California Ranch Afghan (1952): vintage crochet pattern

Materials

• Worsted (#4) yarn. Chadwick's Red Heart Knitting Worsted, 4 ply, was a worsted-weight yarn; substitute any worsted yarn that matches the gauge.
• Colours: 48 oz Scarlet (about 2,496 yd) and 12 oz White (about 624 yd).
• The book notes that 2 oz skeins (Art. E.230-B) of the same yarn may be used instead: buy half the number of skeins.
• Original hook: bone afghan hook No. 6 (4¼ mm) — an afghan (Tunisian) hook with a straight shaft.
• Tapestry needle for sewing strips.
• Hook: Start with a 4.25 mm (US G) afghan (Tunisian) hook, the size printed, and change size to match the gauge.

Abbreviations (US terms)

ch

chain

yo

yarn over

st

stitch

sts

stitches

sk

skip

rep

repeat

tr

treble crochet

dec

decrease

sl st

slip stitch

sc

single crochet

Notes before you start

• Source: "California Ranch" (C-120), Afghans (Afghan Book No. 289), The Spool Cotton Company, 1952. Public domain in the USA.
• As printed — materials: CHADWICK’S RED HEART KNITTING WORSTED, 4 Ply, Art. E.232: 48 skeins (1 oz. “Tangle-Proof” Pull-Out Skeins) of No. 909 Scarlet and 12 skeins of No. 1 White.; Bone Afghan Hook No. 6 (4¼ mm. size).. Gauge: 5 sts make 1 inch; 4 rows make 1 inch. Each strip is 5 inches wide..
• Modernisation note: Round and row labels ("1st rnd", "2nd row") are written as "Rnd 1", "Row 2"; "half dc" is written as "hdc"; "thread over" and "yarn over" as "yo"; "skip" as "sk"; "repeat" as "rep" where abbreviated.
• Modernisation note: "Break off" is written as "fasten off"; "attach" is written as "join".
• Modernisation note: "Incl" (inclusive) row ranges are written with an en dash, e.g. "6th to 9th rows incl" → "Rows 6–9".
• Modernisation note: Row 1 and row 5 were each split into several labelled steps (forward pass, centre, return pass) in the printed order; no stitches were changed.
• Modernisation note: Printed counts (33 loops, 31 sts) are kept from the original.
• Modernisation note: Check: row 5 reads "ending within a short afghan st"; "with" may be intended. Left as printed.
• Modernisation note: Finished size taken from the photograph caption ("Size approximately 45 x 72 inches, including fringe"); the strip length of 65 in is from the instructions.
• Modernisation note: Metric conversions, the modern hook suggestion and the yardage estimate were added; they are not in the original.

Strip (make 9)

1. Starting at lower edge with Scarlet, ch 31.
2. Row 1, forward: Insert hook in 2nd ch from hook and draw up a loop; retaining all loops on hook, draw up a loop in each of next 13 ch, insert hook in next ch (center ch) and draw loop through, yo and draw through 1 loop (ch st made), make 2 more ch sts in same place (2 sts increased), draw up a loop in each of remaining 15 sts. There are 33 loops on hook.
3. Row 1, return: To complete row, yo and draw through 2 loops (1 st decreased), *yo and draw through 2 loops (this is not a dec). Rep from * across until there are 3 loops on hook, yo and draw through all loops on hook (another st decreased). There are 31 sts on row. The loop which remains on hook always counts as the first st on next row.
4. Rows 2, 3 and 4: Insert hook under 3rd vertical bar and draw loop through; retaining all loops on hook, draw up a loop in each vertical bar across to within center vertical bar, insert hook in st preceding center vertical bar and draw loop through (1 st increased), insert hook under center vertical bar and draw loop through, insert hook in st between center vertical bar and the following vertical bar and draw loop through (another st increased), and draw up a loop in each remaining vertical bar to within last 2 vertical bars, insert hook under both vertical bars and draw loop through (33 loops on hook), and complete last half of row as for first row.
5. Row 5 (pattern row), start: Draw a loop of White through loop on hook and drop Scarlet. Working with White, insert hook under 3rd vertical bar and draw loop through,
6. Row 5, first half: *yo twice, insert hook under next vertical bar on 3rd row down, yo and draw loop through, (yo and draw through 2 loops) twice (tr loop made); sk the vertical bar directly behind the tr just completed, draw up a loop in next vertical bar on previous row. Rep from * 4 more times;
7. Row 5, center: insert hook from right of work through the center st 3 rows down and bring it out on wrong side, yo and draw loop through to height of row in work (long loop made), sk the vertical bar directly behind this st, draw up a loop in next vertical bar on previous row, draw up another long loop in same place as previous long loop was made, sk the vertical bar directly behind it, insert hook in st preceding next vertical bar (center st) on previous row and draw loop through (1 st increased), draw up a long loop in same place as previous long loops were drawn through, sk the center vertical bar on previous row, insert hook in st preceding next vertical bar and draw loop through, (draw up another long loop where previous long loops were drawn through, sk the vertical bar on previous row directly behind this loop, draw up a loop in next vertical bar on previous row) twice;
8. Row 5, second half: now make tr loops and short afghan sts alternately across to correspond with first half of row, ending within a short afghan st, insert hook under last 2 vertical bars and draw up a loop;
9. Row 5, return: make a loop on a new strand of Scarlet, fasten off White, draw Scarlet loop through 2 loops on hook and complete as for first row. This will be referred to as pattern row. Fasten off the strand of Scarlet and pick up main Scarlet yarn.
10. Rows 6–9: Repeat rows 2–5.
11. Rows 10, 11 and 12: Repeat rows 2, 3 and 4.
12. Row 13: Repeat previous row, working long and short loops alternately at center as on pattern rows.
13. Rows 14–17: Repeat rows 2–5.
14. Rows 18–21: Repeat rows 10–13.
15. Rows 2–21 form the pattern. Repeat these rows until piece measures 65 in (165 cm), ending with row 10.
16. Last row: Sl st in 3rd and each vertical bar across, working off last 2 loops as 1. Fasten off.