Seaside Winter Blanket CAL: Square 7 Shelly Beach

Hello and welcome to those of you who have been with me from the start of this journey, as well as to all our new CAL-ers!    I cannot believe we are already 7 weeks into our Seaside Winter Blanket CAL!  Time really does fly when you are having (so much) fun!!  

Patterns will remain on my Blog so that you can work at your own pace and make as many blankets as you like!

This week we will be making the "Shelly Beach" Square - the 7th CAL Square and the 6th small square, measuring 19cm x 19cm including the two border rounds. 

Please remember that Bonus Squares are not included in my original layout and have therefore not been included in the count. 

Shelly Beach is a small coastal town on the Hibiscus Coast of Kwa Zulu Natal.  The Hibiscus Coast is the Southernmost strip of almost "endless summer" coast,  stretching from Hibberdene to Port Edward.  So named for the abundance of Hibiscus species growing along this belt, it is also often referred to as South Africa's "Golf Coast".   There are no fewer than 7 golf courses dotted along this stretch of coast, including two of the country's top courses!   Shelly Beach is the perfect playground for adventure seekers and holidaymakers alike, with a popular scuba diving reef around 1500m into the ocean, and much further into the ocean the Protea Banks, which is a world renowned scuba diving destination for sharks and big game fish.  Other activities include rock and surf fishing, ski-boating, as well as canoeing and boating in the estuaries. 

SHELLY BEACH SQUARE PATTERN:

Make 1 x Shelly Beach Square for the Baby Blanket
Make 2 x Shelly Beach Squares for the Lapghan

Yarn requirements, hook size, blanket sizes and layouts, joining method and other useful CAL information are contained in the following posts:

INTRODUCTION
YOU MIGHT LIKE TO KNOW  and
IN LOVE WITH COLOUR

If you are new to the CAL, please take a moment to read the above posts, if you have not already done so in order to prepare yourself for our Crochet-a-long journey.

PATTERN TERMS:  US

SPECIAL STITCHES:

4 Triple Crochet Cluster:  (4trc cl) =  yoh x2, insert hook in 2ch, pull a loop through, (yoh, draw through two loops) x2;  do not complete the stitch, leaving the last loop of the trc on your hook (2 loops on hook);  working in the same 2ch, make 3x more trc in the same way, leaving the last loop of each trc on your hook;  yoh and pull loop through 5 remaining loops on the hook all at once. 
Note:   your start (first) cluster (4trc stcl) is worked as follows:  3ch (counts as first part trc);  yoh x2, insert hook in 2ch, pull a loop through, (yoh, draw through two loops) x2;  do not complete the stitch, leaving the last loop of the trc on your hook (2 loops on hook);  working in the same 2ch, make 2x more trc in the same way, leaving the last loop of each trc on your hook;  yoh and pull loop through 4 remaining loops on the hook all at once. 

Double Crochet Popcorn Stitch:  (dcPs) = 5dc then remove the hook from the last loop, insert the hook front to back on the first dc, and again into last loop, yoh and pull through (if you need a bit of help with the "popcorns" you can find the tutorial HERE)
Note:  your start (first) popcorn stitch is worked as follows:  3ch (counts as 1dc), 4dc then remove the hook from the last loop, insert the hook front to back in the 3rd ch, and again into last loop, yoh and pull through

Triple Crochet Popcorn Stitch:  (trcPs) = 5trc then remove the hook from the last loop, insert the hook front to back on the first trc, and again into last loop, yoh and pull through
Note:  your start (first) popcorn stitch is worked as follows:   4ch (counts as 1trc), 4trc then remove the hook from the last loop, insert the hook front to back on the 4th ch, and again into last loop, yoh and pull through

Foundation:  4ch, ss to form ring or make a magic ring.

Round 1:   2ch, 1dc  (counts as 2dctog),  2ch;  (2dctog into ring, 2ch) x5 (6 x 2dctog, 2ch).  Sl st into start 2dctog to close.  Break off yarn.

Round 2:  Join yarn in any 2ch sp.   [2ch, 1dc (counts as 2dctog), 2ch;  2dctog in same 2ch sp as join, 2ch];  [2dctog, 2ch, 2dc tog into next 2ch sp, 2ch) x5.   Sl st into top of first 2dctog to close (12 x 2dctog, 2ch).   Break off yarn.

Round 3:  Join yarn in any 2ch sp.   4trc stcl, 4ch;  (4trc cl in next 2ch sp, 4ch) x11.   Sl st into top of start cluster to close (12 x 4trc cl).   Break off yarn.

Round 4:  Join yarn in any 4ch sp.   3ch (counts as 1dc), 5dc into same sp as join;  6dc into next 4ch sp;  (2dctog into next 4ch sp, 3ch) x2;  2dc tog into same 4ch sp (corner fan);  
[(6dc into next 4ch sp) x2;  (2dc tog into next 4ch sp, 3ch) x 2;  2dc tog into same 4ch sp (corner fan)] x3.  Sl st into 3rd of start ch to close.   Break off yarn.

Round 5:  Join yarn in 1st 3ch sp on any corner fan.  1dcPs into same 3ch as join, 4ch, 1dcPs into next 3ch sp, 1ch; 1Bpdc around each of next 12dc;  [(1dcPs into next 3ch sp, 4ch, 1dcPs into next 3ch sp, 1ch);  1Bpdc around each of next 12dc] x3.   Sl st into top of start dcPs to close.  Break off yarn.

Round 6:  Join yarn in any 4ch corner.  (1trcPs into same 4ch sp, 6ch, 1trcPs into same 4ch sp, 1ch);  (2dc into next dc; 1dc into next dc; 1hdc into next dc; 1sc into each of next 6dc;  1hdc into next dc; 1dc into next dc; 2dc into next dc);  
[(1trcPs, 6ch, 1trcPs into next 4ch sp, 1ch);  (2dc into next dc; 1dc into next dc; 1hdc into next dc; 1sc into each of next 6dc;  1hdc into next dc; 1dc into next dc; 2dc into next dc)] x3.  

Round 7:  Join yarn in any 6ch corner sp,  2ch (counts as 1hdc), 8hdc into same sp,  1hdc into sp between Ps and next stitch; 1hdc into each of next 14sts;  1hdc into sp between next stitch and Ps;  [9hdc into 6ch corner sp,  1hdc into sp between Ps and next stitch; 1hdc into each of next 14sts;  1hdc into sp between next stitch and Ps] x3.  Sl st into 2nd of start ch to close.  Do not break off yarn.  

Crochet Border Round 1, starting the Round in the 5th hdc of any 9hdc corner;
Crochet Border Round 2


PS:  Every care has been taken to make sure the squares are all the same size, ....... but yarn thicknesses often vary (even with the same brand).  If you find this happening, work out the difference between this and the correct size squares. Measure your stitch heights (sc, hdc and dc), and then compensate by adding a row of either sc, hdc or dc after the last pattern row to correct this. For example if your squares are short by 1cm, divide that by two = 0.5cm short on each side. My hdc's measure 0.5cm and so I would compensate by adding a round of hdc, before doing my border rounds!   The same rule would apply if your squares are too large.   Compensate by using a shorter stitch in your last round for example if your last round is supposed to be dc, crochet the round in hdc instead.

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A very special thank you to my wonderful Testers, Ritha Vishwanath of HOOKS, NEEDLES AND MORE  and Nina Mayer (aka HAEKELNINA) for the time and effort put into testing the Port Shepstone Square.

PS:   The official CAL has ended but you can still join in at your leisure.  The links to all the patterns for the CAL can be found in the pinned post of our Seaside Winter Blanket Group