Free Pattern: Window Pane Square 6″

Window Pane Squares for Share a Square

This is the first square I freestyled. I was creating some squares for Share A Square, a bunch of people making squares that will magically turn into blankets for children with cancer, and realized it would be fun to start freestyling and to see where it took me. With a hook, yarn, and pattern free, I came up with the Window Pane Square. This is the pattern.

Using an H hook and worsted weight yarn this created a 6 inch square. I used a combination of Red Heart Soft and Red Heart Super Saver. If you need to make the square slightly larger, add more rows of SC or HDC as border rows.

Notes: You will join each row with a slip stitch and will not turn. Slip stitch to corner or finish off and add new yarn color at the corner at the end of each row. Repeat between () or [] where indicated.

Row 1: Ch4, Join with Slip Stitch

Window Pane Square - Row 2

Row 2: Ch4, 15 TC into circle, join with slip stitch into top of Ch 4

Window Pane Square - Row 3

Row 3: CH 1, (3 SC, CH 2, skip next stitch) 8 times, join with slip stitch into first SC

Window Pane Square - Row 4

Row 4: (Ch 3, 2 DC, Ch 1, 3 DC, Ch 1) in the first Ch-sp, [ (3 DC, Ch 1) 1 time in the next Ch-sp, 2 times in the next Ch-sp] repeat around ending with 1 time, join with slip stitch into top of first Ch 3

Window Pane Square - Row 5

Row 5: [[Ch 1, 1 SC, Ch 3, 1 SC (in ch-sp)], Ch3] repeat around with 2 SC in corner stitches

Window Pane Square - Row 6

Row 6: Ch 6, skip ch-sp, [DC (in SC), Ch3 (skip ch-sp)] repeat around, make 2 in corners, join with slip stitch into third chain of first Ch 6

Window Pane Square - Row 6 Closeup

Window Pane Square - Row 7

Row 7 : Ch 1, SC around (this will be 3 SC in Ch-Sp, 1 SC in DC, and 6 SC in corner Ch-sp), join with slip stitch in first SC

Window Pane Square - Row 8

Row 8: Ch 1, SC around, 3SC in corners, join with slip stitch in first SC

Repeat Row 8 if you need to make the square a little larger.

For this year’s blankets, all squares need to be submitted by tomorrow, March 10, 2011, but they will start accepting squares for next year in August 2011. You can check the Ravelry group Share a Square 2010 for updates and to see if squares are being accepted yet.

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Sending the Squares!

I finally wove in all the ends, steamed them, wrote up patterns for the two I freestyled (to be posted next week), handwrote the tags, and my husband actually took my squares to the post office to mail them!

I started the squares during the monster post-Christmas storm that held me hostage at my parent’s place in Long Island with only leftover yarn from Christmas presents and finished my last one today. They’re all going to Share A Square, a group making blankets for kids with cancer attending a special camp this summer. There’s still a few days left if you’re interested in sending some squares too. New deadline is March 10, 2011, but they’ll be accepting squares for next year starting in August.

Check one off my FO Pledge. Now only 6 more to go…

 

Squares for Share A Square (1 missing)

FO Pledge

I pledge to actually finish some projects this week since I am on vacation.

I pledge to finish the following projects this week:

• Black Stitch Sampler Backpack – I just finished the crochet and only need to sew it up now.
• Share a Square Squares – There’s one face that needs to be embroidered on, a few ends woven in, and they need to be steamed. Then I just need to mail them. I pledge that this will happen tomorrow.
• Hooded Jacked AKA De La Soul Jacket – I need to weave in the ends and sew it up. I would say “just need to” weave in the ends, but there’s like a million of them.
• Sergio’s Turtleneck – I finished the back a month and a half ago. This is a boring project in all DC, but I could probably finish in a day if I could pay attention long enough.
• My Turtleneck – I was so psyched to start on this and couldn’t get a hold of the pattern fast enough. I had to order a hard copy snail mail -gasp, say it isn’t so- and of course by the time it arrived, my enthusiasm had dwindled. I have a whopping 6 inches of the back done. I would actually like to get through this before it’s too hot to wear it. It uses one of the yarn colors from the Hooded Jacket, so if I finish that I would wear this with it.
• Ewing’s Thomas the Train Blanket – I have 7 more rows of light blue, then the border, and need to weave in a zillion ends. Being that officially this was his “Christmas” present, I pledge to finish it this week.
• Grandma’s Polar Bear – Another “Christmas” present. I just need to embroider the face and sew him up. Really, he’s stalled since December, really? Ridiculous.

I figured if I published my pledge I had a better chance of holding myself accountable.

I would say I pledge to finish them before starting new ones, but that would just be a lie. Did I mention I just bought yarn for 4 new projects last week? I couldn’t help it. They’re going to come out so cool.

What’s a CAL?

So I’m in all these CAL groups (crochet-a-longs) on Ravelry. A bunch of people crocheting the same pattern (usually free) at the same time. You all talk about the pattern, yarn choice, ask questions, show your progress, get ideas from each other… it’s a lot fun and can get you more excited about your project. In my case, it can help to get me to focus on actually finishing a project as opposed to wandering off to a new one and ending up with yet another WIP (work in progress) or UFO (unfinished object) (depending on how you look at it).

Of course I’m behind in my CALs, especially the ones where I’m expected to finish something every month. I’m not sure if the Block a Month CAL is going to get me an afghan at the end of the year. At the rate I’m going I’m still thinking about making January’s squares.

Some of the others have really got my creative juices flowing and have pushed me to try new techniques like surface crochet and beaded crochet. I’ve made some very cool things as a result.

I’m currently part of the following Crochetalongs:

• The Bag a Month Club
• Crochet Clothing CAL
• Crocheted Jewelry of the Month
• Hooded Jacket CAL
• 2011 Crochet Block a Month CAL

Some I’m much more active in than others… really gotta get going on my squares… Some I just plan on participating in sometime in the uncommitted future.

If you crochet, probably more so if you want to start crocheting and need some friends to help you out, you should find a CAL that you’re interested in and join the fun! You may just end up with a very cool FO (finished object) that you’d never thought of making.