Hello there! And hello February! A new month can mean only one thing round these parts, and that’s a new square for the Making Stitches 2025 CAL.
Allow me to introduce you to the ‘All You Need is Love’ square! It’s a pretty straightforward pattern following a similar route as the January snowflake square. It begins in the round, forms a central motif and turns into a square later on.
I really couldn’t decide what colours to choose, so I went for all of them (almost)! This pattern is written following the same colours as this rainbow themed square below, but it can be created using as few as 2 different shades of yarn. I can’t wait to see what colours everyone uses when some February squares get shared on social media!
Are you ready? Well here goes….
2025 CAL Part Two: February – All You Need is Love Square
When trying to think of something to feature in February’s square which was connected to the month in question, I did consider a few options, snowdrops, camellias even, but I am afraid the hearts won out. This square is inspired by love, love for the special people & things in our lives, family, friends, partners, pets & even crochet! So please forgive me for opting for the obvious solution for February, however I didn’t necessarily mean to celebrate romantic love and St Valentine’s Day, but love in general – it’s a wonderful thing you know.
This pattern is meant to be a stash buster project however, if you would like to use the same yarn as I did, here’s what I used to make this square: Stylecraft Special DK in (A) Matador (1010) for the central heart motif, (B) Silver (1203) for the background colour, (C) Graphite (1063), (D) Citron (1263), (E) Clementine (1853), (F) Violet (1277), (G) Aster (1003), (H) Grass Green (1821).
I also used a 4mm crochet hook, scissors, stitch markers, and a yarn needle.
Abbreviations (in UK terms): blo = work in back loop only, ch = chain, dc = double crochet, dtr = double treble crochet, flo = work in front loop only, fyo = final yarn over, htr = half treble crochet, mc = magic circle / magic ring, MHC = Mini Heart Cluster (see NOTE below), rep = repeat, slst = slip stitch, st = stitch, tr = treble crochet.
Tension: Tension isn’t important for this project as long as you maintain the same tension throughout the project so all your squares are the same size. Once blocked this square will measure approximately 20cm x 20cm. The stitch count of the final round of each finished square will be 120 plus corner chain spaces.
NOTE: To make a ‘Mini heart cluster’ or an ‘MHC’ miss the next st in the round, and work str 2ch 2tr into the following st ie: [2tr + 2ch + 2tr]. To make a smooth colour change, change to the colour of the heart in the final yarn over of the previous st and change back to the background colour with the final yarn over of the last tr of the cluster. Remember to leave the its immediately before and after the mini heart cluster unworked so the cluster can spread open like a heart.
Heart
Using Yarn A, make a MC.
Round 1 Ch2 (not counted as a st throughout), 12 tr into MC. Slst into top of ch2 to close the round. (12tr)
Round 2A In flo, slst 1tr, 4dtr, 2tr, 2htr, 2dc, 1htr 1tr 1dtr ch2 slst into 1st ch, 1dtr 1tr 1htr, 2dc, 2htr, 2tr, 4dtr, 1tr 1slst.
[To be clear; working in the front loop only, make 1slst & 1tr into 1st st, 4dtr into 2nd st, 2tr into 3rd st, 2htr into 4th st, 2dc into 5th st, 1htr + 1tr + 1dtr + ch2 + slst into 1st ch all worked into 6th st and so on around the 12 front loops of Round 1]
Round 2B In blo of Round 1, 2dc into every st around marking 1st with a stitch marker so it’s easy to spot when you reach the end. Slst into top of first st. Fasten off and break yarn. (24 dc)
Round 3A [This is the 3rd & final Round of the heart motif] Rejoin Yarn A into the top of 1st st of Round 2A. In next st make 2tr, then 3tr, 2tr, 2htr, 1htr + 1dc, 1dc in next 8 sts, 1dc 2ch slst into 1st ch 1dc, 1dc in next 8 sts, 1dc + 1htr, 2htr, 2tr, 3tr, 2tr, slst. Fasten off and weave in the end.
