Pine Cone Block Runner (1941): vintage crochet pattern

Materials

• Bedspread-weight mercerized cotton (printed: Clark's O.N.T. Mercerized Bedspread Cotton; a size 10 weight today)
• Yardage: About 96 yd per block, as printed
• Tapestry needle, rustproof pins and starch for blocking
• Hook: Start with a 1.65 mm (US 7) steel hook and change size so one block measures 8 inches square (the printed hook is Milward's No. 7 or 8).

Abbreviations (US terms)

ch

chain

sl st

slip stitch

sc

single crochet

dc

double crochet

tr

treble crochet

sts

stitches

st

stitch

sp

space

rnd

round

yo

yarn over

Notes before you start

• Source: "Pine Cone" (6025), Old and New Favorites (Book No. 172), The Spool Cotton Company, 1941. Public domain in the USA.
• As printed — materials: CLARK’S O.N.T. MERCERIZED BEDSPREAD COTTON. See thread information on page 22.; Milward’s Steel Crochet Hook No. 7 or 8.. Gauge: Using the materials recommended, each block measures 8″ square and requires about 96 yds. of thread..
• Modernisation note: Transcribed from the original publication; stitches, repeats and their order are unchanged.
• Modernisation note: Run-on paragraphs split into one round, row or step per line.
• Modernisation note: The source leaflets already use US crochet terms; only abbreviations and wording were modernised.
• Modernisation note: Round/row labels rewritten in modern form (e.g. “2nd Round.” → “Rnd 2:”, “7th to 10th rnds incl:” → “Rnds 7–10:”)
• Modernisation note: “thread over” → “yo” (yarn over)
• Modernisation note: Page numbers, page-continuation notes and illustration references removed.
• Modernisation note: Hook numbers in the original are Milward's steel hook sizes; a starting size is suggested from the thread weight instead of converting the old numbering.
• Modernisation note: The original lists: recommended uses — Bedspreads and matching runners.
• Modernisation note: Stitch counts have not been added; where the original prints a count it is kept as printed.

First Block

1. Rnd 1: Ch 4, make 11 half dc in 3rd ch from hook. Join with sl st to top st of ch-4.
2. Rnd 2: Ch 3 (to count as dc), dc in same place as joining, 2 dc in each of next 11 half dc (24 dc in all). Join to top of ch-3.
3. Rnd 3: Ch 3, 2 dc in same place as sl st; * ch 4, sc in 1st ch of ch-4 (a p made); skip 2 dc, 3 dc in next dc. Repeat from * around, ending with p, join.
4. Rnd 4: Ch 9, dc in 4th ch from hook; make 5 more dc over remaining chain, working over bar of chain rather than into individual ch’s (7-dc group made). * Ch 3 (to count as dc), turn. Dc in next 6 dc; ch 3, turn. Dc in next 6 dc (a square made). Skip 3-dc group and next p of 3rd rnd, make a d tr in 1st dc of next 3-dc group, ch 3, 6 dc in sp under d tr-bar just made (another 7-dc group). Repeat from * around (8 squares in all). Join with sl st to base of turning ch of 1st square, sl st in next 2 ch sts (this brings work to base of 2nd dc-row of square).
5. Rnd 5: * Ch 5, sc at top of same dc, ch 5, sc in top of turning ch at corner of square, ch 5, skip next dc on other side of square, make sc in next dc, ch 5, skip 1 dc, sc in next dc, ch 5, sc in top of turning ch of 1st row of next square (this is base of 2nd dc-row of square). Repeat from * around, joining last ch-5 at base of 1st loop.
6. Rnd 6: Sl st to center ch of loop, * ch 5, sc in next loop. Repeat from * around, joining last ch-5 to base of 1st loop.
7. Rnd 7: Sl st to center ch of loop, sc in same loop; * in next loop make: 2 dc, 2 tr, ch 3, 2 tr and 2 dc; sc in next loop, thus making a corner. (Ch 5, sc in next loop) 8 times. Repeat from * around, ending with ch 2, dc in 1st sc, to form last loop.
8. Rnd 8: * Dc in next 2 dc, dc in next 2 tr; in ch-3 sp make 3 dc, ch 3 and 3 dc; dc in next 2 tr, dc in next 2 dc, sc in next loop; (ch 5, sc in next loop) 7 times. Repeat from * around, ending with ch 2, dc in dc at end of previous rnd, for last loop.
9. Rnd 9: * Dc in next 7 dc, in corner ch-3 make 3 dc, ch 3 and 3 dc; dc in next 7 dc, sc in next loop, make 6 ch-5 loops. Repeat from * around, ending as before.
10. 10th and
11. Rnd 11: Like 9th rnd, having 3 more dc in each group and 1 loop less on each side, on each rnd—do not count last dc of last loop of previous rnd in 1st dc-group of following rnd.
12. Rnd 12: Like previous rnd, ending with ch 5, sc in dc of last loop of previous rnd.
13. Rnd 13: * Sc in 1st dc of next group; (ch 5, skip 1 dc, sc in next dc) 8 times, ch 5, sc in corner sp, ch 5, skip 2 dc, sc in next dc; (ch 5, skip 1 dc, sc in next dc) 8 times, ch 2, 5 dc in each of next 3 loops, ch 2. Repeat from * around, sl st in sc at base of 1st loop.
14. Rnd 14: Sl st in next 3 ch, sc in loop; * (ch 5, sc in next loop) 17 times; ch 2, dc in next 15 dc, ch 2, sc in ch-5 loop. Repeat from * around, ending with ch 2, sl st in sc at base of 1st loop.
15. Rnd 15: Sl st to center of loop, sc in loop, ** (ch 5, sc in next loop) 16 times; ch 2, * make dc in next 3 dc, holding back on hook last loop of each dc, yo and draw through all loops at once (a cluster), ch 5. Repeat from * 3 more times, make another cluster, ch 2, sc in next loop. Then repeat from ** around, ending with ch 2, sl st in sc at base of 1st loop. Fasten off.