This is a free crochet pattern and video tutorial showing how to crochet the Super Chunky Colin Drew Afghan, an easy, basic, beautifully textured corner to corner afghan. Worked in super chunky weight yarn, this cozy afghan works up fairly quickly. 12 sizes included!
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Find the free crochet pattern instructions below, or purchase a printer-friendly, ad-free PDF on Ravelry by clicking here.
In a hurry? Pin this for later when you have more time.
I originally published this afghan in 2019 in one size – a newborn sized baby blanket that I made to gift at a baby shower. Fast forward to 2023, and after completing the video for my Colin Drew Scarf, I was inspired to return to this afghan to give it an update.
I renamed it, added 11 more sizes to bring it to 12 in total and added a video tutorial.
Colin Drew is an easy crochet line that features double crochet corner to corner boxes. This is a beginner friendly series, and this afghan is a great project to pair with watching your favorite TV show or movie. You don’t even have to count boxes if you don’t want to! You can use a soft tape measure to measure as you go, and stop at the width and length desired, though I will be providing box counts for each size in the written pattern.
Find more Colin Drew accessory and home decor crochet patterns here on EyeLoveKnots, and Colin Drew accessory and wearables crochet patterns on Cre8tion Crochet.
What is the Difference Between a Blanket and an Afghan?
While Blankets and Afghans are both used to cover ourselves to keep warm, Blankets are typically made of sewn fabric, while Afghans are typically knit or crocheted.
What is the Best Yarn to Use for a Crocheted Afghan?
I’ve used Bernat Blanket Yarn for my afghan because I love the durability for wear and tear and machine washing and drying, plus the wide range of colors, but you can use any super bulky #6 weight yarn from your stash – pick your favorite! And if you don’t have any super bulky weight, but have tons of worsted weight, try 3 or 4 strands held together to achieve the same thickness.
Some great worsted weight yarns that would be perfect for an afghan are Red Heart Super Saver and Lion Brand Wool Ease – they both hold up well to wear and tear and machine washing and drying. Though I haven’t used WeCrochet Brava, I’ve heard it’s a really great, durable worsted weight yarn as well.
Gauge is not essential for this project and with the corner to corner nature, you can easily substitute in any weight yarn and measure as you go.
Do I need to work a border around my afghan?
I did add a border to my afghan, but you do not need to add one, or you can work a more simple border, like just the first round of single crochet. If you adjust the border or opt not to work one, you may want to add extra boxes to width and height so the afghan will come out to about the same finished size.
How do I add more rounds to the border of my afghan?
To add additional rounds to your border, start with a chain 2, which will count as the first double crochet. Double crochet into the next double crochet, and each double crochet over to the corner chain space. In the corner chain space, work the same increase you previously did of (double crochet, chain 2, double crochet), then begin again double crocheting into each stitch across to the next corner where you’ll increase again. Once back to the beginning, slip stitch join to the top chain of the beginning chain 2. Each round of double crochet will add 2 ¼” to the width and height.
Prefer working with chunky weight #5 yarn? Check out the Chunky Colin Drew Afghan in the same 12 sizes.
Other Fun Free Super Chunky Afghan Crochet Patterns:
Super Chunky Gia Afghan (11 Sizes)
Super Chunky Through the Window Afghan (11 Sizes)
Super Chunky Striped Shay Afghan (11 Sizes)
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Materials:
- 100 (130, 265, 500, 730, 985, 1410, 2560, 3430, 3920, 4465, 4560) Yards of Super Bulky (#6) Yarn – I used Bernat Blanket’s Brights in the Busy Blue colorway
- M13/9mm Crochet Hook
- Small Crochet Hook, like G6/4.25mm, for Weaving in Ends (or Tapestry Needle)
- Optional, Soft Tape Measure
Material Notes:
I took two sets of pictures of this blanket, and the color shows differently in both. It’s closer to the one against the dark wood – a pretty bright blue.
My sample is the newborn size. The rest of the size yardages are estimated based on my sample.
When working with Bernat Blanket Yarn, I find the easiest way to weave in my ends is with a small crochet. Check out my video tutorial for a quick how to!
If gauge is essential to you or to measure as you go, you’ll want to have a soft tape measure handy.
