Free preview · full pattern in the Vintage Afghans & Bedspreads
Irish Crochet Popcorn Bedspread (1941): vintage crochet pattern
A bedspread of 5-inch square blocks, each with a raised double-layer Irish crochet rose at the center, a picot-chain lace ring, and a solid double crochet border set with popcorns. The blocks are joined with chain loops and finished with a picot edge and knotted fringe.
By the crochetpatterns.io editorial team · Updated · Editorial policy · pattern testing in progress
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Skill level | Advanced |
| Yarn weight | Lace (#0) |
| Yardage | 12928–14364 yd (11821–13134 m) |
| Hook | 1.8 mm |
| Gauge | As printed: each block 5 in (13 cm) square. |
| Finished size | Not printed; each block measures 5 in (13 cm) square. Overall size depends on the number of blocks. |
| Time | about 6 hours |
Materials
- Knit-Cro-Sheen mercerized cotton (about a size 10 crochet cotton today)
- Yardage: Printed: about 57 yd (52 m) per 5-in motif, plus about 3 balls for edging and fringe. Example (ours): 14 × 18 motifs = about 70 × 90 in (178 × 229 cm) and 252 motifs × 57 yd = about 14,364 yd (13,134 m). Ball size is not printed — check your label.
- Original hook: Milward's steel crochet hook No. 6.
- Make one motif first and check it against the printed motif size before buying all the thread.
- Hook: Start with 1.8 mm (US steel 6) and change size to match the gauge.
Yarn Kit & Substitution Options
This pattern calls for 14364 yards of weight #0 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
46 skeins required
approx. $$252.54 total
Abbreviations (US terms)
- chain
- slip stitch
- single crochet
- half double crochet
- double crochet
- treble crochet
- popcorn
- back loop only
- skip
- stitch
- stitches
- loop
- round
- repeat
Notes before you start
- Source: "Irish Crochet Popcorn" (60), Old and New Favorites: Crochet Designs (Book No. 173), The Spool Cotton Company, 1941. Public domain in the USA.
- As printed — materials: J. & P. COATS KNIT-CRO-SHEEN. See thread information on page 22.; Milward’s Steel Crochet Hook No. 6.. Gauge: Using the materials recommended, each block measures 5″ square and requires about 57 yds. of thread. About 3 balls are required for bedspread edging and fringe..
- Modernisation note: The original is written in US terms; abbreviations and wording were updated to modern style ("half dc" → hdc, "pc st"/"popcorn st" → pc, "skip" → sk, "p" → picot, "bl" → block).
- Modernisation note: The picot is defined in rnd 6 as "ch 4, sc in same st"; "p" is written as "picot" throughout.
- Modernisation note: "Catching hook in back loop only" is written as "working in back loop only".
- Modernisation note: "3rd st of ch-3" and similar are written as "3rd ch of ch-3"; "center st of next ch-3" is written as "center ch".
- Modernisation note: The dash in rnd 11 ("18 sts—2 dc…") is written as a colon.
- Modernisation note: Check: rnd 10 places "(catching hook in back loop only throughout block)" part-way through the round, although the earlier rounds do not mention back loops; kept where printed.
- Modernisation note: Check: the fringe length is not printed.
- Modernisation note: Round labels rewritten in modern form ("1st rnd:" → "Rnd 1:"); run-on paragraphs split into one round or step per line. No stitches were added, removed or reordered.
- Modernisation note: Milward's steel hook numbers were not standardised to millimetres; the starting size given is a modern US steel hook of the same number, and the motif size is what matters.
- Modernisation note: Metric conversions, the yardage example and the modern thread/yarn suggestions were added; they are not in the original.
- Modernisation note: The block is printed in the section "Popcorn Bedspreads".
