Bright Strips Afghan

Mezmerizing bright stripes are sometimes just the thing to warm up your dreary winter's evenings.

You will need:
about 5 oz each of about 6 colors. Total: 27-30 oz.
Crochet hook: size G

Gauge: 1 shell = 2 inches, 10 shell rows - 7 inches

Shell Strip: (Make 8, mix and match colors)
with cc, ch 4,join with sl st to form ring.
Row 1: ch 3, turn, 3 dc in ring, ch 2, 4 dc in ring, ch 3, turn.
Row 2: 3 dc in ch 2 space, ch 2, 3 dc in same ch 2 space, dc in top of turning ch 3, ch 3, turn.
Repeat 2 until 80 shell rows.
Fasten off.

Double crochet edge: (work on both sides of 6 of the shell strips)
Row 1: Join chosen color at top of first ch 3 of first shell row, ch 2, work 2 dc in first sp at side, *3 dc in next sp, repeat from * to last space, work 2 dc in last sp, dc in next dc, ch 1, turn.
Row 2: working through top loop only and taking care not to draw work tightly, sl st in each dc, ending with dc in top of ch 3, ch 3, turn.
Row 3: Skip first sl st, working through top loop only, dc in each sl st, ch 1, turn.
Rows 4 & 5: Repeat rows 2 and 3.
Row 6: Repeat row 2, fasten off.
Join chosen color on opposite side of shell strip, at last shell row. Work above 6 rows on other side.

Double crochet edge: work on one side only of remaining 2 shell strips
On 1 strip, begin at first shell row and work 6 rows as before.
On second strip, begin as last shell row and work as before.
Block panels.

To Join panels: with right sides of 2 panels tog and with first row of shell st at lower edge, overcast the 6 panels tog through top loop of each st from each panel. At each side, join remaining 2 panels.

Border:
Join yarn under ch 3 of first shell row at outer edge. Ch 3 and work from right side.
Row 1: Work 2 dc in same sp with joining, *3 dc in next sp; rep from * to last sp on edge, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in last sp for corner; ch 1, sc in first ch 2 of shell, ch 1, 2 dc under end st of dc row, dc in sl st row; rep from * to joining row, dc in joining; continue in this way on all sides, ending ch 2, 3 dc in same sp as 2 dc at beg of row. Join with sl st to top of ch 3, ch 1 turn.
Row 2: working thru top loop only, sl st in each st and work 3 sc in ch 2 at each of 4 corners, join, ch 1. turn.
Row 3: Working through top loop only, dc in each st, (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in chenter st at corners, join. ch 1, turn.
Rows 4 and 6: Same as row 2. Fasten off at end of Row 6.
Row 5: Same as row 3.

Fringe: Wrap fringe colors around 7 inch cardboard. Cut at end. Using 2 strands, single knot fringe in corner then in every 2nd sl st across the ends of the afghan.
Trim even.