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Around the World Quilt

It's been a while since we featured an afghan for our free pattern, and I hope you'll enjoy this garter stitch version of the traditional Around the World quilt design. The knitter has the choice of knitting this afghan or pillow in twisted garter stitch or in regular garter stitch. The twisted version has you knitting into the back loop of every stitch on every row. It produces a more pronounced texture and may be just the new technique you're looking for.

This project may be made using the colors suggested or any other your heart desires. For a variation, put all your worsted bits of stash in a container and blindly choose one for each new block or half-block. What a great stash-buster! Either way, we hope you'll make a pillow or blanket filled with memories.

Design by Laura Polley

Use yarn from other projects for the Around the World quilt random-colored blocks to knit an afghan full of memories. Simple garter stitch creates this traditional quilt pattern.

Experience Level

Intermediate

Finished Size

Approximately 52 x 64 inches, including border (in twisted garter st) or 52 x 79 inches including border (in regular garter st)

Materials

  • 100 percent acrylic worsted weight yarn (253 yds/5 oz per skein): 9 skeins natural (MC), 4 skeins navy (A), 1 skein each of CC's: claret, royal blue, light purple, dark purple, fuchsia, dark sage, cherry red, dark teal, cognac, red, emerald, forest green
  • Size 9 (5.5mm) needles or size needed to obtain gauge
  • 2 size 9 (5.5mm) circular needles, 29 inches or longer (for pillow)
  • 14-inch pillow form
  • Tapestry needle

Gauge

20 sts and 32 rows = 4 inches/10cm in twisted garter st or 16 sts and 32 rows = 4 inches/ 10cm in garter st

To save time, take time to check gauge.

Pattern Notes

Patt is written for twisted garter st, with changes for regular garter st in parentheses.

Projects may be worked in either technique, but be sure Around the World quilt to use same technique throughout project. Afghan is shown in twisted garter st. Pillow is shown in regular garter st. Pillow size is same for both techniques. Yarn amounts will be sufficient for either technique.

Work in ends as you go by catching them over and under working yarn for approximately 2 inches.

When working color blocks, choose colors at random. More or fewer colors may be used if desired. Color A (navy) is used as a CC within afghan and pillow as well as for borders.

Afghan and pillow are worked from side to side. Garter st ridges will be vertical when assembled correctly.

Pattern Stitches

Garter St: Knit every row.
Twisted Garter St: Knit every row, working all sts tbl.

Afghan


Work strips as indicated below.

Strip A
Make 4
(CC half blocks at beg and end)
With CC of your choice, CO 20 sts. K 24 rows, [k 48 rows MC, k 48 rows in desired CC] 3 times, k 48 rows MC, k 24 rows CC. BO all sts. (384 rows)

Strip B
Make 3
(MC half blocks at beg and end)
With MC, CO 20 sts. K 24 rows, [k 48 rows CC, k 48 rows MC] 3 times, k 48 rows CC, k 24 rows MC. BO all sts. (384 rows)

Strip C
Make 4
(Beg with full CC block)
With CC of your choice, CO 20 sts. [K 48 rows CC, k 48 rows MC] twice, then [k 48 rows MC, k 48 rows CC] twice. BO all sts. (384 rows)

Strip D
Make 4
(Beg with full MC block)
With MC, CO 20 sts. [K 48 rows MC, k 48 rows CC] twice, then [k 48 rows CC, k 48 rows MC] twice. BO. (384 rows)

Assembly

Arrange strips in following sequence: C, A, D, B, C, A, D, B, D, A, C, B, D, A, C. Sew strips tog.

Border

With A, CO 10 sts. *K 384 rows.
Beg corner patt

    Row 1 (RS): Knit to end.
    Row 2 (WS): K9, turn.
    Rows 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13: Sl 1 purlwise wyib, k to end.
    Row 4: K8, turn.
    Row 6: K7, turn.
    Row 8: K6, turn.
    Row 10: K5, turn.
    Row 12: K3, turn.
    Row 14: K1, turn.
    Row 15: K1.
    Row 16 (WS): K10.
    Rows 17–32: Rep Rows 1–16.
    When Rows 1–32 of corner patt are completed, k 480 (600) rows, [work Rows 1–32 of corner patt] once, [rep from *] once. BO all sts. Sew CO and BO edges of border tog.

Finishing

Pin border to afghan and sew in place using A.
For textured garter st afghan
Match ridge to ridge when sewing border to row ends (top and bottom edges). When sewing border to CO and BO edges of afghan (side edges), sew 16 ridges of border to every 20 sts (one color-block width.)
For garter st afghan
Match ridge for ridge along row ends (top and bottom edges) and sew one ridge to each st along CO and BO edges (side edges).
Block if desired.

Pillow


Finished Size

14 inches square

Back
With A, CO 70 (56) sts. Knit 112 rows. BO
all sts.

Front
Work strips as indicated below.

Strip A
Make 2
With MC, CO 10 (8) sts. K 112 rows. BO all sts.

Strip B
Make 2
With MC, CO 10 (8) sts. K 42 rows. With CC, k 28 rows. With MC, k 42 rows. BO all sts. (112 rows)

Strip C
Make 2
With MC, CO 10 (8) sts. With MC, k 28 rows. With CC, k 28 rows. With a different CC, k 28 rows. With MC, k 28 rows. BO all sts. (112 rows)

Strip D
Make 1
With MC, CO 10 (8) sts. K 14 rows. With CC, k 28 rows. With MC, k 28 rows. With CC, k 28 rows. With MC, k 14 rows. BO all sts. (112 rows)

Assembly

Arrange strips in following sequence: A, B, C, D, C, B, A.
With RS facing, sew strips tog.

Join front and back

With RS facing, using circular ndl and A, pick up and k 56 sts along each side edge of pillow. Do not join. (224 total sts around pillow)

Set aside. Rep on rem piece, using second circular ndl.

Holding pieces with WS tog, pillow front facing, and pillow form in bet pieces, line up last sts of front and back pick-up rows.

BO front and back sts tog as follows:

Hold ndls containing sts parallel, right sides tog; with 3rd ndl, k first st on front and back ndls tog, *k next st on both ndls tog, BO 1, rep from * until all sts are worked, fasten off.

Copyright© 2001 101 Knitting-To-Go Projects, published by House of White Birches.
All rights reserved.

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