Day 1 - A Square A Day or ASAD! Includes Free Tutorial

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year

My crochet challenge (to myself) for 2013 is to 

(A) Create a new square &

(B) Make a square a day

So here it is!

If you would like to join in and crochet a square a day with me then please do!

My little Square "Creation"

&

Here's what you do to make one

Using DK and a 4mm hook 

All in UK Crochet Terminology

**PLEASE NOTE THAT SOME PHOTO'S ARE UPSIDE DOWN - SORRY**

Start with a slip knot and chain 4

Join with a slip knot into the first chain that you made to form a ring

Chain 3 - counts as one Treble

Then put 11 Trebles into the ring so you have 12 trebles in total

Keeping the tail end to the left if you are right handed and to the right if you are left handed so that you are working it in as you go 

See picture below

Then join with a slip stitch into the 3rd chain of the 3 chain you made at the begining

And fasten off

Now whip the tail end along the next 3 or 4 stitches, so insert your hook from front to back, WOH (wool over hook) and pull the tail end through from back to front and repeat so you are "whipping" it along to secure it in

You can just about make it out in this picture.  The fasten off knot is at the bottom of the picture

Now for your colour change for Row 2

Put a slip knot on your hook

And join by either the normal method = Insert hook front to back in any of the trebles from Row 1, WOH & pull through then slip it through the loop on the hook & chain 3

OR 

You can make a Standing Treble by putting your wool over hook (as picture above) then holding the knot with your fore finger of your right hand, insert your hook into any of the trebles from row 1 & make a treble in the normal way (holding on to the knot)

(Making the Standing Treble)

As you can see the treble is made and the tail end is to the top right 

Now put another treble into the same space, so that you have 2 trebles together

Now Chain 3 to form a corner space &  put 2 trebles into the next treble (from Row 1) and 2 trebles into the next treble (no chain space)

Next is 2 trebles into the next treble and 3 chains for your corner space, then 2 trebles into the next treble

Carry on with this sequence all the way around, so

2 trebles, 3 chains, 2 trebles, 2 trebles & repeat  = Simples

*I APOLOGISE FOR SOME OF THE PHOTO'S BEING UPSIDE DOWN ETC.*

Now you have to join with a slip stitch

After whipping the tail end that you started with, through to the 3 chain space

Then whip the tail end you have just made through to the same 3 chain space after fastening off the 2nd colour.

So you have 2 tail ends whipped through to the same 3 chain space.  Keep these Tail Ends to the left.

Now for Row 3

Here I have used white

So either make a Standing Treble or slip your slip knot join & 3 chains into the 3 chain space where your tail ends are & include the tail end of your new colour - so in this case white - keeping it to the left to work over it also.

Then add 2 trebles and 3 chains, as if you were working a traditional Granny Square Corner - working over all 3 tail ends

Then add another 3 Trebles into the same 3 chain space, again working over the tail ends again.

Then flip the square over, give the tail ends - including the white one, a little tug, and snip them off

Turn the work back over to the right side and chain 1

Then miss 3 Trebles from Row 3 &  put a Granny Shell (3 trebles into the same space) 

Chain 1

Then miss 3 Trebles and make another Granny Shell which should now fall into the 3 chain space of the row below.

Continue this all the way around and you should have a square that looks like this....

Fasten off and whip the tail end through to the next 3 chain corner space.

Now for the Join As You Go bit

Make another Square in the colours of your choice.

For my ASAD I am using the same colour for the centre, a random colour for the 2nd row and White for the 3rd Row.

So on your 2nd square and all squares that follow, start the White off as above.

When you get to the 1st Granny Shell of the 2nd corner you make 1 chain, then the next chain is made by putting the hook through any corner of a previous square & finishing off the chain in the normal way by putting WOH & then through the loop on the hook - this will join two squares together. 

You then have one more chain to make

Now finish off that corner space by putting another Granny Shell into the same space

Now you need to use your 1 chain space as a joining chain, so same as above - put the hook through the 1 chain space of the previous square, WOH & through the loop on the hook

Miss 3 Trebles, Granny Shell, 1 chain joining to previous square then start a new corner

Once you have worked all the way around, join & fasten off 

You have now joined as you go

When you join your 3rd square you will have to use more 1 chain joins & corner space joins

As I get to this stage in my challenge, so on the 3rd, I will update the tutorial then

So here is Square #1

And as I had a fairly lazy day today, I also had time to finish off my Ripples Blanket

Which is so colourful

And very soft to the touch.

Tomorrow is thankfully the first BACK TO NORMAL day

HOORAY

So I now have 2 weeks to get my Classroom (currently my dining room) up and running and ready for  the new Group Classes starting in 2 weeks time on the 15th

For more information go to 

http://www.gethookedoncrochet.co.uk/4.html