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Making Stitches 2025 CAL Part Seven : July

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July ‘Anyone for tennis?’ & Tutti Frutti squares

Hello there, sorry for the slight delay in getting this square out to you. This month I could’t decide which design to go with so you have a choice, ‘Anyone for tennis?’ inspired by Wimbledon with a tennis ball centre and strawberry border, or, sticking with the strawberries, the Tutti Frutti version complete with an orange slice in the middle. 

The only difference between the two squares is the central circle design and the colour choices for the rest of the square. 

As always, I have made these squares using my own stash of Stylecraft Special DK yarns, I have included the numbers for the shades I have used below, but please use any yarn you like. It’s a perfect way of using up any small odds and ends you have left over from other projects.

Each square in the Making Stitches 2025 CAL is made to a similar basic pattern and should have 120 stitches in the final round to make joining the squares together at the end a little bit easier.

You will need:

Using Stylecraft Special DK 

(A) Pistachio (1420) 

(B) White (1001)

(C) Green (1116)

(D) Matador (1010)

(E) Clementine (1725)

(F) Jaffa (1256)

Size 4mm crochet hook

Scissors

Stitch Marker

Yarn Needle

Abbreviations (in UK terms): blo = work in back loop only, ch = chain, dc = double crochet, dc5tog = double crochet 5 sts together, dtr = double treble crochet, fyo = final yarn over, htr = half treble crochet, mc = magic circle / magic ring, fpdtr = front post double treble, rep = repeat, RS = right side, slst = slip stitch, st = stitch, tr = treble crochet.

‘Anyone for Tennis?’ Square

‘Anyone for tennis?’ square

Tennis ball

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. Pull the central yarn tail tight to close MC. (12tr)

Round 2 Ch2, 2tr into every st around. Slst into the top of the Ch2 (24tr)

Round 3 Ch2, (2tr in first st, 1tr in next st) rep around. Slst into top of Ch2 (36tr)

Round 4A Ch1, in flo, (2dc in first st, 1dc in next 2 sts) rep around. Slst into top of ch1. Fasten off and break yarn. (48dc)

Then, using Yarn B, either surface crochet or embroider the wavy line onto the ‘tennis ball’.

Round 4A complete
Beginning Round 4B
Round 4B complete
Round 5 complete

To make the square:

Using Yarn C, join into the blo of one of the sts in Round 3.

Round 4B Ch1, (2dc in 1st st, 1dc in next 2 sts) rep around. Slst into top of Ch1. (48dc)

Round 5 Ch1, (2dc in 1st st, 1dc in next 3 sts) rep around. Slst into the top of ch1. (60dc)

Round 6 Ch1, (1dc in next 3 sts, 1htr in next 2 sts, 1tr in next 2 sts, 1dtr 2ch 1dtr in next st, 1tr in next 2 sts, 1htr in next 2 sts, 1dc in next 3 sts) rep around. Slst into top of the ch1. Fasten off and break yarn. (16 sts on each side = 64 sts)

Round 7 Join Yarn B into any st. Work 1dc into every st around and 1dc ch2 1dc into every corner space. Slst to top of 1ch. Fasten off and break yarn. (72dc)

Round 8 Join Yarn A into any st. Ch2, 1htr into every st around. Work 1htr 2ch 1htr into every ch space. Slst into top of ch2. Fasten off & break yarn. (80htr)

Round 6 complete
Round 7 complete
Round 8 complete

Round 9 Rejoin Yarn A into the 2nd last st before a corner, 2ch, 1htr in same st, and next st, (1htr 2ch 1htr into corner space, 1htr in next 2 sts changing to Yarn D in fyo of last st, work 5tr into next st changing to Yarn A in fyo of last st, 1htr into next 4 sts changing to Yarn D in fyo of last st, work 5tr into next st changing to Yarn A in fyo of last st, 1htr into next 4 sts changing to Yarn D in fyo of last st, work 5tr into next st changing to Yarn A in fyo of last st, 1htr into next 4 sts changing to Yarn D in fyo of last st, work 5tr into next st changing to Yarn A in fyo of last st, 1htr into next 2 sts) rep around until you reach the first st of the round and slst into to the top of the 2ch. (You should have 4 x 5tr clusters on each side and 18htr on each side).

