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.

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:  

I pictured it in terracotta and brights,

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

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

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.  

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.

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.

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.

This week our two blocks are similar in that they both feature cluster stitches.  Floral Fantasy is our paid pattern and is available on Ravelry both as a single pattern at $3.99 and also in our CAL E-book with 17 other patterns for $15.00, or in my E-book #3 with 10 other blocks for $11.99.

To give you an idea of how color placement can change the look, here is a photo collage I made out of some finished versions:

As with our other blocks in this project, change colors as desired to form your own unique afghan.  If you want to do a “stashbuster,” I think it looks nice to include a little bit of one color in every block to unify things.

I just went back and reworked Floral Fantasy and it is great fun. I like an easy repetitive pattern. 🙂 I used an I hook but I am a loose crocheter, and I came in at a little over 12”, so I am going to give a gauge measurement after a few rounds. After 4 rounds I was at 5”, so if you are larger than that you need to start again with a smaller hook. Right before the last round mine seemed a little bulgy so for the last round I was thinking of doing something like corner, dc in next 10, hdc in next 13, dc in next 10, but it is also fine as written and a little blocking. You may also have to do sc or hdc on the last round to get your size. I ended up doing a round of hdc all around.  I also put 2 ch in the corners because I am getting into that habit lately. Another tip is that for the beginning Cluster I have been doing ch-2 lately instead of ch-3. I think I’d like to make a hat with this pattern.

The second block this week, Clusters Afghan Square,  is offered free with a coupon code – the code is CC.  (Coupon good until February 29, 2016.)  Go to the pattern page on Ravelry, hit “buy this now,” or “add to cart” and a shopping cart will come up.  There will be an area to enter your coupon code, then hit apply.  The price will come down to zero.  Please do not share this coupon code, but direct people to this blog to pick up their code.  🙂  Here is BankerLady’s version which is much prettier than mine.

With Crochet Clusters – now called Clusters because I was not compliant with the Ravelry Database rules,  make sure to keep your post stitches loose. Add another “yarnover” if necessary but you don’t want the sides pulling in. At one point I said put spike stitch on either side of the fpdc but it should be fptr.

Another tip for both blocks is that with FF you could avoid fastening off Color B and carry it up the back and with CC do the same with Color A. I would chain 3 or 4 and carry it up. It’s noticeable on the back but makes much fewer ends to weave in.

Another tip: Working with your chosen palette, it is up to you to change colors in each block as desired. You can look at the Ravelry project pages for ideas on how others changed colors, for example:http://www.ravelry.com/…/libr…/clusters-afghan-square/people.

If you have any problems with this week’s blocks, please ask questions on my Ravelry board or my Facebook CAL page (type Crochet-A-Long with JulieAnny in the Facebook search box to find and join group) and I or some of our friendly group members will be happy to help.  We will discuss joining and bordering as the CAL moves on.

NEXT CAL – CROCHET A-LONG starts Monday, Nov 2.  Crochet along with me on the Julie Yeager Designs board on Ravelry, and on my Facebook CAL page.  Info will be updated here on my blog  and on my Ravelry board.    I have about 30 afghan square patterns, but we’ll feature 18, two per week for 9 weeks.  One pattern will be free and the other a paid pattern.  Use one or all of the patterns to customize your own blanket.  Color suggestions and yarn amounts can be found in previous posts.  All are welcome.

EDIT: I am putting together an e-book with all 18 patterns for $15.00. If you recently purchased some and wish you would have waited, send me a message and we will work it out. 🙂

Schedule:

11/2
Free: Crochet Clusters Afghan Square (with Coupon Code)
Paid: Floral Fantasy Afghan Square
11/9
Free: Fantastic Afghan Square (Free on Blog)
Paid: Eight Pointed Flower Afghan Square
11/16
Free: Loopy Dishcloth or Afghan Square (Will Debut as free on blog)
Paid: Spiky Circle
11/23
Free: Sweet and Fair
Paid: Catalina
11/30
Free: Sun Catcher
Paid: Holiday Ornament Afghan Square
12/7
Free: Margaret Afghan Square (Will debut as free on blog), Puff Wheat bonus square from Margaret MacInnis (coupon code on blog)
Paid: In Treble
12/14
Free: Spiral Circle to Square (Coupon Code)
Paid: Firenze Afghan Square
12/21
Free: Viva La Vida (debut free on blog)
Paid: Mum in Treble
12/28
Free: Circle Star or Heart to Heart (will debut free on blog)
Paid: JulieAnny’s Stained Glass Afghan Square

