Sunburst Revival Scrap Afghan — Free Puff Stitch Granny Square Blanket
Free Sunburst Revival Scrap Afghan pattern: 12 puff-stitch sunburst squares in bulky yarn join into a warm 42.5" x 56.6" retro throw you can finish fast
About this pattern
The Sunburst Revival Scrap Afghan takes twelve chunky sunburst squares and turns them into a throw that looks like it was pulled straight out of a 1970s living room — in the best possible way. Each square blooms outward from a puffed center ring into a full sunburst of texture, then gets framed by a five-round border that pulls the whole blanket together. Instead of changing colors inside the motif, each sunburst is worked in a single color way, which makes the design feel calmer, bolder, and beautifully cohesive. It's built for anyone with a pile of half-used yarn cakes and a soft spot for blankets that actually look handmade
You'll be working two star techniques here: the puff stitch, where three tall loops are drawn up in the same stitch and closed with a locking chain-1, and the bobble stitch, made from incomplete double crochets worked into the gap between two puffs and locked with a chain-2. Add basic square joining and a simple border, and that's the whole skill list. If you can work a double crochet confidently and keep track of your stitch counts, you're ready — expect around an hour per square once the rhythm clicks
Finished, each square measures a generous 13" by 13" in the size 6 super bulky yarn shown, so twelve of them (three across, four down) plus the border give you a 42.5" x 56.6" sofa throw rather than a lap-sized tease. The bulky weight makes the puffs stand up like little cushions you can feel through the fabric, and the whole thing has real weight to it — the kind of blanket that stays where you drape it. It gives easily as a housewarming, wedding, or first-apartment gift
Variations
Idea 1
The color assignment is where this pattern gets fun. As written, Wave blue is the main, Cherry red is the accent, and Playgroup does the sunburst — but flip it. Put the variegated in the main position and use solid cream for every sunburst center, and you get a scattered-wildflower effect instead of a repeating one. Or go fully scrappy: work each of the twelve sunburst centers in a different leftover, keep the blue main color consistent across all squares, and the blanket reads as intentional rather than random. That's the classic scrap-afghan trick — one unifying color does all the heavy lifting. The pattern is designed to put you in charge of the color story: use scrap yarn for the sunbursts in a variety of colors, use a different color for the stripe, change the striping pattern, or eliminate the stripe altogether. You can even change the color scheme from block to block. Want a different size? The math is easy at 13" per square. Six squares in a 2×3 layout gives you a 26" x 39" baby or stroller blanket; twenty squares at 4×5 gives you a 52" x 65" full-bed throw. Keep the border either way — it frames any layout, and you can add or subtract granny border rounds to fine-tune the finished size. For yarn substitutions, a #4 worsted weight yarn makes a 9.5" square through R1-8, so plan on more squares; a #3 DK weight works too if that's what your stash holds. Just stick to the same weight yarn throughout the afghan. Bernat Blanket in bulky is another lovely swap, though the puffs get a bit lost in the chenille — go up a hook size if you try it. Seasonally: rust, mustard, and deep olive for autumn; cream sunbursts on charcoal for a modern winter look; soft peach and sage for a spring baby gift. And if you want the texture without the color fuss, work the entire afghan in one heathered gray — the puffs and bobbles carry it completely on their own
Idea 2
I'll be honest — I fell for this one at the puff round. There's something deeply satisfying about pulling up three loops to double-crochet height, closing them all in one go, and watching a fat little cushion pop off the hook. In super bulky yarn it happens fast, and by the end of round three you can already see the sunburst forming. The bobbles are the part I look forward to most: tucked into the gaps between the puffs, they fill the spaces the puff round leaves behind, so the fabric ends up dense and nubbly instead of holey. And the chain-1 and chain-2 locks are quietly brilliant — they hold each stitch upright so nothing slumps or leans. What really keeps me coming back, though, is the yarn. Working each sunburst in a single variegated color way means the yarn does all the color work for you; the sunburst shifts shade on its own with no color changes to manage inside the motif. Twelve squares sounds like a lot until you realize each one is a single evening, and then suddenly you have a blanket
Common mistakes
Skipping the chain-1 that locks each
