PATTERN: Twist and Turn Bargello Afghan

Ta dah! My Rainbow Twist and Turn Bargello Afghan is finished! 

I loved making it so much - the small squares and join-as-you-go technique meant that I felt like I was working very fast! Plus, only two ends to weave in for each square, and no growing pile of little squares to join at the end. Overall it took me 16 days of holidays when I was doing very little else (other than watching Downton Abbey). This project would be very easy to do a little and then pack away with the chart and pick up again later.

I am full of dreams about my next bargello-style afghan now... watch this space!

You can bookmark or favourite this pattern on Ravelry for later here:

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/rainbow-twist-and-turn-bargello-afghan

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PATTERN: RAINBOW TWIST AND TURN BARGELLO AFGHAN 
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Finished Size: 125cm x 125 cm / 49" x 49"

This pattern uses simple 2 row granny squares, joined with slip stitches during the second row in place of chains. It is very simple to make - the beauty is in the arrangement of colours to imitate the well-known patchwork bargello pattern, Twist and Turn. 

GENERAL INFORMATION

Materials:

2 x 100g balls of Stylecraft Special DK in each of:

Matador (red)
Jaffa (orange)
Saffron (light orange)
Citron (yellow)
Spring Green (pale green)
Green (dark green)
Petrol (dark blue)
Cloud Blue (light blue)
Lavender (blue-purple)
Violet (red-purple)

(total: 20 balls)

3.5mm/E hook

Yarn needle

Scissors

Terminology:

This pattern uses US terminology. 

sl st = slip stitch
ch = chain stitch
sc = single crochet
dc = double crochet

Special stitches:

Stacked Standing Double Crochet - sc into target stitch. Insert hook under two leftmost strands of sc, yarn over hook to do a second sc.



I prefer this stitch to other forms of standing dc, and it looks much better than chains. Replace with 3ch if you prefer not to use this stitch.

No Slip Magic Circle - I prefer this double loop to a single loop magic circle as I found I was weaving ends in with an extra circle before doubling back with the single loop - this cuts out one extra weaving step! Nerdifacts has an excellent picture tutorial on the No Slip Magic Circle :)

CHART

Work from the top left corner in rows from left to right. I recommend stopping to weave in the ends every 10 squares or so. 

INSTRUCTIONS - 2 ROW GRANNY SQUARES - JOIN AS YOU GO:

First square:

1. Start with a No-Slip Magic Circle. 

2. Do a stacked standing double crochet into the magic circle, then (2dc, 2ch), (3dc, 2ch)x3 all into the magic circle, and join into standing dc with a slip stitch. Tighten up the circle so there is no visible hole in the centre.

3. In the 2ch space you just made, do another stacked standing double crochet followed by 1ch, then (3dc, 2ch, 3dc, 1ch) into each of next three 2ch spaces. In the final 2ch space, do (3dc, 2ch, 2dc) and then join with a slip stitch to the standing dc. Finish off.  

Joining squares on one side only:

1. Complete steps 1 and 2 as for the first square. 

2. Do another stacked standing double crochet followed by 1ch, then (3dc, 2ch, 3dc, 1ch) into the next two corner 2ch spaces. In the next 2ch space, do 3dc, 1ch. In place of the second corner chain, slip stitch into a 2ch space of the square you want to join to (the red square in the picture). 

Continue with 3 dc. In place of the next chain, slip stitch into the corresponding 1ch space of the red square. 

Do another 3dc. Slip stitch into the corner 2ch space of the red square. 

Ch1, then 2dc and slip stitch into the top of the standing dc. Finish off.

Joining squares on two sides.

1. Complete steps 1 and 2 as for the first square. 

2. Do another stacked standing double crochet followed by 1ch, then (3dc, 2ch, 3dc, 1ch) into the next corner 2ch space. In the next 2ch space, do 3dc, 1ch. In place of the second corner chain, slip stitch into the adjacent 2ch corner space of the first square you want to join to (orange square A in the picture). 

Continue with 3 dc. In place of the next chain, slip stitch into the 1ch space of the orange square. 

Do another 3dc. Slip stitch into the corner 2ch space of the orange square A, and then slip stitch into the corner 2ch space of the green square B. Ignore the red square B altogether! 

Continue with 3 dc. In place of the next chain, slip stitch into the 1ch space of the green square. 

Do another 3dc. Slip stitch into the corner 2ch space of the green square. Ch1, then 2dc and slip stitch into the top of the standing dc. Finish off.

INSTRUCTIONS - BORDER

The border is a simple tweed stitch (1sc, 1ch). I did a row of each of the rainbow colours, starting with Matador and ending with Violet (10 rows).

Row 1: The first row is all worked into the tops of the stitches and chains of the squares below. Start by joining the yarn with an sc on any corner into the second corner chain.

*Ch1, skip one stitch and sc into the next stitch*. Repeat until you get to the next corner. You should end up with 5sc in one square and 4sc in the next, repeating along the row. 

After you sc into the second corner chain, 2ch and sc into the same stitch. Then continue along as before. Repeat until you get back to the stitch where you first joined the yarn. 2ch, sl st into top of the first sc. Finish off and weave in ends.

Subsequent rows:

Join yarn with an sc into any ch1 space. *ch1, skip sc and sc into the next ch1 space*. Repeat until you get to a corner. In the corner ch2 space, do 1sc, 2ch, 1sc. Continue to repeat * * until you get back to your starting stitch. Ch1, sl st into the first sc. Finish off and weave in ends.

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