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In-the-Round Square Navajo Lap Blanket

26 November 2010
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The traditional crocheted Navajo afghan is crocheted across with each row having the beginning and ending yarn as fringe. To avoid having fringe on a lap blanket, this is designed to be crocheted in the round so that the affect of having the crochet stitches all facing the same side are preserved without having to start and stop for each row.

This pattern is written using four colors, but the blanket can be done in any number of colors and numbers of rows per color.

SC – single crochet – all single crochets are worked in the back loop.

DC* – double crochet – in this blanket all double crochets are worked in the front loop of stitch two rows down.

CC – corner cluster – SC, chain, SC in corner chain

REC – round end corner – SC in corner chain, chain, slip stitch in first SC of round, chain one, SC in previous chain.

CEC – color end corner – SC in corner chain, chain, slip stitch in first SC, finish off. With next color SC in previous chain.

Example and measurements are based on worsted weight acrylic yarn and size I crochet hook, but other weight yarns can be used with appropriate size hook.  Finished blanket measures 30 inches.

With color A ch 2

Round 1 – in second chain from hook, (SC , ch  1) four times, slip stitch in first SC of round, chain one, SC in previous chain

Round 2 – (SC in next SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next SC, REC

Round 3 – (SC in next 3 SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 3 SC, REC

Round 4 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, SC in next 2 SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, SC in next 2 SC, CEC from color A to color B

Round 5 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 6 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 3SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 3SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 7 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 5SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 5SC, DC*, 2SC, CEC from color B to color C

Round 8 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 7SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 7SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 9 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 9SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 9SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 10 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 11SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 11SC, DC*, 2SC, CEC from color C to color D

Round 11 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 13SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 13SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 12 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 15SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 15SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 13 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 17SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 17SC, DC*, 2SC, CEC from color D to color A

Round 14 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 19SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 19SC, DC*, 2SC, CEC from color A to color D

Round 15 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, SC, DC*, 17SC, DC*, SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, SC, DC*, 17SC, DC*, SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 16 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 3SC, DC*, 15SC, DC*, 3SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 3SC, DC*, 15SC, DC*, 3SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 17 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 5SC, DC*, 13SC, DC*, 5SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 5SC, DC*, 13SC, DC*, 5SC, DC*, 2SC, CEC from color D to color C

Round 18 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 7SC, DC*, 11SC, DC*, 7SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 7SC, DC*, 11SC, DC*, 7SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 19 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 9SC] 3 times, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 9SC] 3 times, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 20 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 11SC, DC*, 7SC, DC*, 11SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 11SC, DC*, 7SC, DC*, 11SC, DC*, 2SC, CEC from color C to color B

Round 21 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 13SC, DC*, 5SC, DC*, 13SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 13SC, DC*, 5SC, DC*, 13SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 22 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 15SC, DC*, 3SC, DC*, 15SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 15SC, DC*, 3SC, DC*, 15SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 23 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 17SC, DC*, SC, DC*, 17SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 17SC, DC*, SC, DC*, 17SC, DC*, 2SC, CEC from color B to color A

Round 24 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 19SC, DC*, 19SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 19SC, DC*, 19SC, DC*, 2SC, CEC from color A to color B

Round 25 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, SC, DC*, 17SC] twice, DC*, SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, SC, DC*, 17SC] twice, DC*, SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 26 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 3SC, DC*, 15SC] twice, DC*, 3SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 3SC, DC*, 15SC] twice, DC*, 3SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 27 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 5SC, DC*, 13SC] twice, DC*, 5SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 5SC, DC*, 13SC] twice, DC*, 5SC, DC*, 2SC, CEC from color B to color C

Round 28 – (SC in next 2 SC,[ DC*, 7SC, DC*, 11SC] twice, DC*, 7SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 7SC, DC*, 11SC] twice, DC*, 7SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 29 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 9SC] 5 times, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 9SC] 5 times, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 30 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 11SC, DC*, 7SC] twice, DC*, 11SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 11SC, DC*, 7SC] twice, DC*, 11SC, DC*, 2SC, CEC from color C to color D

Round 31 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 13SC, DC*, 5SC] twice, DC*, 13SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 13SC, DC*, 5SC] twice, DC*, 13SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 32 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 15SC, DC*, 3SC] twice, DC*, 15SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 15SC, DC*, 3SC] twice, DC*, 15SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 33 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 17SC, DC*, SC] twice, DC*, 17SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 17SC, DC*, SC] twice, DC*, 17SC, DC*, 2SC, CEC from color D to color A