Round 9 complete
Round 10 in progress
Round 10 complete

Round 10 Ch2, 1htr in the next 3 sts, (1htr 2ch 1htr into the corner space, 1htr into next 3 sts changing to Yarn C in fyo of last st, dc5tog changing to Yarn A in fyo, 1htr into next 4 sts changing to Yarn C in fyo, dc5tog changing to Yarn A in fyo, 1htr in next 4 sts changing to Yarn C in fyo, dc5tog changing to Yarn A in fyo, 1htr in next 4 sts changing to Yarn C in fyo, dc5tog changing to Yarn A in fyo, 1htr in next 3 sts) rep around until you reach the first st of the round and slst into the top of the 2ch. (20htr & 4 dc5tog on each side).

Round 11 Ch2 1htr into every st around working 1htr 2ch 1htr into every ch space. Slst into top of 2ch to close round. Fasten off and break yarn. (26 htr on each side = 104htr).

Round 12 Join Yarn B into any st. Ch1 and work 1dc into every st around, 1dc 2ch 1dc into every corner space. Slst into top of Ch1 to close round, fasten off and break yarn. (112 dc)

Round 13 Join Yarn C into any st. Rep Round 12. Fasten off and break yarn. (120 dc)

If you wish, you can use some Yarn A to sew the edge of the tennis ball flush to the square.

The Tutti Frutti Square…

July Tutti Frutti Square

If Tennis isn’t your thing and you fancy making a Tutti Frutti square inspired by cooling fruit juices, home grown strawberries or maybe even a tipsy fruit punch, here’s how to make one!

(The centre of the orange slice can be a bit fiddly, but I think it’s worth it to create clear segments for the orange.)

To make the orange slice

Using Yarn E, make a MC.

Round 1 Ch2 (not counted as a st throughout), 1tr into MC, changing to Yarn B in fyo, with Yarn B work 1tr into MC changing to Yarn E in fyo. Repeat until you have 6 orange tr and 6 white tr in the MC. Slst into top of ch2 to close the round. Pull the central yarn tail tight to close MC. (12tr)

Round 2 Rather thank working 2tr into every st around as in the tennis ball, in this round, we are making 3 tr into the orange sts of Round 1 and 1 fpdtr around the white tr sts in Round 1 to make the white pithy section stand proud of the orange segments. Work every st as described (3tr into each orange st & 1fpdtr around every white st) and slst into the top of the ch2 to close round. (24tr)

Round 1 complete
Round 2 in progress
Round 2 complete

Round 3 Ch 2 to begin. In this round, we are working 2tr into the first orange st of the segment , 1tr into the 2nd st, 2tr into the 3rd st of the segment changing to Yarn B with the fyo of the last st and 1fpdtr around the white st below from Round 2. Repeat around and slst into the top of the first 2ch to close the Round. (30tr & 6fpdtr).

Round 4 Join Yarn B into any st. 1ch, (2dc in the first st, 1dc in next 2 sts), rep around, slst into top of 1ch to close the round. Fasten off and break yarn. (48 dc).

Round 5A Work in the flo in this round. Join Yarn F into any st. 1ch, (2dc in flo of first st, 1dc in the next 3 sts), rep around. Slst into top of 1ch to close round. Fasten off and break yarn. (60dc)

Round 3 complete
Round 4 complete
Round 5A complete

To make the square: 

Using Yarn A, join into the blo of one of the sts in Round 4.

