Concord Afghan (No. 3281): vintage crochet pattern

Materials

• Worsted (#4) yarn. Bear Brand DeLuxe Knitting Worsted and Fleisher’s Superior Knitting Worsted were worsted-weight knitting yarns; substitute any worsted yarn that matches the gauge.
• Colour: 64 oz Oyster (L).
• Tapestry wool for embroidery, pom-pons and panel borders: 80 yd (73 m) A, 160 yd (146 m) B, 140 yd (128 m) C, 300 yd (274 m) D, 100 yd (91 m) each of E, F, G, J and K, 140 yd (128 m) H.
• Bucilla Ever-Match Tapestry Wool was a tapestry (needlepoint) wool; any tapestry wool of similar weight will do. The yardages are as printed.
• Original hooks: “Boye” 9-inch crochet hook Size F (afghan stitch) and “Boye” 5½-inch crochet hook Size 3 (F).
• Tapestry needle for cross-stitch embroidery and sewing; cardboard ½ in (1.3 cm) wide for pom-pons and 4½ in (11.5 cm) wide for fringe.
• Hook: Start with a 3.75 mm (US F-5) afghan (Tunisian) hook for the afghan stitch panels and a 3.75 mm (US F-5) crochet hook for all other rows; change size to match the gauge.

Abbreviations (US terms)

ch

chain

sc

single crochet

sl st

slip stitch

st

stitch

sts

stitches

rep

repeat

row

row

yo

yarn over

dec

decrease

Notes before you start

• Source: "Concord Afghan" (No. 3281), Your All-time Favorite Afghans to Knit or Crochet in Bear Brand and Fleisher Yarns (Vol. 44, Revised Edition), Bear Brand and Fleisher Yarns (the yarn brands named on the cover; no separate publisher is printed). Public domain in the USA.
• As printed — materials: MATERIALS—; BEAR BRAND DELUXE KNITTING WORSTED, 64 ozs. Oyster No. 81 (L); or FLEISHER’S SUPERIOR KNITTING WORSTED, 64 ozs. Oyster No. 181 (L); “Boye” 9-inch Crochet Hook, Size F.; “Boye” 5½-inch Crochet Hook, Size 3 (F).; COLOR KEY FOR EMBROIDERY; Color Key | QUANTITY BUCILLA EVER-MATCH TAPESTRY WOOL; A | 80 yds. | Fern Green—1920; B | 160 yds. | Fern Green—1923; C | 140 yds. | Fern Green—1924; D | 300 yds. | Brown—1982; E | 100 yds. | Brown—1969; F | 100 yds. | Clover Rose—1942; G | 100 yds. | Clover Rose—1943; H | 140 yds. | Clover Rose—1945; J | 100 yds. | Clover Rose—1949; K | 100 yds. | Plum—1897. Gauge: GAUGE: Afghan-St— 9 sts = 2 inches; 9 rows = 2 inches.
• Modernisation note: Abbreviations updated to modern US style: "rpt" → rep, "skip" → sk, "thru" → through, "chs" → ch, "d c" → dc, "back loop of sts" → back loop only (blo). Row labels such as "Row 2—" are written as "Row 2:".
• Modernisation note: The book's rule is that "rpt from * (†) 3 times" means the pattern is made 4 times in all; such repeats are written as "rep from * 3 more times" ("once" → "once more", "twice" → "twice more") so the stitch count is unchanged. Repeats "across", "around" or "to next corner" are unchanged.
• Modernisation note: "Afghan Stitch"/"Afghan-St" is written as "afghan stitch" (called Tunisian simple stitch today). The book's general afghan stitch directions are included as the first section.
• Modernisation note: The book lists a 9-inch and a 5½-inch crochet hook; the directions use the 9-inch (long afghan) hook for the afghan stitch pieces and the 5½-inch hook for the other rows, and are written that way here.
• Modernisation note: The printed colour and materials tables are given one table row per line, with | between columns.
• Modernisation note: The first row of the pattern panel and of its border is not labelled in the original; each is written as "Row 1". "dec.-st" is written as "dec st"; "Puff-st" as "Puff st".
• Modernisation note: In the Puff st, "rpt from * once" is written as "once more", which gives the printed "yo, thru all 4 loops on hook".
• Modernisation note: The pom-pon colours are tapestry wool colours from the colour key (the chart key lists the pom-pon colours D, F, G, H, J and K under "Pom-Pons").
• Modernisation note: Check: border row 5 repeats over 3 sc (Puff st, dec st over 2 sc), but 304 sc is not a multiple of 3; the book does not say how to end the row.
• Modernisation note: Check: the book says to arrange the panels "as shown in illustration" without giving the order in words; follow the photograph.
• Modernisation note: Check: the side edging's "Rpt row 5 of Border" is worked after a right-side sc row, while border row 5 itself is worked from the wrong side; kept as printed.
• Modernisation note: The cross-stitch charts are not transcribed: colour placement follows the original chart images listed with this pattern. The row counts named for the arrangement chart were read from the labels on that image.
• Modernisation note: "See page …" references were removed or pointed to the matching section or image on this page.
• Modernisation note: The blocking step is the book's general "To Block Crocheted or Knitted Afghans" directions. Modern advice (ours, not in the original): hot steam can permanently flatten acrylic yarn, so if you substitute acrylic, steam very lightly or wet-block instead.
• Modernisation note: Long printed paragraphs were split into one step per row, round or sentence; no stitches were added, removed or reordered.
• Modernisation note: Metric conversions, the CYC yarn weight, the modern hook suggestion and the yardage estimate were added; they are not in the original.
• Modernisation note: “Boye” hook sizes from this period (e.g. Size 3 (F), Size 5 (G)) were not tied to millimetres; the starting size given is a modern equivalent, and the gauge is what matters.