Say hello to the Mainstays Crochet Square Free Pattern. Perfect for your blanket project or make a set of them as coasters & mug rugs!

I have long admired Marie and her blog Underground Crafter. I have even had the great pleasure of meeting Marie at events over the years and so when she invited me to join her Blanket Square CAL I was all over it. See all the great square patterns here.

And don’t forget to show off your finished squares!!!!

The beauty of my Mainstays Blanket Square Free Crochet Pattern is that you can customize it in many ways. If you are using 1 color, 2 colors, 3 colors or more, you can easily adapt the squares to match your own color scheme or play around with the color border for an added color pop on solid squares.

I often make blanket squares like the Mainstays Blanket Square Free Crochet Pattern but use them as coasters which is great because I can make them in various colors to switch out for decor depending on season.

And they are great gifts too! So many friends of mine get sets of coasters, or Mug Rugs as we call them here, and really they are made of various blanket squares. They are always a big hit.

Shout out to Red Heart 4& Yarnspirations for providing yarn support for this pattern.

And hey - before we go on to the square itself, let’s chat about gauge.

Anyone who knows me and Stitch & Hustle patterns know that we say it all the time: GAUGE MATTERS!

But really for this project … Gauge matters to the point that you need consistency. But if you have gauge issues you can add rounds of the trim or remove a round. I designed this square specifically so that you would be able to make it not only the 6'“ square that is called for in the Underground Crafter CAL, but also continue to make these in many sizes to enjoy for various projects.

Join the Underground Crafter Facebook Group where you can see all the CAL fun

LET”S MAKE A MAINSTAY BLANKET SQUARE!

MATERIALS:
Red Heart With Love Yarn
COLOR A: Light Grey
COLOR B: Bluebell
COLOR C: Celtic
Crochet Hook Size US J / 6mm (I used a Furls hook)

PROJECT STITCH ABBREVIATIONS:
sc – single crochet
hdc – half double crochet
dc – double crochet
ch – chain loop
sl st – slip stitch
st(s) – stitch(es)
sk - skip

PATTERN NOTES:
Yarn Support for this design was provided by Red Heart / Yarnspirations
This pattern features rows with trim in joined Rounds
Your finished square will measure 6” x 6” after blocking. If you find you are a snug stitchter, you can repeat the last round in any color you like to meet the 6” square size for the CAL.
When joining colors, it is best to join them with a “anchoring sc” that will NOT count as a st and is not mentioned in the pattern.

BEGIN WITH COLOR A:
ROW 1: fsc  x12

ROW 2:  ch 1 and turn, then dc in last fsc of previous row then  *skip one fsc and [1sc, 1 dc] in next fsc *; repeat  * to * all the way across to end; then end with 1 sc into last fsc

ROW 3:  ch 1 and turn, then dc in last sc of previous row, *skip next dc, [1sc, 1 dc]  in next sc *; repeat  * to * all the way across ending with sc into last sc

COLOR B:
ROWS  4-6: CHANGE COLOR - Repeat ROW 3

COLOR A:
ROWS 7-8: Repeat ROW 3  in beginning color A

ROW 9 (or after desired width): ch 1 (does not act as a st), sc in each st all the way across  / Total for row is 12 sc

Fasten off COLOR A

TRIM  (in trim COLOR C)
***Begin just next to the corner on end of Row 9***
Ch 2, then * hdc across to corner for total of 12 hdc (including ch 2);
corner: 2x hdc, ch, 2x hdc; hdc across width 1 hdc in each st for total of 14 hdc*

Repeat * to * all way around to ch2, then sl st to top of ch2
Fasten off color.

COLOR C:
at corner: 2x sc, ch 2 , 2x sc; sc across width 1 sc in each st for total of 18 sc*
Repeat * to * all way around to ch2, then sl st to top of first sc

Fasten off and weave in ends.

GREAT FREE PATTERNS FROM STITCH & HUSTLE