The Nutcracker Suite C2C Crochet Afghan—Joining and Edging

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The final block is finished! Are you ready to put this afghan together? I love this part of the process! Watching the rows come together and then adding the border. Remember that you should have already edged each block with a row of single crochet. If you have not done this, do it now. The single crochet row makes it easier to match up stitches and sew the blocks together. The single crochet row should be done in the background color of each block.

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The Nutcracker Suite premium pattern includes all of the free blocks plus 6 additional EXCLUSIVE blocks! Click on Shop here or on the menu to purchase the full pattern.

Additional blocks include:

• Christmas Candle
• Sleigh
• Drosselmeyer
• Gingerbread Man
• Land of the Sweets
• Angel

For basic instructions and the materials list for the complete afghan, refer to The Nutcracker Suite Afghan C2C Crochet Along.

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Adding Sashing

Using the same H crochet hook used to crochet the Minions blocks, add the WHITE sashing.

1. With the **right side of block facing you, attach WHITE yarn into any single crochet edging stitch using a double crochet.
2. Double Crochet (DC) 1 in each SC to the end of the row.
3. In the corner stitch, work DC 1, Chain (CH) 2, DC 1.
4. Repeat steps 2-3 until you have crocheted around the entire block.
5. Slip stitch into the top of the first double crochet. Fasten off.

**Make sure all of your blocks are right side up. It’s true that the blocks are reversible, however, the direction that the stitches lie is different on the front and the back. For a cohesive look make sure all of your blocks face the same direction.

Do this for each of the Nutcracker Suite blocks.

The Nutcracker Suite Crochet Afghan Layout

Now lay out your blocks out in whatever order you wish. If you want your blanket to look like the sample I’ve stitched, lay them out in this order (left to right):

Row 1: The Nutcracker Prince, Christmas Candle (premium), Snow

Row 2: Sleigh (premium), Chinese Dragon, The Rat King

Row 3: Arabian Coffee, Clara, Spanish Chocolate

Row 4: Drosselmeyer (premium), Toy Trumpet, Waltz of the Flowers

If you are not using the premium pattern, you could lay your blocks out in this 3×3 order:

Row 1: The Nutcracker Prince, Toy Trumpet, Snow

Row 2: Waltz of the Flowers, Chinese Dragon, The Rat King

Row 3: Arabian Coffee, Clara, Spanish Chocolate

Stitching the Nutcracker Suite Crochet Afghan Together

Whip stitch the blocks into four rows using WHITE.

Once the rows are sewn, whip stitch the rows together.

Adding Sashing, One More Time

Now that the blocks are all sewn together, you’ll need to add one more row of WHITE double crochet around the entire Nutcracker Suite Crochet Afghan. Follow the same method outlined above working DC 1 in each DC stitch, and DC 1, CH 2, DC 1 in each corner space. At the seams between the blocks, add stitches wherever it makes sense to achieve a flat sashing row.

Adding the Border

There are three border rows.

For the First Border Row: On the right side of the afghan, join GREEN yarn in a corner space with a SC.  CH 2, SC 1, CH 1 in the same space, *skip the next stitch, SC 1 in the next stitch, CH 1.*  Repeat from * to * to the next corner.  SC 1, CH 2, SC 1, CH 1 in the corner space.  Continue around the entire afghan.  Slip stitch in first SC.  Finish off.

For the Second Border Row: With right side facing, join GREEN yarn in any CH 1 space with a SC.  SC 1 in same CH 1 space.  In each CH 1 space, work SC 2 to the corner.  In the corner CH 2 space, work SC 1, CH 2, SC 1.  Continue around, working SC 2 in each CH 1 space and SC 1, CH 2, SC 1 in each corner CH 2 space.  Slip stitch in the first SC.  Finish off.

For the final border row you need to know the bean stitch.

Bean Stitch: Insert hook in the next stitch, pull up a loop, YO, insert hook in the same stitch and pull up a loop, YO, insert hook in the same stitch and pull up a loop (6 loops on hook), YO, pull through all six loops.  CH 1.

Tip:  Keep all the loops on your hook loose to make it easier to pull your hook through all 6 of them.  Don’t forget to CH 1 at the end of each Bean Stitch.  This completes the stitch and holds everything together.

Click over to my Crochet Videos Page for a great bean stitch tutorial by The Crochet Crowd.

For the Third Border Row: With right side facing, join RED yarn in any corner CH 2 space with a slip stitch.  CH 1.  Work 2 bean stitches in same corner space.  *Skip the next SC.  In the next SC, work B 1.*  Repeat from * to * until there is one SC before the next corner space.  Skip the next SC.  In the corner CH 2 space, work B 2.  Continue in the same manner around the afghan.  Slip stitch in the top of the first Bean Stitch.  Finish off.

Now step back and admire your amazing accomplishment!

If you worked in the same gauge that I did, your final blanket should measure roughly 78 inches long by 58 inches wide—plenty big enough to cover a twin size bed. Or to wrap around an adult on a cold winter evening!

Send me pics! I’d love to see how your Nutcracker Suite Crochet Afghan turns out. My final blanket went to one of my children’s dance teachers—our studio co-owner and Nutcracker director. Who is yours for?

Enjoy!

~ Lucinda