I hope you had a peaceful and happy Chtistmas time. I’ve been a bit quiet on here lately owning to being very busy. I am hoping to be around here a little more often in future if life allows!
I’m looking forward to sharing some posts about the last few months including a fabulous visit back to Gibraltar in autumn in the coming weeks all being well.
Gibraltar in October 2025
Before then though, I wanted to let you know about a very special Making Stitches Podcast episode which is out tomorrow – Episode 100!
Before then though, I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has read my posts, sent me comments and messages, listened to my podcast and joined in with the Making Stitches 2025 CAL this year. You have made it a very special one for me as I celebrated 10 years of this blog (previous Postcard from Gibraltar) and now Making Stitches.
The Making Stitches 2025 CAL squares to date with the new bonus Granny Square Day square
Hello and happy Granny Square Day to you! What a joyous celebration of crochet today is, where ever I look online, there are colourful granny squares popping up all over.
Seeing as this year has been rather dominated by crochet squares in my world, I thought it would be silly not to join in and create my very own Making Stitches 2025 CAL Granny Square Day Bonus Square too. If you fancy having a go at making this square, look no further, you can find the pattern down below…
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) Pomegranate (1083) (B) Pistachio (1822) (C) Lobelia (1825) (D) Saffron (1081) (E) Spice (1711) (F) Silver (1203) Size 4mm crochet hook Scissors Stitch Marker Yarn Needle
Abbreviations (in UK terms): blo = work in back loop only, ch = chain, dc = double crochet, dtr = double treble crochet, fyo = final yarn over, htr = half treble crochet, mc = magic circle / magic ring, rep = repeat, RS = right side, slst = slip stitch, st = stitch, tr = treble crochet.
Round 1 Ch2 (not counted as a st unless noted), 12 tr into MC. Slst into top of ch2 to close the round. Pull the central yarn tail tight to close the MC. (12tr)
Round 2 Ch2, 2tr into every st around. Slst into top of the Ch2 (24tr)
Round 3 Ch2, (2tr in next st, 1tr in next st) rep around. Slst into the top of the Ch2 to close round changing to Yarn B with fyo. (36tr)
Round 4 With Yarn B, and working in the blo for this round, (2dc into next st, 1dc into next 2 sts) rep around. Slst into top of ch1 to close round. (48dc)
Round 5 Working into both loops as normal in this round, ch1 (2dc in next st, 1dc into next 3 sts) rep around. Slst into top of ch1 to close round. (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 C 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 D in one of the corner spaces, Ch3 (counts as 1tr in this instance) 2tr ch2 3tr, (skip the next 2 sts, 3tr into next st) repeat along that side until you reach the corner. In the corner space work a 3tr cluster, ch 2 and then work another 3tr cluster and continue along the side as you did before (skip the next 2 sts, 3tr into next st) rep around. Slst into top of first Ch3. Fasten off and break yarn. (You should have 7 x 3tr clusters along each side = 28 x 3tr clusters in total)
Round 9 Join Yarn E into one of the corner spaces. Ch3 (counts as 1tr in this instance) 2tr ch2 3tr, then work around the square making 3tr clusters into every space between the 3tr clusters of Round 8. Work a 3tr cluster 2ch 3tr cluster into each corner space. Slst into top of Ch3. Fasten off and break yarn. (8 x 3tr clusters along each side = 32 x 3tr clusters in total)
Round 10 Join Yarn Cinto one of the corner spaces and rep Round 9. Fasten off and break yarn. (9 x 3tr clusters along each side = 36 x 3tr clusters in total).
Round 11
In order for the final stitch count on this round to add up to 120 (to match the other Making Stitches 2025 CAL squares), you will need to work 1 more st in this row than there are stitches to work into i.e. the last row was made up of 108 tr sts, or 27 sts on each side and we need to end with 30 sts on each side. The natural increase at the beginning and end of each side accounts for 2 extra sts, but you will need to add an extra one somewhere to bring that count up by an extra one. I did this by working 2dc 2ch 1dc into the corner spaces. If you are just making this square as a one-off, this additional stitch is not necessary.
Join Yarn B into any st, 1ch (does not count as a st) 1dc into the same st, 1dc into every st around, when you reach a corner space, 2dc ch2 1dc. Rep around. Fasten off and break yarn. Weave in your ends. (120dc)
Then make 2 longer strands of yarn of 15ch and 2 shorter strands of yarn of 12 ch in Yarn A and for the hook, you will need to make a ch of 22 using Yarn F. In each instance, make sure you leave a decent length of yarn tail on each end of your strands and your hook chain to allow you to sew them into place on top of the yarn ball.