Those locking chains aren't decorative — they're structural. Without the ch-1, the puff's top loop stays loose and the whole stitch sags sideways into its neighbor by the next round. Without the ch-2, the bobble collapses backward. Work them every single time and count them as part of the stitch, not as a separate chain
Pulling the puff stitch loops up too
Each of the three loops needs to be drawn up to the full height of a double crochet before you move to the next one. If they're short, you can't get the hook through all seven loops cleanly and the puff comes out flat and tight. Draw the loop up, glance at the dc height on your previous round, and match it — a slightly loose loop is far easier to close than a tight one
Working the bobble into a stitch
The pattern specifically calls for the bobble to go into the gap between two puffs — that's what fills the hole the puff round creates. If you work it into the top of a puff instead, you'll end up with a lumpy stack and an open gap beside it. Before starting each bobble, physically spread the fabric with your fingers and find the V-shaped gap; that's your insertion point
Losing track of round starts across the
Puff and bobble rounds hide the beginning-of-round chain completely — you genuinely cannot find it by eye. Put a stitch marker in the first stitch of every round (the materials list calls for markers for exactly this reason) and move it up as you go. Check your stitch count at the end of each round against the pattern before continuing — 16 st after R1, 16 puff stitches after R2, 16 bobble stitches after R3
Squares that come out different sizes
This is almost universal on multi-square blankets — you loosen up as you get comfortable. Measure square one against the stated 13" gauge and then measure every third square after that. If they're drifting large, drop to a US J/6.00 mm hook for the rest; if small, go up to an L/8.00 mm. Blocking will even out small differences, but not a full inch
Joining the squares with tension that
Bulky yarn joins are unforgiving — pull too tight and the seam gathers, too loose and it ripples. Lay two squares flat and pin the corners together before joining, then work at the same tension you used in the squares. Check every few inches that the seam still lies flat against the table, and undo a few stitches rather than pushing through a section that's already puckering
Starting the border without evening out
If the joined squares don't have matching stitch counts along each edge, the border will flare at the corners and wave along the sides. Count your stitches down one full side before round one of the border and add or skip a stitch here or there to balance it. It's a two-minute check that saves you frogging rounds of chunky yarn
Materials & abbreviations
Materials
- Caron Anniversary Cake, size 6 super bulky, 100% acrylic, 285 yds/260 m per 8.8 oz/250 g skein
- 3 Cakes Wave (Blue), 680 yards – Main Color
- 2 Cakes Cherry (Red), 425 yards – Accent Color
- 2 Cakes Playgroup (Variegated), 350 yards – Sunburst Color
- US K/6.50 mm crochet hook
- Stitch markers to keep track of rows
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
Abbreviations
- ch
- chain
- sc
- single crochet
- idc
- half double crochet
- hdc
- half double crochet (written as "idc" in the original abbreviation list)
- dc
- double crochet
- tr
- treble crochet
- sl st
- slip stitch
- st
- stitch(es)
Main pattern
Crochet Sunflower Square (make 12) — Round 1
Ch 3 (counts as first dc), make 15 dc into the loop. Sl st to top of 1st stitch in the row to join. (16 st)
- Special stitch — Puff Stitch: Yarn over, insert hook into next stitch and pull up a loop to the height of a double crochet (3 loops on hook). Then yarn over again and insert hook into the same stitch and pull up another loop (5 loops on hook). Yarn over again, insert hook into the same space and pull up another loop. (7 loops on hook). Pull yarn through all loops. Chain 1 to lock in the stitch.
Tip The Sunburst Revival Afghan is worked in a sunburst granny block with additional granny stitch rows. The blocks are joined with a modified slip stitch join. Then a border is added which consists of a single crochet round, followed by granny stitch rounds. The afghan is finished with a single round of a simple decorative stitch in the contrast color.
Crochet Sunflower Square (make 12) — Round 2
This row is comprised of puff stitches (described above). Ch 2. *Yarn over, insert hook into same stitch as joining and pull up a loop to the height of a double crochet (3 loops on hook). Then yarn over again and insert hook into the same stitch and pull up another loop (5 loops on hook). Yarn over again, insert hook into the same space and pull up another loop. (7 loops on hook). Pull yarn through all loops. Chain 1 to lock in the stitch. First puff stitch made. Then continue to work puff stitches (following the instructions in the special stitches section) into each stitch of the previous row. At end of round, sl st to top of 1st puff stitch. (16 puff stitches).
