks end in Scarlet and half in Navy. The blocks are sewn in alternating strips and edged with two rounds of puff stitches.
By the crochetpatterns.io editorial team · Updated · Editorial policy · pattern testing in progress
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Skill level | Intermediate |
| Yarn weight | Medium (#4) |
| Yardage | 2340–2600 yd (2140–2377 m) |
| Hook | 4 mm |
| Gauge | Each motif measures 4 in (10 cm) square. |
| Finished size | Approximately 38 × 62 in (97 × 157 cm) |
| Time | about 4 hours |
Materials
- Worsted (#4) yarn. Chadwick's Red Heart Knitting Worsted, 4 ply, was a worsted-weight yarn; substitute any worsted yarn that matches the gauge.
- Colours: 19 oz White, 18 oz Navy, 13 oz Scarlet.
- The book notes that 2 oz skeins (Art. E.230-B) of the same yarn may be used instead: buy half the number of skeins.
- Original hook: Clark's O.N.T. plastic crochet hook No. 5.
- Tapestry needle for sewing blocks.
- Hook: Start with 4 mm (US G-6) and change size to match the gauge.
Yarn Kit & Substitution Options
This pattern calls for 2600 yards of weight #4 yarn. Select a suggested yarn to see required skeins and estimated cost:
Caron Simply Soft · 100% Acrylic
315 yds per skein · High-yield yardage, silky no-scratch texture
9 skeins required
approx. $$49.41 total
Abbreviations (US terms)
- chain
- slip stitch
- single crochet
- double crochet
- yarn over
- puff stitch
- round
- space
- repeat
- stitch
Notes before you start
- Source: "Americana" (C-124), Afghans (Afghan Book No. 289), The Spool Cotton Company, 1952. Public domain in the USA.
- As printed — materials: CHADWICK’S RED HEART KNITTING WORSTED, 4 Ply, Art. E.232: 19 skeins (1 oz. “Tangle-Proof” Pull-Out Skeins) of No. 1 White; 18 skeins of No. 858 Navy and 13 skeins of No. 909 Scarlet.; Clark’s O.N.T. Plastic Crochet Hook No. 5.. Gauge: Each motif measures 4 inches square..
- Modernisation note: Round and row labels ("1st rnd", "2nd row") are written as "Rnd 1", "Row 2"; "half dc" is written as "hdc"; "thread over" and "yarn over" as "yo"; "skip" as "sk"; "repeat" as "rep" where abbreviated.
- Modernisation note: "Break off" is written as "fasten off"; "attach" is written as "join".
- Modernisation note: "Long dc" is not defined in the original; it is kept as printed. From context it is a dc worked over the stitch into the round below (our reading).
- Modernisation note: The original's motif counts (68 and 67, 135 in all) and strip layout are kept; 15 strips of 9 blocks is our arithmetic from those counts.
- Modernisation note: Metric conversions, the modern hook suggestion and the yardage estimate were added; they are not in the original.
- Modernisation note: Hook numbers from this period were not standardised to millimetres; the starting size given is a modern equivalent, and the gauge is what matters.
Row progress: 0 of 7 done (0%)
First motif (make 68)
0 of 7 done- Starting at center with White, ch 6. Join with sl st to form ring.Mark row complete
- Rnd 1: Ch 3, 15 dc in ring. Join to top of ch-3. Fasten off.Mark row complete
- Rnd 2: Join Scarlet to same place as sl st, 3 sc in same place, *sc in next 3 dc, 3 sc in next dc. Rep from * around. Join and fasten off.Mark row complete
- Rnd 3: Join White to first sc, sc in same place, *at base of 3-sc group make dc, ch 2 and dc (2 long dc made); sc in 3rd sc of same sc group, (make a long dc over next sc, sc in next sc) twice. Rep from * around. Join and fasten off.Mark row complete
- Rnd 4: Join Navy to corner sp, in same sp make sc, ch 2 and sc; sc in each sc and in each dc around, making sc, ch 2 and sc in each corner sp. Join and fasten off.Mark row complete
- Rnd 5: Join White to corner sp, sc in same sp, make long dc in same sp; *(sc in next sc, long dc over next sc) 3 times; sc in next sc, in corner sp make long dc, 2 sc and long dc. Rep from * around. Join and fasten off.Mark row complete
- Rnd 6: Join Scarlet to first sc, (yo, insert hook in same sc, draw loop through) 3 times; yo and draw through all loops on hook, ch 1 to fasten (puff st made), *make a puff st in each of next 5 sc, in next sc make puff st, ch 2 and puff st. Rep from * around, ending with puff st in same place as first puff st, ch 2. Join and fasten off.Mark row complete
Working on:
Starting at center with White, ch 6. Join with sl st to form ring.
Continue this pattern
The rest of the Americana Afghan (1952) pattern is in the Vintage Afghans & Bedspreads
Still to come in the full pattern:
- Second motif (make 67)
- Joining blocks
- Border
- Finishing
Included with 73 patterns for $19 — $0.26 per pattern.
Errata
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Frequently asked questions
Where is the Americana pattern from?
It was published as "Americana" in Afghans (Afghan Book No. 289) by The Spool Cotton Company in 1952. The publication is in the public domain in the United States; this version is transcribed and modernised by crochetpatterns.io.
What yarn or thread do I need for the Americana?
medium (worsted) (#4) yarn. about 2,600 yd / 2,377 m (50 × 1 oz skeins at ~52 yd/oz, typical of worsted-weight yarn — check your label)
What hook should I use?
Start with 4 mm (US G-6) and change size to match the gauge. Gauge: Each motif measures 4 in (10 cm) square.