Time Spent:
I worked the newborn size blanket up over three days, for a total of just over two and a half hours.
Measurements:
- Newborn Photography Layering Blanket: 9 7/8″ Square
- Lovey: 12 1/4″ Square
- Newborn Photography Blanket: 20″ Square
- Newborn Blanket: 30 1/4″ Square
- Lapghan: 35″ by 39 7/8″ Tall
- Toddler/Child: 39 7/8″ by 50″
- Throw: 50″ by 60 1/4″
- Twin: 65″ by 90 1/4″
- Full: 84 7/8″ by 95″
- Queen: 95″ by 98″
- King: 108 1/4″ by 98″
- CAL King: 111 7/8″ by 98″
While the newborn photography blanket is sized similarly to preemie blanket guidelines, I do not recommend a blanket made from Bernat Blanket Yarn for a preemie because it is too heavy for them, and they can become overheated easily.
For the newborn photography photo props, typically, the base is the blanket, and then the layering blanket is laid in a different direction on top, and then baby. Sometimes the newborn size is also used in photography.
Gauge – Not Essential:
3 Boxes = 5″ Square
With the nature of this stitch pattern, the easiest way to measure is to do so in pattern. Measure the width (before the border), and this will be about 3 1/4″ smaller. Same goes for the height. You can easily add or take away boxes as you go.
Abbreviations (US Terms):
- DC – Double Crochet (Photo Tutorial)
- SC – Single Crochet (Photo Tutorial)
- C2C – Corner to Corner (Photo Tutorial for DC Boxes)
Pattern Notes:
Beginning chain 2 counts as a double crochet. Beginning chain 1 does not count as a stitch.
A box is comprised of four double crochet’s.
Working the final double crochet into the foundation chain from the previous row helps to keep the edge more even. After completing the first box, your edge may look a little wonky. You can use your fingers to manipulate the fabric, but the border will cover it up and it will look nice and straight.
I highly recommend weaving in your ends as you go. It will be easier to access the spots while you are near them. While there technically isn’t a right or wrong side with corner to corner as it is worked turned the whole time, you’ll still want to designate a wrong side to bring all your ends to and weave in.
The border adds 3 1/4″. You can add more rounds of double crochet to increase the width and height with each round adding about 2 1/4″ in total to the width and height.
If you do not want to add a border, you may want to add extra boxes to the width and height to get closer to the finished measurements.
Super Chunky Colin Drew Afghan, Video Tutorial:
Super Chunky Colin Drew Afghan, Written Pattern:
Chain 6. DC into the 4th chain, and into each of the next 2. (1 Box)
R2: Chain 6, and turn. DC into the 4th, 5th and 6th chains. You now have an alligator mouth shape. Flip the bottom fabric so it’s mirrored and slip stitch into the top of the next chain 2, which is the stitch that is the most natural to work into when you lay your 2 boxes together. Chain 2. Looking at the next box, you see the stitches laying horizontally. Work 2 DC into the space in between the top 2 stitches. To help keep a straight edge, work the last DC into the foundation chain on the left side. (2 Boxes)
R3: (I) Chain 6, and turn. DC into the 4th chain, and into each of the next 2. Flip your fabric and slip stitch into the top of the next chain 2;
(II) Chain 2, work 3 DC into the space in between the top 2 stitches of the same box, slip stitch into the top of the next chain;
(III) Chain 2, work 2 DC into the space in between the top 2 stitches of the same box, DC into the foundation chain on the left side. (3 Boxes)
R4 – 11 (15, 28, 45, 53, 61, 78, 103, 136, 153, 175, 181): Using Row 3 as a base, you will continue working in the same manner repeating (II) one extra time each row to increase the number of boxes by one each row. Each of these rows will have the same number of boxes as row (ie 4 will have 4 boxes, 5 will have 5 boxes, etc).
Now the width is as wide as we want it to be, we will no longer be starting with a chain 6 width-wise (though we will continue to start with a chain 6 height-wise). Instead, each time we are starting from this side, we will chain 1 and slip stitch over, then begin with a chain 2 to form a straight edge.
If you want to add width here, you can work an additional row before beginning the decrease on this side.
