Patterns will remain on my Blog so that you can work at your own pace and make as many blankets as you like!
Although the final stitch counts may vary slightly from square to square, great care has been taken to ensure that the blocks are all the same size. I make a few of each square to check and my tester also verifies this. Yarn colours of the same brand often differ in thickness. Yarn thickness may also vary brand to brand. For example, Stylecraft Special DK, is closer in thickness to the South African Mirage 4ply. Variations in tension across squares could also cause a difference in final measurements.
Please don't despair if your squares are not exact - the blocking process should correct this.
I suggest using a "forgiving" joining method like my Visible Join (see Introduction post) as this allows for varying stitch counts without causing work to pucker or pull. If you find your squares are very uneven, try using the visible join with 3dc posts (2 spaces) in between sc's. I count my last row of stitches for each square before I start joining, then I know how many stitch adjustments I need to allow for. Compensate by evenly spreading the adjustment. So on the square with more stitches your join spacing remains the same and on the square with less stitches you compensate by only skipping 2dc posts (1 space) evenly spread across the length of the square. If you find the join "pulls" a bit add in another ch between sc's. Another method that works quite well with varying stitch counts, allowing you to evenly spread the adjustment, is the CHAIN JOIN
This week we will be making the "Margate" Square.
MARGATE SQUARE PATTERN:
Make 1 x Margate Square for the Baby Blanket
Make 2 x Margate 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
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:
SPIKE HALF DOUBLE CROCHET (Shdc) = yoh x1, insert hook into sp between "v" stitches in Round 2, yoh and pull loop up level with previous "normal" hdc. Complete the stitch.
Foundation: 4ch, ss to form ring or make a magic ring.
Round 1: 2ch (counts as 1hdc); 11 x hdc into ring (12hdc). Sl st into 2nd of start ch to close. Break off yarn.
Round 2: Join yarn in any dc. 3ch (counts as 1dc), 1dc into same sp as join; (2dc into next dc) x11 (12 x "v" stitches of 2dc each). Sl st into 3rd of start ch to close. Break off yarn.
Round 3: Join yarn between 2 dc posts of any "v". 2ch (counts as 1hdc), 2hdc into same sp as join; (3hdc between 2 dc posts of next "v") x11 (12 x 3hdc groups = 36sts). Sl st into nd of start ch to close. Break off yarn.
Round 4: Join yarn between 1st and 2nd hdc post on any 3hdc group. 2ch (counts as 1hdc), 1hdc into sp between 2nd and 3rd hdc posts on same 3hdc group; 1Shdc in space between 3hdc groups into sp between "v" stitches in Round 2; (1hdc between 1st and 2nd posts on next 3hdc group; 1hdc into sp between 2nd and 3rd dc posts on same 3hdc group; 1Shdc in space between 3hdc groups into sp between "v" stitches in Round 2) x 11 (36 sts). Sl st into 2nd of start ch to close. Break off yarn.
Round 5: Join yarn in sp between any 2 sts; 2ch (counts as 1hdc) into same sp as join; (1hdc into next sp between 2 sts) x35. (36hdc). Sl st into 2nd of start ch to close. Break off yarn.
Round 6: Join yarn in sp between any 2hdc; 3ch (counts as 1dc), 1dc into same sp as join; (1dc into sp between next 2hdc) x2 ; [2dc into next sp between next 2hdc; (1dc into sp between next 2hdc) x2) x11 (48dc). Sl st into 3rd of start ch to close. Break off yarn.
Round 7: Join yarn in sp between any 2dc: 4ch (counts as 1sc, 3ch); [skip 2 sp (3 dc posts), sc into next sp; 3ch) x15. (16 x 3ch loops). Sl st into 1st of start ch to close. Break off yarn.
Round 8: Join yarn in any 3ch loop. 4ch (counts as 1trc), (3trc, 3ch, 4trc into same 3ch loop); (4dc into next 3ch loop) x3; [(4trc, 3ch, 4trc into next 3ch loop), (4dc into next 3ch loop) x3] x3. Sl st into 4th of start ch to close. Break off yarn.
Round 9: Join yarn with 1 standing sc in any 3ch corner; 2 sc into same 3ch corner; 1sc into each of next 20dc; (3sc into 3ch sp; 1sc into each of next 20dc) x3. Sl st into standing sc to close. Break off yarn.
Round 10: Join yarn in 2nd of corner 3sc. [3ch (counts as 1dc), 1dc, 3ch, 2dc into same sp as join]; [1dc into each of next 22 sts; (2dc. 3ch, 2dc into next st)] x3; 1dc into each of next 22sts. Sl st into 3rd of start ch to close. Break off yarn.
Crochet BORDER ROWS 1 AND 2 around square.
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A special thank you once again to Ritha Vishwanath of HOOKS, NEEDLES AND MORE for the time and effort put into testing the Margate 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
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