Read Crochet Patterns: Two-Rounds-Per-Color Granny Squares – Round 4

How to Read a Crochet Pattern for the Fourth Round of a Two-Rounds-Per-Color Granny Square

This is the fifth in a series of articles on the details of how to make a Two-Rounds-Per-Color Granny Square, one that looks like this when it is done.

Here is a list of the previous articles in this series:

1. Overview of what is involved in a Granny Square
2. The first article on how to make a Granny Square: how to make the initial ring, into which the first round will be worked.
3. The second article on how to make a Two-Rounds-Per-Color Granny Square: working the first round.
4. The third article on how to make a Two-Rounds-Per-Color Granny Square: working the second round.
5. The fourth article on how to make a Two-Rounds-Per-Color Granny Square: working the third round.

Remember, from the fourth article on how to make this Granny Square, this is what it looks like after the end of Round 3:

It's time to get started on the instructions.

Two Colors Per Round Granny Squares: Round 4

Here are the instructions:

Rnd 4: With B, ch 4, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next corner ch-2 sp, ch 1, *(3 dc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1) to next corner ch-2 sp, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next corner ch-2 sp, ch 1; rep from * 2 more times, 3 dc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1, 2 dc in last ch-1 sp; join with sl st in 3rd ch of beg ch-4. Fasten off.

Let us look at the two main ways to figure out what's happening, before picking up your hook and yarn.

First, here are the Whats and the Wheres:

• The Whats: Ch 4, 3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc, ch 1, [(3 dc, ch 1) repeated, 3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc, ch 1] all repeated, 3 dc, ch 1, 2 dc, join
• The Wheres: [in next ch-2 space, (in next ch-1 space) repeated] repeated

Notice the repeats within repeats. In this round, you still work groups of 3 dc's separated by either ch 1 or ch 2. And these are going to be worked in the ch-1 or ch-2 spaces formed from the previous round. It starts with a chain 4, of which the first 3 chains become the last dc of the very last 3-dc group.

Second, here is the pattern broken down by Beginning, Repeat, and Ending (remember that this is an important skill to learn in order to read crochet patterns).

The Beginning: With B, ch 4, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next corner ch-2 sp, ch 1, The Repeat: *(3 dc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1) to next corner ch-2 sp, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next corner ch-2 sp, ch 1; rep from * 2 more times, The Ending: 3 dc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1, 2 dc in last ch-1 sp; join with sl st in 3rd ch of beg ch-4. Fasten off.

Round 4 has some similarities with both Round 2 and Round 3, and some differences. Basically, it starts like Round 2, and ends somewhat like Round 2. And it has 3-dc groups along the sides of the squares, like Round 3.

How to Crochet the Instructions

Here’s where the good stuff is: how to crochet this round of the Granny Square, with photos.

The Beginning

Here are the instructions for the beginning of the round:

The Beginning: With B, ch 4, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next corner ch-2 sp, ch 1,

The pattern says "With B", which is the same color that Round 3 was worked with. Typically, patterns don't mention the color unless it has changed. I guess that for this one, the pattern writer really wanted you to remember that it is the same color.

As mentioned above, this round starts just like Round 2, with a Chain 4. Three of those chains will be considered the very last double crochet of the very last 3-dc group that you work on the round. And the fourth of these chains will be considered the Chain-1 space between that pseudo-dc and the next corner group.

Speaking of which, the next thing is to work a corner group into the next corner chain-2 space. Followed, of course, by that dangling Chain 1 that we have grown accustomed to.

This photo shows a completed Beginning (up to the * that marks the beginning of the Repeat). Note that chain 1 by the hook.

So you can see that the Beginning is just that Chain 4 and a corner group.

Now, on to the repeats.

The Repeat

Now we're into the Repeated section:

The Repeat: *(3 dc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1) to next corner ch-2 sp, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next corner ch-2 sp, ch 1; rep from * 2 more times,

The first part of the repeat, the (3 dc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1) to next corner ch-2 sp, has an implied repeat in it: keep doing the 3-dc-ch-1 bit in each of the next ch-1 spaces, until you run into the corner ch-2 space, where you stop. Note that it doesn't tell you how many times to do that. The reason is because this is going to be the identical instructions for Rounds 6, 8, 10, and all even-numbered rounds for as big as you make the Granny Square. Instead of writing each round out individually, you will be told to do the same thing that you did for Round 4. For Round 4, there will be 2 side-groups between the corner-groups. For Round 6, there will be 4 side-groups. And so on.

The last part of the Repeat, the (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next corner ch-2 sp, ch 1 is identical to the way that you have been working corner groups all along. See how easy this is working out!

Anyway, here is what the first instance of the repeated section looks like - remember that Chain 1 at the end!

Notice that there are two corner groups and two side groups between the two corner groups.

But we need to do that Repeated section twice more.

This shows the second Repeat completed (including the dangling chain 1 at the end):

This shows all three Repeats done (plus the beginning, of course).

The repeats are all done. And there's still a ways to go. Now it's time to finish off the round.

The Ending

And here are the instructions for the Ending:

The Ending: 3 dc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1, 2 dc in last ch-1 sp; join with sl st in 3rd ch of beg ch-4. Fasten off.

This starts off just like the Repeat, but the second 3-dc group is only TWO dc's. So it looks like this before the join:

The final step is to join with a slip stitch into the THIRD chain of the beginning ch-4. That's where that chain gets sort of converted into a DC and CH-1. This photo shows the join:

So here is the result, the end of Round 4:

Two Colors Per Round Granny Squares: Rounds 5 and 6

By now, you should be reasonably comfortable with the concept: 3-dc groups in the side ch-1 spaces, 3-dc-ch-1-3-dc corner groups in the corner ch-2 spaces, ch-1 between all of the 3-dc groups except in the corners.

The only issue is how to start and end the rounds. And, as shown, the odd-numbered rounds start with a join in the corner ch-2 space before working the corner group, while the even-numbered round start with a ch-4 before working the corner group.

So these instructions should be reasonably easy to understand.

Rnd 5: Join A with sl st in any corner ch-2 sp, ch 3, (2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in same ch-2 sp, ch 1, (3 dc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1) to next corner ch-2 sp, *(3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next ch-2 sp, ch 1, (3 dc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1) to next corner ch-2 sp; rep from * 2 more times; join with sl st in top of beg ch.

Rnd 6: With A, ch 4, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next corner ch-2 sp, ch 1, *(3 dc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1) to next corner ch-2 sp, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next corner ch-2 sp, ch 1; rep from * 2 more times, (3 dc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1) to last ch-1 sp, 2 dc in last ch-1 sp; join with sl st in 3rd ch of beg ch-4. Fasten off.

Notice how both rounds include the phrase (3 dc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1) to next corner ch-2 sp. Other than that, Round 5 is a lot like Round 3, and Round 6 is a lot like Round 4.

Here are some photos, showing these two rounds being worked.

Round 5, the Beginning section:

Round 5, the first Repeat:

Round 5, the second Repeat:

Round 5, Done:

Round 6, the Beginning Section:

Round 6, the third Repeat:

Round 6, to just before the join:

Round 6, the join:

Round 6, after fastening off:

Round 6, Done:

Finishing

Now you have to weave in all the ends, unless you did that task every time you changed colors. Because here is what you have on the wrong side of the Granny Square:

We're finished

Of course, you can continue to make the Granny Square larger, like, say afghan size. But if you're only doing 6 Rounds, here is what it looks like

Right Side:

And Wrong Side: