Empire Afghan (No. 1676): 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: Greys — 7 oz each of A, B, C; 8 oz each of D, E. Black — 6 oz. Old Roses — 10 oz F, 7 oz G, 7 oz H, 10 oz I, 16 oz J.
• Original hooks: “Boye” 9-inch crochet hook Size G (afghan stitch) and “Boye” 5½-inch crochet hook Size 5 (G).
• Tapestry needle for sewing and weaving in ends.
• Hook: Start with a 4 mm (US G-6) afghan (Tunisian) hook for the afghan stitch strips and a 4 mm (US G-6) crochet hook for all other rows; 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

Notes before you start

• Source: "Empire Afghan" (No. 1676), 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 | 7 | Grey 60 | Grey 160; B | 7 | Grey 61 | Grey 161; C | 7 | Grey 63 | Grey 163; D | 8 | Grey 74 | Grey 174; E | 8 | Grey 65 | Grey 165; | 6 | Black | Black; F | 10 | Old Rose 85 | Old Rose 185; G | 7 | Old Rose 86 | Old Rose 186; H | 7 | Old Rose 87 | Old Rose 187; I | 10 | Old Rose 88 | Old Rose 188; J | 16 | Old Rose 92 | Old Rose 192; “Boye” 9-inch Crochet Hook, Size G.; “Boye” 5½-inch Crochet Hook, Size 5 (G).. Gauge: 4 sts=1 inch; 4 rows=1 inch.
• 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: Square brackets are kept as printed: [ ] means all sts inside are worked in the same st or place, except where the bracket is followed by a number of times, when the bracketed steps are repeated.
• 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: Shaded pattern row 1 is not labelled in the original; it is written as "Row 1". "Claw-st" and "Puff-st" are written as "Claw st" and "Puff st".
• Modernisation note: In the Puff st, "rpt from * once" is written as "once more", which gives the 4 loops the printed "yo, draw thru 3 loops on hook, yo, thru last 2 loops" needs.
• Modernisation note: Printed counts (279 rows, 279 sc, multiple of 5 plus 1 sc) are kept from the original.
• Modernisation note: Check: the Black stripe is 2 rows (1 sc row and 1 Puff st row) instead of 4; the book does not say whether its Puff st row is placed like row 3 or row 5. Keep the Puff sts alternating with the row below, as in the 4-row repeat.
• Modernisation note: Check: row 1 says "work 1 sc in end of first 3 rows" and then draws the Claw st through bars of the rows that follow; the exact rows used for each Claw st are as printed.
• Modernisation note: The book's "FINISHING" heading (joining the strips) is written as "Joining".
• 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.