Size: 68 inches x 91 inches
Colors: Wood Brown, Cameo Rose, Forest Green (Red Heart Classic)
Book: 63 Easy-To-Crochet Pattern Stitches Combine to Make an Heirloom Afghan - Leaflet 555 - Designs by Darla Sims - Copyright 1987 - Leisure Arts
Hook: Various sizes to get my gauge of 7.5 inches per square before adding the edging
Unique touches: (1) Joining: sc, ch 1, sc every other stitch; (2) Custom border: Rows of sc in various configurations, V Stitch, Alternate Puff Stitch, and the last row of the pattern's border edging
Date: November 2004

It's done! It's a lovely, warm, and huge blanket! I finished my 63 Squares Crochet Along project! Whoop!

The first photo shows all 63 squares laid out on the floor in the order shown in the pattern book (taken Thursday afternoon). The other photos were taken yesterday mid-afternoon after all squares were joined but before I had finished hiding yarn ends (since I wanted to get the photos done during daylight hours!). All yarn ends were hidden away by just about dinner time last night.

Photo descriptions:

(1) All 63 squares laid out on the floor.
(2) Bottom left.
(3) Bottom right.
(4) Top, from right to left.
(5) Laid over the couch (top on the right, bottom on the left).
(6) Close-up of joining stitches.
(7) Close-up of border stitches.

Book: 63 Easy-To-Crochet Pattern Stitches Combine to Make an Heirloom Afghan - Leaflet 555 - Designs by Darla Sims - Copyright 1987 - Leisure Arts.

Thumbnails for all of my squares are below (select the thumbnail image to view a larger version).

I finished the 63rd square last night and weaved in all yarn ends for each square! Whoop! Next steps: Layout all squares, connect columns, connect rows, add a border, weave in remaining yarn ends, cuddle up, and enjoy!

Again, a number of the photographs are blurry. It seems that taking pictures while hunched over squares laid out on the ground in front of a sliding glass door (for the daytime lighting!) isn't the best way to take focused pictures!

Square 40: Fan Stitch
Hook: G

Square 41: Fan and Popcorn
Hook: G

Square 42: Fan Trellis
Hook: E (with extra row of Fan pattern on left and right sides)

Square 43: Puff Stitch
Hook: G

Square 44: Cluster Braid
Hook: F

Square 45: Crossed Ripple Stitch
Hook: G

Square 46: Palm Leaves
Hook: H

Square 47: Ripple Stitch
Hook: H

Square 48: Raised Ripple Stitch
Hook: F

Square 49: Lacy Wave Stitch
Hook: F (with extra row of sc left and right sides)

Square 50: Picot Stitch
Hook: H

Square 51: Star Stitch
Hook: I (with extra row of sc left and right sides)

Square 52: Up and Down Stitch
Hook: H

Square 53: Crossed Puff Stitch
Hook: F

Square 54: Aligned Puff Stitch
Hook: G (with extra row of sc on 4 sides)

Square 55: Parellel Post Stitch
Hook: G

Square 56: Snapdragon Stitch
Hook: H

Square 57: Alternate Mesh Stitch
Hook: H

Square 58: Soft Clusters
Hook: G

Square 59: Clusters
Hook: F

Square 60: Doubles
Hook: F

Square 61: Rib Stitch
Hook: F (plus two multiples of 1)

Square 62: Basket Weave
Hook: G

Square 63: Parallel Cables
Hook: G

I've been having fun working on squares for the 63 Squares Heirloom Afghan! I've decided to keep this blanket instead of giving it away. It'll be much too big for a lap blanket (although I could make several lap blankets with the 63 squares!), but I want to keep it to remember the great patterns and Bill needs a blanky to cuddle up with on the couch!

I'm working on the 50th square now, but have photos ready for squares 11 through 39 (minus 17 when I noticed the square's edging was on the wrong side! - I'll add it below later).

Speaking of photo taking, it's not bright enough in the morning before work or when I get home to take photos in natural daylight without flash (which flattens out patterns and texture), so I'll be taking photos of projects on weekends for a while (unless I decide to bring squares to work and take the photos there during a break or at lunch...!) Many of the photos below are blurry. I ran out of steam and may (or may not) re-do the worst ones.

As you can see, some of the squares are a bit lop-sided. That'll work itself out when the squares are put together for the blanket.

