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
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
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:
Chain number list
- 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
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
- Chain 24

- 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)
- 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
- 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.
- Chain 72

- Place 3 dc (small shell) in third chain from hook,

- Skip 2 chains sc in next chain,

- *skip 2 chains and place 4 dc (about 1/2 of the medium shell) in next chain

- 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 )



- Place 3 more dc in the same chain where the last four are (this make a completed medium shell)

- Skip 2 chains sc in next chain

- Repeat from step 4 one more time



- Skip two chains place 3 dc in next chain

- Skip 2 chains and place 1 sc in next chain

- Skip two chains place 4 dc in next chain

- Join to previous round


- Continue using these same techniques all the way around till join


- Join with top turning chain


yarn over and pull off all stitches
- 7 dc in first and second shell with a sc in space between shells and after the second shell




- 11 dc in corner shells

- Repeat all the way around, cut and finish thread same as round 1

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:
- Place 8 dc in corner shell (this is your joining block).
- 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.
- Place 4 dc in center of next medium shell on joining block and make a join to next shell on new block.

- 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
- 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.
Chain number list
- 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)
- 6 x 12 = 72
- 6 x 20 = 120
- 6 x 28 = 168
- 6 x 36 = 216
- 6 x 44 = 264
- 6 x 52 = 312
- 6 x 60 = 360
- 6 x 68 = 408
- 6 x 76 = 456
- 6 x 81 = 486 (this is my black round my joining blocks round)
- 6 x 89 = 534
- 6 x 97 = 582
- 6 x 105 = 630 ( I am showing 14 rounds as that is a good baby blanket in worstyed weight yarn)
- 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.








