Monthly Archives: November 2015

Week 5 – Sun Catcher and Holiday Ornament

(If you hit the little icon at the top of this post that says Afghan Square CAL, you can go to the archive of all posts about this CAL.)

Week 5 of our Afghan Square CAL features Sun Catcher Afghan Square, which is free on Ravelry until the end of 2015 and also free here on the blog.  This block is a little challenging, but hundreds have successfully completed it.  There are round by round photos on Ravelry in the Block of the Month group.

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Holiday Ornament reminds me of those old glass ornaments that my Mom hung on her tree.  I have been seeing some great versions of this block lately; this second one is by Isabella106:

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This pattern is available on Ravelry for $3.99, and also in the E-book for this CAL, with all 18 patterns for $15.00.

Week 4 – Sweet and Fair and Catalina

Well, the week is not over yet, but I am running behind on my squares with Thanksgiving this week.  This week we are working on Sweet and Fair Afghan Square, this first one stitched by Birdlebee.  The pattern is free on Ravelry until the end of 2015, but there is also a free version here on the blog.

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This is another easy rhythmic square, featuring  treble crochet stitches.  Once you get the hang of the construction, it is repetitive and fun.  I particularly love the squaring up rounds, and I used them again on my Gretchen Square.  Perfectly square!  I find this square and Catalina both a little flimsier than some of my other squares, but they fit together in a sampler just fine.

Catalina was inspired by bright Mexican ceramic tiles like this one:  tile_medium2

I pictured it in terracotta and brights,

Catalina_12_medium2Catalina 9

but it also looks striking in a two-color scheme like this one by Untouchable41757 on Ravelry:

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Pattern is $3.99 on Ravelry, and is also part of our 18 pattern E-book for this CAL, available for $15.00.

Loopy Dishcloth or Afghan Square

Loopy Dishcloth or Afghan Square

by Julie Yeager Designs

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Materials: 12” Afghan Square

Pattern uses US crochet terms.

Color A: Terracotta (20 g)                  Color B: Tapestry variegated (13 g)                  Color C: Eggplant (19 g)                      Color D: Honey (21 g)                         Color E: Dusty Green (35 g)

Crochet Hook:  Size I

Special Stitches and abbreviations:

Bpsc – Back post single crochet – Insert hook from the back side of the work right to left around the post of the indicated stitch on a previous row; yo and pull up a loop, yo and draw through two loops.

Bpdc – Back post double crochet – Insert hook from the back side of the work right to left around the post of the indicated stitch on a previous row; yo and pull up a loop, yo and draw through two loops, yo and draw through two loops.

Ch-3 at the beginning of a round counts as a double crochet (dc.)

Instructions:

Round 1: With A, ch 5, join with sl st to form ring. Ch 3, 17 dc in ring, sl st to top of beginning ch-3 to join. Invisible join recommended throughout. Fasten off. (18 dc)

Round 2: Join B with bpsc around any dc. Bpsc around next 17 st. Sl st to first sc of round. (18 sc)

Round 3: Ch 1, sc in same st. (Ch 5, sc in next st) x 17, ch 5, sl st to first sc of round. (18 sc, 18 ch-5 loops)

Round 4: Ch 1. Working behind Round 3, 2 dc in each sc of Round 2. Sl st to first dc of round. Fasten off. (36 dc)

Round 5: Join C with bpsc around any dc. Bpsc around each dc, sl st to first bpsc of round. (36 bpsc)

Round 6: Ch 1, sc in same st. (Ch 5, sc in next st) x 35, ch 5, sl st to first sc of round. (36 sc, 36 ch-5 loops)

Round 7: Ch 1. Working behind Round 6, (2 dc in next sc of Round 5, 1 dc in next sc of Round 5) x 18. Sl st to first dc of round. Fasten off. (54 dc)

Round 8: Join D with bpsc around any dc. Bpsc around each dc, sl st to first bpsc of round. (54 bpsc)

Round 9: Ch 1, sc in same st. (Ch 5, sc in next st) x 53, ch 5, sl st to first sc of round. (54 sc, 54 ch-5 loops)

Round 10: Ch 1. Working behind Round 9, (2 dc in next sc of Round 8, dc in each of next 2 sc of Round 8) x 18. Sl st to first dc of round. Fasten off. (72 dc)

Round 11: Join E with bpsc around any dc. Bpsc around each dc, sl st to first bpsc of round. (72 sc)

Round 12: Ch 1, sc in same st. (Ch 5, sc in next st) x 71, ch 5, sl st to first sc of round. (72 sc, 72 ch-5 loops) (Stop here if making dishcloth.)

