Single Crochet Square Pattern

Single Crochet Square used in the Patchwork Blanket

USA Terminology, Hook Size 4

Yarn: Elle Premier DK in Grey and Taupe available from Woolhogs 

Hello! When Di made contact with me yesterday, inquiring about the pattern I used to make the Patchwork blanket, I decided to finally write it down and make a posting. Easier said than done though! I think I know now why I did not write it down in the first place.  It is easy to crochet, but fiddly to explain (perhaps due to my own lack of technical skills). Di and her friends living all over the world, are participating in a CAL to make a cot blanket for a friend. Their idea makes my heart sing, this is why we crochet and blog, to share ideas!  

The short version:

Ch 4 close ring. 8 sc into the ring and close. For all the rounds: sc ch2 sc to form corners, sc in sc of previous round to form sides. 

The long version: 

1. Chain 4, close
2. Round 1: ch1 to form first sc and work another 7 sc in ring = 8 sc
3. Round 2: ch3 and then sc in same space (first corner), sc in sc of previous round (this forms a side), then sc ch2 sc (this forms a corner) in next space - continue until you have 4 corners and 4 sides and slip stitch into first sc to close round, slip into corner space.
4. Round 3 (4&5): Ch3 and then sc in same stitch (corner), two times sc (side), sc ch2 sc (corner) in next space -  continue until you have 4 corners and 4 sides and slip stitch into first sc to close round, slip into corner space. Round 4 will have 3 sc on each side and Round 5 will have 4 sc. 

NOTE

I deliberately ignored the first sc that is somewhat hidden by the sc ch2 sc corner (as pointed out by needle in picture 2 below. It results in a first 5 rounds that has a slight curve when the square is viewed from the side. If you want a sharp, flat square right from the beginning, be sure to also add an sc in that specific stitch after each corner.

1. Round 6: Ch3 and then sc in same stitch (corner), 6 times sc, then sc ch2,sc (corner). Why 6 times sc? 
2. From round 6 onwards you will also be working in the first sc right next to the corner (see photo 2 above). In stead of automatically crocheting 5 sc on the sides as a continuation from the previous round, you will now have 6 sc as a result of crocheting into that almost hidden stitch. In each round it will also increase by 2 sc on each side in stead of just 1 sc. Holy moly, I hope this make sense to you! You need that extra stitch in order to flatten out the shape as the square grows bigger.  Just magnify these pics if my instructions are too fiddly/waffly and if you still do not get it, let me know and I will do a Youtube Tutorial. 
3. Round 7 will have 8 sc on each side; Round 8 will have 10 sc on each side; Round 9 will have 12 sc on each side; Round 10 will have 14 sc on each side; Round 11 will have 16 sc on each side. 
4. Round 12: I added a sc border with picot for styling purposes. Who knows, this might work for a lacy joining effect, but I haven't tried it out!

Meanwhile, in Doha through the lounge window:

 This is the view on a normal day above and during the sandstorm that just rolled in below!  

It is 21:34 and still hot as hell here.  The official reading is 39 degrees Celsius, but the apparent temparature (what it feels like according to Yahoo Weather) is  47 degrees due to the humidity and dust.  Unless one wants a free microdermabrasion, it is best to stay out of the sandpit and vegetate indoors!

The Teen Girl is busy vegetating crafting with Air-dry Clay. This is a ring featuring 4 teeth (don't ask, one doesn't interfere with Teen minds) and it has already received some pinkish and silver paint. I might just show you the finished evil eye broach and teeth ring next time I post. Tee hee, I love hormonal mindsets!   

Patchwork Blanket

 

Hello!  I am so glad this blanket is finished, it is pretty and I quite liked working in these colours, but I am also yearning to work in a more subdued palette again. The colours and blanket remind me of the sugus chewy candy we used to gorge on as kids.  During road trips we challenged one another to unwrap and stack as many sugus as possible before shoving it in our mouths to chew and chew and chew until our jaws ached! Ah, I loved taking a trip down memory lane with this piece.

Patchwork Blanket

Squares: Single Crochet (US); 14 x 7 squares = 98 in total; each square 15 x 15 cm
Click on Pattern for new tutorial

Size of the Blanket: 110 x 220 cm.  I decided to steer away from the initial square I planned and am really pleased with the final dimensions of my blanket 

Hook Size: 5mm

Yarn: Raeesah Summer Cotton Yarn available from Charming Wool

Bobble Edging: See Heidi Bears for her lovely pattern and tutorial.   

This is a heavy throw and I decided to line it in a white toile with a whimsical black pattern to help keep the shape of the piece.  Because of the weight of a big blanket, I think that this yarn is more suitable to smaller baby blankets and projects such as handbags, cushions and toys.
Raeesah colours are really pretty and clean - a combination of hues and tints.  I think this is a great yarn for those enjoying a more solid look opposed to slightly mottled effects of hand dyed cottons.  I personally prefer the mottled effect and have an affinity for greyed down or toned colours, however I am quite in love with this blanket. 

Colour planning: Granny Square Color Pattern Generator.  I have written about the colour generators in this posting and even though I never planned to use this yarn and pattern for a blanket (I bought the yarn for The Teen to keep her fingers out of my Vinnis stash!) the idea of a fun, colourful patchwork blanket just stuck. Using the initial colours as a guideline, but replacing the white with cream and adding a red to the combination, I regenerated this pattern

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Have a great Valentine's Day and weekend. 

The husband is in Qatar and the kids and I will lick our wounds (still in South Africa) by licking a gelato each. Italians opened an authentic Gelateria nearby and I have already sampled the Pistachio as well as Cinnamon Honey flavours. Yum! 

Here is the very first pic the husband took in Downtown Doha. I love the grit and character.

Cheers!

Patchwork blanket hanging from the hooks

This year has certainly kicked off with a big bang and I can't believe how busy January has been!  

I just crossed out this coming Monday morning in my diary and will either sleep in or spend the morning at the beauty parlour, depending on whether I can actually haul myself out of bed for a pampering session.  

We have been shopping (cardigans, shrugs and leggings to transform our minis and sleeveless tops since the official dress code in Qatar requires shoulders and knees to be covered) and entertaining relocation agents; applied for all sorts of clearance certificates and submitted those to Foreign Affairs for Legalisation after the Attorney took it via the High Court for Authentication.  A final stamp from the Embassy and The Husband's work visa is in place and he is off to Qatar tomorrow.  Let's hope that they don't take their sweet time processing our residency permits since we will only join him after all of those are in place. 

The fight to locate a misplaced/missing unabridged birth certificate here at Home affairs is also in full swing.  For goodness sake, when will this country's Home Affairs Department actually get their own affairs in order? The absence of proper systems and the volume of missing documentation boggles the mind. We just laugh, it is part of the experience of living the way we do.

Meanwhile I take time out at night to work on my patchwork crochet blanket. This is a sneak peek of the squares and colours, but you might be interested in knowing that I am also using stronger colours such as red and purple in the design. I have a soft spot for the simplicity of single crochet stitches and the blanket consists of 100 squares all hooked in the same pattern. Single crochet also seems to be a clever solution to a yarn that splits just by the eye staring at it.  I am using Reaasah by Kismet yarns, a 100% cotton worked up in a hook size 5mm.  I find it interesting that the cream/natural does not split at all.  Hmm perhaps the splitting can be attributed to the dyeing process? 

This is all for now, enjoy your weekend! 

Oh, I couldn't resist -  this is what the more vibrant squares look like.

Cheers!