Row progress: 0 of 14 done (0%)
Block
0 of 14 done- To begin, ch 8, join with sl st to form ring.Mark row complete
- Rnd 1: Ch 1, 12 sc in ring. Join with sl st in first sc.Mark row complete
- Rnd 2: * Ch 5, sk 1 sc, sc in next sc. Repeat from * until there are 6 loops. Join last ch-5 in sc of first loop.Mark row complete
- Rnd 3: Over each ch-5 work sc, hdc, 5 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc.Mark row complete
- Rnd 4: Ch 5, fasten with sc on back of preceding row between two petals, ch 5, fasten as before. Repeat around 6 petals.Mark row complete
- Rnd 5: Over each ch-5 work sc, hdc, dc, 5 tr, 1 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc.Mark row complete
- Rnd 6: Sl st in each of first 3 sts of first petal made in this row, sc in first tr, * ch 9, sc in 5th tr, ch 4, sc in same st forming a picot, ch 7, 1 sc and 1 picot in first tr of next petal, ch 7, 1 sc and 1 picot in 5th tr, ch 9, 1 sc and 1 picot in first tr of next petal, ch 7, 1 sc and 1 picot in 5th tr of same petal, ch 7, 1 sc and 1 picot in first tr of next petal, and repeat from * once.Mark row complete
- Rnd 7: Sl st to middle of ch-9 loop, * ch 7, sc in same st from which ch-7 started, ch 7, 1 sc and 1 picot in center of next ch-7 loop of preceding row, ch 7, 1 sc and 1 picot in center of next ch-7 loop, ch 7, sc in center of ch-9. Repeat from * 3 times.Mark row complete
- Rnd 8: Sl st to middle of first ch-7 loop, ch 8, dc in same st from which ch-8 started, * ch 6, sc and 1 picot in center of ch of preceding rnd, ch 7, 1 sc and 1 picot in center of next ch-7, ch 7, 1 sc and 1 picot in center of next ch-7, ch 6, dc in center of next ch-7 loop, ch 5, dc in same st from which ch-5 started and repeat from * 3 times, ending rnd with sl st (instead of dc) in 3rd ch of ch-8.Mark row complete
- Rnd 9: Ch 3, * dc in each of next 2 sts, ch 5, dc in same st as previous dc, dc in each of the next 2 sts, 1 pc in next st as follows: ch 1, 5 dc in next dc, drop st from hook, insert hook back in ch-1 and draw dropped loop through the one on hook. Dc in each of next 3 sts, ch 6, 1 sc and picot in center of ch loop of preceding rnd, ch 7, 1 sc and 1 picot in center of next ch loop, ch 6, dc in each of last 3 sts of next ch-6, pc in next dc, dc in next st. Repeat from * 3 times, ending row with a pc and sl st in 3rd ch of first ch-3.Mark row complete
- Rnd 10: Ch 3, * dc in next dc, 1 pc, dc in each of next 3 sts, ch 5, 1 dc in same st for corner. Work in next 12 sts as follows: 2 dc, 1 pc, 5 dc, 1 pc, 3 dc (working in back loop only throughout block), ch 6, 1 sc and 1 picot in center of next ch-loop, ch 6, dc in center of next ch-loop, 2 dc, 1 pc, 5 dc, 1 pc, 4 dc. Repeat from * 3 times, ending rnd by sl st in 3rd ch of first ch-3.Mark row complete
- Rnd 11: Ch 3, * 4 dc, 1 pc, 3 dc, ch 5, 1 dc in same st for corner. Work across next 18 sts: 2 dc, 1 pc, 5 dc, 1 pc, 5 dc, 1 pc, 3 dc. Ch 5, dc in center of next ch-loop, 2 dc, 1 pc, 5 dc, 1 pc, 1 dc and repeat from * 3 times, ending rnd with pc and sl st in 3rd ch of first ch-3.Mark row complete
- Rnd 12: Ch 3, dc in each st to corner, ch 5, 1 dc in same st for corner; then 1 dc in each st, making corners as before. Join with sl st in 3rd ch of first ch-3. Do not fasten off.Mark row complete
- Loops: Work loops around block as follows: Ch 3, sk 2 sts, sc in next st. Continue around entire block with ch 3 and sc so that there are 18 loops on each side and an additional loop at each corner.Mark row complete
Working on:
To begin, ch 8, join with sl st to form ring.
Continue this pattern
The rest of the Irish Crochet Popcorn Bedspread (1941) pattern is in the Vintage Afghans & Bedspreads
Still to come in the full pattern:
- Joining blocks
- Outer edge
- Finishing
Included with 73 patterns for $19 — $0.26 per pattern.
Errata
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Frequently asked questions
Where is the Irish Crochet Popcorn pattern from?
It was published as "Irish Crochet Popcorn" in Old and New Favorites: Crochet Designs (Book No. 173) by The Spool Cotton Company in 1941. 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 Irish Crochet Popcorn?
Knit-Cro-Sheen mercerized cotton (about a size 10 crochet cotton today). Printed: about 57 yd (52 m) per 5-in motif, plus about 3 balls for edging and fringe. Example (ours): 14 × 18 motifs = about 70 × 90 in (178 × 229 cm) and 252 motifs × 57 yd = about 14,364 yd (13,134 m). Ball size is not printed — check your label.
What hook should I use?
Start with 1.8 mm (US steel 6) and change size to match the gauge. Gauge: As printed: each block 5 in (13 cm) square.
