La Merveille des Merveilles

400 g of crochet thread (6-thread cord) No. 20, 5 double-pointed needles No. 9/0 or No. 2, stitch holders, crochet hook. Size: 1.55 meter in diameter.

Instructions: Knit the 8 motifs that encircle the center as follows. Cast on 10 sts, join into a round. Knit 5 repeats per round of charts A beginning with round 1. Knit the rounds not shown on the chart, except where there is a ktbl in the previous round. Those stitches should also be ktbl. Note that in round 4 the three yarnovers of the previous round are increased to 11 stitches by alternating knits and purls into the yarnovers.

After round 101, do not work a resting round 102 but put a marker between stitches #85 and #86 and leave the work on hold. Make a second motif in the same manner, including the marker between stitches #85 and #86 in the last round. After round 101 on that one, hold the sts of the first repeat on the second motif against the stitches of the 3rd repeat of the first motif (RS facing) and work a 3-needle-bind-off across these 85 sts. Leave all other sts on hold.

Make a third motif and after round 101, join the third motif to the second one in the same way. Continue that way until you have 8 motifs. Join motif 8 both to motif 7 and motif 1 to produce a full circle. On the inside of this circle, you will have 8 times 85, i.e. 680 sts. On the outside, you should have 8 times 170 sts, i.e. 1360 sts.

Inner part: Place the inner 680 sts onto a circular needle and work according to chart B. The chart must be repeated 8 times per round. Change to magic loop or dpns when you feel like. After rd 141, pull the working yarn through the remaining 8 sts and secure.

Border: Place the outer 1380 sts onto a circular needle and work according to chart C. The beginning of the round is at the marker on motif 1, i.e. above a festoon. Work the rounds in the following manner: [1 time the part to the right of the first bold line, followed by 9 times the part between the bold lines, finally once the part to the left of the second bold line.] (Thus, the part to the right of the first bold line comes to lie above a garland.) Repeat the instructions within the square brackets another 7 times until the round is completed. After round 30, crochet off gathering subsequently 6, 6, 6, then 3 sts into a sc, working 10 chain sts between those. Block, starch if desired and let dry.

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