Sew three yarn strands across the middle with the longest length across the centre of the ball and one shorter length on either side. Once they are secure, add your crochet hook by sewing it in place at a different angle to your yarn strands. Then turn your square by approximately 180 degrees and repeat the process of sewing the remaining yarn strands over the top of the crochet hook.
Your Granny Square Day Making Stitches 2025 CAL square is now complete. I hope you enjoyed making it! If you decide to share your make online, please use the hashtag #MakingStitches2025CAL so I can see what your colour choices have been, I would love to see it!
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’.
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 completeRound 7 completeRound 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 completeRound 10 in progressRound 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 completeRound 2 in progressRound 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 completeRound 4 completeRound 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 7Round 8Where 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 91st side of Round 9Round 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 10First 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 11Round 11 completeRound 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!
Making Stitches 2025 CAL Bonus Birthday Bunting Square
Hello, hello, what do we have here? It’s a Bonus Birthday Bunting Square! Seeing as I am celebrating 10 years of my blog (formerly Postcard From Gibraltar and now Making Stitches) I thought the occasion deserved a special crochet square. As a matter of fact a few weeks back, someone asked me whether I might make more than just 12 squares this year for the Making Stitches CAL. As it had been at the back of my mind, I thought ‘why not?’ and here we are with an extra square….
The Making Stitches 2025 CAL is my way of celebrating 10 years spending my time in this little corner of the internet, it feels fitting to have a birthday square to mark that. As with all the squares in the CAL (crochet along), this is a very free and easy, join in if you fancy it (at any time) kind of CAL. I can’t keep up with weekly CALs these days with the juggle of work and family life, but I can manage to make time for a bit of crochet each month.
The whole point of this CAL is for it to be a stash buster. To date I have just used Stylecraft Special DK which I had in my stash, however, there is one yarn in this pattern which I have failed to identify – the beige of the cake! It’s a synthetic DK so it works with the other yarn in the pattern and I have offered an alternative from the Stylecraft Special DK palette should you wish to replicate what I have done.
As with all of the Making Stitches 2025 CAL squares, this is very free and easy, it’s up to you which squares you make and what colours you choose to use. For anyone wondering about how 13 squares will work out in a blanket, never fear, I have plans for one other bonus square later in the year, which will at least give you an even number should you choose to use them all.
Without further ado, here’s the pattern for this special party square!
To make this square, I used Stylecraft Special DK in (A) Beige (unidentified colour) could use Camel (1420), (B) White (1001), (C) Pale Rose (1080), (D) Silver (1203), (E) Sage (1725), (F) Saffron (1081) & (G) Spice (1711). 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, RS = right side(s), 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 this point 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.
Cake Base
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 Then, fold the circle in half RS facing outwards, work along the outside edge of the half circle and through both sides to join them together. Ch1, (2dc, 1dc) rep around.(18dc)
Round 4 Turn your work and work back along the stitches made in Round 3. Working in the blo, ch1, slst into first st, 1dc in next 2 sts, 1htr in next 2 sts, tr+ch1+1tr in next st, 2htr in next st, 1dc in next 4 sts, 2htr in next st, 1tr+1ch+1tr into next st, 1htr in next 2 sts, 1dc into next 2 sts, slst. Fasten off and break yarn.
End of Round 2End of Round 3Beginning Round 4Cake base complete
Cake Icing
Using Yarn B, 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 ch2. (24tr)
Round 3 Then, fold the circle in half RS facing outwards, work along the outside edge of the half circle and through both sides to join them together. Ch1, (2dc, 1dc) rep around. (18dc)
This time, turn the half circle 180 degrees so you can work along the flat bottom edge, make a 6tr shell into the edge of Round 2, 6tr shell into the centre of the MC, 6tr shell into the edge of Round 2 on the other side of the centre. Slst into the 1st st of Round 3. Fasten off and break your yarn.
1st icing shell2nd icing shellCake base & icing complete
The Square
The Square
Using Yarn C, 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 Ch1, (2dc into 1st st, 1dc into next st) rep around. Slst into the top of the ch1. (36 dc).
Ready to join the cake & icing to the backing squareStarting the joinCake base joined halfway round Round 4 Beginning to join the icing Round 4 complete
Round 4 Take your cake base and work your stitches through the blo of Round Round 4 of the cake base when working sts into Round 4 of the square to join the two together. Ch2, (2tr in first st, 1tr in next 2 sts) rep until you have worked every bl in the cake base. Then pick up the cake icing and working into the blo of Round 3 of the cake icing, join it to the square in the remain sts of Round 4 also working (2tr into the 1st st, 1tr into next 2 sts) rep until end of round. Slst into the top of the ch2. (48tr)
Round 5 Ch1, (2dc in next st, 1dc in next 3 sts) rep around, Slst into top of ch1. (60dc)
End of Round 5Start of Round 6Round 6 completeRound 7 completeRound 8 complete Round 10 complete
Round 6 Ch1, (1dc in next 3 sts, 1htr in next 2 sts, 1tr in next 2 sts, 1dtr ch2 1dtr in the next st, 1tr in next 2 sts, 1htr in next 2 sts, 1dc in next 3 sts) rep around, slst into top of 1ch. Fasten off and break yarn. (16 sts on each side = 64 sts)
Round 7 Join Yarn D 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 C into any st. Ch2, 1htr into every st around. Work 1htr 2ch 1htr into every ch space. Slst into top of ch2. (80htr)
Round 9 Rep Round 8. (88htr)
Round 10 Rep Round 8. Fasten off and break yarn. (96htr)
First FPTrTr in Round 11First bunting flag complete First side of bunting completeBunting continued…Round 11 complete (apologies for all the ends!)
