Yoyo Afghan Instructions / tutorial

Some helpful information before starting, this information will help you understand the basics of the block so you can draft your own patterns

• Each yoyo has the equivalent of 16 double crochet around it
• Each yoyo requires 6 chains for its foundation; this helps if you want to make a bigger set of rows than I did
  

I am using size 6 steel hook and vintage crochet thread in sizes 10 and knit cro sheen with a little new thread' it's too hard to find colors like orange and brown in vintage threads (vintage was used in these colors, too.) I didn't have much of it in varieties, so I purchased 3 to 4 balls in both colors to add to the variety of the blocks. But you can use what ever yarn or thread you want to. You can do the block with however many yoyos you want in the center meaning 1 for hex and all other numbers 2, 3, 5 will give you a rectangle even four will if you do a straight line instead of joining them into a square; just remember each yoyo has to have 6 chains. I also recommend finishing your threads as you go; it is much easier and faster in the long run. Plus, it means you can use the afghan before you finish it because every block is finished when you add it if you finish the threads as you go.

Update for the diagram photos I noticed I forgot to cross a few of my dc in the photos there are not hdc in any of the stitches only ch, sc and dc.

Key for special stitches:
Small shell (3 dc)
Medium shell (7 dc) ( I have a mistake in this drawing and the next one there are not any half double crochet in the shells I some how missed crossing one stitch in each of the next two photo they are all dc)
Large shell (11 dc)

Pattern and tips for a four yoyo center start
round 1

1. Chain 24
2. Place 3 dc (small shell) in third chain from hook, *skip 2 chains sc in next chain, skip 2 chains and place 3 dc in next chain* across pull out hook and place in top turning chain of first set of dc's join together first set with last dc and with last chain of the 24 made (see photos for this to make sense) yarn over and pull all off of the hook: You will have 4 sets of 5 dc (the 2 sets of 2 chains that you skipped each = 1 dc thus 2 more dc)
3. Turn work, add large shells in corners (see photo where finger nail is pointing) add 11 dc (large shell) in each corner all the way around and place a sc in the space between shells continue this pattern all the way around block. sc in the space between shells
4. Join in to start of round cut and finish thread (meaning weave in tail)Update: trying to answer a question from the comments section; sorry this isn't the best drawing, but maybe it will help some. Red dc also represent where joins will be made on second round.

Round 2

1. Chain 72
2. Place 3 dc (small shell) in third chain from hook,
3. Skip 2 chains sc in next chain,
4. *skip 2 chains and place 4 dc (about 1/2 of the medium shell) in next chain
5. Join to previous round( by removing hook and placing it in the stitch to be joined to from the previous round attach to worworking loop and pull through the stitch on previous round. See photos for visual explanation )
6. Place 3 more dc in the same chain where the last four are (this make a completed medium shell)
7. Skip 2 chains sc in next chain
8. Repeat from step 4 one more time
9. Skip two chains place 3 dc in next chain
10. Skip 2 chains and place 1 sc in next chain
11. Skip two chains place 4 dc in next chain
12. Join to previous round
13. Continue using these same techniques all the way around till join
14. Join with top turning chainyarn over and pull off all stitches
15. 7 dc in first and second shell with a sc in space between shells and after the second shell
16. 11 dc in corner shells
17. Repeat all the way around, cut and finish thread same as round 1

Joining to other blocks

When you have finished your block and want to add it to another, this is done with your last round. I don't have mine to their last round in these photos (my last round is black, yours can be one color or each block can have a different color). I just wanted to be able to show the last round with contrast. Trying to photograph black joining to black is not an easy thing and have you, the reader, be able to understand the photos.

First you will have to make your chain to the correct length for the round, see chain number list below, then do first half of round joining to previous round start second half of round (this is after you have gone all the way around the block once and joined to the beginning chain). When you get to the first complete corner of the second half of the round, start your joins. (See key for special stitches in the drawings; red stands for where joins happen in shells)

How to join:

1. Place 8 dc in corner shell (this is your joining block).
2. Remove hook to join to corner shell on new block.Place hook in new block and make join.Finish shell and sc in space between shells on joining block.
3. Place 4 dc in center of next medium shell on joining block and make a join to next shell on new block.
4. Continue to join in this manner 'till you get to the next corner 4 dc in corner shell make join and place 9 more dc in same corner shell
5. Continue block as if just doing normal rounds; if not joining to other blocks, join and finish block as you did on other rounds. If you are joining to another block, you will have two joins on the corner large shells one at the 4 dc and one at the 8th dc. See drawing for large shell red marks.
   

Starting chain counts for the first 11 rows first 10 are colored rounds

Chain number list

1. 6 x 4=24 (6 = number of stitches per yoyo 4 = number of yoyos per round and 24 = total number of chains needed to make the round)
2. 6 x 12 = 72
3. 6 x 20 = 120
4. 6 x 28 = 168
5. 6 x 36 = 216
6. 6 x 44 = 264
7. 6 x 52 = 312
8. 6 x 60 = 360
9. 6 x 68 = 408
10. 6 x 76 = 456
11. 6 x 81 = 486 (this is my black round my joining blocks round)
12. 6 x 89 = 534
13. 6 x 97 = 582
14. 6 x 105 = 630 ( I am showing 14 rounds as that is a good baby blanket in worstyed weight yarn)
    

1. If you want to go beyond this, each round has 48 chains more than the subsequent round. So add 48 to the next round then on and on. Or you can take the number of yoyo's per round and just multiple by 6; this will give you the same answer. Each round has 8 more yoyos than the subsequent round.
   
   This is the layout that my blocks have for my afghan. The big X with a darker square around it is the center of my bed, not the center of the afghan, because this is a focal point when done. Your layout may be different due to the size of your bed and the nature of the afghan you want (baby afghan, lap afghan , throwafghan, bed afghan or maybe a scarf, headband, choker necklace, braclet, edging and the list goes on and on go wild; it is a technique to be applied as your imagination lets you) and if you use thread or yarn; all these things affect your layout. I haven't decided yet if I am notching the corners of my afghan to accommodate the four poles on my bed or if I am making a big rectangle; I can figure that out at the end because it is always easy to add two more blocks in the corners if I don't like the way it looks notched on the bed. Place colors where you like them.
   
   Update: there is now a hex version of this
   If you play with making a few blocks or an entire afghan or make other things with this technique, please post them on the group I made on flickr. I would love to see everyone's art work.
   
   
   DO NOT USE THESE TO MAKE THINGS TO SELL. FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY!!!!