A brand new free afghan block / granny square crochet pattern from Polly Plum. Perfect for your sampler blanket, overlay crochet techniques meet classic crochet for a gorgeous looking creation sure to add a touch of magic to your project.
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Fairy Wings is square 9 of the Moogly CAL for 2023 – one of the best annual square crochet alongs you’ll find! Make sure and head over to the Moogly blog for more about the CAL and Tamara’s own tips and take on this pattern.
Pattern PDF
First off, and importantly:
The pattern is totally FREE right here on this very webpage and will always be free right here.
But you can also buy the premium PDF version of the pattern and get a beautifully designed, printable, ad free pattern to add to your pattern binder all while supporting a small business.
So, why buy the PDF? The 10 page pattern PDF includes lots of extras and bonuses I know you’ll love, including:
- It’s printable
- It’s ad free
- It’s pretty! I put a lot of work into my graphic design so that you’ll enjoy looking at the printed pattern just as much as you enjoy making it and looking at what you’ve made
- There are lots of photos and tips to make the pattern as simple to follow as possible, including photo tutorials for rounds 7 through 9.
- A color planning diagram – basically a coloring sheet for your square to help you plan and/or visualize what it will look like in your chosen colors
- My own tips on color placement
- It comes in both US and UK terminology
- You get to support a small business! Instead of further padding the pockets of some overpaid CEO, you’ll be helping a family keep the lights on and throw untold amounts of chicken nuggets into the bottomless pits that are two small children.
Click here to buy the pattern now on Ravelry!
Or, click here to get it on Etsy!
If you don’t feel like purchasing anything today, that’s ok! The written pattern contains everything you need to make this exact square. It’s even tested just as it’s presented below to be sure that it’s clear and easy to make even without all the extras. You can also access the full video tutorial (below) for free! It’s the perfect compliment to the written instructions.
Details
Pattern written in US crochet terms
Skill Level: intermediate
Finished Size: 12-inches
Hook Size: 6mm
Yarn: Red Heart With Love
Additional materials: scissors, yarn needle to weave ends, 40 stitch markers (optional, see note before round 2)
Final Stitch Count: 39 sts per side
Color Planning
This pattern is written with color creativity in mind. Every round (where possible) includes the option to start with a new color or continue with the same color from the last round. This also means it will only tell you to fasten off where you absolutely must before starting the next round – the rest of the time it’s up to you.
If you’d like some color inspiration, take a look at the testers’ versions in the gallery below.
If you’d like to follow my color placement, or even my exact colors in the sample (all Red Heart With Love solids), they are as follows:
- Round 1 – Color A, Iced Aqua
- Rounds 2 through 6 – Color B, Hot Pink
- Round 7 – Color C, Eggshell
- Round 8 – Color D, Minty
- Round 9 – Color A
- Round 10 – Color C
- Round 11 – Color B
- Round 12 – Color E, Papaya
Notes
This pattern is Copyright © 2023 Polly Plum. All rights reserved.
If you would like to share this pattern, please share the link to this webpage or the Ravelry pattern page (link below). Please do not distribute this pattern or photos in any other form. Please read more in the Copyright section.
Ravelry: Click here to favorite, queue, and hook up a project page for this pattern on Ravelry.
Etsy: Click here to favorite the pattern on Etsy.
Print Friendly: At the bottom of the page there is now a “print friendly” button. It’s really easy to use! Just click it and a window will open that gives you the option to click on the things you don’t want to print to make them go away. That way you print just pattern and save yourself some ink or toner.
Help: If you need help or have any questions, scroll to the bottom of this page. There are links to where you can find lots of support. Remember, there’s lots of tips and photos in the paid PDF to help you along your way too.
Video Tutorial
Abbreviations
- ch – chain
- dc – double crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- mc – magic circle
- pm – place marker
- r(#) – round/row number
- rm – remove marker
- sc – single crochet
- sk – skip
- slst – slip stitch
- sm – stitch marker
- sp – space
- st – stitch
- tr – treble crochet
- yo – yarn over
Special Stitches:
3LO – Do not work into either of the top two loops, instead work into the loop that lands just under/behind the back loop. {Click here to see my explanation and photo tutorial for 3LO}
Beg-PC – {beginning popcorn stitch} ch3, 4dc in indicated st or sp, remove hook from working loop of yarn and hold, insert hook in to top of beginning ch3, replace working loop on hook and pull through
Edc – {extended double crochet} yo, insert hook into indicated st or sp, yo and pull up a loop, yo and pull through 1 loop on hook, [yo and pull through 2 loops on hook] twice
Fpsc – {front post single crochet} like regular sc, but instead of inserting hook under top two loops of st, insert from front to back around post of stitch
PC – {popcorn stitch} 5dc in indicated st or sp, remove hook from working loop of yarn and hold, insert hook in to first of 5dc, replace working loop on hook and pull through dc
Picot – ch3, slst to back bump of first ch
Rfpsc – {reverse front post single crochet} like regular fpsc insert your hook from front to back around the post of the indicated stitch, but to reverse it work from the opposite side of the stitch. So, if you’re right-handed, instead of inserting your hook from right to left under the post of the stitch, insert it from left to right. If you’re left-handed, instead of inserting your hook from left to right under the post of the stitch, insert in from right to left. You will benefit from angling your work to accommodate doing this.
