Mitered Square Dishcloths

These dishcloths are super easy to make and have a big impact.  The texture makes them fun and interesting.  I've written the instructions to make them using 2 colors of yarn, but you could easily make them with only one color, or with several colors.  It's all up to you!

Materials:

I Hook

Cotton Yarn (I used Peaches & Creme in a variety of colors)

Special Stitches:

SC3tog= Single crochet 3 together.  Insert hook into first st and pull up a loop (2 loops on hook).  Insert hook into next stitch and pull up a loop (3 loops on hook).  Insert hook into next stitch and pull up a loop (4 loops on hook).  Yarn over and pull through all 4 loops. 

Created using 2 colors, Color A and Color B.  These will be referred to as A and B throughout the pattern.

Begin with A.
Ch 35.
R1: SC in 2nd ch from hook and next 14 st.  SC3tog.  SC to end of row.
R2: Ch 1, turn.  SC in each st until you reach the stitch just before the one created when you SC3tog.  SC3tog (having the previous SC3tog be the center stitch of those 3).  SC to end of row.  In the final stitch, drop A and pick up B when pulling through the last loop of your SC.
R3: This is the right side.  You will only work in the back loops when working the right side.  Ch 1, turn.  SC in each st until you reach the stitch just before the one created when you SC3tog.  SC3tog.  SC to end of row.
R4: This is the wrong side.  You will work in both loops when working the wrong side.  Ch 1, turn.  SC in each st until you reach the stitch just before the one created when you SC3tog.  SC3tog.  SC to end of row.  In the final stitch, drop B and pick up A when pulling through the last loop of your SC.

Continue pattern in like fashion.  In the final stitches of the square, you will SC3tog making them into one final stitch.   To create the border, you have two options:

Option 1 (continuing the color you end on to create the border): Ch 1.  3 SC in same stitch.  Continue using SC around the entire square, using 3 SC in each corner stitch.  Join with sl st in the top of the first SC made.  Tie off and hide ends. 

Hexagon Squares

These are going to make a really fun afghan soon!  I chose a yarn that has a really lightweight texture because I wanted this to be a really airy blanket.  When my "squares" are finished and assembled, I'll post another picture!

Materials:

G Hook

Bernat Softee yarn in Soft Peach, Antique White, Mint, and Pale Blue - Amounts will vary depending on how many squares you make/size of blanket you want.

Notes: I alternated the 3 middle colors for each square for the sake of interest, but kept the borders white and plan to assemble them all with white.  The color options are up to you, so I didn't put in the names of the colors, but will just refer to the colors as Color 1, 2, 3 and 4.  You get to choose what order to put them in.  ;)  The pattern is worked from the center out, if that helps with your choices.  I would recommend tying a small knot at the end of each round to help the yarn stay in place, as I am always afraid that changing yarns a lot will make a blanket fall apart!

Begin with Color 1:

Ch 4.  Join to form a ring.

R1: Ch 3 (counts as dc).  11 dc in center of ring.  Join with sl st in top of ch 3. (12 st)

Drop Color 1, join Color 2:

R2: Ch 3 (counts as dc).  1 dc in same st.  2 dc in each st around.  Join with sl st in top of ch 3.  (24 st)

Drop Color 2, join Color 3:

R3: Insert hook between posts of next 2 st's.  Ch 3 (counts as dc).  2 dc in same st.  Ch 1.  Skip next 2 posts.  *3 dc in next sp.  Ch 1*  Repeat to end of round.  Join with sl st in top of ch 3.  

Drop color 3, Join Color 4 (I used white for these rounds on each square):

R4: Join between 2 clusters of 3dc from previous round.  Ch 4.  Skip 3dc cluster.  *sc in sp between clusters.  Ch 3*  Repeat around.  Join with sl st in 2nd ch of ch 4.

R5: Insert hook in sp under ch's from R4.  Sl st.  Ch 3.  2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc in same sp.  3 dc in next sp.  *3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc in next sp.  3 dc in next sp*  Repeat to end of round.  Join with sl st in top of ch 3.  Tie off and hide ends. 