Square
Round 3B Join Yarn B into any st of Round 2B and ch2 (does not count as a st) 2tr, 1tr rep around. Slst into top of ch2 to close round. (36 tr)
Round 4 Ch2, 2tr, 1tr in next 2 sts around. Slst into top of ch2 to close round. (48 tr)
Round 5 Ch1, 2dc, 1dc in next 3 sts, rep around. Slst into top of ch1 to close round. Fasten off and break yarn. (60 dc)
Round 6 It’s useful to mark the first dc with a stitch marker so you know where to stop! Join Yarn B in the st directly above the centre of the heart. Ch1, 1dc in next 3 sts, (1htr in next 2 sts, 1tr in next 2 sts, 1dtr 2ch dtr in next st to form corner of square, 1tr in next 2 sts, 1htr in next 2 sts, 1dc in next 6dc) three times, 1htr in next 2 sts, 1tr in next 2 sts, 1dtr 2ch 1dtr, 1tr in next 2 sts, 1htr in next 2 its, 1dc in next 3 sts. Slst into top of first ch1 to close the round. (64 sts)
Round 7 Join Yarn C into any st, ch1, 1dc into every stitch around and work 1dc 2ch 1dc into each corner space. Slst into top of ch1 to close round. (Each side will have 18 sts – 72dc in total)
Round 8 Join Yarn B into any st, 2ch, 1htr into every st around working 1htr 2ch 1htr into each corner space. Slst into top of 2ch to close round. Fasten off and break yarn. (Each side will have 20 htr – 80 htr in total).
Weave in the ends and sew the heart into place onto the backing square using small stitches in Yarn A so they aren’t visible.
Round 9 Join Yarn B in the last st before the top right hand corner, ch2 & 1htr into that st, 1htr ch2 1htr into the corner space. 1htr into next 3 sts changing to Yarn D with the fyo of 3rd htr, miss the next st and make a mini heart cluster by working [2tr + 1ch + 2tr] into next st changing back to Yarn B in fyo of 4th tr, miss next st, with Yarn B 1htr in next 3 sts changing to Yarn E with fyo of 3rd htr, make another MHC (the section in square brackets above) changing to Yarn B with fyo of 4th tr, miss next st, and with Yarn B work 1htr into next 3 sts changing to Yarn A with fyo of the 3rd htr, miss next st and work a MHC into next st, miss following st and work 1htr into next 3 sts, work 1htr 2ch 1htr into corner space and repeat the process down the left hand side of the square making your MHCs in Yarns F, G & H to follow the rainbow pattern. Once you reach the bottom edge of the square repeat the pattern as worked along the top edge and on the right hand side, repeat the pattern as worked on the left hand side. Slst into top of ch2 to close round (56htr &12 mini heart clusters).
If you don’t want to have multi coloured hearts around the border of your square you can use just one contrasting colour. Change between the background and the heart colour in the fyos as detailed above and catch the non-working yarn within your stitches to save breaking the yarn and having lots of ends to weave in later.
Round 10 Please read the instructions of this round before starting! Using Yarn B, ch2, 1htr into every htr around, and 1htr 2ch 1htr in each corner space. When you reach the sts above a MHC work 1ch to jump over the first 2 tr of the cluster, work 1dc into the ch space in the middle of the cluster and 1ch to jump over the 2nd 2 tr of the cluster before working 1htr into the htrs between the MHCs. Slst into the top of the first 2ch to close the round. (On each side: 16htr, 6ch & 3dc)
Round 11 Ch1, 1dc around into every st and ch spaces above each MHC & working 1dc 2ch 1dc into each corner. Slst into top of ch1 to close the round. Fasten off and break yarn. (26 dc on each side and 104 dc in total)
Round 12 With Yarn C, join into any st, ch1 and 1dc into every st around, working 1dc 2ch 1dc into every corner space. Slst into top of first st to close round. (28dc on each side and 112 dc in total).
Round 13 Ch1 and 1dc into every st around, working 1dc 2ch 1dc into every corner space. Slst into top of first st and fasten off, weave in all the ends. (30 dc on each side ad 120 st in total).
It was so lovely over the past few weeks to see lots of January snowflake squares being texted to me from friends and appearing on social media. If you are joining in and making a February square, please do use the hashtag #MakingStitches2025CAL so I can see if any ‘All You Need is Love’ squares make an appearance!
Enjoy!
Lindsay x
❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤍🩷🩵🤎🖤