Round 11 In this round you will be adding birthday bunting using clusters of 5x fptrtr stitches worked around sts in Round 8. Join Yarn C 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 3 sts changing to Yarn E in the fyo of the last dc, work 5 fptrtr into the 3rd st of Round 8 (change back to Yarn C in fyo of 5th fptrtr), miss the next 5 sts of Round 10, 1dc into next 2 sts changing to Yarn F in the fyo of the last 1dc, work another 5x fptrtr cluster around 10th st of Round 8 (changing back to Yarn C in the fyo of the 5th fptrtr), miss next 5 sts of Round 10, 1dc into next 2 sts changing to Yarn G in the fyo of 2nd dc, worth a 5 x fptrtr cluster around the 17th st of Round (changing back to Yarn C in the fyo of the last fptrtr), miss next 5 sts of Round 10,* 1dc into next 2 sts, 1dc 2ch 1dc into the corner space and repeat from * to * around the square and slst into the top of the first dc to close the round. Fasten off and break yarn. (104 sts)
Round 12 complete
Round 12 Join Yarn D in any st, work 1dc into every st around (ie the dcs and the tops of the 5x fptrtr clusters too), also work 1dc 2ch 1dc into the corner spaces. At the end of the Round, slst into the top of the ch1, fasten off and break yarn. (112dc)
Round 13 Join Yarn C into any st, ch2, 1htr into every st around. 1htr 2ch 1htr into every corner space. Slst into the top of the ch2 to close the Round. Fasten off and break yarn. (120htr).
Using corresponding coloured yarn, sew the edges of the cake base and cake icing to the square.
Round 13 complete
Candle & Flame
To make your candle:
With Yarn E, ch5, 1dc into 2nd ch from hook and every ch across. Fasten off and break yarn leaving a tail to sew the candle to the square. (4dc)
To make your candle flame:
With Yarn F, make a MC. Work 3dc into the MC, ch2, slst into 1st ch to form a picot, 3dc into the MC. Pull the MC tight. Fasten off and break yarn leaving a tail to sew the candle onto the square.
Sew the candle into place on top of the cake and, once that’s secure, sew the flame into place on top of the candle. You can then decorate the cake icing with some French knots to represent hundreds and thousands/sprinkles on top of the cake.
The Bonus Birthday Bunting Square
If you make a Bonus Birthday Bunting Square of your own, I’d love to see it! If you share it on social media, please either tag me or use the hashtag #MakingStitches2025CAL
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.
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.
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….
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.
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
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?
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 1Beginning of Round 2End 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 3AFirst sun rays of Round 3AEnd 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 2First 3ch of Round 3B counts as a trFirst 4 tr cluster of Round 3BEnd of Round 3B front viewEnfd 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 4Preparing to work 1dc into gap between 2 sun raysWork this dc into the space between the 4tr clustersEnd 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 5Round 6Round 7Round 8Ropund 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 10Work a FPTrTr into the 3rd st of Round 7First FPTrTr completeReady to work the 2nd FPTrTrWork 2nd FPTrTr around the base of the first oneFirst V-shape complete3rd FPTrTr4th FPTrTrIllustrating how you miss the st behind the FPTrTr when making the dcsFirst edge of Round 10 completeEnd of Round 10End of Round 11End 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!
Hello there! How have you been? We’re ticking along fine up here at Making Stitches HQ, we have been basking in the sunshine recently. My decision to opt for April showers for last month’s square of the Making Stitches 2025 CAL was a bit of a mistake – or maybe it caused the sunny weather we’ve enjoyed?
Here’s my latest postcard, a week and a bit later than planned… I hope you enjoy it!
Sunny Rochdale
Rochdale Town Hall
At the start of April I travelled to Rochdale to visit an old school friend of mine, it was a stunningly sunny day and we decided to go out and enjoy the lovely weather. Whilst I had visited her at home several times before, I had never been into Rochdale town centre, so we headed off and went to the recently refurbished Town Hall – my word it was stunning. The main entrance hall had the feeling of an ecclesiastical building more than a civic one.