Next Row: Chain 1, and turn. Slip stitch into the 2nd, 3rd and 4th stitches. Chain 2, work 3 DC into the space in between the top 2 stitches of the same box, slip stitch into the top of the next chain;
(chain 2, work 3 DC into the space in between the top 2 stitches of the same box, slip stitch into the top of the next chain) over to last box;
Chain 2, work 2 DC into the space in between the top 2 stitches of the same box, skip the next 3 DC, DC into the foundation chain on the left side.
We still want to add height, so when we are starting from this side, we will continue to begin with a chain 6 and work down to form the 1st box. As we work across this row, we will slip stitch to the last box, and not chain 2 to work an additional box on top (because the width is already as wide as we need it).
Following Row: Chain 6, and turn. DC into the 4th chain, and into each of the next 2. Flip your fabric and slip stitch into the top of the next chain 2;
(chain 2, work 3 DC into the space in between the top 2 stitches of the same box, slip stitch into the top of the next chain) over to the last box.
Continue alternating these last two rows until you have 11 (15, 28, 45, 61, 78, 95, 145, 153, 158, 158, 158) boxes tall counting vertically (not counting in pattern rows, just counting vertically from the first box). You will maintain the same number of boxes (counting width-wise).
Now the height is as tall as we want it to be, we will no longer be starting with a chain 6 at all. Regardless of the side, we will chain 1 and slip stitch over, then begin with a chain 2. With each row, the number of boxes will decrease by 1.
If you want to add height here, you can work an additional row before beginning the decrease on this side.
Remaining Rows Until You Have 3 Boxes Left: Chain 1, and turn. Slip stitch into the 2nd, 3rd and 4th stitches. Chain 2, work 3 DC into the space in between the top 2 stitches of the same box, slip stitch into the top of the next chain;
(chain 2, work 3 DC into the space in between the top 2 stitches of the same box, slip stitch into the top of the next chain) over to last box.
3 Boxes Left: Chain 1, and turn. Slip stitch into the 2nd, 3rd and 4th stitches. Chain 2, work 3 DC into the space in between the top 2 stitches of the same box, slip stitch into the top of the next chain, chain 2, work 3 DC into the space in between the top 2 stitches of the same box, slip stitch into the top of the next chain. (2 Boxes)
Last Row: Chain 1, and turn. Slip stitch into the 2nd, 3rd and 4th stitches. Chain 2, work 3 DC into the space in between the top 2 stitches of the same box, slip stitch into the top of the last stitch. (1 Box)
Border:
Round 1 is basically 1 SC in the space in between each box, a chain 2 in between SCs over each box, and we’ll increase in each corner stitch. Round 2 is double crochet worked evenly around with increases in each corner stitch.
R1: Chain 1, turn. SC into the space between the boxes just under your current place, chain 2, (SC, chain 3, SC) into the corner stitch, [chain 2, (SC into the space in between the next 2 boxes, chain 2) across, (SC, chain 3, SC) into the corner stitch, chain 2] 3x, chain 2, (SC into the space in between the next 2 boxes, chain 2) across until you’re back to the beginning, then join to the 1st SC.
R2: Chain 2 (counts as a DC). Work 2 DC into the next chain space, DC into the next SC, (DC, chain 2, DC) into the next corner chain space, [DC into the next SC, (2 DC into the next chain space, DC into the next SC) across, (DC, chain 2, DC) into the next corner chain space] 3x, (DC into the next SC, 2 DC into the next chain space) across until you’re back to the beginning, then join to the top chain of the beginning chain 2.
Fasten off, and weave in ends. When working with Bernat Blanket Yarn, I find the easiest way to weave in my ends is with a small crochet. Check out my video tutorial for a quick how to!
Please feel free to make and sell your own items made using this pattern, but keep in mind, this written pattern and my photos are protected by copyright. Please DO NOT claim this pattern as your own nor should you sell my pattern. DO NOT re-publish my photos as your own. DO NOT copy and paste my pattern anywhere, link to it instead so other’s can visit. Making videos providing instructions how to make my projects on any social media platform is also not permitted.
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Oh, great, this sounds like a pattern I could try! Thank you for sharing at The Really Crafty LinkParty. Pinned!
Yes! It’s a nice and easy project to do while binge watching something 🙂
Wow, you have been very productive this month. Great blanket – I love that colour.
Hehe, I try to keep myself busy!