I made this School Days Afghan back when we were creating my daughter’s “big girl” bedroom (and part 2). Sometimes designs take me incredibly long to actually publish even after the project is completed.
That means we’re already on the pre-teen Under the Sea bedroom which doesn’t match this afghan anymore – but it’s still useful and full of fun, bright colors! That means the School Days Afghan is still in use every night.
The Blocks
School Days Afghan is made from two different types of squares – solid squares and two-color textured squares with oodles of different stitches. I would qualify this as an intermediate pattern, not for beginners due to the complexity of the stitches.
But don’t let that scare you off! I have tips throughout the pattern to help you along. I even have some videos that I’ve been debating about publishing (I haven’t done it yet, but if I get repeating questions about certain rounds, I’ll make them available).
You can make the School Days Afghan with just patterned blocks or even just solid blocks, but I chose to mix and match for a variety.
Light vs Dark
For yet another variation on how you can make the School Days Afghan squares, some of the squares start with a light color (white) center and others start with a darker (colored) center.
I made equal amounts of both squares. Each time I thought the one I had just finished (white or colored) was my favorite! For some stitches, it makes a difference as to whether or not they stand out.
Planning
I chose to make my blocks in four colors with white as an accent color. The square could be made in just two colors – a light and a dark color for contrast.
I originally made the afghan as a 4 x 4′ (1.2 x 1.2 m) or 48 x 48″ (122 x 122 cm) square blanket as shown above. Then I decided to tear apart the seams, reconfigure the blocks and make it large enough to fit a full-sized bed.
The pattern contains a printable grid that you can use to plan out the squares before you get started. If you like the configuration of the squares shown on the bed, I have a pre-made grid for that too! The blank grid is 9 squares long by 7 squares wide, which would make a rather large afghan!
This pattern is also available on Ravelry and LoveCrafts.