Round 34 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 19SC] 3 times, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 19SC] 3 times, DC*, 2SC, CEC from color A to color D

Round 35 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, SC, DC*,17SC] 3 times, DC*, SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, SC, DC*, 17SC] 3 times, DC*, SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 36 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 3SC, DC*,15SC] 3 times, DC*, 3SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 3SC, DC*, 15SC] 3 times, DC*, 3SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 37 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 5SC, DC*, 13SC] 3 times, DC*, 5SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 5SC, DC*, 13SC] 3 times, DC*, 5SC, DC*, 2SC, CEC from color D to color C

Round 38 – (SC in next 2 SC,[ DC*, 7SC, DC*, 11SC] 3 times, DC*, 7SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 7SC, DC*, 11SC] 3 times, DC*, 7SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 39 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 9SC] 7 times, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 9SC] 7 times, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 40 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 11SC, DC*, 7SC] 3 times, DC*, 11SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 11SC, DC*, 7SC] 3 times, DC*, 11SC, DC*, 2SC, CEC from color C to color B

Round 41 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 13SC, DC*, 5SC] 3 times, DC*, 13SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 13SC, DC*, 5SC] 3 times, DC*, 13SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 42 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 15SC, DC*, 3SC] 3 times, DC*, 15SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 15SC, DC*, 3SC] 3 times, DC*, 15SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 43 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 17SC, DC*, SC] 3 times, DC*, 17SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 17SC, DC*, SC] 3 times, DC*, 17SC, DC*, 2SC, CEC from color B to color A

Round 44 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 19SC] 9 times, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 19SC] 9 times, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 45 – (SC in each SC of the side, CC) 3 times, SC in each SC of the side, REC

Round 46 – (SC in each SC of the side, CC) 3 times, SC in each SC of the side, SC in corner chain, chain one, slip stitch in first SC of round.  Finish off and weave in end.

Restrictions on the use of this pattern are available at http://stitcheryprojects.com/using-my-patterns/.

Afghans, Crocheted, My Patterns

59 Comments to “In-the-Round Square Navajo Lap Blanket”

  1. You are awesome to come up with this pattern. Love it! I have made lots of the Navajo blanket with the fringe and have had trouble with it fraying etc. Now my favorite pattern is in the square with no fringe. Now can you make a rectangular pattern? lol Thankyou so much for your generosity with sharing your free pattern. You are a very talented lady. You made my day.

  2. YOUR PATTERN IS THE FIRST i’ve found of another blanket i’m doing and would like to find the original pattern and author. your pattern is very similiar in style. my raverly name is court1kathy and it is in my projects and i’ve got a lot more done on it than the photo shows. this is the link to it if it’ll work I wouldn’t mind sharing the pattern i have and better photos of my other blanket if your interested. what i have is a rather confusing hand written pattern but very different and beautiful. others have copied the blanket using my photos only and these confusing notes.
    http://images4.ravelry.com/uploads/court1kathy/26095973/IMG_0257_medium2.JPG

    I must admit I was confused by the one corner on your pattern and I’m doing all my corners with the cc version of your pattern.

  3. beautiful blanket. I want to make this for a baby due to be born into the family in April. I nlooked but couldn’t finf any reference to amount of yarn. Could you provide information how many skeins or yds you used by color? Thank you for sharing your beautiul blanket.

  4. I don’t have exact requirements, but I would approximate 100 yards for color A and 200 for the other 3 colors.

  5. I have never seen this type of crocheting before and cannot wait to try it,

  6. I learned traditional Navahoe – horizontal stripes with diagonal or “X” posts – from my grandmother. This square version looks like something I want to try. It could be one large square or several smaller ones and still be special. Thanks for posting it.

  7. jacqueline mcbride

    2nd row is very confusing.are you counting the chain 1 as the first stitch or the sc as the first stitch? Is the first row in the back loops also? The pattern is beautiful and would love to try it. Please help. Thanks

    • My corner is very confusing because i’m trying to hide the color jog since this is done in the round. At the end of each row I go back and Sc in the chain space just made so that the next row begins with the SC.

