Circle-in-a-Square Granny Square

I have started work on my flower afghan again.  Hard to believe, but I last talked about this afghan on March 26 of last year, as far as I can tell.  I worked on it for a solid 2 months and got 40 granny squares completed.  I thought I was done at the time, but when I pinned the squares to a wall, it was too narrow.  I had to break off from this to finish my charity project and never returned. So now, in my usual early-in-the-year-spirit of project completion, I have picked it up again. It’s no longer a lap blanket, but has turned into a queen-sized afghan.

This post is about the circle-within-a-square pattern I created for the brown squares.  It is designed to echo the circular floral motif of the colored squares.  I have not ever written down something like this before, BUT  someone once requested that I do so, so here it is.  I probably overdid the explanations. It’s only an 8-row square, after all.

**General Warning:  No one has tested this but me, about 25 times now.  I welcome you to try making it if you feel so inclined, and I might even bribe you if you try (reasonable offers involving yarn accepted) and tell me what you think.**

Circle-in-a-Square Granny Motif

H hook and worsted yarn used for the sample.  Note: The  ch-3 at the beginning of each Row in italics is equivalent to a dc.

Chain 5, slipstitch into first chain to form a ring.

Row 1: ch-3, 7 dc into ring, join to ch-3 with a slip stitch to complete row. (8 dc.)

Row 2: *ch-4 (not a dc), sc in next dc. Repeat from * around 7 more times.  Slip stitch into first ch-4 to complete row.  (8 loops of ch-4.)  Flower shape.

Row 3: ch-3, 2dc in first ch-4 loop. *3 dc into next ch-4 loop.  Repeat from * around 6 more times.  Slip stitch into first ch-3 to close row, then slip stitch into next three spaces, ending between 2 groups of three dc. (24 dc.)

Rows 2 and 3

Row 4: ch-3, 2 dc into the same space between groups of 3 dc.  ch-3.  *Skip next 3 dc and  3 dc in next space. Ch-3. Repeat from * around 6 times.  Slip stitch into first ch-3 to close row, then slip stitch into the first ch-3 space. (A total of 24 dc + 24 ch = 48 stitches total.)  Completes central circle motif.

Row 5: ch-3, 2 dc,  ch-2,  3 dc in first ch-3 space.  Skip 3 dc, then 6 dc in the next ch-3 space. *3 dc, ch-2, 3dc in next ch-3 space (corner).  6 dc in the next ch-3 space (side).  Repeat from * around to the end another 2 times.  Slip stitch into ch-3 to complete row, then slip stitch to first ch-2 space.  (A total of 48 dc + 4 ch-2 spaces = 56 stitches total.)  Completes an almost-octagon shape.

Rows 4 and 5

Row 6: ch-3, 2 dc, ch-2, 3 dc in first ch-2 space (corner). *Skip 3 dc, 3 dc in next space between stitches, skip 3 dc, 3 dc in next space (i.e. in between the middle 2 dc in the 6 dc row), skip 3 dc, 3 dc in next space, skip 3 dc (one side from *).  Repeat 3 more times: corner (3 dc, ch-2, 3 dc) in next ch-2 space, then side stitches to complete square. Join to initial ch-3 to complete row with a slip stitch, then slip stitch into first ch-2 space.  (60 dc + 4 ch-2 = 69 stitches.) Now there’s a pointy-ish square shape in a standard granny square stitching pattern.

Rows 7: ch-3, 2 dc, ch-2, 3dc in first ch-2 space.  *Skip 3 dc, 3 dc in next space between stitches, skip 3 dc, 3 dc in next space, repeat until next ch-2 space (completes one side from *).  Repeat corner (3 dc, ch-2, 3 dc) in next ch-2 space, then repeat side three more times around. Join to initial ch-3 to complete row with a slip stitch, then slip stitch into first ch-2 space. Lumpy square!

Rows 6 and 7

Rows 8 and 9: Repeat row 7 twice more around to increase the size of the granny square.  Square becomes more flat-sided as you work.

Rows 8 and 9

Square complete!

By the way, if you’d like to print this, I have a sweet CSS file that allows my posts to be printed without creating the usual enormous crapola that comes from printing web pages.  Because I really hate that, and I like adding gadgets to my blog.