- Special stitch — Bobble Stitch: Yarn over, insert hook into space between 2 puff stitches and pull up a loop. Yarn over and pull through 2 loops (this leaves 2 loops on hook). Make 3 more incomplete double crochet stitches. There are now 5 loops on the hook. Yarn over and pull through all 5 loops. Chain 2 to lock in the bobble stitch.
Crochet Sunflower Square (make 12) — Round 3
This row is worked in bobbles into the spaces in between the puff stitches from the prior row. (described above). Sl st into next space, then ch 2 (counts as first ‘leg’ of bobble), yarn over, insert hook into space between 2 puff stitches and pull up a loop. Yarn over and pull through 2 loops (this leaves 2 loops on hook). Make 2 more incomplete double crochet stitches. There are now 4 loops on the hook. Yarn over and pull through all 4 loops. Chain 2 to lock in the bobble stitch. First bobble stitch made. Then continue to work bobbles (following the instructions in the special stitches section) across the row into the spaces in the previous row. At end of row, slip stitch to top of 1st bobble stitch. (16 bobble stitches). Fasten off yarn.
Crochet Sunflower Square (make 12) — Round 4
Join main color yarn in any space in previous round. Chain 3 (counts as 1st dc). 2 dc in same space. *In next space, work all of the following: (3 tr, ch 2, 3 tr). Corner made. 3 dc in next space, 3 hdc in next space, 3 dc in next space*. Repeat from * 3 more times. Then work 3 dc in next space, 3 hdc in last space and join with a slip st to 1st dc in row.
Crochet Sunflower Square (make 12) — Round 5
Sl st to next space, ch 3 (counts as 1st dc) and 2dc in same space, [3dc, ch2, 3 dc] in space for corner, 3dc in each space until next corner. Continue to work around, working 3dc in ea space on the sides and [3dc, ch2, 3 dc] in each corner. At end of round join with a sl st to the 1st dc in the row. Fasten off main color yarn.
- Continue to work in granny square stitch pattern. When starting a row with a new color, attach it with a sl st to a space and then ch-3 (counts as the 1st dc). When continuing with the same color as the previous row, slip stitch to the next space, then ch-3 (counts as the 1st dc).
Crochet Sunflower Square (make 12) — Rounds 6-7
Work in Accent Color, continuing in the established granny square stitch pattern.
Crochet Sunflower Square (make 12) — Round 8
Work in Main Color, continuing in the established granny square stitch pattern.
Crochet Sunflower Square (make 12) — Additional guidance
Make a magic ring with the yarn chosen for the sunburst. The sunburst (R1-3) is worked in the variegated/sunburst color, R4-5 and R8 in the main color, and R6-7 in the accent color.
Join Granny Squares — Step 1
Use sunburst yarn color to join granny squares in a 3 square wide by 4 square long layout. I used a Modified Slip Stitch Join, but you can use another joining method if you prefer.
Afghan Border — Round 1
sc in ea st on each side of the afghan. Work 3-sc in each corner space. At end of round, join with a sl st to top of starting sc and fasten off yarn.
Tip Join sunburst yarn color to any stitch on the side of the afghan with a sl st and ch 1.
Afghan Border — Round 2
With main color yarn, attach to any corner stitch with a sl st and ch 3 (counts as 1st dc), work [2dc, ch-2, 3dc] in same stitch (corner made), *skip 2 stitches, work 3dc in next st, repeat from * until corner, then work [3dc, ch-2, 3dc] (2nd corner made). Repeat from *around. At end of row, join to top of starting dc.
Afghan Border — Rounds 3-4
Work in established granny square pattern (see blanket R5). Fasten off yarn at the end of R4.
Afghan Border — Round 5
Join accent color yarn with a sl st in any corner space, work (sc, ch-3, sc) in same corner space, *skip next st, (sc, ch-3, sc) in the next stitch. Repeat from *around. Make sure that a (sc, ch-3, sc) is in each corner even if that means skipping an extra stitch (or not skipping a stitch at all) before working the corner. At the end of the row, join to top of starting sc and fasten off.
- Weave in all ends.