      Since this is done in the round it is never turned. The stitches should all be done in the back loops only.

  8. jacqueline mcbride

    Mama,
    thanks for the reply. I noticed that after the third corner I have too many stitches before I the join.What am I doing wrong? I did mark each ch 1 to put the cec. It did work except the the joining round. I really want to make this afghan it looks simple but it isn’t.Kudos to you.Thanks for any assistance.

    • I know that others have made this blanket without my overly complicated corner, and have said the color changes worked fine.
      Without seeing your project, I’m not really sure what is happening.

  9. love the pattern, can’t wait to do it…:)

  10. I like this pattern, but I’m on row 19, and it just isn’t coming out right I’m totally confused.the cc is not coming out on a corner. I’m lost Help Please

    • I think most everyone gets confused with my corners. I was trying to fix the corner that begins the row so that the color changes wouldn’t be so apparent, but I think I’ve just confused the issue. I’m sorry that it’s gotten your corners off. I’ve been really short of time lately, but I’m going to try to make another version of this pattern that doesn’t have that tricky corner and see if that helps.

  11. Thanks for the reply, I’ll keep plugging along til I get it right 🙂

  12. How big is the finish square? I just love this!

  13. Thank You! My grandmother used to crochet the traditional Navajo afghan pattern. When she passed away, I inherited her yarn and found that she had bought enough yarn to begin another one. I decided I wanted to make a Navajo afghan using her yarn in her memory; but I didn’t have the pattern. I have since found the traditional pattern she used; but I wanted something a little different to make it a little of her and a little of me. When I found your pattern I knew this was it because I love crocheting in the round. As I began this project I decided to make it even more my own by making it five sided & increasing the number of rows. It is turning out GREAT! Thanks for sharing.

  14. I saw your pattern and I like it immediately.. I have crocheted the side to side Navajo afghan before. I like liked the change.
    However. I can’t get past the 1st round. I find it very confusing. It would help if you had how many clusters are at the end of each round..
    on the first round when you join you say sc in the previous sc there is none only the joining slip st and ch 1.
    really confused..

    • I have caused a lot of confusion with my end/beginning corner. What I’m attempting to do is to make each round distinct to make the color changes look even, and to keep the round changes at the corner. Each round instruction includes the first sc of the next round, so that is confusing right from the start. So on that first round, there are 4 sc and 4 ch. Then join to the first sc of the round with a slip stitch. Then is my corner trick that I am attempting. Ch 1 and sc in the ch 1 behind the needle which was the 4th ch made of that round. That sc will actually be the first sc of the next round. So then the second round picks up with a sc in the sc of that side.

      I am very sorry it is very confusing. The blanket can be made without that method on the corner, by just continuing around making all the corners the same.

      • To everyone who has written about having trouble with the corners…I’ve seen just one other pattern using this corner/join method. Once you’ve seen it and tried using it you’ll never go back to the old tried and true method. Keep trying until you ‘get it’…it’s worth it!

  15. I love your navajo lapghan, I’m confused though. What do you mean by (25 c)? Or (35 c)? Thank you
    J dunlap

  16. I told a friend that I would fix the regular Navajo that her late mom did.

    But when looking at it, I’m confused.

    Perhaps someone here can help me by email. Thank you!

    Yours is one I think I can manage.

    msfair(AT)pacbell(DOT)net

    You do such fab patterns and then are gracious enough to share with us. {{{Standing Ovation}}}

    • Mine is pretty different than the traditional because the old ones were done one row at a time and finished off at the end of each row, making a fringe on the two sides. A lot of people find my corners confusing. When you say you want to fix one, are you meaning that you need to repair one? Or make a similar one?

  17. I love this blanket. I have made 2 of them. I do not find your corner confusing. In fact, it makes a lot of sense. The pictures helped! Thanks again for a wonderful lap blanket 🙂

  18. This afghan makes up so beautiful and I enjoyed making one. I made a very large version because my brother-in-law is 6’5″. I added a border. You can see mine at http://pinterest.com/simmkath/crocheted-by-me/.

  19. My Mom made me the traditional blanket back in the 1970s and it is one of my favorites. Looking forward to trying this.
    If I wanted to make it bigger, would it work to just keep using the same pattern around?
    Thank you!

    • Yes. I know of some that have made it larger, and I’d think you should be able to make it however large you like.