Square 11: Horizontal Relief Stitch
Hook: H

Square 12: Open Ridge Stitch
Hook: H (with extra row of sc left and right sides)

Square 13: Bushy Stitch
Hook: G (with first row of edging combo of sc/hdc instead of sc to make curvy shell edges straighter)

Square 14: Seed Stitch
Hook: G (with extra row of sc left and right sides)

Square 15: Afghan Square
Hook: F

Square 16: Granny Square
Hook: H (with extra row of sc on 4 sides)

Square 17: Cluster Square
Hook: G

Square 18: Woven Relief Stitch
Hook: H

Square 19: Circle in a Square
Hook: F (with extra row of sc on 4 sides)

Square 20: Plain Square
Hook: H

Square 21: Flower Square
Hook: H

Square 22: Cross Stitch
Hook: H

Square 23: Slant Stitch
Hook: H

Square 24: Climbing Shells
Hook: H

Square 25: Aligned Shells
Hook: H

Square 26: Simple Shell Stitch
Hook: G

Square 27: Block and Offset Shell Stitch
Hook: G

Square 28: Boxed Shell Stitch
Hook: E (plus one multiple of 5)

Square 29: Alternate Spike SC
Hook: G (using 22 chains, not 26)

Square 30: Eyelet Lace
Hook: F (plus one multiple of 6)

Square 31: Check Stitch
Hook: G

Square 32: Aligned Cobble Stitch
Hook: G

Square 33: Silt Stitch
Hook: G

Square 34: V Stitch
Hook: G (plus one multiple of 3)

Square 35: Twin Stitch
Hook: G

Square 36: Little Crowns
Hook: F

Square 37: Popcorn Braid
Hook: G

Square 38: Diagonal Popcorn
Hook: G

Square 39: Popcorn Diamond
Hook: G

Because of my gauge changes frequently (from start to finish of a session, and from stitch to stitch, and depending on how I'm feeling!), for most squares I do 3-4 rows, measure for 7.5 inches, then pull it out and try again with a different hook! So, there are a lot of restarts!

Square 8: Chevron Relief Stitch
Hook: G
I was 2/3 done when I really looked at it and realized I was making a parallelogram, not a square! It took another 4 attempts before I got a square!

Square 9: Arch Stitch
Hook: E (plus one multiple of 5)
I didn't want big holes, so I started with G, moved to F, and finally ended up with E. I had to add one multiple of 5 stitches to make the square wide enough with this smaller hook.

Square 10: Offset Cluster
Hook: G

I've finally gotten around to creating a gallery for my 63 Squares Crochet Along project!

Two more squares done as of last night!

Square 6: Trinity Stitch
Hook: H (plus one multiple of 2)
This is a very nice stitch! Solid and thick with a nice texture.

Square 7: Alternate Puff Stitch
Hook: G
This pattern appeals to me too! The puffs are difficult to see in the photo so I may try again from a different angle in better light. Done!

On Friday night, I finally chose colors for the 63 Squares Crochet Along. I'm using Red Heart Classic yarn from my acquired-on-eBay stash in:

• Wood Brown (in place of Ecru)
• Cameo Rose (in place of Rose)
• Forest Green (in place of Green)

And I finally started making squares yesterday! Three were finished in the morning and 2.5 squares in the evening! Go me!

The pattern book says to start with an H hook and switch hooks as necessary to make 7-inch squares. I hold the yarn loosely so my gauge is usually larger - wider and taller - than a pattern's recommended gauge. And, to make things harder, my gauge is taller than it is wide, and the more I crochet in a day, the tighter (or looser) my gauge gets depending on how I'm feeling, how cold or warm my hands are, etc.! So, I'll be adjusting each of the 63 squares as I go along!

After 3 tries (with an H hook, a G hook, and an F hook) at Square 1 Single Crochet, I settled on a 7.5-inch square (instead of the 7-inch square called for by the pattern) before the edging rounds are added.

For now, I'm doing them in order...

Square 1: Single Crochet
Hook: F

Square 2: Half Double Crochet
Hook: G

Square 3: Double Crochet
Hook: G

Square 4: Treble Crochet (aka Triple Crochet)
Hook: G
I may re-make this square using a smaller hook so it isn't so loose and filled with large holes!

Square 5: Front and Back Loop Half Double Crochet
Hook: H (plus one multiple of 2)

I just joined the 63 Squares Crochet Along. I've used several patterns from this book for previous blanket projects, but I haven't (yet!) made a blanket with all 63 squares. Now's my chance!

Book: 63 Easy-To-Crochet Pattern Stitches Combine to Make an Heirloom Afghan - Leaflet 555 - Designs by Darla Sims - Copyright 1987 - Leisure Arts