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You can find the ad-free PDF of this pattern for just $1 on Ravelry.

Happy April, friends! I joined Claire of Bear Rye Crochet for her In Bloom Blanket CAL, where 20 makers are designing and releasing a new spring-themed blanket square each day for the month of April. (Check out all the designs here!)

But I bet this April is nothing like you expected it to be. It’s Earth Month, but the people of Earth are deep into a pandemic that has swept across the globe and brought communities to their knees.

As an Earth lover and deep thinker (#sorrynotsorry Enneagram 4), I have pondered over this situation a lot. I’m one to always look for the bright side, and admittedly it’s hard to find right now. What I have found, though, is that this truly global situation has brought so many people together.

Stop and think about it: right now, BILLIONS of people are hunkering down, waiting, watching, and praying for everyone else on this Earth. It doesn’t matter if they are friend or foe. Sure there are outliers, but the truth is that we are all working together for the good of mankind. When was the last time that happened? It is beauty in the chaos.

I chose Earth Day to release my square a few months ago, just because I love the Earth and I love to do it up during April. But as I looked for inspiration for my square, this pandemic was in the forefront of my mind.

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You might also like:

• 5 Ways to Crochet Sustainably
• 7 Fast and Free Crochet Gift Ideas
• Leafy Troll Halloween Costume for Kids

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The Earth is huge; it’s resilient. Right now the Earth is not suffering. In fact, it’s probably enjoying some clearer skies, less traffic, some much needed peace. But the people of Earth are suffering, making do with what they have, adapting to new normals, and helping each other through this thing. I could go on and on…

But I’ll stop now and show you my happy heart Earth square, representing the solidarity that’s in the air as of late. I tried to squeeze in as much of the continents as I could, to truly represent everyone.

WeCrochet.com supplied the super soft Mighty Stitch yarn for this project. It’s a dreamy merino blend, and I used the colors Alfalfa, Celestial and Cream.

TODAY, APRIL 22, 2020, you can find the PDF download of this pattern for FREE on Ravelry. Check out the main CAL page on Bear Rye Crochet’s blog for the code, and to see all the other beautiful spring themed squares that are part of this CAL!

Have you missed a few days of this CAL? Or don’t have time to find the free pattern every day? You can download the bundle of all 30 square patterns for only $7 (a $23 savings) via my affiliate link HERE. You will get the PDFs you missed, and every new one emailed to you each day!

Intarsia Tips

This little square is quite the intarsia experience, but it’s worth it! Two Little Birds Patterns has a great general intarsia tutorial on YouTube (with a free pattern too!) I have some basic photo tutorials here and here on how to change colors using intarsia.

Here are a few tips specific to this square:

• Carry the white through the colorwork until row 12. Once you are consistently using both contrast colors on each row, drop the white yarn, pick up both the green and blue and carry across the row until you get to the white. Then, pick up a separate white bobbin and finish the row.
• Keep your tension easy through the colorwork. It’s easy to make the colorwork tighter, thus making your square wonky. This happened to me! I steam blocked my square to even it out.
• Keep track of your wrong side. This square is not reversible and has a distinct right and wrong side.

Pattern

Materials:

• 1 skein each Mighty Stitch in Cream, Alfalfa, and Celestial.
  • If using stash yarn: 11g or 25 yds white, 8 g or 18 yds green, 8g or 18 yds blue in worsted weight category 4 yarn
• 4 mm hook (or hook needed to obtain gauge)
• Darning needle
• Scissors
• Bobbins (optional)

Size:

8×8 inches

Gauge:

4×4 inches = 17 st x 20 rows

Abbreviations:

• ch = chain
• sc = single crochet
• st = stitch
• W = white
• B = blue
• G = green

Notes:

•  This square is not reversible. Make sure your “wrong side” is the side where the map is backwards (mirror image). The pattern will delineate right side (RS) and wrong side (WS) to help. For reference, odd numbered rows are the RS in this project.
• If you are left handed, you may need to reverse the RS and WS of your project.
• The turning chain counts as your first st. As such, for each row you will make your first sc into the second stitch. (I find this creates the straightest edges.) The pattern will state “sk first st” to avoid confusion.
• Feel free to modify the above technique and sc in to the first st if this works best for you, but don’t forget to add it to what is written below. (i.e. if the pattern says sc 15 in white, you will need to sc 16 in white)
•  For the graph, no such assumptions are made regarding first stitches/turning chains. Each pixel represents a stitch. You may choose to sc that first stitch of each row, or count it as the turning chain.
• The pattern is entirely sc, so the colorwork section will be written as follows: “15W, 2G, 16W” = sc 15 in white, sc 2 in green, sc 16 in white.

