Octagon Popcorn Block Bedspread (1941): vintage crochet pattern

Materials

• J. & P. Coats Bedspread Cotton (a firm mercerized cotton; the nearest common modern equivalent is size 10 crochet cotton)
• Yardage: Printed: about 65 yd (59 m) per 5-in motif. Example (ours): 14 × 18 motifs = about 70 × 90 in (178 × 229 cm) and 252 motifs × 65 yd = about 16,380 yd (14,978 m). Ball size is not printed — check your label.
• Original hook: Milward's steel crochet hook No. 6.
• Sewing needle and matching thread for joining the scallops.
• Make one motif first and check it against the printed motif size before buying all the thread.
• Hook: Start with 1.8 mm (US steel 6) and change size to match the gauge.

Abbreviations (US terms)

ch

chain

sl st

slip stitch

sc

single crochet

dc

double crochet

tr

treble crochet

pc

popcorn

BLO

back loop only

sk

skip

st

stitch

sts

stitches

lp

loop

rnd

round

rep

repeat

Notes before you start

• Source: "Octagon Popcorn" (213), Old and New Favorites: Crochet Designs (Book No. 173), The Spool Cotton Company, 1941. Public domain in the USA.
• As printed — materials: J. & P. COATS BEDSPREAD COTTON. See thread information on page 22.; Milward’s Steel Crochet Hook No. 6.. Gauge: Using the materials recommended, each block measures about 5″ square and requires about 65 yds. of thread..
• Modernisation note: The original is written in US terms; abbreviations and wording were updated to modern style ("half dc" → hdc, "pc st"/"popcorn st" → pc, "skip" → sk, "p" → picot, "bl" → block).
• Modernisation note: "Catching the hook in back loop only throughout block" is written as "working in back loop only throughout block".
• Modernisation note: "3rd st of ch-6/ch-3" is written as "3rd ch of ch-6/ch-3". "Join in 3rd st of ch-3 of previous rnd" is kept as printed (it refers to the ch-3 that began the round).
• Modernisation note: Check: rnd 9 as printed works the scallop inside every repeat of the 8 groups, but the text then says only the outer edge of the spread needs the scalloped edge, and the photograph shows a scallop at each of the four corners. The original does not explain how to work rnd 9 without scallops; follow the photograph and test one block.
• Modernisation note: Check: rnd 6 does not print a join at the end of the round; rnds 5, 7 and 8 end with a chain and join.
• Modernisation note: Round labels rewritten in modern form ("1st rnd:" → "Rnd 1:"); run-on paragraphs split into one round or step per line. No stitches were added, removed or reordered.
• Modernisation note: Milward's steel hook numbers were not standardised to millimetres; the starting size given is a modern US steel hook of the same number, and the motif size is what matters.
• Modernisation note: Metric conversions, the yardage example and the modern thread/yarn suggestions were added; they are not in the original.
• Modernisation note: The original does not print how many motifs to make ("make necessary number"); the example bedspread size in the yardage is ours, for illustration only.
• Modernisation note: The block is printed in the section "Popcorn Bedspreads".

Block

1. To begin, ch 8, join with sl st to form ring.
2. Rnd 1: Ch 6, 7 dc in ring with ch 3 between each dc. Ch 3, join in 3rd ch of ch-6.
3. Rnd 2: Ch 3, 4 dc over each ch-3 and 1 dc in every dc; join in 3rd ch of ch-3.
4. Rnd 3: Ch 3, 1 dc in same st from which ch-3 was started. 1 dc in each of next 3 dc (working in back loop only throughout block), * ch 2, sk 1 dc, 2 dc in next dc, 1 dc in each of next 3 dc. Repeat from * until there are 8 groups of dc. Ch 2 and join with sl st in 3rd ch of ch-3 of previous rnd.
5. Rnd 4: Ch 3, 1 dc in same st from which ch-3 was started, * 1 dc in next dc, 1 pc as follows: ch 1, 5 dc in next dc, drop st from hook, insert hook back in ch-1, pick up dropped loop and draw it through st on hook. 1 dc in next dc, 2 dc in next dc. Ch 3, sk ch-2 of preceding rnd, 2 dc in next dc. Repeat from * until 8 groups are made; then ch 3 and join in 3rd ch of ch-3 of previous rnd.
6. Rnd 5: Ch 3, 1 dc in same st from which ch-3 was started, * dc in next 5 dc, 2 dc in next dc, ch 3, sk ch-3, 2 dc in next dc. Repeat from * until 8 groups are completed. Then ch 3 and join in 3rd ch of ch-3 of previous rnd.
7. Rnd 6: Ch 3, 1 dc in same st from which ch-3 was started, * 1 dc in next dc, 1 pc in next dc, 1 dc in each of next 3 dc, 1 pc, 1 dc in next dc, 2 dc in next dc. Ch 4, sk ch-3, 2 dc in next dc and repeat from *. Continue for the 8 groups.
8. Rnd 7: Ch 3, 1 dc in same st from which ch-3 was started, * dc in next 9 dc, 2 dc in next dc, ch 4, sk ch-4, 2 dc in next dc. Repeat from *, completing the 8 groups. Ch 4 and join.
9. Rnd 8: Ch 3, 1 dc in same st from which ch-3 was started, * 1 dc in next dc, 1 pc in next dc, dc in next 3 dc, 1 pc in next dc, 1 dc in each of next 3 dc, 1 pc in next dc, 1 dc in next dc, 2 dc in next dc. Ch 5, sk ch-4; 2 dc in next dc. Repeat from * and complete 8 groups. Ch 5, and join.
10. Rnd 9: Ch 3, 1 dc in same st from which ch-3 was started. * 1 dc in each of next 13 dc, 2 dc in next dc. Ch 5, sk ch-5, 2 dc in next dc, dc in next 11 dc, ch 4 and turn. 1 tr in 4th dc from hook, ch 9, 1 tr in same st, ch 4, sk 4 dc, 1 sl st in next dc, ch 1, turn. 4 sc over ch-4, ch 1, 5 sc over ch-9, ch 4, 5 sc over same ch-loop, ch 1, 4 sc over next ch-4, 1 sl st in the 2 loops of the last dc, dc in next 2 dc, 2 dc in next dc. Ch 5, sk ch-5, 2 dc in next dc. Repeat from * and complete 8 groups.
11. Entire outer edge of spread should be finished with the scalloped edge. These can be made as the outer block is crocheted.