Important notes
Gauge: the afghan square measures 13" x 13" when using the #6 super bulky weight yarn shown. Work one square and measure it before making the other eleven
Finished size: the afghan measures 42.5" x 56.6" — 3 squares wide by 4 squares long, plus the border. You can add or subtract afghan squares to get a different size, and add or subtract granny border rounds to further adjust the finished size
The pattern can be made in different weights of yarn. A #4 worsted weight yarn will make a 9.5" square (R1-8), and you could even use a #3 DK weight if you wish — you'll simply need to add more squares and do a little math. Just remember to stick to the same weight yarn throughout your afghan
Working out yarn amounts for a different weight: crochet one square in your chosen color layout without weaving in any ends, then unravel it and measure the amount of yarn used for each section. Multiply by the number of squares in your layout to get the yarn needed for the squares, and allow extra for joining the squares and working the border. An extra ½ to 1 skein of the main/background color is usually enough insurance for math errors or changes along the way
The US K/6.50 mm hook is the sweet spot for these puffs in size 6 super bulky — big enough to pull three tall loops through comfortably, small enough that the fabric stays dense. If your puffs feel like a wrestling match, try a hook with a deeper throat rather than jumping up a full size; the hook shape matters more than the number here
Buy your Anniversary Cakes in one go if you can. Cakes are self-striping, and the color sequence can shift between dye lots — with only 3 cakes of Wave for the main color across twelve squares, a mid-project mismatch will show. Check dye lot numbers on all seven cakes before you start round one
Use two stitch markers, not one: one in the first stitch of the round and one in the last. On puff and bobble rounds the texture swallows your turning chain completely, and having both ends marked means you never have to unpick a round to find where you started
Wind off a small ball from each cake for the sunburst centers rather than working straight from the whole cake. The centers use short bursts of the Playgroup variegated, and dragging a full 250 g cake around for three rounds is how tangles start
Block each square before you join, not after. Wet-block or steam to a true 13" x 13" using a towel and pins — acrylic responds well to gentle steam held above the fabric (never pressed onto it). Squaring up twelve pieces individually is far easier than trying to coax a joined blanket into shape
Weave your ends in as you finish each square, not at the end. Twelve squares plus a five-round border means a lot of tails, and bulky yarn ends are thick — bury them along the back of a puff round where the texture hides them, and split the yarn plies with your tapestry needle so they can't work loose in the wash
Lay all twelve squares out on the floor before joining and photograph the arrangement with your phone. With variegated sunburst centers, some combinations sit better next to each other than others, and it's much easier to rearrange on the floor than to unpick a seam
Frequently asked questions
The pattern calls for 3 cakes of Wave (680 yards) as the main color, 2 cakes of Cherry (425 yards) as the accent, and 2 cakes of Playgroup (350 yards) for the sunbursts — about 1,455 yards total across seven cakes. If you're substituting yarn, aim for that total with a similar main-to-accent ratio, and buy an extra ½ to 1 skein of your main color as insurance for the border
Yes — a #4 worsted weight yarn makes a 9.5" square through R1-8 instead of the 13" square you get in #6 super bulky, and a #3 DK weight works too. You'll need more squares to reach the same throw size, so work one square first and measure before committing to a yarn amount. Just stick to the same weight yarn throughout the whole afghan
Nine times out of ten it's loop height: each of the three loops needs to be drawn up to full double crochet height before you add the next. Short loops make a tight, flat puff that won't pop. Also make sure you're working the closing chain-1 every time, since that's what holds the puff's shape upright
Not at all — twelve gives you the 3×4 layout that finishes at 42.5" x 56.6" with the border, which is a good sofa throw size. Six squares makes a baby blanket, twenty makes a full-bed throw. You can also add or subtract granny border rounds to fine-tune the size, and keep the border regardless of how many squares you use, since it's what frames the edges
Yes, if you're solid on double crochet and comfortable counting stitches. The puff and bobble are both just variations on stitches you already know — multiple loops drawn up in one place, then closed together. The trickiest part is honestly the joining and keeping twelve squares consistent in size, not the stitches themselves
Since it's 100% acrylic, machine wash cold on a gentle cycle and tumble dry low — the puffs and bobbles hold their shape well through washing. Avoid high heat, which can flatten acrylic texture permanently. Given the size and weight of a super bulky throw, a front-loading machine or a laundromat's large drum is easier on both the blanket and your machine