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Other free patterns:

• Diamonds & Dots Baby Blanket
• Jungle Beat Baby Blanket
• Harvest Throw

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Graph

Written Pattern

Foundation row: In W, chain 35

Row 1: Sc into the second chain from hook. Sc across (34 st total). Ch 1 and turn.

Row 2-4: Sk first st. Sc across (33 st total, with your turning chain counting as the first st). Ch 1 and turn.

Begin colorwork. All stitches will be sc.

Row 5 (RS): Sk first st. 15W, 2G, 16W. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 6 (WS): Sk first st. 14W, 4G, 15W. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 7 (RS): Sk first st. 13W, 5B, 1G, 14W. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 8 (WS): Sk first st. 12W, 8B, 13W. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 9 (RS): Sk first st. 11W, 10B, 12W. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 10 (WS): Sk first st. 10W, 12B, 11W. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 11 (RS): Sk first st. 9W, 13B, 1G, 10W. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 12 (WS):  Sk first st. 8W, 3G, 8B, 2G, 3B, 9W. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 13 (RS): Sk first st. 7W, 3B, 3G, 8B, 4G, 8W. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 14 (WS): Sk first st. 6W, 6G, 7B, 3G, 2B, 1G, 1B, 7W. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 15 (RS): Sk first st. 5W, 2B, 1G, 1B, 5G, 6B, 7G, 6W. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 16 (WS): Sk first st. 4W, 1B, 7G, 6B, 5G, 5B, 5W. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 17 (RS): Sk first st. 3W, 1G, 5B, 5G, 6B, 7G, 2B, 4W. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 18 (WS): Sk first st. 3W, 1G, 1B, 6G, 7B, 6G, 4B, 1G, 4W. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 19 (RS): Sk first st. 2W, 1G, 5B, 8G, 7B, 3G, 4B, 3W. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 20 (WS): Sk first st. 2W, 5B, 1G, 7B, 9G, 6B, 3W. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 21 (RS): Sk first st. 1W, 6B, 10G, 7B, 2G, 5B, 2W. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 22 (WS): Sk first st. 1W, 3B, 5G, 6B, 8G, 8B, 2W. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 23 (RS): Sk first st. 1W, 6B, 2G, 1B, 7G, 8B, 4G, 2B, 2W. Ch 1 and turn. 

Row 24 (WS): Sk first st. 1W, 1B, 5G, 2B, 1G, 6B, 9G, 2B, 1G, 3B, 2W. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 25 (RS): Sk first st. 1W, 1G, 1B, 3G, 2B, 6G, 8B, 8G, 1B, 2W. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 26 (WS): Sk first st. 1W, 1B, 9G, 2B, 1G, 8B, 2G, 1B, 4G, 1B, 1G, 2W. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 27 (RS): Sk first st. 1W, 9G, 1B, 1G, 2B, 2G, 5B, 9G, 1B, 2W. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 28 (WS): Sk first st. 1W, 11G, 4B, 6G, 2B, 7G, 2W. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 29 (RS): Sk first st. 1W, 14G, 5B, 3G, 1B, 7G, 2W. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 30 (WS): Sk first st. 1W, 12G, 5B, 13G, 2W. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 31 (RS): Sk first st. 1W, 11G, 7B, 2G, 2B, 8G, 2W. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 32 (WS): Sk first st. 2W, 6G, 3B, 1G, 1B, 1G, 3B, 1G, 1B, 1G, 1B, 9G, 3W. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 33 (RS): Sk first st. 2W, 11G, 1B, 1G, 2W, 2G, 5B, 5G, 1B, 3W. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 34 (WS): Sk first st. 3W, 3G, 1B, 1G, 2B, 1G, 1B, 2G, 4W, 2B, 9G, 4W. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 35 (RS): Sk first st. 4W, 7G, 2B, 6W, 1G, 2B, 1G, 5B, 5W. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 36 (WS): Sk first st. 5W, 1B, 1G, 1B, 2G, 1B, 1G, 8W, 3B, 3G, 1B, 6W. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 37-40. In W, sk first st. Sc across.

Weave in your loose ends with a tapestry needle.

Block if needed to obtain correct dimensions.

I hope you LOVE your Earth square as much as you love the Earth 😉

Don’t forget you can get the ad-free PDF of this pattern on Ravelry for $1.

If you make this blanket square I would love to see it! Tag me on Instagram @thetravelinghooker, and use the hashtags #TravelingHookCreations & #InBloomBlanketCAL.

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