Chunky back post stitch masculine afghan blanket

Back in February I had a friend approach me about making an afghan blanket for her husband's birthday. She had seen some of the afghans I had made since I starting learning how to crochet.

The finished product!

She wanted a blanket in specific colors, orange and green, that had a chunky knit look to it. The back post stitch (directions below) allows for the top of a double crochet stitch to be pushed out giving it the appearance of a cable knit with it's raised ridge. After agreeing to a design it was time to get to work!

The raised stitch can be seen in this picture captured by my amazing husband! 

This is my first commissioned project! I was a little uncertain how to charge her because we're friends! I don't want to take money my friends especially when crocheting is a labor of love. So she agreed to buy the yarn since that tends to be the deciding factor on how pricey the projects gets.  And for those who do not crochet a project can go anywhere from $25 with the by-the-pound super cheap yarn to upwards $100 for nice acrylic yarn to $200 for wool blends or nicer non-acrylic yarn.

Regardless, a beautiful blanket is produced for an individual to use and love for years to come!

Here is the general pattern for this back post stitch (directions for this stitch below) afghan blanket.

Yarn: I used Lion Brand Wool Ese Thick and Quick in Barley (color A), Clinatro (color B), and Pumpkin (color C).

Hook: I used an N or 10.00mm, but you could use as small as a K or 6.50mm. I wouldn't use too small of a hook though because you have to work into the stitch in a unique way for the back post stitch do you don't want things too tight.

Level: beginner.

Time: took me about three months which is the average length of time it takes me to make an afghan blanket of this size.

Foundation chain: using color A there is really no need to count here, however, when doing the foundation chain either go up one hook size or make a loose chain. This is good advice whenever you're making a foundation chain because if they are too tight it can be impossible to works to for your first row. Make your foundation chain as wide as you want your blanket to be. I usually for about 4 feet to about 4.5 feet. 

After you have the desired width for your blanket measured out on your foundation chain, chain two more to turn and flip your work.

Row 1: double crochet in the third chain from the hook, and double crochet into each of the chains will you reach the last chain. Chain two for the turn and flip your work.

*note - normally you would chain three for the height of a double crochet, but because you will be working into the double crochet with the back post stitch it actually makes the double crochet shorter so you only need a height of a chain two. The double crochet is shorter because you are working a double crochet around the post of the double crochet in the row below which pushes the top of it out. Instead of working double crotchets to stack them on top of each other, you are layering the double crochets into each other.

Various Directions on how to do a back post double crochet stitch: 

FiberFlux Blog - http://www.fiberfluxblog.com/2014/04/how-to-work-back-post-double-crochet_3.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/OeRXj+(Fiber+Flux...Adventures+in+Stitching)

(It's a front post, but you'll get the idea) ClassyCrochet Blog - http://classycrochet.wordpress.com/2013/01/08/how-to-front-post-double-crochet-fpdc/

Then there are numerous YouTube videos if you just search for the stitch.

Rows 2-10: with the same color you've been using for color A you will stitch do a double crochet back post stitch all the way across, doing a chain two to turn your work at the end of each row. The total of 10 rows will equal about 6 inches 

Rows 11-21: with color B do the same back post stitch for the next 10 rows.

Rows 22-32: with color A do the same back post stitch for the next 10 rows.

Rows 33-43: color C, same back post stitch for the next 10 rows.

Rows 44-54: color A, same back post stitch for the next 10 rows.

Rows 55-65: color B, same back post stitch for the next 10 rows. 

Rows 66-76: color A, same back post stitch for the next 10 rows. 

Rows 77-87: color C, same back post stitch for the next 10 rows.

Rows 88-98: color A, same back post stitch for the next 10 rows.

Rows 99-109: color B, same back post stitch for the next 10 rows.

Rows 110-120: color A, same back post stitch for the next 10 rows. 

That should give you about a five and a half foot blanket which is nice and snugly for one or two people.

Finishing: Before sewing in the tails where you joined yarn or changed colors throw the blanket in the wash on the cold water setting, then tumble dry on medium to low heat. Then sew in the tails.

My only warning with this blanket is that it is HEAVY! After about half way done with the project I could not transport it easily so it had to stay at home.

Here's how much yarn you will need 

Color A (in my case barley): about 15 skeins of yarn (although it might end up closer to 18 depending on how tight you crochet or if you expand your length/width).

Color B (in my case cilantro): about 9 skeins of yarn.

Color C (in my case pumpkin): about 6 skeins of yarn. 

To give you an idea of price the lion brand wool ease thick and quick is abut $5.26 a skein at Walmart.com. For the yarn totals above the project comes out to $173.58 before sales tax. Shocking right?! Thankfully my friend paid for a majority of the yarn and then we bartered for the rest (in true southern style she gave me yummy yummy deer meat!).

This project was fun and a unique challenge. It makes a very thick, chunky, heavy blanket for a cold winter night. I also liked this pattern because it looks masculine blanket which can be hard to pull off. Please leave me a comment if you have any questions!  Enjoy!