Welcome to Week 22 of the Textures and Tassels Blanket mystery crochet along! This week’s pattern is the Elsie Square, textured with half double crochet in the third loop and crossed stitches. I’ve included a video tutorial for the crossed double crochet stitch and a link to a video to help you identify the third loop.
This post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation (at no added cost to you) if you make a purchase using these links. Materials for this project were generously provided by Clover USA and Lion Brand.
Join the Textures and Tassels Mystery Crochet Along!
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Textures and Tassels Blanket 22: Elsie Square
Half Double Crochet in the Third Loop Square Pattern by Underground Crafter
This 6” (15 cm) motif uses stitches in the third loop of half double crochet stitches and crossed stitches for texture.
The Textures and Tassels Blanket is a mystery crochet along for a throw-sized blanket worked in a combination of motifs and rows. Borders are crocheted in the round and the blanket is finished off with tassels. (Optional, of course, if you don’t like tassels.) New clues will be released on Fridays through December 10, 2021.
Finished Size
- Throw Blanket.
Materials
- Lion Brand Heartland yarn (Solids: 100% acrylic, 5 oz/142 g, 251 yd/230 m; Tweeds: 94% acrylic/6% rayon, 4 oz/113 g, 200 yd/183 m): 14 skeins in your choice of colors, or approximately 3,320 yards/3,036 meters in any medium weight yarn.
- Clover Amour US Size I-9/5.5 mm crochet hook, or size that matches gauge or you prefer using with medium weight yarn.
- Clover Tassel Maker in Large or Small, or the bundle of both sizes (optional, but very helpful if you plan to finish your blanket with tassels).
- Clover Quick Locking Stitch Marker set (optional, but helpful for marking the front and holding pieces together for seaming).
- Clover Chibi yarn needle.
Gauge
- See individual clues for gauge information.
Textures and Tassels Blanket Pattern Notes
- The Textures and Tassels Blanket Blanket is constructed using a combination of motifs and rows. Borders are crocheted in the round. New “clues” will be released on Fridays during 2021.
- I am using 3 colors for my version of the blanket: Lion Brand Heartland yarn in 178 Pinnacles (CA), 195 Biscayne (CB), and 350 Mount Rainier Tweed (CC). This is a “dye lot” yarn, so be sure to get enough of each color you plan to use so that the colors match. If you substitute a “no dye lot” yarn, the dyes are consistent between batches so you can order additional yarn as needed and the colors will match.
- You can use as many or as few colors as you like for your version. I recommend at least 2 colors to show certain stitch patterns.
- Whenever possible, I recommend crocheting over your yarn tails as you work. Sometimes, a stitch pattern will be too lacy to effectively crochet over your yarn tails. In that case, I recommend weaving in ends.
- Fiber Flux has a helpful video tutorial for crocheting over your yarn tails as you work here.
- Stitches n Scraps has helpful video and photo tutorials for 3 ways of weaving in ends here. I use the yarn (tapestry) needle method.
- Because the border will be crocheted in the round over the unworked sides of rows, when changing colors often you can carry your yarn tails up the side of your work. AllFreeCrochet has a helpful video tutorial for carrying your yarn tails up the side of your work here.
- Color changes are only suggestions. You are welcome to change colors more or less often.
Abbreviations Used in This Pattern
- 3L – third (back) loop only – Moogly has a helpful video for identifying the third loop here.
- CB – Color B
- ch – chain
- cdc – crossed double crochet – Skip next st, dc in next st, dc in skipped st. Each cdc counts as 2 sts. A video tutorial for this stitch is available below.
- If you can’t see the video above for the crossed double crochet, click here to watch it on YouTube.
- dc – double crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- rep – repeat
- Rnd(s) – Round(s)
- sc – single crochet
- sl st – slip stitch
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- *Repeat instructions after asterisk as indicated.
- [] Repeat instructions between brackets as indicated.
- () Work instructions in parentheses into same stitch or space.
Notes for Part 22
- Gauge: Motif = 6” (15 cm) in pattern.
- Ch 1 at beginning of Rounds and sl st joins do not count as a stitches.
- Color changes are only suggestions. You are welcome to change colors more or less often. For this section, my Color A is Lion Brand Heartland yarn in 195 Biscayne.
Pattern Instructions
Elsie Square
- With CB, ch 4, skip 3 ch, join with sl st to next ch to form ring.
- Rnd 1: Ch 1, 8 hdc in ring, join with sl st to 3L of first hdc. – 8 sts
- Rnd 2: Ch 1, starting in same st, 2 hdc3L in each st around, join with sl st to 3L of first hdc. – 16 sts
- Rnd 3: Ch 1, starting in same st, [2 hdc3L in next st, hdc3L in next st] around, join with sl st to 3L of first hdc. – 24 sts
- Rnd 4: Ch 1, starting in same st, *[sc3L in next 2 sts, 2 sc3L in next st] twice,** ch 2; rep from * around, ending last rep after **, ch 1, join with sc (counts as ch 1) to top of first sc. – 8 sts on each side + 4 ch-2 sp
- Rnd 5: Ch 1, dc in same ch-2 sp, *cdc across (4 times/8 sts) to corner ch-2 sp,** (dc, ch 2, dc) in ch-2 sp; rep from * around, ending last rep after **, dc in first ch-2 sp, ch 1, join with sc (counts as ch 1) to top of first dc. – 10 sts (2 dc + 4 cdc) on each side + 4 ch-2 sp
- Rnd 6: Ch 1, 2 dc in same ch-2 sp, *dc in next st, cdc across (4 times/8 sts) to last dc before corner ch-2 sp, dc in next st,** (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in ch-2 sp; rep from * around, ending last rep after **, 2 dc in first ch-2 sp, ch 1, join with sc (counts as ch 1) to top of first dc. – 14 sts (6 dc + 4 cdc) on each side + 4 ch-2 sp
- Rnd 7: Ch 1, 2 dc in same ch-2 sp, *dc in next st, cdc across (6 times/12 sts) to last dc before corner ch-2 sp, dc in next st,** (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in ch-2 sp; rep from * around, ending last rep after **, 2 dc in first ch-2 sp, ch 1, join with sc (counts as ch 1) to top of first dc. – 18 sts (6 dc + 6 cdc) on each side + 4 ch-2 sp
- Rnd 8: Ch 1, sc in same ch-2 sp, *sc in next 18 sts,** (sc, ch 2, sc) in ch-2 sp; rep from * around, ending last rep after **, sc in first ch-2 sp, ch 1, join with sc (counts as ch 1) to top of first sc. – 20 sts on each side + 4 ch-2 sp
- If your square is smaller than 6” (15 cm) after Rnd 8, work additional rounds as follows until square reaches 6” (15 cm):
- Ch 1, sc in same ch-2 sp, *sc in each st across to corner ch-2 sp,** (sc, ch 2, sc) in ch-2 sp; repeat from * around, ending last repeat at **, sc in first ch-2 sp, ch 1, join with sc (counts as ch 1) to top of first sc. (Increases by 2 sts on each side with each rep)
- Fasten off with long yarn tail (approximately 24”/61 cm) for seaming.