Block 11 of the Block a Week CAL (hosted by Kimberly Slifer) is Melinda Miller’s Wish Upon A Star.

If this is the first you’ve heard of the CAL, it’s not too late to join in.  You can read more about the CAL, and see a list of all the squares to date, HERE.

Wish Upon a Star

{Pattern © Melinda Miller.  Photo tutorial done with kind permission}

Pattern

• On Melinda’s Blog
• On Ravelry (PDF)

Suggested Materials

• 5 mm Clover Amour Crochet Hook (US H/8  UK 6)
• Worsted weight yarn

Size

• Using the hook and yarn specified, your square should be a nice even 12″ when you are done.
• Using a 4 mm crochet hook (US G/6  UK 8) and double knit yarn, as I have done, your finished square will be about 8″ big.

My Yarn and Colour Choices

I am using the Stylecraft Special DK.

• Saffron (Rounds 1, 2 and 12)
• Turquoise (Rounds 3, 4 and 13)
• Wisteria (Rounds 5-9 and 11)
• Pomegranate (Round 10)
• Meadow (Optional Additional Round 14)

You will notice that I used different colours when taking the photos for the tutorial.  I got all the way to Round 10 and then decided that I didn’t like the way my block was turning out, so I started again with the colours listed above.

Notes

• The initial ch st’s in each round are counted as a stitch, except in Rounds 6 and 7.
• Each round is joined by making a sl st into the top of the initial ch-3.  If you prefer to start your rounds with a standing double crochet, you should join to the top of the standing double crochet.  {See this tutorial by Tamara from Moogly if you would like to learn how to start a round with a standing double crochet.}
  
• Stitch counts have not been supplied, so I have added them here.
• US Crochet Terminology used.  (See this comparative chart if you need help transcribing from US to UK)
• Please Note:  The yarn used in most of the tutorial photos is Drops Paris Cotton.

Corrections

Round 11 – see photo tutorial below.

Wish Upon a Star Photo Tutorial

This photo-walkthrough is NOT the actual pattern and should not be used instead of the pattern, but rather in conjunction with it.

Thank you very much to Melinda Miller for giving us permission to do this photo-tutorial for her Wish Upon a Star Crochet Square.  And a special thank you to Kimberly Slifer for letting me do these tutorials and for obtaining the necessary permission.

Round 1

You can start this round with a magic ring instead of the initial ch-4.

Magic Ring Instructions for Round 1

Into a magic ring:  ch 2 (this counts as your first hdc).  Hdc x 8 into the ring and pull the ring tight.  Join to the top of the initial ch-2 with a sl st.  If you are not familiar with working into a magic ring, this video tutorial from The Crochet Crowd is very good.  Please remember, when working into a magic ring you HAVE to work away your initial tail very well.  If you just cut it, your whole square might unravel!

Stitch count:  9 hdc’s

Round 2

Round 2 doesn’t need explaining.

Stitch count:  18 hdc’s

Round 3

 In Round 3 you will make a shell into every third stitch (in other words, skipping 2 st’s between each shell).

First Shell:  (ch 3, 2 x dc, ch 2, 3 x dc) all in the same stitch (Photo 1).

Subsequent Shells:  (3 x dc, ch 2, 3 x dc) all in the same stitch (Photo 2).

You should end up with a pretty little hexagon (Photo 3).

Stitch count:  6 shells  {36 dc’s and 6 ch-2 spaces}

Round 4

• If you are going to use the same colour to make Round 4, sl st your way to the next ch-2 space (Photo 1).  Into the ch-2 space:  (ch 3, 2 x dc, ch 3, 3 x dc).  See Photo 2.
• If you want to start this round with a standing double crochet, start in any ch-2 space around.  Into the ch-2 space:  (3 x dc, ch 3, 3 x dc).  See Photo 3.

Whichever of the above methods you prefer, you should now have one “petal” made.  Now sc in the space between the shells of the previous round (Photo 4).

*In next ch-2 space:  (3 x dc, ch 3, 3 x dc).  Sc in the space between shells (Photo 5).*  Repeat around, joining to the third ch of the beginning ch-3 with a sl st.  If you started this round with a standing double crochet, join to the top of the standing double crochet with a sl st.

 Stitch count:  6 petals and 6 sc’s {36 dc’s, 6 sc’s and 6 ch-3 spaces}  

Round 5

 Sc in any ch-3 space (Photo 1).  See this tutorial if you need a bit of help making this standing single crochet.  *Ch 4 (Photo 2).  Skip 3 dc’s and dc in the sc between “petals” (Photo 3).  Ch 4, skip 3 dc’s and sc in the ch-3 space of the next “petal” (Photo 4).* Repeat around as instructed in the pattern.

