Dream A Dream: Center-Out Crochet Square
Have you had a chance to bump up your crochet skills yet? My tutorial on crocheting from the Center-Out has been live for 2 weeks now. I have seen a few of the Tutorial Squares and I am eager to see what everyone plans to do with a square so small. I think I will have to design more of that size!
The tutorial and this pattern (and all my other patterns) come with written line-by-line instructions and charts for two techniques. Overlay Mosaic Crochet seems to be the most popular. Interlocking Crochet is fun too (and sometimes goes by other names, such as Locked Filet Mesh / LFM)!
This pattern here (called “Dream a Dream”) is a little bit larger than the tutorial square. But it is not an overwhelming size. Plus, to make it more accessible I have created a full video walk-thru for each technique!
You don’t NEED to buy the pattern in order to follow along with the video. You can view the Key for the Interlocking Crochet method or the Overlay Mosaic Crochet method here and each row is written on the screen on the video; the charts are only available in the paid PDF. I truly do appreciate each purchase of the PDF pattern!
This square is not a size that easily mixes and matches with my other patterns, but I am sure you will still love it! There are so many things you can do with a square!
The first thing I think of is blankets. You can crochet as many squares as you like and then join them together to make a blanket.
The beauty of this technique and these squares is that you can use any weight yarn (as long as the yarns used are similar to each other in weight) and then an appropriately sized hook.
Just make sure you always have good contrast between the Main Color yarn and the second yarn you use.
If one of your yarns is self-striping you need to make sure the contrast color contrasts well with ALL the colors in the striping yarn.
Pillows (or throw cushions) go well with blankets, especially when you can have a matching set!
Then there are always so many bag options. A simple, small bag with just two squares and a strap is quick to make. Or, using multiple squares, you can create a larger bag.
I’m attempting to create a cardigan from my squares. My toddler really liked it when I had the back panel done – she used it as a blanket for a day!
Get the Pattern
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Interlocking Crochet Details
- Finished size 8.25” x 8.25” / 21cm x 21cm
- 5 mm hook (H-8)
- Main color (MC): Lion Brand Mandala (yarnsub.com for other options) – 60 yards
- Contrasting color (CC): Bernat Baby Sport Sparkle (yarnsub.com for other options) – 60 yards
- Gauge: 18 DC x 8 rows in one color = 4”
Overlay Mosaic Crochet Details
- Finished size 8.5” x 8.5” / 22.5cm x 22.5cm
- 5 mm hook (H-8)
- Main color (MC): Lion Brand Mandala (yarnsub.com for other options) – 60 yards
- Contrasting color (CC): Bernat Baby Sport Sparkle (yarnsub.com for other options) – 60 yards
- Gauge: 18 sc x 18 rows = 4”
My Copyright Statement
KEY FOR INTERLOCKING / LOCKED FILET MESH / LFM CROCHET
AC = accent color (pink on chart / even-numbered rounds)
MC = main color (green on chart / odd-numbered rounds)
Back = the wrong side of your work
Front = the right side of your work (you never turn your work, so the right side is always facing you)
AC/MC to Back indicates you need to place the AC/MCyarn towards the BACK of your project
AC/MC to Front indicates you need to bring the AC/MC yarn towards the FRONT of your project
CROCHET STITCHES USED (US terminology)
BLO = use the back loop only
ch = chain: pull a loop of yarn through the loop on your hook
dc = double crochet: yarn over, insert hook, yarn over, pull up loop, *yarn over, pull through two loops* twice
hdc = half double crochet: yarn over, insert hook, yarn over, pull up loop, yarn over, pull through all three loops
MR = magic ring: lay yarn across front of index and middle fingers, loose end hanging down; wrap yarn over and behind fingers then back up the front of your hand; cross yarn over yarn towards your wrist and hold working end of yarn with pinkie finger; insert hook under yarn closest to fingertips, grab the other loop of yarn and pull a loop up (with a slight clockwise twist); chain 1 to hold it together. You will crochet over the side that has 2 strings and when you are done you can tighten the loose end. See my video tutorial or my photo tutorial at ashleeslint.com/magicring
SS = slip stitch: insert hook, pull a loop through everything on your hook
SPECIAL TERMS USED
Ch3 in Back/Front counts as your first dc and chain
C = Corner: chain 2 (when added to previous stitch that makes 3 chains between the double crochets in each corner)
B = double crochet (dc) behind the previous row, and chain 1
F = double crochet (dc) in front of the previous row, and chain 1
Join = SS to finish the round. This stitch goes into the 2nd chain of the first ch3 of the round, or it can be made into the first window space
INTERLOCKING CROCHET TECHNIQUE
You are creating two layers of mesh that happen to be worked around each other. Each color of yarn gets stitched into itself only. Each double crochet goes into the previous row’s double crochet. There is a chain space between each double crochet that doesn’t get worked into. You alternate using each color of yarn and thus can do the double crochet in front or behind the opposite color’s chain space (never yarn over in a way that it encloses that chain space on both sides). Do not cut your yarn at the end of each round, just use a stitch marker to keep the live loop waiting. Detailed tutorial on this technique in PDF and YouTube video format can be found at https://ashleeslint.com/interlocking-crochet-tutorial-center-out/.
KEY FOR OVERLAY MOSAIC CROCHET
MC = Main Color: blue in chart
CC = Contrasting Color: white in chart
ch = chain: pull a loop through
SC = single crochet: insert hook, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through both loops on hook
DC = double crochet: yarn over, insert hook, pull up a loop, *yarn over, pull through two loops* twice
MR = magic ring: place yarn across the front of your fingers with the tail hanging down, wrap yarn over and behind your fingers, cross yarn at the top of your hand towards your wrist, insert hook under first loop on the back of your hand and grab the second loop, pull the loop up and chain to keep it in place. View my video tutorial or photo tutorial online: AshleesLint.com/magicring
SPECIAL STITCHES (TAKE NOTE OF THE LOWER CASE VERSUS UPPER CASE WAY OF USING THESE):
sc = SC into Back Loop only
dc = dropped double crochet: DC into Front Loop of stitch in the round below, skip the sc stitch that gets hidden behind this dropped stitch
scC = single crochet corner: SC into Back Loop Only of previous round’s corner chain, chain 1, SC into the same Back Loop again
dcC = double crochet corner: do a dropped DC into front loop of previous round’s corner chain, chain 1, do another dropped DC into same front loop again. The next stitch, if it is a dc, will use this same front loop as well.
| Remember to skip the same number of stitch(es) behind your dc(s) before doing your next sc |
Mosaic Technique when working from the CENTER-OUT
Technique tutorials: https://ashleeslint.com/overlay-mosaic-crochet-tutorial-center-out/
- The front of your work is always facing you (this is the right side, the side showing the design)
- Yarn colors can be anything you like
- They need to contrast well (try a black and white photo to see if they are too similar)
- They need to be the same weight (size/thickness)
- Foundation round counts as round 0 – it is a magic ring with 8 single crochets in it; uses the MC
- Do not cut your yarn at the end of each round, carry it up through the corner stitch
- Even-numbered rounds use MC; odd-numbered rounds use CC
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