Standing Stitches:
Note: Standing stitches are totally optional! See the note in italics at the end of each standing stitch for the alternative beginning stitch.
Standing dc – to start a round, with slip knot on hook, hold slip knot in place with thumb or finger, yo and hold that in place too, insert hook in indicated stitch, yo and pull up a loop, carefully yo and draw yarn through two loops on hook twice {alternately, slst to join yarn then ch3 to count as your first dc}
Standing sc – to start a round, with slip knot on hook, insert hook into indicated stitch, yo and pull up a loop, yo and pull through two loops on hook
Pattern
Round 1
Magic circle start: Begin with mc. Beg-PC into mc, ch3, [PC in mc, ch3] 3 times. Close mc. Slst to beg-PC to join.
Alternatively, Chain loop start: Ch4, slst to first ch to form loop. Beg-PC into ch loop, ch3, [PC in ch loop, ch3] 3 times. Slst to beg-PC to join. {Tip: when weaving ends, use the end from the chain loop to close the very center of the loop by weaving it under the 4PC and pulling it tight.}
16 st around (4 PC, 4 ch3 sp)
Note: Stitch markers – they’re optional, if you’re brave. You’ll need 40 of them. You can definitely do the pattern without them, but they will make it a lot easier if you use them. It’s up to you! (Remember: if you don’t have 40 stitch markers, small pieces of a contrasting color of yarn can be looped around the stitch too.)
Round 2
With new Color: Standing dc in any ch3 sp.
Or, with same color: Slst into next ch3 sp, Ch3 {counts as first dc here and throughout}.
(Dc, ch2, 3dc) in same sp.
*^Dc in next PC {do not work a post stitch, work into the top 2 loops of the PC},^ (3dc, ch2, 3dc) in next ch3 sp.*
Repeat from * to * twice more and from ^ to ^ once more.
Dc in the ch3 sp you started in, before the standing dc. Slst to first dc to join.
Optional: Pm around post of 3rd and 5th st of each side.
7 dc per side {not counting ch2 corners}
Round 3
With new Color: Standing dc in any corner ch2 sp.
Or, with same color: Slst into next dc and corner ch2 sp and ch3 {counts as first dc here and throughout}.
(Dc, ch2, 2dc) in same corner ch2 sp.
*^Dc in each dc across to next corner,^ (2dc, ch2, 2dc) in next corner ch2 sp.*
Repeat from * to * twice more and from ^ to ^ once more.
Optional: Pm around post of 4th and 8th st of each side.
11 dc per side
Round 4
Repeat round 3.
Optional: Pm around post of 5th and 11th st of each side.
15 dc per side
Round 5
Repeat round 3.
Optional: Pm around post of 6th and 14th st of each side.
19 dc per side
Round 6
Repeat round 3. Fasten off.
Optional: Pm around 7th and 17th st of each side.
23 dc per side
Note: Keep your ch1 sps on the loose side for rounds 7 through 9.
Round 7
With new color: Standing sc in 6th dc of any side.
*^Ch1, fpsc around next {marked} dc, ch1, [fpsc around next {marked} dc 1 round below, ch1] 4 times, fpsc around r1 PC, ch1, [rfpsc around next {marked} dc 1 round up, ch1] 5 times, sc in next r6 dc {the 6th dc counting back from the next corner}, hdc in next 5dc, (2hdc, picot, 2hdc) in corner ch2 sp, hdc in next 5dc,^ sc in next dc.*
Repeat from * to * twice more and from ^ to ^ once more. Slst to first sc to join {or invisible join for a cleaner look}. Fasten off.
4 picot, 56 hdc, 24 fpsc, 20 rfpsc, 8 sc, 48 ch1 sp
Round 8
Note: in this round the fpsc and rfpsc will all be made around dc that are to the inside of the marked dc, or, if you didn’t use stitch markers, to the inside of the dc with the fpsc and rfpsc from the last round.
With new color: Standing sc in the 7th r6 dc of any side {the one with the sm and the r7 fpsc}.
*^Ch1, fpsc around next r6 dc, ch1, [fpsc around next dc 1 round below, ch1] 4 times {the last fpsc may be hidden by the fpsc around the PC}, ch1, [rfpsc around next dc 1 row up, ch1] 4 times, sc in next r6 dc {the one with the sm and r7 fpsc}, ch1.