Round 5B Ch1, (2dc in 1st st, 1dc in next 3 sts) rep around. Slst into the top of ch1. (60dc)

Round 6 Ch1, (1dc in next 3 sts, 1htr in next 2 sts, 1tr in next 2 sts, 1dtr 2ch 1dtr in next st, 1tr in next 2 sts, 1htr in next 2 sts, 1dc in next 3 sts) rep around. Sist into top of the ch1. Fasten off and break yarn. (16 sts on each side = 64 sts)

Round 5B in progress
Round 5B complete
Round 6

Round 7 Join Yarn B into any st. Work 1dc into every st around and 1dc ch2 1dc into every corner space. Slst to top of 1ch. Fasten off and break yarn. (72dc)

Round 8 Join Yarn A into any st. Ch2, 1htr into every st around. Work 1htr 2ch 1htr into every ch space. Slst into top of ch2. Fasten off & break yarn. (80htr)

Round 7
Round 8
Where to start Round 9

Round 9 Rejoin Yarn A into the 2nd last st before a corner, 2ch, 1htr in same st, and next st, (1htr 2ch 1htr into corner space, 1htr in next 2 sts changing to Yarn D in fyo of last st, work 5tr into next st changing to Yarn A in fyo of last st, 1htr into next 4 sts changing to Yarn D in fyo of last st, work 5tr into next st changing to Yarn A in fyo of last st, 1htr into next 4 sts changing to Yarn D in fyo of last st, work 5tr into next st changing to Yarn A in fyo of last st, 1htr into next 4 sts changing to Yarn D in fyo of last st, work 5tr into next st changing to Yarn A in fyo of last st, 1htr into next 2 sts) rep around until you reach the first st of the round and slst into to the top of the 2ch. (You should have 4 x 5tr clusters on each side and 18htr on each side).

Beginning of Round 9
1st side of Round 9
Round 9 complete

Round 10 Ch2, 1htr in the next 3 sts, (1htr 2ch 1htr into the corner space, 1htr into next 3 sts changing to Yarn C in fyo of last st, dc5tog changing to Yarn A in fyo, 1htr into next 4 sts changing to Yarn C in fyo, dc5tog changing to Yarn A in fyo, 1htr in next 4 sts changing to Yarn C in fyo, dc5tog changing to Yarn A in fyo, 1htr in next 4 sts changing to Yarn C in fyo, dc5tog changing to Yarn A in fyo, 1htr in next 3 sts) rep around until you reach the first st of the round and slst into the top of the 2ch. (20htr & 4 dc5tog on each side).

Dc5tog in Round 10
First strawberry top complete
Round 10 complete

Round 11 Ch2 1htr into every st around working 1htr 2ch 1htr into every ch space. Slst into top of 2ch to close round. Fasten off and break yarn. (26 htr on each side = 104htr).

Round 12 Join Yarn B into any st. Ch1 and work 1dc into every st around, 1dc 2ch 1dc into every corner space. Slst into top of Ch1 to close round, fasten off and break yarn. (112 dc)

Round 13 Join Yarn A into any st. Rep Round 12. Fasten off and break yarn. (120 dc)

Working 1htr into top of dc5tog on Round 11
Round 11 complete
Round 12 complete
Round 13 complete

And there you have it, a choice of two Making Stitches 2025 CAL squares for July. I hope you enjoy making them as much as I did!

If you do make one or both of these squares and want to share them online, please tag me in your social media posts using the hashtag #MakingStitches2025CAL and then I will be able to see them.

Thanks so much for joining me on this my first ever CAL, it’s been so much fun for me so far and so lovely to see some of my squares out there in the wild!

Happy hooking!

Lindsay x

A Postcard from May 2025

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Hello, and welcome to this Postcard from May! I’m starting off with this brilliant sign of spring turning into summer, the first swift I spotted this year.

Back when this blog first began, and my family was living in Gibraltar, we used to spot scores of swifts screaming around the tightly packed streets of the Upper Town in March! This was as they were on their way up north from Africa to spend the summer in the skies above northern Europe. Every time I hear one, I think of those early spring skies in Gib!

So, to May, well, it was a month of lots of podcasting (more on that later!), quite a bit of crochet and the small matter of a running race…

Sporting highlights

Beautiful Manchester Central Library on 10K day

Back on 18th May, a huge chunk of Manchester pulled their running shoes on and took part in the Great Manchester run. The city centre was buzzing and the weather was lovely (almost a little too lovely for the runners – but I’m not really complaining about that!). The atmosphere was utterly amazing and I was so glad I’d signed up to take part again this year.