Stitch count:  6 dc’s, 6 sc’s and 12 ch-4 spaces

Round 6

 Sl st into the next ch-4 space (Photo 1).  Ch 1 and make 6 sc’s into the first ch-4 space (Photo 2).  Make 6 sc’s into each of the remaining ch-4 spaces (Photo 3).  Join to the first sc with a sl st.

You will notice that you ignore the initial ch st because it doesn’t count as a st.

 Stitch count:  72 sc’s

Round 7

In Round 7 you will start “squaring up”.  Follow the instructions as in the pattern.  Take a look at the stitch counts below if you want to check that your sides are correct.

Stitch counts:

• Total:  76 st’s and 4 ch-2 corners  {8 tr’s, 16 dc’s, 24 hdc’s, 28 sc’s}
• Per Side:  19 st’s  {2 tr’s, 4 dc’s, 6 hdc’s, 7 sc’s}

Round 8

Round 8 is a straight-forward dc round and doesn’t need explaining.

Helpful Note:  After you have made your initial ch-3, you will need to make 9 dc’s to reach the first corner.  When you have worked your way around the square and get back to the first side, you will need to make 9 dc’s before you join to the initial ch-3 with a sl st.  You need to make 19 dc’s between corners on each side.

Stitch counts:

• Total:  92 st’s and 4 ch-2 corners  
  
• Per Side:  23 dc’s  {19 dc’s between corners and 2 dc’s in each corner}

Round 9

Round 9 is breezy as well.

Stitch count:  

• Total:  36 dc’s, 32 ch-2 spaces, 4 ch-3 corner spaces
• Per Side:  9 dc’s and 8 ch-2 spaces

Round 10

Another easy one.

Slip stitch into the corner ch-3 space.  (Ch 3, 4 x dc) into the corner space.  The initial ch-3 counts as a stitch, remember, so technically you have 5 dc’s in the corner space.  You can also start with a standing double crochet if you prefer (Photo 1).

• In each ch-2 space around:  3 x dc.
• In each corner ch-3 space:  5 x dc.

If you are going to work over your tails of yarn, as I have done (arrow in Photo 2), make very sure that you block you square before securing your yarn tails, otherwise it is easy to pull the tails of yarn so tight that they distort your final block.

Stitch count:  116 dc’s {28 dc’s per side, NOT including the central dc of the 5-dc corner}

Round 11

There are some corrections in Round 11.  I have made them bold below.

In Round 10 you worked 3 dc’s into each ch-2 space on each side.  You will make the stitches of this round BETWEEN these 3-dc clusters.

Join new colour with a sl st in the third dc of any 5-dc corner group.  Ch 6 (this counts as your first dc and ch-3).  Dc in the same st (Photo 1).

{Ch 2.  Skip 2 dc’s and dc between the posts of the next 2 dc’s.  This dc should fall directly above the dc from Round 9 (Photo 2).  *Ch 2, skip 3 dc’s and dc between the posts of the next 2 dc’s.  This dc should fall directly above the dc from Round 9 (Photo 3).*  Repeat until you get to the 5-dc corner.  Skip 2 dc’s.  In the central dc of the 5-dc corner:  (dc, ch 3, dc).}

Repeat the instructions between {} for each side, omitting the last corner.  Join to the top of the beginning ch-3 with a sl st.

Stitch count:  

• Total:  44 dc’s, 40 ch-2 spaces, 4 ch-3 corner spaces
• Per Side:  11 dc’s and 10 ch-2 spaces

Round 12

Round 12 is a repeat of Round 10.  I didn’t take a photo of this round because I decided to redo the square at this point and forgot that I hadn’t taken a photo yet.  My bad.

Stitch count:  140 dc’s {34 dc’s per side, NOT including the central dc of the 5-dc corner}

Round 13

Round 13 is a super easy hdc round.  For the first side you will need to make 1 hdc before reaching the corner.

Stitch counts:

• Total:  148 hdc’s
  
• Per Side:  36 dc’s – NOT including the central hdc of the 3-hdc corners  {34 hdc’s between 3-hdc corners }

I have added an optional additional Round 14 to get my square to the same size as the others so far.  You can find the instructions for that HERE.

You can find a list of all the squares HERE.

Remember to subscribe to my Weekly Newsletter if you would like to be kept in the loop. You can also like my Facebook page or follow me on Bloglovin, Google+, Pinterest, Twitter, or Instagram.

More Blogs Following the CAL

• San from Loopsan – using Stylecraft in sophisticated Parchment, Denim, Mocha and Meadow
• Lou Mander from Tea, Crochet and Me – using Stylecraft in White, Mocha and Raspberry

Happy Hooking!