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Block a Week CAL 2014

Block a Week CAL 2014

Although the Block a Week CAL 2014 has now ended, the patterns and tutorials are still available and will remain so.  You can find all the information and links below.  Four of the squares have now become paid-for patterns (indicated in the list below), but the rest remain free.

Feel free to join and share at any time.  We have now created a Ravelry Thread for this CAL, should you wish to join.

xxx Dedri

Block a Week CAL 2014 September

This year I am going to be joining in a mystery afghan crochet-along (Block a Week CAL 2014) and I will be sharing the process here on Lookatwhatimade.

I’ve always wanted to make an afghan…not a baby blanket or a chunky blanket, but a proper honest-to-goodness afghan.  Unfortunately, I am one of those people who find the task too daunting.  So when the lovely Kimberly Slifer announced that the Official CCC Social Group on Facebook were going to have a CAL, I was over the moon.

This will be the year that I tackle my first afghan…one lovely block at a time.  And I would love it if you would join me!  So let me tell you a little bit more about the Block a Week CAL and the people who are making it happen.

Update 2020

Paid Patterns

  • Julie Yeager has kindly put together a Block a Week 2014 e-book that contains all three of her paid patterns used in the CAL.  You can find that HERE on Ravelry.
  • Joyce Lewis – You can buy the Crocodile Flower Square pattern HERE on Ravelry.

Photo Tutorials

I have removed the photo tutorial for Block 6:  Blooming Lace.  Significant revisions to the pattern have rendered the original photo tutorial obsolete.  The pattern is straight-forward, though, so you’ll be fine x

Block a Week CAL 2014

Index

Clicking on these links will take you to the relevant section, although I suggest reading everything before you start.

Information

Like I have already mentioned, this Block a Week CAL is for those of us (present company included) that feel like we will never be able to make an afghan.

By breaking it up into individual squares and doing only one square a week, the project becomes infinitely less frightening.  Add to that the fact that you have a whole community of people behind you, doing the same thing and happy to help you out should you need it, and VOILA!  “I could never” turns into “I can’t wait for the next one!”

And the cherry on the cake?  Each block is a surprise!

This Crochet-along is hosted by the Official CCC Social Group on Facebook (you will have to be logged in to your Facebook account to access the link).  The woman in charge is called Kimberly Slifer and she is amazingly helpful and friendly.  Please feel free to join the Official CCC Social Group so that you can access and utilize the support and encouragement of all the lovely ladies on there.  You can also join the Block a Week CAL Flickr Group so that you can see what other people have done (be inspired) and share what you have done (give inspiration).

I hope that you will take up the challenge and join along with the Block a Week CAL.

Designers

The squares in this CAL have been NOT been designed by me.  They have been designed by a host of wonderful designers, a list of which you can find below.  These have kindly given me permission to do photo tutorials for (most of) the squares.  These photo tutorials should NOT replace the written patterns.  They are only meant to be helpful aides in your journey to make this afghan.  You can find the links to each pattern at the start of each tutorial, under the heading ‘Pattern‘.

  • Letitia Sherriff
  • Melinda Miller
  • Donna Mason-Svara
  • Julie Yeager
  • Melissa Green
  • Aurora Suominen
  • Ivory Herman
  • Chris Simon
  • Julee Reeves
  • Penny Davidson
  • April Moreland
  • Margaret MacInnis
  • Carola Wijma
  • Joyce Lewis
  • Shan Sevcik
  • Virginia Burrow
  • Carolyn Christmas
  • Betty Byers

Size

Using the hook and yarn specified in each pattern, the blocks/squares will measure 12″ x 12″.  Obviously this is dependant on your particular gauge.  I crochet quite tightly, but my sister-in-law, for example, crochets VERY loosely.

Using a 4 mm crochet hook (US G/6  UK 8) for all the squares, and double knit yarn (light worsted weight/#3), my finished squares have come out between 7.5″ to 8.5″.

If you are using the same hook and yarn for each square (as I have done), your squares won’t all come out the same size.  I have supplied a list of Optional Additional Rounds to help you get all the squares to the same size and final-round stitch count (more or less).

Materials

For the purposes of these tutorials, I am using:

I started out using the Original Attic24 Colour Pack, which you can find HERE in her Wool Warehouse Shop.  Midway through I decided that I didn’t want to use all the colours, so I had to buy a few more skeins.  You can find a list of the colours and yardages HERE.

List of Squares

If you would like to include Sophie’s Garden in your afghan (as Betty has done with her blanket), you can find the instructions for that HERE.  Sophie’s Garden is the size of 4 afghan squares, so if you choose to use it, it will replace 4 of your squares.

You can find the details for each block by clicking on the relevant image below.

Bonus Blocks

You can find the details for each block by clicking on the relevant image below.

Additional Rounds

You can find a list of the Optional Additional Rounds HERE (as discussed under ‘Size’ above).

Blocking Your Squares

Once you have made your squares, you will need to block them so that they are nice and neat (and the same size).  You can read about my DIY Blocking Station HERE.  The post includes links to other blocking methods.

Joining Your Squares

When are your squares are made and blocked, you will need to join them.  You can find all the information for joining crochet squares in the 5-part series below.

Adding a Border

When you have made, blocked, and joined your squares, you will need to add a border to finish your blanket off.  My friend Betty Byers has designed a beautiful border especially for this CAL.  You can find that HERE.

You do not HAVE to use this border, though.  I have gone for a very simple border myself.  Edie Eckman’s book ‘Around the Corner Crochet Borders‘ is an excellent resource.