For those who have followed my blog for a while, you will know I’m not a natural runner, I wasn’t built for speed, but last year, as a personal challenge to prove that hitting the big 5-0 didn’t mean I was ready for the scrap heap, I undertook a lot of training and ran the Great Manchester Run 10k. It was only ever meant to be one-time-only affair, just so I could say “10K you say? Oh yes, I’ve run one of those!” However, on the finish line, those plans were scuppered…. I can honestly say that that last kilometre was a killer and I was vowing to myself, “Just keep going, don’t stop – you’ll never have to do it again!”

But… when I caught up with Son number 2, who was 16 at the time, he said “I’m really proud of you Mum, when you run it next year, I’ll do it with you!”. Not one to thwart the enthusiasm of the young, I kind of had to say yes and sign up again. Fast forward 12 months and there I was, standing back on the starting line, with hundreds of people separating me from Son number 2 as he had pushed forward to be with the fast folk so he could clock a good time!!

This was me at around the 5K mark – photo credit, my lovely friend V who cheered us on

I can honestly say that this time around it wasn’t as bad as last year, I knew that the last kilometre would be hard, but I was prepared for it, and I did it just a minute slower than last year (had I realised, I may have speeded up!) but, that said, I didn’t feel as bad as last time – I won’t go so far to say it was easier, but I guess I must have been a bit fitter. As my Mum said, (who saw me between 6K and 7K) “You didn’t look as dead as you did when you passed us last year dear”. So I’ll take that as a compliment – thanks Mum!

Proof I did it! Me and my medal

I decided to raise funds this year for FareShare Greater Manchester, the charity I work for. If you would like to support my amazing sporting achievement (haha) my Just Giving page is still open for business. Thank you to everyone who has sponsored me so far – as I write this, the total stands at just over £600 which is brilliant. You can find the link to my page here if you want to check it out.

Also last month, I went to watch our family’s team, Manchester United for a very significant occasion, which happened to be the last match of the season. It was my lovely Dad’s last match as a season ticket holder. He decided that this year, at the age of 82, he was finding the winter matches too cold to sit in the stands for so long and the amount of standing during the matches to see over the people in front was too much for his octogenarian legs. Dad has held his season ticket in the same stand since the season I was born (1973-4). He decided that as he was going to be a Dad and that meant he was getting old, he should treat himself to a seat and move out of the Stretford End which was a standing only area at the time.

So for as long as me and my brother have been alive, Dad has sat in that stand with the same match-going buddies around him. It felt too significant to let it pass without a bit of a fuss. So, I booked tickets for me and Son number 3 to go (the only United appreciator of my offspring) and be in the stadium at the same time, I got Dad’s name put up onto the scoreboard and a little bit about him in the match day programme too.

My view of the Old Trafford pitch at the top of the tallest stand, Dad was in the stand on the left – I even managed to spot him at one point!

It was so lovely to be back at Old Trafford, as once upon a time I was a frequent visitor – my first ever job at the age of 16 was there and I worked there throughout my A-Levels and in university holidays too. In fact it was Manchester United which set me on the career path into radio which eventually led to me creating the Making Stitches Podcast!

I’m so glad we managed to join Dad on this special day – even if we were sitting miles away from him. Oh, and they won too which was a relief!

Making Stitches 2025 CAL

May Blossom square

The May square for the Making Stitches 2025 CAL was a blossomy one. I really debated whether to feature cherry blossom in the April square but changed my mind, opting for April showers for the driest month since records began in the UK (I may be slightly exaggerating there). However, thankfully for me, there was still plenty of blossom around and about when April turned into May, so I still had the chance to jump on the blossom band wagon – what a thrill!

I was really pleased with how turned out, and it would appear that lots of you liked it too as there were some beauties which popped up in my Instagram feed through out the month – you can see some of them below.

Some of the May Blossom Squares

If you missed out on the May Blossom square when it came out, you can still find it on my blog here.

In other crochet news….

Since early this year, I have been beavering away on a cardigan project. I made myself one of these cardigans a good few years ago. It’s a Fran Morgan pattern from Simply Crochet magazine called ‘A Good Vintage’ – you can still buy the pattern online.