The stained glass was stunning and shown off to its advantage by the bright sunshine outside. Inside there was an exhibition of more modern stained glass made by artists which was beautiful too. I particularly loved this bunch of flowers and the blue & green design. The floral window, created by Deborah Lowe, was called ‘Right there with you, Mr Morris’ and was inspired by William Morris. The blue & green one was created by Debbie Copley and was called ‘Goldfinch & Blue Teasels’.
Right there with you, Mr Morris by Deborah LoweGoldfinch & Blue Teasels by Debbie Copley
Also on display were two textile pieces produced by Artist Alison Greyer. One had an emphasis on nature, community & remembrance and was made in collaboration with a local arts & crafts group, the second piece was inspired by pupils at a local primary school.
Upstairs in the town hall is the most amazing space which, on the day we visited, was prepared for a boxing match!
The joy of nature
One of our favourite walks down to the River Mersey close to our home
The beautiful dry and sunny weather persisted throughout April, which was truly lovely to enjoy. There were odd days when it was overcast and wet, but to my mind it was nice far more often than when it was cold and wet. What a luxury! This, in turn had a brilliant effect on the nature around me, there have been fabulous shows of blossom, from cherry blossom early on to hawthorn and many other sorts too. It’s thanks to the brilliant displays we have enjoyed this year, that I was inspired to make May’s Making Stitches 2025 CAL square a blossom themed one.
Crochet…
An Easter themed post box topper in my local town
I will start this section with some crochet that doesn’t belong to me – I always admire post box toppers when I see them – the amount of work and time that goes into them for the benefit of others. This Easter themed one was on one of the main roads through my nearest town. I’m so glad it was left to look lovely and not destroyed.
April Showers Square – last month I opted for the weather as the theme of my Making Stitches 2025 CAL square. I had been toying with the idea of going for blossom as the theme but in the end went for April Showers as the the March square had been floral. It’s always so lovely to see squares appearing on social media throughout the month as other people join in and make their own versions! Thankfully the beautiful blossom has persisted which meant I was able to use that as the inspiration for the May Square instead!
Some of the brilliant Making Stitches CAL Squares which have appeared online this month
Crochet collaboration!
Making Stitches Blog is going to be celebrating a big birthday this summer – it will be 10 years since I set off on this blogging adventure. Back then, of course, it wasn’t called Making Stitches – the name was Postcard from Gibraltar but when we moved back to the UK, I changed the name. Way back in the early days of my blog, I found a fellow blogger who was talking about crochet and other things I was interested in and we became online friends. That blogger then went on to much bigger and better things, designing for Yarn Companies, teaching workshops and is now about to fly to Australia to talk to crocheters over there! She is, of course, Eleonora from Coastal Crochet.
Eleonora’s picturesque beach reveal of our colour palette My own, back garden version!Work is underway!
We have been lucky enough to meet in person a couple of times (both times at Yarndale) and when we met up last September, we talked about our impending 10th anniversaries. We decided it would be nice to do something together to mark this landmark and are now collaborating on a joint crochet pattern which we will be unveiling in the summer. Eleonora broke the news on her social media with a perfectly ‘Coastal Crochet’ photo showcasing the yarn we have chosen. I’m afraid my version in my back garden isn’t quite as romantic but it doesn’t matter!
Eleonora & I at Yarndale last year
We have decided upon the design for our joint project and work has already begun, if you follow our social media (Instagram in particular) you may have spotted some sneak peaks of our progress along the way. I’m looking forward to sharing more in the weeks to come!
There were 2 big birthdays in the Making Stitches household in April – Eldest turned 21 (eek!) and Making Stitches Podcast turned 5!
I have no idea how I have ended up with a fully formed adult as a child – it doesn’t seem possible. It’s only 5 minutes ago we were going to baby music groups and then talking about starting school! Time flies far too quickly. On the day after he celebrated his 16th birthday in April 2020’s first lockdown, I launched Making Stitches Podcast as something fun to focus on as we navigated lockdown and an impending relocation back to the UK. I feel quite proud that it’s still going 5 years on. It’s a common fact that podcasts often run out of steam and some don’t last even a complete first series, so to have one which has survived 5 years is a pretty good achievement I think.
Podcast News
So while I’m talking about the podcast, here’s what you may have missed in April. First of all I got to sit down and chat to Marianne Rawlins a crochet designer based in the South West of England. Marianne designs and writes for Simply Crochet Magazine. It’s because of her work writing articles that our paths crossed as she asked to turn the tables and interview me about my blog and podcast for a future issue of the magazine. After that, I returned the favour and asked whether she would like to come on the podcast to talk about her work. It’s funny that we discovered we have an awful lot of things in common, including starting out in journalism and now working in marketing & communications. You can find her episode here.