  20. I am so grateful for sharing people like you. I am going to make this one for my husband. I was looking for one that I like and this is it…I love it. I notice the comments about the corners and I hope I don’t have any problems. Thanks a million.

  21. I have made many straight ones. I solve the unraveling by tying two frines together then the next round move over and tie two together(using a square knot. (Left over right and under, right over left and under)

  22. jacqueline mcbride

    still haven’t figure the corners out.Need and seeking help please help me. Mama the pattern is beautiful and I would love to make this one. I have made the Navajo without any problems would like to do this lap blanket.
    Thanks,
    Jackie

    • Just replace all the REC’s with CC’s. That REC corner was my attempt that not having a color stagger at the end of sections, but it is not worth holding you up on the project. Doing a regular CC corner will not look that different.

  23. Hi Mama!
    I would like to make this pattern into a larger rectangle. Is it possible to do that?
    Thanks, Jan

    • Once you learn the pattern you can continue to make it larger. I have seen several examples of people doing that.

  24. Thank you for sharing this pattern. How much yarn for this pattern?

  25. Are the dc’s worked behind the sc’s 2 rows down or in the one facing me?

    • The dc’s are worked to the front of the last row and through the front loop of the sc the next row down.

  26. Do you have a crochet along video for this blanket? I think that would be very helpful. I’d like to make this as a wedding gift. What are the final measurements on this blanket? Is it more of a lapghan or is it bigger? Thank’s.

    • I don’t have a video for this one and don’t have a good setup for making videos right now. It comes out to be 29 or 30 inches, so more of a lapghan.

  27. I love this blanket and cannot wait to be able to make it. I did not have Navajo in my Family but I do have Cherokee and Apache. I want to make one for my father who is in a wheelchair.

    Is it okay with you if I save this pattern as a PDF on my own computer as that is easier for me to read since I have vision issues and need to increase the font size. I will send you a copy if you would like. Thanks in advance.

  28. I’ve done a few of these now as baby blankets. I just drop to a sport weight yarn and add an additional set of diamonds to make it baby sized.
    Such a fantastic pattern. Thank you so much.

  29. I was happy to come across this pattern. I have a cousin who would love this lap robe! I’m putting it on my to-make list. I love to do this pattern, it’s just much bigger!! For the record, I don’t do crochet for money. I can’t do it fast enough to sell. I mostly give them as gifts to my family! I love to crochet!! ❤️

  30. Round 2 – (SC in next SC,

    Is the next SC the same one you slip stitched into?

  31. And I see you are pretty much inactive. I’m no beginner but I started this pattern at least 8 times and tried 4 different kinds of yarn. This is only the second pattern in my life that made me want to throw my hook across the room. I’ve been wanting to make this blanket for the VFW for a while now. Did you ever go back and re-write it?

    • You are correct that I don’t post much these days. I have very little time now. I haven’t re-written it and don’t know when I will have time to.

  32. It should be rewritten so that others can make it. It is a shame how pretty, and no one can make it. Sorry but that is how I feel. Cookie Aug.14,18

  33. For those who are complaining… MY Mama taught me to say, “thank you” when someone gives me a gift, never to complain about it. “Mama” has put a tremendous amount of work into giving us her patterns & offering help along the way. You have no idea what she may be dealing with in life. Demanding that this one pattern be fixed is so selfish! Shame on you!

    THANK YOU, Mama! I appreciate what you have freely given. And I am sooooo excited about the no beginning chain patterns. Those long chains always give me grief. Many blessings to you in 2019!

  34. I’m hoping you can help me with this pattern. It’s not the corners, but the dc. I’m up to row 16 trying to start another round of diamonds and now there is an area where 2 dc are on top of each other not allowing me to go 2 rows down.

    • There shouldn’t be a DC directly on another. On the round after the diamond points, the DC stitches on either side of the points will be made into the DC stitches on the round right before the diamond points.

  35. I LOVE your pattern for in the round square Navajo lap throw but I am not sure how much yarn I need. I want to use worsted yarn. Can you please give me the amount of yarn I will need.
    Thank you

  36. […] lapgan with worsted weight yarn and a size J hook. Mama’s Stitchery Projects’ traditional Najavo lap blanket pattern, which is an extra nice afghan, is a great addition to any collection of Native American designs. […]

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