My Mum has long admired my cardy, so I decided to make one for her birthday – only problem is, that was in March not May! On the big day, I gave her the body and one sleeve wrapped up and had to ask for it back to finish it. Well, here it is out in the sunshine on my blocking mat.

I’m pleased to report, she thought it was worth the wait!

And, there’s more crochet too…

A special crochet project ❤️

I’m sure an awful lot of you will be aware of a significant blog anniversary which happened earlier in June – the 10th anniversary of Coastal Crochet, by the lovely Eleonora Tully. I have been reading Eleonora’s blog since the early days, as I discovered her as I began my own blogging journey in June 2015 too. Obviously Eleonora’s and my blog trajectory hasn’t quite been the same, but it’s an anniversary worth celebrating none the less! So, last year, when we met up at Yarndale, we discussed the possibility of collaborating on something to mark our joint blog birthdays. The photo above is evidence of that design in progress.

We are hoping to share the finished design next month, and can’t wait to share it with the world!

Podcast News

The first Making Stitches Podcast episode in May was another 10th anniversary celebration (there must have been something in the water in the late spring/early summer of 2015 surely?). This time it was being celebrated by my fabulous sock-knitting friend Christine Perry from Winwick Mum.

During that decade of encouraging the world to knit socks, there have been literally tens of thousands of socks knitted – that’s some achievement. You can find out more about the episode and listen to it here.

Next came a chat I had with Rachael Mills, a crochet teacher and designer and dressmaker from Lancashire. It was Rachael who was responsible for crocheting the giant doily which adorned a Ford Escort car and which was part of the installation which won the 2024 Turner Prize.

I loved hearing about how she took a phone call from the artist, Jasleen Kaur and wasn’t put off about the size of the project – just saying “Yes, I’m up for that!”. What a life lesson that is, you never know where opportunities might lead….

Find the full episode show notes here.

And finally, one week ahead of schedule, I published this episode featuring Nat Walton, the curator of the Woven in Kirklees textiles festival – the reason for the early episode – it went out on the eve of the start of the festival, World Stitch Day on 1st June.

This biennial festival draws on the whole community of this West Yorkshire district and covers all sorts of crafts and creativity. It was fascinating to hear the story of the festival and all the things visitors to this year’s events can enjoy.

Find out more here.

Simply Crochet, simply exciting!

So, this is exciting. A little while back I was approached by Simply Crochet Magazine to ask whether I would like to be featured for my blogging and crochet work. I have been the subject of an article about my podcast, but never about my crochet before. I have to say, after reading the magazine for many years (I even had it delivered to me when I lived in Gibraltar and we moved back home to the UK in 2020), it really made me feel like I’d ‘arrived’ a bit.

What an honour to be featured in this brilliant magazine. You can find the article in issue 162, if you want to have a read. Thank you so much Simply Crochet, and thank you to Marianne Rawlins (@mazcrochets on Instagram) for interviewing me and writing such a lovely interview.

And that just about brings this latest postcard to a close, but I can’t go without acknowledging the awful news our online crafty community received yesterday about Amanda Bloom. I never met her, but I did have the opportunity to speak to Amanda on a couple of occasions for Making Stitches Podcast, and we had spoken recently about me going to visit her at her latest creative endeavour, her ‘Craft Room’ at Bentham in North Yorkshire.

I hope Amanda has found peace at last and that she has been reunited with her beautiful daughter, Jenny.

Take care of yourselves everyone,

Lindsay x

Jenny’s Mandala, from Amanda Bloom’s Little Box of Crochet

Making Stitches 2025 CAL : Part Six

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Summer Solstice Square

Hello! Welcome to June! Summer is officially here in my part of the world (although the weather may not always feel like it at times). When I think of June I always think of the midpoint in the year, the solstice – so what better symbol to have in the centre of the Making Stitches 2025 CAL June square than the sun?

image shows a selection of part made granny squares laid out on a table in the sunlight

As with my travails in April, coming up with this design (which in principle I had in my head from January) in practice wasn’t quite as simple as I thought it would be. I played with rising or setting suns, stained glass window effects and textured centres for the sunshine. It took a lot of jiggery pokery but eventually, I got there and was happy with this attempt. I do hope you approve. I had so much love for last month’s May Blossom square, that it feels like quite a hard act to follow!

As I have mentioned in the patterns for the other 2025 CAL squares, the whole point of this CAL is to be a stash buster project to help you get rid of some of your odds and ends of yarn left over from previous projects. I am certainly using it for that purpose!

I have made my squares using my own stash of Stylecraft Special DK yarns and I have included the names and numbers of the shades I’ve used in case you want to replicate what I have done exactly, but you can use any yarn you like. The only thing you need to do is make sure it’s all the same weight, ie all DK or all Aran or whatever yarn you choose, and if you are making the whole project along with me, make sure all your squares are made using the same weight and the same size of crochet hook to make sure they all measure the same size so they can be joined together easily at the end.

Each square is made to a similar basic pattern and should have 120 stitches in the final round to make joining easier at the end.

☀️So without further ado, it’s time to take you through the steps to make the Making Stitches 2025 CAL June Summer Solstice Square….☀️

2025 Making Stitches CAL Part Six : June – Summer Solstice

To make this square, I used Stylecraft Special DK  in (A) Citron (1263), (B) Denim (1302), (C) Cloud Blue (1019).

You will also need a 4mm crochet hook, scissors, a stitch marker, and a yarn needle.

Abbreviations (in UK terms): blo = work in back loop only, ch = chain, dc = double crochet, dtr = double treble, FPTrTr = Front Post Triple Treble, fyo = final yarn over, htr = half treble, mc = magic circle / magic ring, rep = repeat, slst = slip stitch, st = stitch, tr = treble, yo = yarn over hook.

In case you haven’t come across a FPTrTr before, you begin the st with yo 3 times = 4 loops on your hook. You will work around a st in a round/row below the round/row you are working. Once you have inserted the hook where it needs to be, through the front of the work, around the back of the st and back through the front of the work again, yo and draw the loop back through from around the st (you will now have 5 loops on your hook). Complete the triple treble at in the usual way – yo and pull through 2 loops 4 times.

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.

Please note, this pattern is written in UK Crochet terms.

Central Sun motif

Using Yarn A, make a MC.

Round 1 Ch2 (not counted as a st), 12 tr into MC. Slst into top of ch2 to close the round. Pull the central yarn tail tight to close MC. Fasten off and cut yarn. (12tr)

End of Round 1
Beginning of Round 2
End of Round 2

Round 2 In this round, you will be working into the space between the stitches of the previous round. Join A into one of the spaces, ch3 (counts as a tr) and work another tr into this space, then work 2tr into every space around. Slst into the top of the ch3 to close the round. Fasten off and cut yarn. (24tr)

Round 3A In this round, you will be working into the space between the pairs of tr sts of the previous round to create the suns rays. Join A into one of the space between the pairs of tr sts from round 2. Ch4 (counts as a dtr) and work a dtr into the same space, (ch3, work 2dtr into next space between pairs of tr sts) rep around, ch3 and slst into top of the ch4 to close the round. Fasten off and cut yarn. (12 pairs of dtr & 12 x 3chs)

Beginning of Round 3A
First sun rays of Round 3A
End of Round 3A

Round 3B Using Yarn B, join yarn into blo of an unworked st between the pairs of suns rays on round 2. Ch3 (counts as a tr) and work 3 more tr into that st, work 4tr into blo of the other unworked sts between the suns rays, slst into top of ch3 to close round. (12 x 4tr clusters)

Work Round 3B into the blo of unworked stitches of Round 2
First 3ch of Round 3B counts as a tr
First 4 tr cluster of Round 3B
End of Round 3B front view
Enfd of Round 3B back view

Round 4 In this round, you will be crocheting 4dc over the top of the 3chs of round 3A between the pairs of suns rays to hide them within your work while working into the top of the 4tr clusters of 3B. You will also work 1dc over the top of the link between the pair of dtr suns rays and working that dc into the space between the 4tr clusters.

