Durbar Afghan (No. 2774): 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.
• Colours: 12 oz A, 7 oz B, 10 oz C, 7 oz each of D, E, F, G and White, 4 oz Black.
• Original hook: “Boye” crochet hook Size 3 (F).
• Tapestry needle for sewing and weaving in ends.
• Hook: Start with 3.75 mm (US F-5) and change size to match the gauge.

Abbreviations (US terms)

ch

chain

sc

single crochet

dc

double crochet

sl st

slip stitch

st

stitch

sts

stitches

sk

skip

rep

repeat

rnd

round

row

row

yo

yarn over

sp

space

ch-sp

chain space

RS

right side

WS

wrong side

Notes before you start

• Source: "Durbar Afghan" (No. 2774), 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: Color Key | Ounces Needed | Bear Brand DeLuxe Knitting Worsted | Fleisher’s Superior Knitting Worsted; A | 12 | Russet Brown 43 | Russet Brown 143; B | 7 | Russet Brown 40 | Russet Brown 140; C | 10 | Russet Brown 384 | Russet Brown 484; D | 7 | Russet Brown 383 | Russet Brown 483; E | 7 | Russet Brown 381 | Russet Brown 481; F | 7 | Russet Brown 380 | Russet Brown 480; G | 7 | Yellow 53 | Yellow 153; | 7 | White | White; | 4 | Black | Black; “Boye” Crochet Hook, Size 3 (F).. Gauge: 15 sts = 4 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: The printed colour and materials tables are given one table row per line, with | between columns.
• Modernisation note: In the Puff st, "rpt from * once" is written as "once more", which gives the printed 7 loops on hook.
• Modernisation note: "Join (with sl st)" is written as "join with sl st"; "Puff-st" is written as "Puff st".
• Modernisation note: The dc worked "around post of" a stitch below is kept in the original wording rather than renamed as a front- or back-post stitch, because it reaches down to an earlier row.
• Modernisation note: Printed counts (265 sc, multiple of 4 plus 1) are kept from the original.
• Modernisation note: Check: by our count of 265 sts, row 13 (6 sc, then repeats of 6 sts) ends with a dc in the last st, not "end with 6 sc" as printed; left as printed.
• Modernisation note: Check: "Rpt rows 14 to 49 inclusive 4 times then rpt rows 14 to 35" is kept as printed. Our arithmetic (not printed): working rows 14–49 four further times gives 215 rows, about 48 in (122 cm) at 9 rows = 2 in, which matches the printed 50 in width with the border; working them four times in all would give 179 rows, about 40 in (102 cm).
• 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.