Update: We will feature one free and one paid pattern each week, a total of 18 blocks. Don’t forget BOGO in my Rav store, with code FLFB, which is good until 10/31, but I will extend until 11/14. With the BOGO, you can get 21 patterns for 11.99. There are 7 free patterns on this website, See tab above, and I am going to add Loopy Dishcloth, Margaret, Viva la Vida, Heart to Heart as free patterns. I am going to give free coupons during the CAL for Spiral Circle to Square and Crochet Clusters. I am going to try to come up with two new designs by the end of the CAL. If you purchase yarn through my website links at joann.com or deramores.com or amazon.com or craftsy.com I get a commission, thanks.
I gave some palette suggestions in a previous post.  Personally, I am going to use Vanna’s Choice Purple, Wildberry, Rose, Pink, Beige, Dusty Purple, Olive, Pea Green(sparingly, of course) and a Waverly green that looks almost exactly like VC Dusty Green, but I can’t wait to see what you all come up with.
Nov 2 ,8,16,23,30
Dec 7,14,21,28

For our next Crochet A-Long on my Ravelry board and Facebook CAL page, we are going to work through November and December on an afghan comprised of my 12″ Afghan Square Patterns.  I have about 30 available patterns, a mixture of free and paid patterns, and you can choose which to use in your own personalized afghan.  12 – 12″ blocks makes a nice large lap blanket, and 20- 12″ makes a large afghan.  You can choose your own join and border method, and I will give suggestions.  For today, I am going to give you some color combination suggestions.    As you know I love the Vanna’s Choice Fan Club board on Ravelry, and they always have great and unique palette suggestions for their afghan square swaps.  I have “borrowed” a few ideas and here are the Vanna’s Choice colors you’ll need for each.  With my 12″ squares in Vanna’s Choice you need a little less than 1 skein per square,  plus a couple for border, so about 14 – 22 skeins total, depending on size.  (For 12 blocks get 2 each of 6 colors plus 2 or 3 for border.  For 20 blocks get 3 skeins each of 6 colors plus 2 -4 for border.)  Vanna’s Choice is $2.99 per skein at joann.com this week, with a $1.99 shipping offer with purchase of $60.00, with coupon code SHIPDEAL298. . Vanna’s Choice and all aran weight yarns are 25% off at Deramores until 29 Oct.  If you buy (anything)through my links or button I get a commission, thanks!

(I substituted a few colors that were discontinued.)

Here is Bankerlady’s beautiful blanket from the Lavender for Luck swap using  Pink, Purple, Dusty Purple, Silver Blue, Sweet Pea and Fisherman.

This is Dakotastamper’s from the William Morris swap:  Antique Rose, Pink, Beige, Mustard, Dusty Green and Silver Blue.

Lissa M’s pretty Happy Dancers:   Charcoal Grey, Silver Grey, White, Baby Aqua, Aqua, Sapphire.

Havenodoutt’s lovely Merry Grinchmas – Scarlet, Lime, Fern, Kelly Green, Black, White.

And finally, Sharonhk’s Chocolate and Roses: Chocolate, Antique Rose, Rose, Dusty Rose, Fisherman and Taupe.

I love these combinations and thanks to the crafters who share their eye-candy with us!  Disclaimer:  These are not all my designs, just examples of the style and colors we are going for.  We are going to be working on just my patterns.  See tabs above and my Ravelry Store.

During the course of the CAL, the following squares will be added to the free section of the blog:  Heart to Heart, Viva La Vida, Margaret, Loopy Dishcloth.  The following will have free coupon codes for a limited time:  Spiral Circle to Square, Crochet Clusters.