Pilgrim Afghan (No. 2024): 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: 28 oz Oyster (P); 8 oz each of Russet Brown 381 (R), 382 (T), 384 (E) and 40 (L); 4 oz each of Green 95 (N), 96 (H), 97 (J) and 80 (K); 2 oz Black.
• Tapestry wool for embroidery: 40 yd (37 m) each of Rose Beige (A), Coppertone (B), Dark Copper (C) and Plum (D).
• 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 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

Notes before you start

• Source: "Pilgrim Afghan" (No. 2024), 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; P | 28 | Oyster 81 | Oyster 181; R | 8 | Russet Brown 381 | Russet Brown 481; T | 8 | Russet Brown 382 | Russet Brown 482; E | 8 | Russet Brown 384 | Russet Brown 484; L | 8 | Russet Brown 40 | Russet Brown 140; N | 4 | Green 95 | Green 195; H | 4 | Green 96 | Green 196; J | 4 | Green 97 | Green 197; K | 4 | Green 80 | Green 180; | 2 | Black | Black; | QUANTITY BUCILLA EVER-MATCH TAPESTRY WOOL; A | 40 yds. | Rose Beige—1900; B | 40 yds. | Coppertone—1995; C | 40 yds. | Dark Copper—1996; D | 40 yds. | Plum—1897; “Boye” 9-inch Crochet Hook, Size F.; “Boye” 5½-inch Crochet Hook, Size 3 (F).. Gauge: GAUGE: Bead Stitch Panel— 9 sts = 2 inches; 4 rows = 1 inch. Afghan Stitch Panel— 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: 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: Row 1 of the Bead stitch panel is not labelled in the original; it is written as "Row 1". "Bead-st" is written as "Bead st".
• Modernisation note: The original directions are printed in two parts with a "(Continuation from Page 16)" line between them; they are given here in one piece, in the printed order.
• Modernisation note: The printed gauge is given on separate lines in the original; the lines are joined with semicolons.
• Modernisation note: Check: the arrangement chart shows only the three embroidered panels; the book does not say in words where the four Bead stitch panels go. The back cover photograph shows striped panels at both outer edges and between the embroidered panels.
• 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.