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46 comments:
Now that is one awesome afghan! When I looked at your header I thought the blocks were made up of individual yo-yos. This is definitely something to add to my 'to-do' list.
Wow! Amazing pattern. Thanks for the tutorial, I'd like to make it with many colours in size 10 thread like you did. Great job :-D
Thanks so much! Now I see what I was doing wrong when I tried it, lol. I have a large bag of "craft cotton" embroidery thread to use up, so I imagine I'll be making many very small squares.
Wonderful tutorial - thanks so much. I also thought the blocks were individually made yo yo's. I am sure this took alot of time on your part - thanks for being so generous.
OMG...you totally rock! I can not believe you had the time...scratch that, TOOK the time to do this now when you are so busy! THANK YOU!
Thanks everyone I am glad this is of help to you. I think it would take forever if they had been individual yoyos. But this gives a similar look with out as much work.
What a fantastic pattern and tutorial! I absolutely love your afghan!
This is wonderful! Thank you for taking all the time it took to do this for us! I appreciate you so much.
thank for tutorial.I'll try this.
I can't wait to try this, the yoyos are beautiful! I'd love to link to this as well if you didn't mind. I believe I found you via CraftGossip!
I always like links thanks for asking
Wow! I never would have guessed that technique! Very cool.
Wow, I have been wanting to learn to crochet. Beautiful afghan and I love yoyo's! Thnk you!
I am SOO impressed! I will definetely try this! Just looking at the finished product I thought each yoyo are made sepearately. this is really cool.
Well, I'm not sure why I pursued this pattern from Ravelry, since I REALLY don't like doing millions of little bitty things, but I'm glad I did. What an ingenious idea! Thanks for sharing.
I am glad the technique has surprised lots of people it is much easier than the original piece looks like.
3.turn work add large shells in corners (see photo where finger nail is pointing) add11 dc (large shell) in each corner all the way around and a sc in the space between shells continue this pattern all the way around.
I am so confused between those to pictures. It goes from one step to practically finshing the next. I learn by photos and my brain just stopped working after that...
you are do a repeat 11 dc in corner then sc in space repeat this for each corner thats all ie 11dc in corner, sc in space, 11dc in next corner, sc in space, 11dc in next corner, sc in space, 11dc in next corner, sc in space slip stitch thread cut and finish thread
I added a photo of a drawing for you hope it helps. But all the info is there in the previous pictures too. just do 11 dc in each corner and do a sc in each space between the sets of 11 dc
That's awesome! What a GREAT tutorial and blog about it. Great work.
thank you for sharing this great tutorial... I thought that are separate crochet circles I would never thought of this looks fantastic...
thank you again
x
Wow I just love it. I am not fond of working with crochet cotton and am going to try with baby weight yarn.
Wow I really love this pattern. Thanks for sharing the tut. I am not a big fan of crochet cotton and am going to give this a try with baby yarn.
Love it, grabbed some yarn and a hook before I finished reading the post, have to try it now.
wonderful, wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing!!!!
This is just goregous! I can't wait to try it!
Your tutorial is great, thank you. I would love to try this, I might have learned something today!
This is absolutely gorgeous! Have saved it and will definitely give it a try! Thanks for the elaborate tute!!!
Thank you so much for this amazing tuto :-))))
You give a great tute!!!
Thank you for this wonderful step by step! I think I'm going to try it! Have a great week!
AnaIsa
I found this pattern a couple of years ago on a Brazilian lady's crochet blog (Undisthreadness) and I love it. It can be made so many ways!
cool what is the link I would love to see someone else's version of this and how they did it was it like mine and photo by photo or was it diagrams or video. Did the person use thread or yarn cotton, wool or acrylic. I have only ever seen this used as an edging on doilies. I would love to see how someone else did it. I want to make another tutorial but in a grandmothers flower garden style I think it can easily be done with a modification to the stitch count
The blog is called Undisthreadness and it was done by a lady named Beatriz Medina from Brazil who was a member of the Crochet Partners group (which I think is now a Yahoo group). Here is the link to her pattern (which she actually just did as a 16-circle square)- it has actual pictures and some drawn diagrams: http://undisthreadness.blogspot.com/2006/09/16-circles-square.html
Her blog hasn't been updated for a couple of years, but she has some really nice patterns on it.
I LUV this!!! It is so amazing, I too thought it was a ton of little yo-yo's all put together. When I first saw the pictures I was like "Oh how nice, but what a pain in the rear to deal with all those yarn ends." Now I am even more excited to make this. I love making doilies and this will be perfect to use up all my half gone crochet thread.
Thanks so much for generously posting this.
I love this pattern. I would love a printable version. I tried to print the tutorial and got alot of black photos with my words
I love this pattern. I would love a printable version. I tried to print the tutorial and got alot of black phitis with my words
Hi. Thanks for posting this tutorial. I am blind and can't see your posted pictures, so am trying to follow your written instructions. I got as far as making the center 4 yoyos, and joining them in to a square. (They look like four quarters in a two-by-two square. Hoping this is the right configuration.) Then I ch72 for the second round and made the first small shell and half medium shell. But I'm not sure where to join the work to the previous round, then how to continue. Could you please clarify by saying which dc in the yoyo of the previous round you're joining to? Thanks again. Can't wait to see how this turns out.
dani send me an email and I will call you and walk you through it
sunshine_harbaugh@juno.com
Thank you for this tutorial! I think it´s great, because you don´t have to know english to understand the instructions (so good are the photos). I´m from Spain. Mª Carmen.
Love this technique - and the end result is stunning. Thanks sooooo much for writing it up. I came to you thru Ravelry.
I crochet and have always wondered how yo-yo's were made. Thanks so much for that tutorial. I can do this...I hope!...lol!!!
Thanks so much for the wonderfully detailed tutorial. Having the photos to go with the instructions is a big help. I had seen a yo-yo quilt but didn't know how they were constructed. Now I do, thanks to you!
Thanks a lot for your tutorial... I'd like to try it one day.
I think it's great. I'd like to know your stitch formula for the yoyo stripes pattern too. You've made me excited about crocheting again-now I can't wait to get started.
same stitch count
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