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I love the look of this Chinese Puzzle Afghan Square.  The Chinese Puzzle Stitch gives your project beautiful texture! Please note you will need to block this as the edges do not rest completely flat when you are done crocheting.

Let’s Learn a New Crochet Stitch!

Stitch: Chinese Puzzle

Yarn: Red Heart with Love
Hook: 5.5 mm (I)

Stitch Multiple: Chain a multiple of 7 sts; plus add an additional 4 sts for the starting chain

Finished Dimensions: 8 ” by 8 ” blocked – Afghan Block

Abbreviations: ch – chain, R – row, RS – right side, st – stitch, sts – stitches, dc – double crochet, dc5tog – double crochet 5 together, FPdc2tog – front post double crochet 2 together, FPdc5tog – front post double crochet 5 together, decrease – is used to refer to any of the dc5tog, FPdc2tog or FPdc5tog sts

Special Stitches:

dc5tog – double crochet five stitches together – this stitch is worked over 5 sts – * yarn over the hook, insert your hook into the next st;  yarn over the hoook and pull up 1 loop; yarn over the hook and pull the hook through 2 of the loops on the hook* repeat from * to * 4 more times; yarn over the hook and draw through all 6 loops on the hook

FPdc2tog – front post double crochet 2 together – this stitch is worked over 2 sts – * yarn over the hook, insert the hook from front to back, to front, around the post of the next dc, yarn over the hook and pull up 1 loop, yarn over the hook and draw through 2 of the loops on the hook * repeat from * to * 1 more time; yarn over the hook and draw through all 3 remaining loops on the hook

Video Tutorial Now Available for the Chinese Puzzle Stitch! Click to Tweet

FPdc5tog – front post double crochet 5 together – this stitch is worked over 5 sts – * yarn over the hook, insert the hook from front to back, to front, around the post of the next dc, yarn over the hook and pull up 1 loop, yarn over the hook and draw through 2 of the loops on the hook * repeat from * to * 4 more times; yarn over the hook and draw through all 6 remaining loops on the hook

 

Chinese Puzzle Stitch 8″ Afghan Block

Pattern Instructions

Stitch Diagram:

 

Video Tutorial available here:

Ch 25

R1 (RS): 2 dc in the 4th ch from the hook (Note: the skipped 3 chs count as 1 dc st), dc5tog, ch 1, * skip the next ch, 5 dc in the next ch , dc5tog, ch 1 *. Repeat from * to * to the last 2 chs; skip the next ch, 3 dc in the last ch.

R2:  ch 3 (Note: the ch 3 counts as 1 dc st), turn; FPdc2tog, work 5 dc in the next ch,  * skip the next decrease, work FPdc5tog, ch 1, work 5 dc in the next ch *. Repeat from * to * across to the last 4 sts. Skip the next decrease, FPdc2tog then work 1 dc in the last dc of the row

R3: ch 3 (Note: the ch 3 counts as 1 dc st), turn; 2 dc in the next decrease, work FPdc5tog, ch 1, * work 5 dc in the next ch, skip the next decrease, work FPdc5tog, ch 1 *. Repeat from * to * across to the last 2 sts. Work 2 dc in the next decrease and 1 dc in the last dc.

Repeat R2 and R3: 4 times

Repeat R2 1 more time

Do not finish off – proceed to Border

Border

R1: ch 2, turn, 1 hdc in the next st, 1 sc in each of the next 5 sts, skip the ch1, 1 hdc in the next st, 1 sc in each of the next 5 sts, skip the ch st, 1 hdc in the next st, 1 sc in each of the next 5 sts, 1 hdc in the last st,  (19)ch 1 turn to work along the side edge

R2: hdc 19 times evenly along the side edge, ch 1, turn to work along the starting chain row

R3: sc 19 times evenly along the bottom edge, ch 1, turn to work along the side edge

R4: hdc 19 times evenly along the side edge, ch 1, turn to work along the 1st row of the border

You are now back to the starting corner, 2 sc in each ch st (corner), turn

1 FPdc in each st across, 2 sc in each ch st (corner), turn to to work along the side edge

1 FPdc in each st across, 2 sc in each ch st (corner), turn to work along the starting chain row

1 FPdc in each st across, 2 sc in each ch st (corner), turn to work along the final edge

1 FPdc in each st across, finish off with an invisible join and weave in ends.

Happy crocheting!

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