Round 13: Ch 1. Working behind Round 12, (2 dc in next sc of Round 11, dc in each of next 5 sc of Round 11) x 12. Sl st to first dc of round. Fasten off. (84 dc)

Round 14: Join A with sc in any st. Sc in next 3 st, (hdc in next 3 st, dc in next 2 st, tr in next st, (2 tr, ch 1, 2 tr) in next st for corner, tr in next st, dc in next 2 st, hdc in next 3 st, sc in next 8 st) x 4, omitting last 4 sc. Sl st to first sc of round. Fasten off. (24 tr, 16 dc, 24 hdc, 32 sc, 4 ch-1 sp)

Round 15: Join B with sl st in any corner sp. Ch 2, 4 hdc in same sp. [(Ch 1, sk next st, hdc in next st) x 12, ch 1, 5 hdc in next ch-1 sp] x 4, omitting last 5 hdc. Sl st to top of beg ch-2. Fasten off. (68 hdc, 52 ch-1 sp)

Round 16: Join C with sc in 3rd hdc of any corner, sc in same st. [Sc in next 2 st, dc in skipped st below in Round 14. (Sc in next st of Round 15, dc in next st of Round 14) x 11, sc in next st of Round 15, dc in corner sp of Round 14, sc in next 2 st of Round 15, 3 sc in next st of Round 15] x 4, omitting last 2 sc and placing last sc in same st as beg st of round. Sl st to first sc of round, fasten off. Mark the four corner stitches (center st of 3 sc group.) (52 dc, 76 sc)

Round 17: Join D with an sc in any stitch. Work a round of crab stitch (backwards single crochet) in each st of round. Fasten off. (128 crab st)

Round 18: Join E with bpsc around post of any st of Round 16. Ch 2, bpdc around post of each st of Round 16. Do not fasten off. (128 bpdc)

Round 19: Ch 3, dc in each st around, with (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in corners (use Round 16 markers to find corner.) Sl st to top of beg ch-3, fasten off. (140 dc, 4 ch-2 sp)

Round 20: (If needed) Join A with sc in any st, sc in each st around, with 3 sc in corners. Sl st to beg st of round, fasten off. (152 sc)

Dishcloth

loopy dishcloth

Worsted weight cotton yarn

Color A: Lavender (a few yards)          Color B: Sugar & Cream Hot Blue (1 skein)

Crochet Hook size I (5.5 mm)

Work as for afghan square through Round 12.

Round 13: Ch 1. Working behind Round 12, (2 dc in next sc of Round 11, dc in each of next 3 sc of Round 11) x 18. Sl st to first dc of round. (90 dc)

Round 14: Ch 1, bpsc around each dc, sl st to first bpsc of round. Fasten off. (90 sc)

Copyright 2013 – Julie Yeager Designs.

Please do not post this pattern on the internet, even if it was obtained as a “free pattern.” Post the link to my website – https://julieyeagerdesigns.com, or my Ravelry store – where you can see all my patterns – http://www.ravelry.com/stores/Julie-yeager-designs. Contact me via e-mail at [email protected].

Week 3 – Loopy and Spiky Circle Afghan Blocks

For Week 3 of our 12″ Afghan Square CAL we are featuring Loopy, a free pattern debuting here on my blog.  I think this is a very fun square to stitch, and the beginning rounds make a nice scrubby or dishcloth if done in the right yarn.  The crab stitch is also interesting.  I am working on it now in my CAL colors, but here is the pattern to get you started.  I am going to leave the pattern free here on my blog (there is an easy-print button) and as a paid pattern in my Ravelry store if you want to save it to your Rav library.  Also available in the 18 pattern E-book compiled especially for this CAL for $15.00.  

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The paid pattern this week is Spiky Circle, an easy-to stitch square using the spike stitch, which is working the stitch into a row below.  You can change the placement of the spikes for a different look.  This block reminds me of fireworks.  Available on Ravelry for $3.99, or in the 18 pattern E-book for $15.00.

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Week 2 – Afghan Block CAL – Fantastic! and Eight-Pointed Flower

Week 2 blocks are Fantastic!, a free pattern here on my blog, and I think one of my most well-designed patterns. It is perfectly square, fun to stitch, and color changes can dramatically change the look. (The final rounds can be added to any block if you want to bring up the size or give them all the same border.) I went back and reworked it this weekend and got 13 sections instead of 12 and didn’t even realize it until Round 9! I had to throw it into the corner for a time-out, but went back and finished the next day.

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Eight-Pointed Flower, the paid pattern, has been around for years and has almost 700 project pages on Ravelry. Love to see what you all come up with!  Don’t forget BOGO in my Ravelry Store with code FLFB good until November 14, 2015, and the E-Book for this CAL, only $15.00 for 18 patterns.

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