How to Crochet -- Square Block

Have you ever seen those pretty pastel block baby afghans in mail order catalogs or magazines and wish you could make one yourself without having to buy a kit? Here is a simple crocheted block pattern that you can use to create your own baby blanket or full size afghan in colors of your choice.

This is a very simple double crochet block that can be made in any size just by continuing to add rounds until the block is the size you want. Then make as many blocks of the same size as you will need to make an afghan as big as you want. You can even make an afghan or baby blanket from just one block by crocheting around and around to the desired size! How much easier can it get?

Begin with 6 chain stitches and join in a ring with a slip stitch.

Round 1: ch 3, 2 dc in ring, ch1, (3 dc in ring, ch 1) 3 times, sl st in top of beg ch (total of 12 sts)

Round 2: ch 3, 1 dc in each of next 2 sts, *(2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in ch sp, 1 dc in each of next 3 sts*, repeat from * to * 2 more times, (2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in last ch sp, sl st in top of beg ch (total 28 sts)

Round 3: ch 3, 1 dc in each of next 4 sts, *(2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in ch sp, 1 dc in each of next 7 sts*, repeat from * to * 2 more times, (2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in last ch sp, 1 dc in each of next 2 sts, sl st in top of beg ch (total of 44 sts)

To continue, work evenly along each side, and put (2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in the ch sp at each corner, increasing 16 sts on each round.

This is the baby blanket I referred to in one of my very first posts which I made for our second child using this pattern and working 4 rounds of color in double crochet then one round of white in single crochet and joining the blocks with white. Then I worked a border of one round single crochet and one round of reverse single crochet in white to finish it off.

I will show you in subsequent posts step by step how to make this block, how to join the blocks using single crochet for a sturdy and neat seam, and how to finish off the project with a nice border. And of course a few more pictures with a little more detail!

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