Daisy Square Blanket

I made my husband a blanket... and it took FOREVER.  Mainly because I have an attention problem and tend to jump between 2 or 3 projects at a time.  So, I worked on it in bits and pieces for about a year.  Yeah, like I said, it took FOREVER.  But, it came out pretty good and became his Father's Day gift.  It's one of his favorite blankets (besides his Boise State Snuggie) and he keeps it close to him.  :)  That makes me feel pretty good!  I also have a Snuggie (they make awesome Christmas gifts, seriously) but I wanted a special blanket of my own.  Since I am the only one in my household with any blanket making skills, I figured I'd better get to work.  I really wanted my special blanket to reflect the love I feel for my family, particularly for my hubby who I will be doing some snuggling with in this blanket!  So, of course, I thought of daisies!

Confused?  :)

Daisies have had a special meaning in our marriage.  They were the first flower my husband ever bought for me (before we were married) and they were part of our wedding.  My girls like to wear daisies in their hair on special occasions because they know that daisies mean something special.  Anniversaries, Valentines Day, birthdays and "Just-Because-I-Love-You" bouquets always include daisies.  The last few years, they've started to include lilies as well, but that's because we had our own special Lili come into our lives (otherwise known as our 3-year old ballerina).

I adapted the flower from a pattern I had seen once.  You could make the petals even more full, but I chose to make them easy to handle as opposed to just being really big.  Assembling the gray on the outside of the flower was a bit tricky.  It took a while to get the stitches just right to make it into a square.  In the future, I may even mess around with it a bit more because I am not convinced that I've landed on the best option yet. 

Daisy Square Blanket

Materials:

* H Hook

*Red Heart Yarn in Grey Heather, Bright Yellow and Soft White

*Yarn needle

I would recommend (for the sake of time) making up all (or a lot) of flowers at one time, then adding the gray to create the square.  It saves time from switching between 3 yarns.  When I created this blanket, I went in batches.  I made 10 centers from the yellow, then switched to white and created petals for the 10 centers.  Then switched to grey and made the square for the 10 flowers.  Make sense?  Good.  :)

Daisy Instructions: Make 1 per square. 

*Begin with Bright Yellow
Magic circle (or ch 4 and join with sl st)
12 sc in center.  Tie off.


*Switch to Soft White
Attach yarn in any sc.  *Ch 3.  Inset hook in same stitch, YO and pull up 1 loop to the same height as the ch 3.  YO and insert hook again.  YO and pull up another loop to same height.  YO and insert hook again.  YO and pull up another loop to same height.  YO and insert hook into next sc.  Pull up 1 loop to same height.  YO and insert hook again.  YO and pull up another loop to same height.  YO and insert hook again.  YO and pull up another loop to same height.  YO and pull through all loops.  Chain 3 to secure.  Sl st in next sc.*  Repeat *-* around for total of 6 petals.  For last stitch, sl st in the first DC you worked.  Tie off and hide ends.

*Switch to Grey Heather. (Now you are creating the outer part of the square)
Attach yarn on right side of any petal. { } means those instructions are done in one stitch or space.

{ch 3, dc in same st}, {tc, ch 2, tc, dc in same stitch}, tc between petals, {2 dc}, {2dc}, {tc, ch 2, tc}, {2dc}, {2dc}, {2 dc, tc, ch 2, tc, dc}, {2 dc}, {2 dc}, {dc, tc, ch 2, tc}, {2 dc}, Join with sl st to first ch 3.

ch 3.  4 dc.  {2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc} in corner space.  8 dc.  Repeat { } 8 dc. Repeat { } 8 dc.  Repeat { } 4 dc.  Join with sl st to first dc.

ch 3. 6 dc. {2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc} in corner space.  12 dc.  Repeat { } 12 dc. Repeat { } 12 dc. Repeat { } 6 dc.  Join with sl st to first dc.

Square created!

There are plenty of ways to stitch this blanket together.   I went with something very simple, with the idea of making the daisy stand out in each square.  Holding the wrong sides together, I stitched the squares together using single crochet stitches.  This gives the slight ridge you see between each square.  I am still adding to the blanket, but I plan on adding a simple border as well, though I am debating whether to add a grey border or a white border.

Just to give you some ideas, you could sc or dc around the square in yellow, then join those with the sc ridges, but using white.  That would brighten the blanket up a bit more.  You could also just use white or yellow to stitch the squares together any way you normally would.  There are plenty of ways to put this together.  You can definitely use different colors altogether and just get creative with it!