The second April episode included a chat which was a total joy to record. I have honestly never laughed so much while recording an interview. My guests were husband and wife team Sean and Sara MacLeod. Sara is an avid crocheter who shares hermakes on Instagram. What makes her account stand out is not just her beautiful creations, but the stunning scenery of their home on the Cowal Peninsula on the West coast of Scotland AND her husband Sean. Sara describes Sean as her ‘crochet supermodel’ and he can be seen wearing all sorts of crocheted garments as well as being draped in blankets too. They are such a funny pair, and clearly Instagram agrees as they have a following of almost 30,000. You can find their episode here.
A favour before you go…
You might remember that this time last year, I ran my first ever 10k. It was a challenge to myself for my 50th birthday so I could say ‘I did one’. It was only going to be one-time-only event.
However, on the finishing line, Son Number 2 told me he was very proud of me and that when I do it next year, he would run it with me. I couldn’t very well say – “I’m sorry I’m not doing it again”. So, on 18th May (next Sunday – eek!), I will be running the Great Manchester Run 10k again, this time though I will have Son Number 2 with me at my side as we set off (then I won’t see him for dust!). He’s aiming to run it in under 1 hour, I’m aiming to just get round.
Our race numbers have arrived so it’s official now!
And that’s all for this round up of April. I hope it was a good month for you and that life is treating you well. Until next time, thank you for stopping by!
Hello there! Blimey, the end of March already…. I may be sounding a bit repetitive with these monthly postcards but where does the time go? The year is a quarter of the way through already and it’s showing no sign of slowing down!
It may be going fast, but March was a beautiful month for us here in my little corner of the world. We were so lucky to have quite a few beautiful bright sunshiny days.
Spring did its thing!
My word, the world does look a better place when the sun is in the sky! I really do love this time of year, the end of the long dark nights and cold weather begins as the spring flowers pop up and the acid green new leaves begin to appear on the trees.
The River Mersey
I find, at the minute, that the weeks are so full of school, work, after school activities and rushing and then the weekends also seem full of engagements, football matches and other things. It’s quite hard to be able to take a moment to stop and truly enjoy the beauty of the world around me. I luckily had a few short occasions to do this this month. First of all (top picture) was when I went to collect Youngest from an event in Cheshire. As I sat waiting for him to finish, I enjoyed the surroundings of fields and trees.
Then, one day when it was just me and son number 2, we took the chance to head for one of our favourite walks along the banks of the River Mersey near us. It was a beautiful day – the kind when you are reminded how lovely it is to feel the warmth of the sun on your back.
In the middle of our walk, we stumbled upon this lovely bunch of daffs bobbing about in the sunshine.
Clear bright days also often lead to lovely sunsets. Quite often I’m in the midst of cooking dinner when the sun is setting at present, but one evening, we had a parent’s evening at school, and as we came out we were greeted by this lovely sky!
What’s been on my hook lately
I felt compelled to make this Ukrainian inspired sunflower granny square after watching the news on the day of President Zelensky’s visit to the Oval Office. I was appalled at what I saw and felt utterly helpless. Hooking up a granny square doesn’t actually do anything in the grand scheme of things, but it made me feel a teeny bit better.
Sticking with the sunflower theme, we had a sustainability event at work this month and we were giving away packets of sunflower seeds to guests as they left. I thought the basket they were in needed a bit of decoration, so had a go at making this sunflower and bumble bee.
Crochet on the go…
There’s no such thing as a waste of time while sitting in a waiting room if you have a project to keep you company! I’m working on a cardigan as a birthday gift for my lovely Mum. As it was getting close to the deadline (ie: the birthday) I was taking my crochet with me everywhere.
I’m afraid to say I have missed the deadline – what was done was wrapped so she could open it, with the promise that it will be finished soon!
Spring Cleaning was the theme for a brilliant March Crochet Day at the Crochet Sanctuary at Cranage Hall Hotel in Cheshire. I do love my crochet days with the lovely folk at the Crochet Sanctuary!
I made a waistcoat stitch crochet basket and some waffle stitch crochet wash cloths.
A cuppa & a catch up
It had been about 10 months since the last time I’d had the chance to catch up with my lovely yarny friend Christine from Winwick Mum. I forgot to take any pictures of our time at Black Sheep Wools when we met other than our two tea cups – so you’ll have to take my word for it! It was lovely seeing her again and hearing all her news.
An afternoon with some footballing legends
Also this month, I got the chance to take my lovely Dad to the Lowry in Salford for an afternoon with some Manchester United legends. It was a great show with lots of jokes and laughter about the old days in the 1980s and 1990s at Old Trafford.