Working in r7: sk next sc, hdc in 3LO of next 6hdc, 2hdc in 3LO of next hdc, picot, sk r7 picot, 2hdc in 3LO of next hdc, hdc in 3LO of next 6hdc, ch1, sk next sc.^
Sc in next r6 dc with sm and r7 fpsc.*
Repeat from * to * twice more and from ^ to ^ once more. Slst to first sc to join {or invisible join for a cleaner look}. Fasten off.
4 picot, 64 hdc, 20 fpsc, 16 rfpsc, 8 sc, 48 ch1 sp
Round 9
Note: Again in this round, all fpsc and rfpsc will be made around dc to the inside of the dc with the fpsc and rfpsc from the last round.
With new color: Standing sc in the 8th r6 dc of any side {the one right after the r8 sc}.
*^Ch1, fpsc around next r6 dc, ch1, [fpsc around next dc 1 round below, ch1] 3 times, ch1, [rfpsc around next dc 1 row up, ch1] 3 times, sc in next r6 dc {the one before the one with the r8 sc}, ch2.
Working r8: sk next sc and ch1 sp, hdc in 3LO of next 7hdc, 2hdc in 3LO of next hdc, picot, sk r8 picot, 2hdc in 3LO of next hdc, hdc in 3LO of next 7hdc, ch2, sk next ch1 and sc.^
Sc in r6 dc with the r8 fpsc.*
Repeat from * to * twice more and from ^ to ^ once more. Slst to first sc to join {or invisible join for a cleaner look}.
Remove all sm. Fasten off.
4 picot, 72 hdc, 16 fpsc, 12 rfpsc, 8 sc, 8 ch2 sp, 32 ch1 sp
Round 10
With new color: Standing sc in 3LO of first hdc after any r9 ch2 sp, sc in 3LO of next 8hdc.
*^Ch3, sk picot, sc in 3LO of next 9hdc, ch6, PC in center r6 dc, ch6,^ sc in 3LO of next 9hdc from r9.*
Repeat from * to * twice more and from ^ to ^ once more. Slst to first sc to join.
4 PC, 72 sc, 8 ch6 sp, 4 ch3 sp
Round 11
Note: If you’re not fond of somewhat larger holes in your square (about 2 fingers) you can make a simple adjustment to this round – instead of (tr, ch3, tr) make (tr, 3edc, tr) into the indicated st. See the special stitches for edc instructions. Then, when making r12, place 1 sc in each st.
With new color: Standing sc in first r10 sc after any ch6 sp.
Or, with same color: Ch1 and sc in same st as join.
Sc in next 8sc.
*^(2sc, ch2, 2sc) in next corner ch3 sp, sc in next 9sc, ch1, keeping work in front of r10 ch6 sp (tr, ch3, tr) in r6 dc with the r9 fpsc, fpsc around r10 PC, (tr, ch3, tr) in next r6 dc with the r9 rfpsc, ch1,^ sc in next 9 r10 sc.*
Repeat from * to * twice more and from ^ to ^ once more. Slst to first sc to join.
16 tr, 88 sc, 4 fpsc, 8 ch3 sp, 4 ch2 sp, 8 ch1 sp
Note: Depending on how your square is growing you can alter the next two rounds as needed. Round 12 can be made as hdc (use hdc, ch2, hdc in the corners) or dc (use 2dc, ch2, 2dc in the corners) instead of sc. You can do the same with r13 or leave it off entirely.
Round 12
With new color: Standing sc in first r11 sc after any ch1 sp
Or, with same color: Ch1 and sc in same st as join.
Sc in next 10 sc.
*^(Sc, ch2, sc) in next corner ch2 sp, sc in next 11 sc.
Working into r11 AND r10 ch6 sp together: sc in next ch1 sp, sc in next tr, 3sc in next ch3 sp, sc in next tr.
Sc in next fpsc.
Working into r11 AND r10 ch6 sp together: sc in next tr, 3sc in next ch3 sp, sc in next tr, sc in next ch1 sp.^
Sc in next 11 sc.*
Repeat from * to * twice more and from ^ to ^ once more. Slst to first sc to join.
148 sc
Round 13 (Optional for size)
With new color: Standing sc in any sc.
Or, with new color: Ch1 and sc in same st as join.
Sc in each sc across to corner.
*(Sc, ch2, sc) in corner ch2 sp, sc in each st across side.*
Repeat from * to * three times more. Slst to first sc to join.
156 sc
Note: when blocking, r12 & 13 might need some extra pins in the middle where the scs are worked into ch sps. Also, keep in mind that while the edge may not want to lay straight upon completion, it will straighten out when joined to other squares.
Credits
Original crochet pattern design – Polly Plum
Photography and graphic design – Polly Plum
Testers:
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