The Way it Goes Square

12″ Afghan Square – Free Crochet Pattern

The Way it Goes Square has been a labor of love. It was specifically designed as a collaborative effort, with other designers, in the Creative Crossing Blanket. This blanket was given as a surprise gift to Lorene of Cre8tion Crochet as a thank you for her mentorship and guidance to myself and others.

Lorene has been an invaluable mentor and friend to me and others. She is always willing to go beyond when it comes to helping others succeed in their crochet and business. Even before I became a designer, and now Virtual Assistant, I have always been a fan of Cre8tion Crochet. When I got to know Lorene better and on a more personal level, I became a fan of her. She’s truly got a wonderful, serving heart. Not to mention, she’s AH-MAZING in her equally AH-MAZING designs. I love Lorene and I’m honored to have been part of a wonderful collaboration with great designers.

The Way it Goes Square is a 12″ afghan square made of simple stitch combinations for an interesting design. The center stitches create the illusion of a twirling pattern, thus the name, The Way it Goes. It’s a simple square that works up super quick and can make your afghan grow quickly. Make several of these for a fun blanket or combine it with the other squares you see in the Creative Crossings Blanket for a gorgeous and spellbinding blanket.

Special thanks to Kirsten Holloway for providing the images of The Way it Goes Afghan Squares.

Check out the other designer’s squares:

Kirsten Holloway – Kirsten Holloway Designs
Heather Anderson – The Unraveled Mitten
Katie Clary – Salty Pearl Crochet
Carol Rupprecht – Sweet Potato Crochet Creations
Sarah Sullivan, Crochet 24/7 – Ocean Kiss Afghan Square
Courtney Whitehead – Creations by Courtney
Andrea Webber – Crochet Therapy
Emily Reiter – Fiat Fiber Arts
Anne Krauskopf – Kraus Stitch
Novella Bobo
Rebecca Mattison, Curly Q Crochet – Winter Snowflake Square and Starlight Square
Lorraine Hervert
Bella Lugosi – Three Fates Creations
Pat Dunnell

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The Way it Goes Square

12″ Afghan Square – Free Crochet Pattern

Materials

Yarn – Red Heart Soft, #4, worsted weight, 256 yards. Colors used: Deep Sea and Charcoal
Hook – 6mm hook. Furls Odyssey Hooks
Notions – Needle for weaving in ends

Finished Size

12″ – approximately

Gauge

7 Cluster rows = 4” x 8 Cluster stitches = 4”

Stitch Abbreviation

Ch – chain; st(s) – stitch(es); ea – each; sp(es) – space(s); sc – single crochet; hdc – half double crochet; Hhdc – Herringbone half double crochet, MC – Magic Circle

Special Stitches

Herringbone half double crochet (Hhdc) – YO, insert hook into st, pull up yarn, (3 loops on hook), pull yarn through first loop (2 loops on hook), YO, pull yarn through the 2 remaining loops.

3dc Cluster Stitch (Cluster Stitch) – YO, insert hook into st, pull up loop, YO, pull through 2 loops 3x, YO, pull through all 4 loops on hook

Experience Level

Advanced Beginner

Pattern Notes

Ch2 equals a stitch
Join to the top of the chain.
Your square may curl a little, this is because of the stitches used. A light blocking may help.
You only need about 1/2 skein for one square.

The Way it Goes Square Pattern Instructions

Round 1: In MC, 8sc, join.

Round 2: Ch2, 1 Hhdc in the same st, 2 Hhdc in ea st around, join. 16

Round 3: Ch2, 1 Hhdc in the next st, [ch3, 1 Hhdc in the same st as the previous Hhdc, and the next 4 sts] 3x, ch3, 1 Hhdc in the same st as the previous Hhdc, and the next 2 sts, join.

Round 4: Ch2, 1 Hhdc in the next st, [1 Cluster, ch3, 1 Cluster in the ch-3 sp, 1 Hhdc in the next 5 sts,] 3x, 1 Cluster, ch3, 1 Cluster in the ch-3 sp, 1 Hhdc in the next 3 sts, join.