Podcast news
In March, there have been two episodes of Making Stitches Podcast. The first one featured a chat I had with a pair of friends, Jenni Smith & Kay Walsh, who have written a book called Menopause Makes filled with beautiful sewing projects to help ease menopause symptoms and get people sewing. You can find out more information about this episode here.
Next up was a chat I had with Justine Robson, a crochet teacher and all round fabulously creative person. Justine started the Carry on Crafting Festival after having a dream about putting one on! She is also the current custodian of Little Box of Crochet. You can find out all about our chat here.
Making Stitches 2025 CAL March Square
I decided to go for spring flowers as the theme of the Making Stitches 2025 CAL square this month. They give me such optimism for the future and the warmer days to come. Plus the colours are stunning!
I was thrilled to see that again, literally within hours of publishing the pattern, some March squares began to appear in my Instagram feed. You have no idea how happy it makes me to see other people making my patterns and enjoying them too. Thank you to everyone who has joined in with the CAL so far!
I will be sharing Part 4 tomorrow evening, I do hope you like it when you see it!!
That’s all for this time. Thank you for stopping by and I hope April is kind to you!
Hello and welcome to March! Happy St David’s Day and happy first day of meteorological spring! What better time than to crochet ourselves some spring flowers?
March Spring Flowers
The days are getting longer in my part of the world, you can see the leaf buds beginning to form on the trees and there are plenty of spring flowering bulbs around. Crocus seem to be at their best right now and my first daffodil flower opened yesterday just in time for this pattern release! March to me, says spring, early spring no doubt, but spring nonetheless!
As with the previous two squares for the Making Stitches 2025 CAL, the colours I have used are not prescriptive. I have made them using my own stash of Stylecraft Special DK yarns and I will include 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.
So, without further ado, here goes…
2025 Making Stitches CAL Part Three : March – Spring Flowers Square
The Spring Flowers March Square
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) Clementine (1853), (B) Citron (1263), (C) Meadow (1065), (D) Violet (1277).
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, rep = repeat, slst = slip stitch, st = stitch, tr = treble crochet, trtr = triple treble. 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: The floral buds of the ‘tulip stitch’ in Round 9 are made by making 5tr into the centre of the V stitch created in Round 8. Once you complete the 5th tr, take your hook out of the working loop and insert it into the top of the 1st tr from front to back, then back through the working loop and close the bud with a slst.
Once the 5th tr is complete remove your hook from the working loopPut your hook through the top of the 1st treble form front to back and then back through the working loopClose the tulip bud with a slip stitch and repeat around
Central Daffodil motif:
Round 1Round 2Round 3A (Trumpet)Round 4A (Frill)
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 2 Ch1, 2dc in every st around. Slst into top of ch1. (24dc)
Round 3A (Trumpet) Ch1, working into the flo, 1htr into every st around. Slst into top of ch1. (24htr)
Round 4A (Frill) (1dc & 1htr into first st, slst into next st)rep around. Fasten off. This will result in a frill with 12 ‘lumps’.
Round 3B (Petals) Join Yarn B into blo of one of the sts in Round 2. (Ch6, 1dc in 2nd ch from hook, 1htr in next ch, 1tr in next ch, 1trtr in next ch, 1trtr in last ch. Miss next 3 blo in Round 2 and Slst into blo of 5th st). Rep around until you have 5 petals ending with a slst into the same blo where you began. Fasten off.
Round 3B First 6chSlst to join bottom of 1st petal2 petals completeRound 3B compete with 5 petals
Round 3C (Beginning the square) Join Yarn C into one of the back loops of Round 2, ch2, (2tr in blo of 1st st, 1tr in blo of next st) rep around – making sure you work into all 24 sts even the ones where the petals are attached with a slst. Slst into top of 2ch. (36tr)
Beginning Round 3CWorking into one of the back loops which have already been worked in Round 3BRound 3C Complete
Round 4 Ch2, (2tr in first st, 1tr into next 2 sts) rep around. Slst into top of ch1. (48tr)
Round 5 Ch1, (2dc in first st, 1dc into next 3 sts) rep around. Slst into top of ch1. (60dc)
Round 4 from the back once ends have been woven inRound 4Round 5
Round 6 (It’s time to square your circle) Ch1, (1dc in next 3 sts, 1htr in next 2 sts, 1tr in next 2 sts, 1dtr + ch2 + 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 ch1 and fasten off. (64 sts)
At this stage you can neatly sew the petals of the daffodil in place attaching them to the background square. I used the yellow yarn and very small stitches so they aren’t obvious. Once they are sewn into place and stop curling up, they look much more like a daffodil!
Round 6Round 7Round 8
Round 7 Join Yarn A in any st. Ch1, 1dc into every st around and work 1dc 2ch 1dc into every corner space. Slst into top of ch1 and fasten off. (72 dc)
Round 8 Join Yarn C in a corner space, ch5 + 1tr into that corner space, *miss 1st st, 1tr + 1ch + 1tr into 2nd st, (miss 2 sts, 1tr + 1ch + 1tr in next st) repeat along the first side to the corner space, 1tr 2ch 1tr into the corner space, repeat from * on next 3 sides (missing the final 1tr 2ch 1tr as this has already been formed at the start of the round) slst into the 3rd of the starting 5ch. Fasten off. There should be 6 V stitches on each side plus one in each corner by the end of the round.
Round 9 Join Yarn D in the centre of the first V stitch of a side created in Round 8 (on the right as you look at it) . Ch2 & 5tr into that V stitch. Once you have competed the 5th tr, remove the hook from the working loop and insert it into the top of the 1st tr from front to back, then back through the working loop and close the top of the flower bud with a slst. *Ch2 and make the next flower bud in the next V stitch (5tr, remove hook from loop, insert it into top of first tr from front to back and then back through the working loop. Close the bud with a slst. Ch2) repeat until you have 6 buds along the side and you have reached the corner space. Work another flower bud as before, ch4, and make a 2nd flower bud into the same corner space V stitch. Repeat the process from * along the three remaining sides of the square. Slst into the top of the first bud and fasten off. (32 buds)
(I am aware that the photos below don’t show the row beginning the V stitch I suggested above – please ignore that fact and stick to the written instructions!)
Once the 5th tr is complete remove your hook from the working loopPut your hook through the top of the 1st treble and then back through the working loopClose the tulip bud with a slip stitch and repeat aroundClose Round 9 with a slst into the top of the first budRound 9 compete
Round 10 Join Yarn C in a corner space. Ch1, (2dc 2ch 2dc into the corner space, work 1dc into the top of the first bud, work 2dc into the ch space, repeat along the side with 1dc in each bud and 2dc into each ch space). Rep on each side and slst into the top of the 1st dc. Fasten off. (104 dc)
Working a dc into the top of a flower bud in Round 10Round 11Round 12
Round 11 Join Yarn A in any st, ch1 and 1dc into every st around working 1dc 2ch 1dc into every corner space. Slst into top of ch1 and fasten off. (112 dc)
Round 12 Join Yarn B into any st, ch1 and 1dc into every st around working 1dc 2ch 1dc into every corner space. Slst into top of ch1 and fasten off. (120 dc).
Your square is complete now. Weave in the ends and block it to make a nice neat square.
You can alter the colours you choose for the outer rows
I chose purple for the flower bud row with the intention that they should look like crocus flowers, but you could use any colour you want to – I think the combination of rounds 8 & 9 are know as a ‘tulip stitch’ and they do look rather like tulips. As tulips come in all shades of pink, red, purple, yellow, white and even black you can go wild!
It was so lovely over the past few weeks to see lots of February ‘All You Need is Love’ squares appearing on my phone – a few of which appeared within 24 hours of publishing the pattern which utterly blew me away! If you are joining in and making a March square, please do use the hashtag #MakingStitches2025CAL so I can see if any ‘Spring Flower’ squares start blooming all over the place!
Some of the February ‘All You Need is Love’ Squares which popped up on my phone during February!
Hello there! I do hope February has treated you well. I have had a great month, and for once actually have some photograph worthy updates for you! Here goes…
London calling
The view from Greenwich Observatory towards the City of London
I started the month with a fabulous overnight getaway to London. It was courtesy of Eldest who, for my Christmas and birthday presents paid for me to stay in a hotel near his student hall of residence and booked tickets to take me to see Mama Mia! What a lovely boy – I am one very lucky Mum!
One of the joys of train travel (assuming they are on time and you can get a seat) is the uninterrupted craft time…
Once I’d arrived down in London, we had a bit of time to kill, so Eldest took me for a walk around his neighbourhood, which is in the Shoreditch/Islington area.
Although it’s very much an inner city area, there were lots of quiet back streets to explore and wander around.
I had to stop and take a photo of this, I like the sound of the ‘Worshipful Company of Haberdashers’!
After our wander, we headed back to base so I could get changed ready for our big night out. First stop was a delicious pizza for an early tea before hopping on the tube towards the West End…..
My word, I did enjoy the show. I think I must be one of just a handful of people who haven’t seen any of the Mama Mia films. I have seen bits of them but never the whole way through, so I didn’t know the storyline at all.
It was so good and really interesting to see how the ABBA songs were used to tell the story. Eldest made a great choice getting me this present – it was perfect.
On Sunday morning, we woke up to brilliant blue skies. It was the perfect day for an explore, so we hopped onto the Tube and then took the DLR out to Greenwich. First stop was a wander to the bank of the River Thames and a quick Look at the Cutty Sark before heading towards Greenwich Park.
