So much has happened over the past couple of months, and I have so many great things to share that I hardly know where to start!  I’ve also done quiet a bit of crochet since I last updated this blog, so check back often as I bring this blog up to date with everything else that’s going on in my life!  First, though, let me spend some time talking about the Vanna’s Choice crochet along squares!  Because these were so much fun to make and they turned out so wonderfully.

As I mentioned earlier this year, the Vanna’s Choice Fan Club over on Ravelry is hosting a crochet along where two squares are selected every month to make, one at the beginning of the month, and one in the middle of the month.  No official “joining” is required, so if you’re interested in participating, the link to the crochet along thread is here, along with the links to the patterns below which have already been selected. 

And while it’s technically a group for Vanna’s Choice yarn lovers, using that yarn is not a requirement either.  However, since I do like that yarn, I stuck with it for the squares.  I love how they turned out, and I think the colors work so well together.  My color selections for this CAL are: navy, brick, mustard, olive, beige and toffee.  Below are the four that I’ve made, and March’s was just put up a few days ago, which I’ll be working on soon as well!

Blizzard Warning Crochet Square

Vanna’s Choice Crochet Along Squares

Blizzard Warning Crochet Square

I love pretty much every single pattern that Polly Plum makes, and this square is no exception.  Blizzard Warning is a beautiful square with some great detail and texture.  The snowflake motif is just so pretty, and a very fitting pattern for the beginning of January (even though it took me to almost March to finish it up!)  There is a very detailed, step-by-step photo tutorial on how to make this square free on her website, and you can find that pattern through this link here. 

Rachel Block Crochet Square

Rachel Block Crochet Square

The Rachel Block by Melissa Green is another fantastic example of texture in a crochet square. I love the juxtaposition of the organic and soft center motif to the angular lines that the front and back post stitches make around the border rounds.   This pattern is a free Ravelry download which you can find here.  I made a few modifications to this square for both decorative and functional purposes (my corners were bulging a bit).  You can find these modifications in my notes on my Ravelry project page. 

Denna Crochet Square

Denna Crochet Square

Another beautiful crochet square by Polly Plum is the Denna Square. This is another square that I have made before, earlier in the year – and one that contains great memories, as I was sitting  in downtown Chicago having the time of my life while crocheting it.  While this one was made in a little more humble conditions, cuddled up under winter blankets, it was nonetheless still a fun square to make again.  This is a free Ravelry download that can be found here. 

Frostbloom Crochet Square

Frostbloom Crochet Square

And finally, Shan Sevcik’s Frostbloom Crochet Square is such a pretty and fun square to make.  It’s available as a free Ravelry download through this link. 

I made this square a couple of years ago when it was selected for the 2014 Block-a-Month crochet along.  It’s fun to see how my crochet skills have improved since then (and my photography skills as well I suppose!)  I would definitely count the various crochet-along groups I’ve been involved in with honing my abilities as a crocheter.  Many of the squares that are selected aren’t necessarily squares that I would think to make.  It forces me to use my creativity and color placement in new ways, along with learning new stitches and techniques along the way.  I would definitely recommend a crochet-along to any beginning crocheter. 

Since I made this square before, I thought I would make a few minor modifications.  I wanted a more flowery center and then I altered a bit of the rounds to make it more of a granny-style border, then repeated the pattern outward until it reached 12″.  More detailed modifications and my project page for this can be found here on Ravelry. 

There’s a new square up for the group already, one of Margaret MacInnis’s squares (another very talented crochet designer).   Promise Me Spring is a gorgeous square that I’m looking forward to making.  Check out the group thread and get a coupon code to download it free while you can

Happy Crocheting!

~Mellie ★