The Blue And White Version

Over the years, I have gotten MANY questions about ‘The Blue and White Version’, so I thought I would dedicate a little space to it.

This gorgeous version was made by Sharon Blignaut and features the Enchanted Garden Square (paid), which is a marriage of Joyce Lewis’ Crocodile Flower Square (paid pattern) and Sophie’s Garden (free).  You can find more information on Sharon’s Ravelry Project Page HERE.

Related Posts

You can find me on Facebook, Bloglovin, Pinterest, Twitter, or Instagram.

Happy Hooking!

Dedri

This blog post contains affiliate links. I only link to products I personally use or would use.  All opinions are my own.

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Comments

  2. Dedri, I am just ordering the yarns for the CAL 2014 project. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it on your Website. I will do it just as you have. I wanted to say hello and thank you for providing the most challenging crochet piece I have ever done. I must admit, I am a little nervous!! Thank you!! Kathy from Kansas

    Reply

    • Hi Kathy :) I hope you enjoy the CAL. You will find the links to each complete pattern at the start of each tut right under the heading ‘Pattern’. The photo tutorials should be used in conjunction with the patterns as they refer to them.

  3. I am new to the world of crochet and am loving the free patterns you have available on this site. I was wondering if moving forward you could endeavor to ensure patterns that were freely available remain freely available rather than becoming an advertising tool for people that change their minds?

    Many thanks for the freebies & wonderful CALs
    ~B

    Reply

    • Hi Bella. I appreciate that you would like the patterns to remain free, but I have no control over whether or not they do. The designers elected to offer the patterns free for a year (which was very generous) before making them paid-for. 90% of the patterns in the CAL are still free. I hope you enjoy your blanket!

    • I am, too, thankful for the free patterns. I just downloaded all of the blocks.

      But after years of crocheting and making changes in some patterns and creating some items without a pattern, I know the time it takes and no one should begrudge paying for a pattern someone else took the time to create. They may look easy and following the pattern is easy, but creating it isn’t that easy. I’ve read of several patterns that people took weeks to perfect.

    • Hi Carrie.

      I totally agree. Writing patterns is very hard work and takes so much more than just typing out a few lines.

  4. Hello, I will wish to do this project and even do it with other francophones. Is there a French translation of this great project? and if not, you accept I translate and share it in French?
    Congratulations, your work is beautiful!!

    Reply

    • Hi Sabrina. Unfortunately the patterns belong to other designers, so I cannot give you permission to translate it. But I am so pleased that you love the CAL. Thank you.

    • Hi Sabrina. Unfortunately the patterns don’t belong to me. They were designed and written by other designers, so I cannot give you permission to translate them. But I am very pleased that you like the CAL. Have fun, and thank you for offering,

      Dedri

  7. This is one of the prettiest things I have seen. I did 3 squares. It is really challenging and interesting!! After sophie CAL, would you be starting another one?

    Reply

    • Hi Lia

      The photo tutorials will be available indefinitely and you can find the link for each written pattern under the “Pattern” heading at the beginning of each tutorial.

  9. Thank you so much Dedri for sharing these beautiful patterns. This is helping me to go beyond the learners block, by looking beyond the square and think about how it inspires ones feelings through the colours. Love it.

    Reply

  10. I have never seen such beautiful works of art in my life! Wonderful! Thank all the wonderful people who did these squares!

    Reply

  11. Your block a week CAL 2014 is incredibly beautiful. Is there ever going to be a book published with these instructions? I would purchase it in a heartbeat. I really do better with written patterns rather than something I see on the internet.

    Reply

    • Hi Carol

      The patterns aren’t mine. Theses squares were designed by a host of fabulous designers, so unfortunately there won’t be a book. But I am really pleased that you like the selection :)

  12. Just found 2014 CAL. Hope to make it, though I am a newcomer to crochet. Will there be a 2015 CAL its a great way to learn techniques. Love your work and color choices

    Reply

    • Cookie, there will be a 2015 CAL. You can read all about it HERE. It won’t be squares, though, but a continuous blanket.

  13. I am glad to see that I am not the only late comer to start you fabulous CAL – Thank you for sharing all the information with us – I see that I will be learning a lot from you and would just like to go to the bottom of the garden with my wool and hook and pattern .(and coffee) what bliss ,

    Reply

  14. Where have your “Block a Week” gone?

    I’m not to clever with computers, but I was able to follow you O.K.

    Please help me find them, I really am getting desperate to finish my kaftan sooner rather then later!!!

    It was called “Block a Week” And followed by “cal” but I don’t know what “cal” means.

    Hopefully
    Serena

    Reply

    • Serena, all the blocks are in this post as a thumbnail list. clicking on the relevant image will take you to the tutorial for that square. CAL stands for crochet-along.

  15. Are you keeping these tutorials on line into 2015? I have a few big christmas projects on the go and would love to do this block a week in the new year. I love the designs.

    Reply

  16. In my younger days I crocheted all the time! Now in my “golden” years I am having to learn all over!!! Bumber! I have to have patterns…I dearly love everyone of yours…
    Big Hugs,
    Wanda

    Reply

  17. I just came across your site. I absolutely LOVE this idea of a block a week and can’t wait to start creating them!!!

    Reply

    • Thank you, Lily, but I am just doing the photo tutorials. These squares were designed by a host of talented designers and they have kindly given us permission to do the photo tutorials.

  20. Your work is absolutely inspiring to me. One look at a square and the colors alone cheer up my spirit. Add to that the combination of stitches and it’s crochet heaven

    Reply

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