Round 5: Ch2, 1 Hhdc in the next st, 1 Cluster st in ea cluster st to ch-3 sp, [1 Cluster, ch3, 1 Cluster in the ch-3 sp, 1 Cluster st in ea Cluster st, 1 Hhdc in the next 5 sts, 1 Cluster st in ea Cluster st to ch-3 sp] 3x, 1 Cluster, ch3, 1 Cluster in the ch-3 sp, 1 Cluster in ea Cluster st, 1 Hhdc in the next 3 sts, join.

Rounds 6-11: Repeat round 5, <20 Hhdc, 24 Clusters>

Round 12: Ch2, 1 hdc in the next st, 1 sc in ea Cluster st to ch-3 sp [1 sc, ch3, 1sc in the ch-3 sp, 1 sc in ea Cluster st, 1 hdc in the next 5 sts, 1 sc in ea Cluster st to ch-3 sp] 3x, 1 sc, ch3, 1sc in the ch-3 sp, 1 hdc in the next 3 sts, join.

Round 13: Ch1, 1 sc in the same st and in ea st to ch-3 sp, [4 sc in the ch-3 sp, 1 sc in ea st to the next ch-3 sp] 3x, 5 sc in the ch-3 sp, 1 sc in ea st to end, join.

Fasten off and weave in ends.

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Comments

Jlk says

January 11, 2019 at 4:48 pm

How many chains to begin? How can row one be sc?
Same DiNamics Crochet says

January 11, 2019 at 6:34 pm

Hi! For this pattern, you begin with a Magic Circle, then you make 8sc in the Magic Circle. I hope that helps! Let me know if you have any more questions!
D.
Dimitra Tzamtzis says

January 12, 2019 at 11:29 pm

Hi,
I think there’s a typo in the directions.
After row 5, should it be row 6-11, repeat row 5?
Great pattern! Thank you!
Susan Church says

January 13, 2019 at 8:31 am

Look at red 5-11. I think it should be 6-11 and that I should repeat round 5.
Same DiNamics Crochet says

January 29, 2019 at 9:32 am

Hi, yes you’re correct. That pattern has been updated. Thank you!
Same DiNamics Crochet says

January 29, 2019 at 9:33 am

Yes, you’re right. I updated the pattern. Thank you!
Kristy Crawford says

February 9, 2019 at 7:06 pm

I have frogged and remade this at least twice, thinking I was really messing up somewhere because it got quite puffy in the clusters. But I dropped down a hook size or so for the last effort and it is better. This one is for my sister’s Afghan and then I’ll be making the 3 for the CAL. Good thing I like it!

Is the 24 clusters in the row 6 – 11 instructions a typo? I have 16 clusters on each side.

Thank you!
Same DiNamics Crochet says

February 9, 2019 at 7:14 pm

Hi Kristy,

I meant to reply to your earlier comment (sorry, I have company visiting and it totally slipped my mind). Okay, so the puffiness of the square towards the end is due to the use of the short Hhdc stitches and the tall cluster stitches. IF you want to avoid that you may substitute the Hhdc stitches for regular dc stitches, that might result in a more flat square but it won’t have the texture.

I believe you are correct about the 16 stitches. Ugh… I made this square about a year ago and even though I had it tested, I believe that when I wrote the pattern down I definitely missed some stuff. Sorry for the headache it’s causing you! I’m gonna redo the square before the CAL. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I’ll make a note of any updates I make, too!

D.
Kristy Crawford says

February 17, 2019 at 8:32 pm

Thanks! I thought maybe it would help when I blocked it. I might try the dc’s.
Barbara Freeman says

March 12, 2019 at 11:19 am

In Round 13, the 3x repeat says 4 SC in the ch-3 space. The final round says 5 SC in the ch-3 space.

5 makes better sense. Should it be 5 or 4 in all the corners?
Same DiNamics Crochet says

March 13, 2019 at 7:18 pm

That’s definitely a typo. I believe I did 4sc because it felt better but you can totally do 5sc if you feel that works best.