A granny afghan square with a colorful round center for the Memories Blanket
The third afghan square in the Memories Blanket CAL is the Rustic square, a beautiful circle that becomes a granny square.
The Rustic Afghan Square for the Memories Blanket CAL
Welcome to the Rustic afghan square pattern, the third square of the Memories Blanket crochet along!
Note: This pattern will be forever free to view here on my blog. Bookmark this page to easily return when you have to step away.
When Biz and I created the one-of-a-kind Memories Blanket, we drew inspiration from designs we had made in the recent past. I’ve been fascinated with starting a granny square with a circle center for a fun variation. I started using a circular center in my Sunny Days collection and adapted it here for the Memories Blanket.
Memories Blanket CAL
If you’ve decided to crochet the Memories Blanket in our free crochet along, you’re in for a treat!
The Memories Blanket is a way to capture and preserve the past through techniques that we’ve used in our designs and through leftover yarn from memorable projects. It’s the perfect vehicle for reducing your yarn stash and creating a cost-efficient yet beloved heirloom.
In this beautiful work of art you’ll find stitches, techniques and stitch patterns that will recall old favorites while presenting you with some that will help you grow as a crocheter.
The Memories Blanket isn’t a sampler blanket in the traditional sense. However, the sheer number and variety of stitches we’ve incorporated will add to your crochet toolbox for future use.
Never miss a thing in the crochet along. Sign up for email notifications below…
Purchase the memories Blanket full pattern PDF in the version you like by clicking the appropriate image below.
What is the Rustic afghan square?
The inspiration for the Memories Blanket came from designs that Biz and I had created in the last year or so. We chose stitches and techniques from those designs and combined them in this beautiful sampler style blanket.
The Rustic afghan square is an adaptation of the square I used for my Sunny Day Market Bag and the Sunny Day Placemat.
The Rustic afghan square combines the circle and squares shapes for an interesting variation of a granny square.
Design + Construction
The Rustic afghan square begins with a double crochet center, followed by a round of double crochet clusters. A round of varying height stitches builds the circle out to a square.
Of course, if it’s a true granny square, there has to be a round of granny stitches! The whole square is finished off with a decorative border of single crochets worked in the 3rd loop.
The Rustic afghan square works best when using colors that complement and contrast with each other to highlight the various sections of the square. Each round has its own personality and the colors help bring them out.
The Free Pattern Starts Here
Materials
Yarn
This post contains affiliate links. That means, if you purchase something using the link, I receive a small commission. You don’t pay any extra and your information is safe. Thanks for supporting my small business.
Make this afghan square in any worsted weight yarn you like, with yarn from your stash or some that you’ve purchased. If working from your stash, make sure the fiber content of your chosen yarn is compatible with what you’ll be using for the rest of the blanket so that your blanket is easy to care for when it’s finished.
I used Paintbox “Wool Mix Aran” for my blanket; Biz used Hobby Lobby’s “I Love This Yarn” for hers (see the details for both on the main CAL post).
How to make the Rustic square for the Memories Blanket CAL
Each afghan square requires 3 colors, indicated in the pattern below by CA, CB, and CC. Choose the colors that fit your blanket’s color palette using the yarn you have on hand.
Make all 8 squares in the same color combination for a unified look. Or, choose a different 3-color combination for each square like I did. There is no wrong answer here!
Here’s the color combination I used for the sample, from left to right in the strip, listed in order CA, CB, CC:
- Caramel, Seafoam, White
- Seafoam, White, Rose
- White, Rose, Banana
- Rose, Banana, Peach
- Banana, Peach, Spearmint
- Peach, Spearmint, Teal
- Spearmint, Teal, Caramel
- Teal, Caramel, Seafoam
Hook: US size H-8 (5mm) or size needed to get a 5″ square
Finished Size: approx. 5″ across
Abbreviations – US crochet terminology
- beg – beginning
- ch – chain
- dc – double crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- rnd(s) – round(s)
- sc – single crochet
- sk – skip
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- YO – yarn over
Repeats
- (…) – Work everything within the parentheses in the same st or sp.
- […] – Repeat everything within the brackets the indicated number of times.
Special Stitches
2 double crochet cluster (2dc cl) – YO, insert hook in indicated st, YO, pull up a loop, YO, pull through 2 loops, YO, insert hook in same st, YO, pull up a loop, YO, pull through 2 loops, YO, pull through all 3 loops on hook.
Granny stitch (GS) – 3 dc in the same st or sp.
Single crochet in the 3rd loop (sc 3lp) – Insert hook through the 3rd loop that sits just under the top loop of the stitch, YO, pull through 3rd loop, YO, pull through both loops on hook to complete the sc.
Stacked single crochet (STsc) – (This stitch is used at the beginning of a row or round to replace the traditional turning ch-3. It has the appearance of a dc.) – Insert hook in same st as loop, YO, draw up loop, YO, pull through 2 loops (bottom sc made), insert hook in left vertical bar of bottom sc, YO, draw up loop, YO, pull through 2 loops (top sc made).
Pattern Notes
- Every round in this square is worked from the right side without turning.
- A ch-3 may be substituted for the STsc at any time. The STsc counts as a dc throughout.
- Ch 1 at the beg of a rnd does not count as a st.
- A MR may be substituted for the ch-4 ring. Be sure to tighten the ring at the end of Rnd 1.
- Each square is worked with 3 colors. I’ve listed them as CA, CB and CC. Feel free to assign any colors you like.
Pattern Instructions
Make 8 for the Memories Blanket.
With CA, ch 4, join with slip st to form ring.
Rnd 1: STsc, 15 dc in the ring, join with slip st to beg st. Fasten off. < 16 dc >
Rnd 2: Attach CB to any st, ch 1, (sc, dc) in the same st (counts as 1st 2dc cl), ch 1, [2dc cl, ch 1] 15 times, join with slip st to beg dc. Fasten off. < 16 clusters, 16 ch-1 sp >
Rnd 3: Attach CC to any ch-1 sp, ch 1, (2 hdc, ch 2, 2 hdc) in the same sp, [ch 1, 2 sc in the next ch-1 sp, slip st in the next ch-1 sp, 2 sc in the next ch-1 sp, ch 1, (2 hdc, ch 2, 2 hdc) in the next ch-1 sp] 3 times, ch 1, 2 sc in the next ch-1 sp, slip st in the next ch-1 sp, 2 sc in the next ch-1 sp, ch 1, join with slip st to beg st. Fasten off. < 4 slip sts, 16 sc, 16 hdc, 8 ch-1 sp, 4 ch-2 corner sp >
Rnd 4: Attach CA to any corner, (STsc, 2 dc, ch 2, GS) in the same corner, [GS in the next ch-1 sp, sk 2 sc, GS in the slip st, sk 2 sc, GS in the next ch-1 sp, (GS, ch 2, GS) in the next corner] 3 times, GS in the next ch-1 sp, sk 2 sc, GS in the slip st, sk 2 sc, GS in the next ch-1 sp, join with slip st to beg st. Fasten off. < 20 GS, 4 ch-2 corner sp >
Note: In Rnd 5, the st immediately following a corner sp is often hidden under the sts just worked. Be sure to work the 1st st after the corner in this hidden st.
Rnd 5: Attach CB to any corner, ch 1, (sc, ch 1, sc) in the same corner, [sc 3lp in the next st and in each st across to the next corner, (sc, ch 1, sc) in the corner] 3 times, sc 3lp in the next st and in each st across, join with slip st to beg st. < 8 sc, 15 sc 3lp across each side, 4 ch-1 corner sp >
Fasten off and weave in ends.
Sew the 8 squares into a strip for the Memories Blanket.
Use your favorite seaming method (Biz used whip stitching; Debbie used mattress stitch) to join the squares into a strip, keeping all right sides facing. Start and end each seam in the ch-1 corner.
Note: Before you begin Section 3, you’ll work the edging rows just as you did for the Cordelia Square strip. You will also be joining the Rustic Square strip to the top of Section 2. These instructions are included in the Section 3 post.
You’re now ready for Section 3 of the Memories Blanket which will be released on Thursday, March 7th. Return to the main CAL post to find the link when it’s posted.
One Comment