Design by: Cara Louise Reitbauer

Just in time for Yarnsgiving, we’re happy to share this free pattern with you! Yarnsgiving is a feel-good, stitch-your-heart-out kind of campaign that’s all about “making with yarn and giving to others” during the holiday season. We’re joining forces with the Craft Yarn Council and Warm Up America! to spread some holiday cheer through the art of making!

SKILL LEVEL
Intermediate

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Blocked, about 11.5 inches wide by 13 inches long, not counting dowel loops.

GAUGE
Blocked, about 30 sc and 27 rows = 4”/10 cm

YARN
Sample in Photo made with Hobbii Rainbow, Rainbow Deluxe, and Friends 100% Cotton 8/4, #1 “fingering weight” yarn. See Notes for recommended substitutes.
● Cream (Rainbow Deluxe, color 03)
● Dark Green (Rainbow, color 022)
● Yellow (Rainbow, color 055)
● Red (Rainbow, color 058)
● Burnt Orange (Rainbow, color 066)
● Brown (Rainbow, color 007)
● Nougat/Tan (Friends, color 09)

HOOK & OTHER MATERIALS
● Clover Amour US Size B (2.25 mm) crochet hook
● Clover Gold Eye Tapestry Needle size 24
● Knitter’s Pride Knit Blockers Pins
● Knitter’s Pride Lace Blocking Mats
● Aleene’s Stop Fraying Fabric Adhesive
● ½-inch dowel, 2 lengths about 13 inches long each
● Small piece of sandpaper

*As Amazon Associates, we’ll earn a little bit from qualifying purchases if you use the links given here. But it doesn’t increase the price you pay in any way.

NOTES
Here are some things to know before you get started:

To substitute yarn for those listed above, try any Crochet Thread Size 3. Or, hold two strands of Crochet Thread Size 10 together and treat it as a single strand. You can also use any #1 Fingering Weight or #2 Sport Weight yarn. You may have to adjust your hook size to obtain gauge or to match your chosen yarn to achieve a sufficiently sturdy fabric.

The pattern uses a grid-based graph. Each square is equal to one stitch, and you change colors according to the squares on the graph. If you’d like to download a PDF that contains a higher-resolution version of the grid/chart, you can do so from our shop right here: AUTUMN LEAVES PATTERN PDF

When working from graph, you work the pattern from the bottom up, in rows. ODD rows are right side (RS) and you work them right-to-left. EVEN rows are wrong side (WS) and you work them left-to-right.

PATTERN NOTES:
Here are some notes to remember while you are crocheting this design:

The beginning ch-1 does NOT count as a stitch.

Work your stitches carefully and precisely, but be careful not to pull them so tight that they’re difficult to work into. I find wrapping one extra loop around my tension fingers achieves a slightly tighter gauge which is perfect for this project.

When you change colors, work the stitch as normal until the last yarn over (yo). Drop the first color, yo with the new color, pull through all loops, and continue with new color. Make sure all your yarn tails are on the WS of work.

You can work over the beginning and ending tails for a couple stitches to secure them. You don’t have to weave in all the ends on the wrong side, only those that are near an edge and hang out. Instead, you might want to use some carefully and sparingly placed “fray-stop” type fabric glue to ensure your ends stay put.

Don’t “carry” the non-working yarn (i.e., continue to work over it) more than a few stitches. Your work may get bulky and you also risk seeing the extra color through your work.

I find it easier to keep multiple colors untangled by using shorter lengths of yarn (about 40-50 inches or so). Every time I turn at the end of a row, I simply “comb” through the strands with my fingers to re-sort them. There will be more ends, but they’re all on the WS and won’t affect the end result.

If you need more help with Tapestry Crochet, I like this article at Raffamusa Designs. There’s also a ton of links on any search engine (like Google).

Ok! Let’s get into the pattern!
And, again, to download this as a PDF, here’s the link: AUTUMN LEAVES PATTERN PDF

Instructions

Setup: With Cream, ch 81, turn.

Row 1 (RS): With Cream, sc in 2^nd from hook and each across, turn – 80 sc.

Rows 2 through 4: Ch 1, sc in each across, turn at the end of each row – 80 sc.

Rows 5-81: Ch 1, sc in each across using chart for color changes, turn at the end of each row except for last – 80 sc.

Border

Round 1: Continuing with Cream, at end of Row 81, ch 2, rotate to work down the left side of piece in the row ends, skip the row last made, sc in each down side – 80 sc.

Ch 2, rotate to work along bottom, sc in same st last used, sc between each st of Row 1 around the beginning chain – 80 sc.

Ch 2, rotate to work up the right side of piece in the row ends, sc in each up side leaving very last row not worked into – 80 sc.

After last sc, ch 1, cut yarn and pull through, but not tightly. Thread yarn tail through tapestry needle, insert needle under both loops of first sc of Row 81, then through the back loop of the last ch st made to the back. Adjust the top of the joining so it looks like a ch st, weave in end to secure.

Round 2: With Yellow, join yarn in any ch-2 space at corner, ch 4 (counts as first hdc + ch-2 space), hdc in same space, hdc in each across to next corner, *(hdc, ch 2, hdc) in corner space, hdc in each across to next corner, repeat from * twice more. After last hdc, cut yarn and pull through, but not tightly. Thread yarn tail through tapestry needle, insert needle into beginning ch-4 space, then through the back loop of the last st made to the back. Adjust the top of the joining so it looks like the top of a st, weave in end to secure – 82 sts on each side + 4 ch-2 spaces.

Round 3: with Orange, working into the 3^rd loop of the hdc sts, repeat Round 2 – 84 sts on each side + 4 ch-2 spaces.

Attach to Dowel

Cut 2 lengths of the dowel to about 13 inches long (or measure width of finished piece and add about 1 inch). Sand any rough edges.

With Brown, sc into corner space at top right of piece, ch 12 (or as many times as needed to be able to slip the dowel through). *Skip next border stitch, sc in next, ch 12 (number needed), repeat from * along entire top edge and into next corner space. Fasten off, pull ends to back and weave in to secure – 42 loops.

Repeat along bottom edge of piece. Slide dowels through loops.

Hanging Chain: With Brown, ch 150 (or about 24 inches long) and fasten off. Measure 4 inches from end of the top dowel (or divide length of dowel by 3). Insert hook between top dowel and finished piece at that measurement, grab hanging chain and pull half the length through. At same distance from other end, insert hook from back to front and pull end of hanging chain through to back. Tie ends of hanging chain together securely and adjust so knot is hidden at back of piece and hanging chain is evenly distributed forming 2 loops.

Blocking is Highly Recommended

Be sure to test all yarns for color-fastness before immersing in water. Wet piece in cold water, roll in towel to remove excess water, and pin to shape while drying. If immersing is not desired due to lack of color-fastness, steam blocking should be used.

Optional Finishing

If desired, after blocking, use matching yarn to outline all or selected color sections. Apply fabric glue sparingly to any troublesome ends.

We hope you enjoy this project, and whether you decide to make it or one of the other amazing Yarnsgiving patterns, remember…