It was such a beautiful morning that there were loads of people out in the park and it took a bit of negotiating to get to the top of the hill to see the Greenwich Observatory.
We really were spoiled to see it on such a beautiful day. That stunning blue sky was the perfect backdrop to the skyline.
After getting an alfresco cup of coffee sitting in the sunshine by the Observatory, we made our way back down into the town centre.
Back down at the River Thames, it looked more like August than the first weekend in February – it was so beautiful! I really was lucky in so many ways during my 24 hours away from home!
We decided to take an alternative route back to the hotel and walked under the Thames through the pedestrian tunnel!
Birthday celebrations continued…
Just two weeks on from my belated birthday celebration in London, I was taken out for another birthday celebration (I could get used to this!). My lovely brother and his wife told me on by big day back in January, that they wanted to take me out for lunch as my gift.
We went to Dishoom in Manchester for the most beautiful lunch. It was such fun and the food was out of this world. The building where the restaurant is based is stunning too.
After lunch, we called in to this Mancunian institution – Peveril of the Peak. Inside are photos of famous visitors to the pub including Robbie Coltrane and the Gallagher brothers.
I can’t remember the last time I went to the pub in the afternoon! It felt like being a student again!
Loving the longer days…
One of the great things about this time of year is the fact that the days are getting longer. I took this photo on the first day when I got home from work before it was dark! It’s the simple things which make all the difference!
Spring is around the corner
Just this week I went out for a walk on an afternoon off work. The sun shone brightly and lit up this fantastic display of white and purple crocuses – just stunning!
An evening with the News Agents
Tower of Light lit in the colours of the Ukraine flag
I was blessed with two weekends with Eldest this month. He had a week off lectures owing to a ‘reading week’ and came home for a few days to see me and his brothers. On Monday evening (thanks to a last minute booking on my part when I heard he was coming home and it coincided with the show) we went to see the News Agents Live at the Bridgewater Hall in central Manchester.
We both have a fascination with current affairs and politics and love to listen to the News Agents podcast on weekdays. When they announced that they were coming to Manchester I had toyed with the idea of going but discounted it as it was on a ‘school night’, however when Eldest said he’d be here and the dates coincided, it felt like it was meant to be, so I booked two of the last few tickets just days beforehand.
We took the tram into the city centre and walked the short distance from the tram stop to the venue past the Tower of Light which was lit in the colours of the Ukraine flag to mark the unfortunate 3rd anniversary of the Russian invasion and subsequent on-going war. It felt rather fitting to see it on the way into a highly political evening of chat which was rather obviously dominated by conversations about Putin, Zelensky and most notably Donald Trump.
Our view as we waited for the show to start
We really enjoyed ourselves, it was a great show and very thought provoking on so many levels. I would highly recommend it to anyone who might be thinking of going.
As we left the venue and began our walk back to the tram, Eldest exclaimed that he had just seen Emily Maitlis at the rear of the building (her bright turquoise dress had caught his eye) then we spotted Lewis Goodall who was chatting with people who were leaving too. Eldest nearly died of embarrassment, but I went along to say how much we had enjoyed the show as well as the podcast and got a celebrity selfie (please ignore the double chin – I didn’t exactly catch the right angle!!).
Not my best angle but a thrill nonetheless to meet Lewis Goodall!
Making Stitches 2025 CAL February Square
The All You Need Is Love February Square
Love seems to be in the air a lot during February, so this month’s square for the Making Stitches 2025 CAL had to involve a heart. It was so thrilling to see squares appearing on my Instagram account literally 24 hours after I published the pattern – wow! Thank you so much to everyone who has taken part in the Crochet-Along so far.
❤️Some of the brilliant February Squares out in the wild! ❤️
If you fancy tagging along, please do, the patterns will be living on my blog for free (there’s a section now in the main menu where you can find links to the CAL patterns so far). It doesn’t matter if you didn’t start in January – a few new faces appeared online this month and have caught up. You don’t even need to do all of the squares – just the ones you feel like! If you do make a square and decide to share it on social media – please use the hashtag #MakingStitches2025CAL so I can see your square!
I’m off shortly to put the finishing touches to the March square pattern ready for it being released tomorrow!
And finally…
Making Stitches Podcast is back! The brand new episode went live this morning and features a chat I had with Felix Ford from KNITSONIK. You can listen to it here.
In it we chatted about Felix’s work with sound, colour, yarn and stranded colourwork knitting as well as her Masters project which involved making knitted cosies for walking sticks which diverted conversations away from disability and towards appreciation of creativity instead. It also features a few snippets of Felix’s musical compositions too. Please do give it a listen!
That’s all for this time – I’m quite pleased I’ve been able to share so much with you for a change! February may be the shortest month, but it’s been a busy one – I can’t promise my postcard from March will be as exciting!
