Bonus Block 1 of the Block a Week CAL (hosted by Kimberly Slifer) is Carolyn Christmas’ Harlequin Shells.  This square is simple, but very striking.  I love Carolyn’s designs.  Do yourself a favour and visit her website, Pink Mambo.  I particularly like her V-stitch Laptop Sleeve and her Bluebird of Hapiness.

Harlequin Shells Crochet Square

{Pattern © Carolyn Christmas.  Photo tutorial done with kind permission}

Pattern

• You can find the pattern here on Carolyn’s website
• Add it to your Ravelry queue

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.  Please note that I have changed the last round of this square to dc’s to reach the 8.5″ of all my other squares.

My Yarn and Colour Choices

I am using the Stylecraft Special DK.

• Saffron (Round 1)
• Meadow (Round 2)
• Turquoise (Round 3)
• Aspen (Round 4)
• Sherbet (Round 5)
• Lavender (Round 6)
• Magenta (Round 7)
• Clematis (Round 8)
• Fondant (Round 9)
• Pomegranate (Round 10)
• Lipstick (Round 11)

Notes

US Crochet Terminology used.  See this comparative chart if you need help transcribing from US to UK.

Harlequin Shells Square 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 Carolyn Christmas for giving us permission to do this photo-tutorial for her Harlequin Shells 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-5.

Magic Ring Instructions for Round 1

Into a magic ring:  ch 3 (this counts as your first dc).  Make 2 more dc’s and then ch 2.  (3 x dc in ring, ch 2) three times.  Join to the top of the beginning ch-3 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:  12 dc’s and 4 ch-2 spaces

Round 2

• If you are using the same colour, sl st into the next dc.  Ch 1 and sc in the same st.
• If you are using a new colour for this round, start with a standing single crochet in the central dc of any 3-dc group around (Photo 1).

*(3 x hdc, ch 2, 3 x hdc) in the next ch-2 space (Photo 2).  Sc in the central dc of the next 3-dc group (indicated with an arrow in Photo 2 and illustrated in Photo 3)* x 4.  Omit the last sc on the last repeat.  Join to the first sc with a sl st.

When making the corners, both here and in subsequent rounds, remember that the stitches of the corner will obscure the top of the first st.  In Photo 2 below you can see that the first visible loops (indicated with the arrow) actually belong to the second stitch, which is the one you should work into.

Stitch count:  28 st’s  {4 sc’s, 24 hdc’s, and 4 ch-2 corners}

Round 3

• If you are using the same colour, sl st into the next 2 st’s.  You should end up in the central hdc of the 3-hdc group before the ch-2 corner space.  Ch 1 and sc in the same stitch.
• If you are using a new colour, start with a standing single crochet in the central hdc of the 3-hdc group before any ch-2 corner space around (Photo 1).

*(3 hdc, ch 2, 3 hdc) in the ch-2 corner space (Photo 2).  Sc in the central hdc of the next 3-hdc group (Photo 3).  Make 3 dc’s in the next sc (Photo 4).  Sc in the central hdc of the next 3-hdc group (Photo 5)* x 4.  Omit the last sc on the last repeat.  Join to the first sc with a sl st.

Stitch counts:  

• Total:  44 st’s and 4 ch-2 spaces {8 sc’s, 24 hdc’s, and 12 dc’s}
• Per Side:  11 st’s  {2 sc’s, 6 hdc’s, and 3 dc’s}

Rounds 4-10

From this point on, the pattern is even easier to follow.  You are basically repeating Round 4 (as written) for each round.  Each subsequent round will have 1 more sc AND 1 more 3-dc group per side.  That is 4 extra sc’s and 12 extra dc’s per round.

Stitch counts:

Round 4

• Total:  60 st’s and 4 ch-2 spaces
• Per Side:  15 st’s  {3 sc’s, 6 hdc’s, and 6 dc’s}

Round 5

• Total:  76 st’s and 4 ch-2 spaces
• Per Side:  19 st’s  {4 sc’s, 6 hdc’s, and 9 dc’s}

Round 6

• Total:  92 st’s and 4 ch-2 spaces
• Per Side:  23 st’s  {5 sc’s, 6 hdc’s, and 12 dc’s}

Round 7

• Total:  108 st’s and 4 ch-2 spaces
• Per Side:  27 st’s  {6 sc’s, 6 hdc’s, and 15 dc’s}

Round 8

• Total:  124 st’s and 4 ch-2 spaces
• Per Side:  31 st’s  {7 sc’s, 6 hdc’s, and 18 dc’s}

In Round 8 your square might start ruffling…is there such a word?  Don’t worry about this.  You can either tug it a bit to get it straight again, or you can just ignore it.  Once you block the square it will all be hunky-dory.

Round 9

• Total:  140 st’s and 4 ch-2 spaces
• Per Side:  35 st’s  {8 sc’s, 6 hdc’s, and 21 dc’s}

Round 10

• Total:  156 st’s and 4 ch-2 spaces
• Per Side:  39 st’s  {9 sc’s, 6 hdc’s, and 24 dc’s}

Just to stress the point.  See how rippley and ruffley my square is in Round 10?  A tug here and there and it is beautifully flat again :)

Round 11

This is a simple sc round.  I made this round in dc instead, purely so that this square would be the same size as all of my other squares.

Stitch count:  172 st’s and 4 ch-2 spaces.  {43 st’s per side}

Join the Block a Week CAL

If you would like to be part of the Block a week CAL on Facebook, please join the Official CCC Social Group (you must be logged into Facebook to do so) 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 inspire others and be inspired yourself.

For those of you who do not like Facebook, you can always follow along with me here.  I will be posting the blocks every week.

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
• Wendy from Little Wendy Crochet (Dutch photo tutorials)

Happy Hooking!