I used Encore for the Border and Decor for the body of the afghan; both are slightly heavier than the Woolease used in the pattern. If I make another one, I would use an even heavier worsted.

I was concerned about the long strands of yarn of the tulip leaves on both the front and back of the afghan so I used the Lucky Leaf pattern from p. 239 of Barbara Walker’s Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns, School House Press, 1998.

I did not want to sew the border on. I made a border of 20 leaves which is slightly longer than the width of the afghan so I added a few stitches between the trees. I picked up the stitches along the edge of the border to start the afghan. I could not get a satisfactory mitered corner for the border so I ended it at the bottom and restarted it for the 2 sides, sewing the over lap together. I knit the side borders simultaneously with the body of the afghan, connecting them with intarsia technique. The border pattern works for the left hand side of the afghan (facing the afghan) but not the right hand side, so I reversed the directions. The only awkward row is the last row where stitches are passed over each other without knitting them. It is a little stiffer but looks very similar.

Mirror image of leaf border- for right hand side of afghan (facing the afghan)

Start with 8 stitches
Row 1 (RS): K2, yo, K1, yo, K 5 - 10 sts
Row 2: K 3, K in front and back of stitch (inc made), P 6 - 11 sts
Row 3: K3, yo, K 1, yo, K 2, P1, K4 - 13 sts
Row 4: K4, inc in next stitch, P8 – 14 sts
Row 5: K 4, yo, K1, yo, K3, P2, K 4 – 16 sts
Row 6: K 5, inc in next stitch, p 10 – 17 sts
Row 7: K5, yo, K1, yo, K4, P3, K 4 – 19 sts
Row 8: K 6, inc in next stitch, P12 – 20 sts
Row 9: K1, ssk, K7, K 2 tog, P 4, K 4 – 18 sts
Row 10: K7, inc in next stitch, P 10 – 19 sts
Row 11: K1, ssk, K5, K 2 tog, P5, K4 – 17 sts
Row 12: K5, P1, K2, Inc in next stitch, P8 – 18 sts
Row 13: K1, ssk, K3, K 2tog, P4, K1, P1, K4 – 16 sts
Row 14: K5, P1, K3, inc in next stitch, P6 – 17 sts
Row 15: K1, ssk, K1, K 2 tog, P5, K1, P1, K4 – 15 sts
Row 16: K5, P1, K4, inc in next stitch, P4 – 16 sts
Row 17: K1, sl 1, k 2 tog psso, p6, K1, P1, K4 – 14 sts
Row 18: K4, P3, turn work, slip all but 2 stitches to left needle. On right needle, pass right stitch over left stitch, slip one stitch from left needle to right needle, slip right stitch over left stitch, repeat from * 3 more times, turn work, p 2 together – 8 sts

I knit the top border, attaching it simultaneously to the afghan. It was a bit of a pain as I should have had a shorter needle for the border. In future projects, I might just sew on a completed piece of border. I sewed together the overlapping small areas at the corners.

Have fun with the trees. No two trees look alike so variations in the cables are fine, and don’t show. Amidst all the fine china and utensil presents that got oohs and aahs, my present was the only one at the shower that got applause.