2023 Stash Busting Crochet Along

It’s that time of year! Today marks the start of the annual blanket crochet along I host here on The Unraveled Mitten.

Our blanket this year will be a 20-square blanket with each square designed by a different talented designer. This is exactly how our 2021 CAL was structured too.

How do I participate in this CAL?

A crochet along is when a group of crocheters follow along and make the same pattern.

What makes crochet alongs fun, is the social aspect of it. Consider this your formal invitation to join my Crochet Group on Facebook. In there, you can share your progress, ask questions and hang out with me too. I will be sharing each square pattern there as well as over email.

If that’s not your thing, no worries, being in the group is not required.

The Details

Our blanket will consist of 20 different 12-inch squares each designed by a different designer.

A new square will be published every 2 weeks on Thursdays. This works out to be about 2 a month. I’ll include a schedule below. We’re going to start in a couple of weeks and should finish up by the end of October.

I’ll make a post here on The Unraveled Mitten linking to the featured designer’s pattern. The patterns are all hosted on the designer’s websites, not mine. 

In my post, I’ll share a finished photo of the square in my CAL colors as well as any tips and tricks for making the square. There will also be a link to the designer’s pattern.

Here is the finished blanket

I may try and get a better picture on a different day, it has been so dreary and rainy all week and this is the best I could get, without actually going out in the rain.

Yarn and Materials

• 3000 yds Worsted Weight Yarn
• 5mm crochet hook – I’ll be using my favorite Furl Streamline Resin hook

This is a stash-busting CAL so there is no shopping required. Dive into your stash and pick a selection of worsted-weight yarn to get started. Be sure that your selected yarns have similar qualities, this will help ensure that your squares come out the same size. For example, making a square in caron simply soft when your other squares are made in red heart super saver will result in a much smaller square.

I am using Red Heart Super Saver in a nice woodsy color scheme. Choosing colors was so hard! Out of all the palettes I chose, this one was my husband’s favorite.

I have asked the designers to use this yarn as well.

The colors I chose are (from right to left): Real Teal, Buff, Tea Leaf, Cafe Latte. You can choose to use however many colors you want – 2,3,4,5 etc.

THE PATTERNS

As I stated before, the patterns will be hosted on the featured designer’s website. If a square comes up that you aren’t a fan of, then feel free to skip it! It’s your blanket after all.

If you want an alternative, check out any of the squares from our 2021 CAL or one of these.

I’ll try to link helpful tutorials or videos in my notes posts but it is up to the designer to decide if she wants to publish a video or photo tutorial for the specific pattern. It is illegal for me to make a video of someone else’s pattern.

The designer is also free to sell the PDF version of her pattern in her online shops for you to purchase.

ALL ABOUT BLOCKING.

I highly suggest that you block your squares. This makes them lay nice and flat. It will give your blanket a polished look. If you don’t know how to block, it’s super easy.

Using rust-proof pins, pin your square out on a mat making sure it’s 12×12. Then hit it with some steam with a garment steamer or steam iron. If you’re using an iron be sure not to touch the iron to the yarn because it will melt. Also, don’t over steam it. When your square feels soft and is damp all over it’s done. Let it dry and remove it from your board.

You can find my favorite tools for blocking in my Amazon Shop.

THE SCHEDULE:

TIP: If you are looking for the next square and it is supposed to be out but is not linked here, click over to my homepage. It will show all my recent posts and chances are very good it will be there.

Today: Announcement and Materials List

Square 1: Spike Stitch Granny Square | The Unraveled Mitten

Square 2: Memories of Yesterday Square | Kirsten Holloway Designs

Square 3: Volume One Square | Eye Love Knots

Square 4: Across the Square | Oombawka Design

Square 5: Pop Up Square | Underground Crafter

Square 6: Springtime Square | Rich Textures Crochet

Square 7: Proserpina Square | Raffamusa Designs

Square 8: Spiky Granny Square | Crochet with Frankie Kate

Square 9: C2C Cable and Bean Square | Made by Gootie

Square 10: Cordelia Square | Madame Stitch

Square 11: Courtyard Square | The Unraveled Mitten

Square 12: Ribbon Mosaic Square | Nana’s Crafty Home

Square 13: Philippa Square | Sunflower Cottage Crochet

Square 14: Tapestry Bloom Square | Elimee Designs

Square 15: Cozy Alpine Square | Juniper and Oaks

Square 16: Eventide Square | The Stitchin’ Mommy

Square 17: Catmingo Square | Boy Mom Crochet Life

Square 18: Textured C2C Square | Handmade by Stacy J

Square 19: Opposite Bobble Square | Salty Pearl Crochet

Square 20: Mid Mod Square | Blackstone Designs

Joining Your Blanket Squares

• 88 yds Red Heart Super Saver in chosen color (I used Tea Leaves)

Now that you have all your squares finished it is time to join them together and add a border. On the last couple of blankets I’ve done with squares, I used a single crochet join. This time I wanted to do something different. 

I landed on the Zig Zag Slip Stitch Join. I think this is my new favorite. (I have actually already used this again in an upcoming pattern).

I noticed there were a lot of size differences between my squares, you can probably tell in the photo. Joining your squares will go a lot smoother than mine if they are all close to the same size/stitch count on the edges.

You can find a link to this joining tutorial (and a few more) as well as tips and how to get your squares ready to join below. 

4 Ways to Join Granny Squares

Adding a Border to Your Blanket

• 84 yds Red Heart Super Saver in chosen color (I used Tea Leaves)

Next, we are going to add a border. I struggled to find just the right border for this one! Then I landed on this simple Sawtooth Edging. I decided to call it that because as I got started, it reminded me of the serrated edge of a saw or chainsaw. 

This blanket is a gift for my Dad to keep at his cabin and I didn’t want the border to be too frilly and I didn’t want it to be plain. I think this fits the bill perfectly.

You can find the border Instructions here.  

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