Free preview · full pattern in the Vintage Afghans & Bedspreads
Victorian Afghan (1951): vintage crochet pattern
Fifteen white afghan-stitch (Tunisian) squares, seven embroidered in cross stitch with a pansy and eight with a rose, overcast together 3 by 5. A wide border of crossed-loop pattern stitches with corner increases frames the afghan. Originally published as "Victorian Afghan" in Beautiful, Beautiful Afghans (Star Book No. 82) by American Thread Company in 1951, it is now.
By the crochetpatterns.io editorial team · Reviewed · Editorial policy
By the crochetpatterns.io editorial team · Reviewed September 14, 2026 under our editorial policy · pattern testing in progress
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Skill level | Intermediate |
| Yarn weight | Medium (#4) |
| Yardage | 4869–5410 yd (4452–4947 m) |
| Hook | 4.5 mm |
| Gauge | Each square measures about 14½ in (37 cm). From the printed counts, that is about 19 sts and 14 rows = 4 in (10 cm) in afghan stitch (67 sts and 51 rows per square) — our arithmetic, not printed. |
| Finished size | 54 × 80 in (137 × 203 cm) |
| Time | about 5 hours |
Materials
- Worsted (#4) yarn. American Thread "Dawn" Knitting Worsted was a worsted-weight yarn; substitute any worsted yarn that matches the gauge.
- Colours: 64 oz White; 4 oz each Scarlet, Amber, Kelly Green, Baby Blue, Sky Blue, Golf Green, Cardinal and Black; 8 oz Flame (the colours other than White are for embroidery).
- Original hooks: afghan hook size G (squares) and plastic crochet hook No. 6 or H (edges and border).
- A 5 mm (US H-8) crochet hook for the border; tapestry needle for embroidery and overcasting.
- Hook: Start with a 4.5 mm (US 7) afghan (Tunisian) hook for the squares and change size to match the gauge; use a 5 mm (US H-8) crochet hook for the border.
Abbreviations (US terms)
Notes before you start
- Source: "Victorian Afghan", Beautiful, Beautiful Afghans (Star Book No. 82), American Thread Company, 1951. Public domain in the USA.
- As printed — materials: AMERICAN THREAD COMPANY “DAWN” KNITTING WORSTED, Article W 11 or W 15; 64 ozs. White; 4 ozs. each Scarlet, Amber, Kelly Green, Baby Blue, Sky Blue, Golf Green, Cardinal and Black; 8 ozs. Flame; Afghan hook size G; Plastic crochet hook No. 6 or H; 1 tapestry needle.. Gauge: Each square measures about 14½ inches..
- Modernisation note: The original is written in US terms; abbreviations were updated to modern style (s c → sc, d c → dc, tr c → tr, s d c → hdc). "Row" is written as "Rnd" where the work is in rounds.
- Modernisation note: "Cut yarn" is written as "fasten off"; "attach" is written as "join"; "yarn over" as "yo"; "skip" as "sk".
- Modernisation note: Corrected an obvious printing error: "3 s c in center 5 c at each corner" is written as "3 sc in center sc at each corner".
- Modernisation note: "Pick up 2nd st from hook" and "each remaining st of ch" are written as "2nd ch from hook" and "each remaining ch".
- Modernisation note: The labels "Row 1" and "Row 2" are ours for the unlabelled first row and the printed "2nd Row".
- Modernisation note: The two cross-stitch charts are not labelled in the original; the chart with Flame, Scarlet, Golf Green, Kelly Green and Cardinal appears to be the rose, and the one with Amber, Flame, Baby Blue, Sky Blue, Black and greens the pansy (our reading).
- Modernisation note: The finishing step "Weave in all ends" is ours.
- Modernisation note: Metric conversions, the modern hook suggestion and the yardage estimate were added; they are not in the original.
- Modernisation note: Hook numbers from this period were not standardised to millimetres; the starting size given is a modern equivalent, and the gauge is what matters.
Square (make 15)
- Row 1: With White and afghan hook, ch 68 and work 67 afghan sts on ch (afghan st: pick up 2nd ch from hook, pull loop through, pick up and pull a loop through each remaining ch leaving all loops on hook, work back by drawing yarn through first loop, *yo, draw through 2 loops, repeat from * to end of row).
- Row 2: Same as row 1, picking up vertical yarn instead of ch, and work back the same way.
- Repeat row 2 until 51 rows of afghan sts have been worked, then work a row of sl sts picking up vertical yarn same as in afghan st.
- Work a row of sc all around square working 1 sc in each st on upper and lower edges, 1 sc in each row on sides, working 3 sc in each corner st, fasten off.
- Work 14 more squares in same manner. Block each square.
Continue this pattern
The rest of the Victorian Afghan (1951) pattern is in the Vintage Afghans & Bedspreads
Still to come in the full pattern:
- Embroidery and joining
- Border
- Finishing
Included with 28 patterns for $19 — $0.68 per pattern.
Errata
No corrections have been published for this pattern. Found a mistake? Tell us and we will log the fix here with a date.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Victorian Afghan pattern from?
It was published as "Victorian Afghan" in Beautiful, Beautiful Afghans (Star Book No. 82) by American Thread Company in 1951. The publication is in the public domain in the United States; this version is transcribed and modernised by crochetpatterns.io.
What yarn or thread do I need for the Victorian Afghan?
medium (worsted) (#4) yarn. about 5,410 yd / 4,945 m (104 oz, including embroidery yarn, at ~52 yd/oz, typical of worsted-weight yarn — check your label)
What hook should I use?
Start with a 4.5 mm (US 7) afghan (Tunisian) hook for the squares and change size to match the gauge; use a 5 mm (US H-8) crochet hook for the border. Gauge: Each square measures about 14½ in (37 cm). From the printed counts, that is about 19 sts and 14 rows = 4 in (10 cm) in afghan stitch (67 sts and 51 rows per square) — our arithmetic, not printed.