Ch1 (does not count as a st), 1dc around the 3ch and into every tr of the tr cluster and 1dc between the dtr of round 3A into the space between the 4tr cluster. At the end of the round, slst into the top of the 1st dc to close round. [Sorry for the garbled explanation – I can’t think of a better way to phrase it! Please refer to the photos below] (60 dc)

Beginning of Round 4
Preparing to work 1dc into gap between 2 sun rays
Work this dc into the space between the 4tr clusters
End of Round 4

Round 5 Ch1 (does not count as a st) (1dc in next 3 sts, 1htr  into next 2 sts, 1tr into next 2 sts, dtr + 2ch = dtr into next st,  1tr into next 2 sts, 1htr into next 2 sts, 1dc into next 3 sts) repeat around. Slst into top of 1st dc to close round. Fasten off and cut yarn. You now have a square. (64 sts)

Border

Round 6 Join C into any st, work 1dc into every st around and 1dc + 2ch + 1dc into every corner space. Slst into top of 1st dc to close round. Fasten off and cut yarn. (72 dc)

Round 7 Join B into any st. Ch2 (counts as htr), working blo work 1htr into every st around and 1htr + 2ch + 1htr into every corner space. Slst into top of ch2 to close round. (80 htr)

Round 5
Round 6
Round 7
Round 8
Ropund 9

Round 8 Ch2 (counts as htr), work 1htr into every st around, 1htr + 2ch + 1htr into every corner space. Slst into top of ch2 to close round. (88 htr).

Round 9 Rep Round 8. Fasten off and cut the yarn. (90 htr)

Round 10 In this round you will be adding extra sun rays to the border. Join A, 2 sts before a corner space. Ch1 (does not count as a st) 1dc into the last 2 sts before the corner, 1dc 2ch 1dc into the corner space, 1dc into next 4 sts, 1FPTrTr around the 3rd st of Round 7, miss the next st of Round 9, 1dc into next 3 sts, 1FPTrTr around the base of the 1st FPTrTr, miss the next st of Round 9, 1dc into next 2 sts, 1FPTrTr around 10th st of Round 7, miss next st of Round 9, 1dc into next 3 sts, FPTrTr around the base of the 3rd FPTrTr, miss the next st of Round 9, 1dc into next 2 sts, 1FPTrTr around 17th st of Round 7, miss next st of Round 9, 1dc into next 3 sts, 1FPTrTr around base of 5th fptrtr, miss next st of Round 9, 1dc into rest of sts along the side, 1dc 2ch 1dc into the corner space. Repeat this process around the square and slst into the top of the first dc to close the round. Fasten off and cut the yarn.  (80dc & 24 FPTrTr)

Start of Round 10
Work a FPTrTr into the 3rd st of Round 7
First FPTrTr complete
Ready to work the 2nd FPTrTr
Work 2nd FPTrTr around the base of the first one
First V-shape complete
3rd FPTrTr
4th FPTrTr
Illustrating how you miss the st behind the FPTrTr when making the dcs
First edge of Round 10 complete
End of Round 10
End of Round 11
End of Round 12

Round 11 Join B into any st, 2ch (counts as a st), 1htr into every st around, 1htr 2ch 1htr into each corners space, rep around and slst into top of 2ch to close round. Fasten off and cut the yarn. (112 htr)

Round 12 Join C into any st, 1dc (does not count as a st), 1dc into every st around, 1dc 2ch 1dc into every corner space. (120 dc) 

And that’s your Summer Solstice Square complete!

🌸A selection of May Blossom Squares 🌸

Thank you to everyone who has joined in so far and shared their makes on social media with the hashtag #MakingStitches2025CAL, it’s been great witnessing so many beautiful May Blossom Squares blooming online! I’m very much looking foward to seeing lots of sunny solstice squares brightening up Instagram in the coming weeks!

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

If you make a June Summer Solstice Square and you share it online, please either tag me in your post or use the hashtag #MakingStitches2025CAL so I can see what you have done!


☀️Happy sunshining!☀️
Lindsay x