Pumpkin Granny Square

Hello! Welcome to the penultimate square for the Making Stitches 2025 CAL! It’s the first day of November, and along with fireworks and Bonfire Night, for me, November means Remembrance of the sacrifice made by so many in our armed forces. So this month, your square is the November Remembrance Poppy Square.

At the centre sits the traditional Remembrance Poppy and around the border I chose to use some of the colours which are related to the armed forces, the Army, the Navy & the Royal Air Force. They aren’t exactly the correct shades of the different colours, but the whole point of this CAL is to be a stash buster project, so rather than going out and buying new yarn to make this, I used odds and ends I had in my stash.

I have made my squares using my 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.

Here’s the pattern for my November Remembrance Poppy Making Stitches 2025 CAL square!

November : Remembrance Poppy Square

I used Stylecraft Special DK in:

(A) Black (1002)

(B) Poppy (2170)

(D) Parchment (1218)

(E) Mocha (1064)

(F) Lobelia (1825)

(G) Cloud Blue (1019)

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, slst = slip stitch, st = stitch, tr = treble crochet.

To make the Poppy:

Using Yarn A, make a MC.
Round 1 Ch3 (doesn’t count 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. (12tr)

Round 2 Ch1, (2dc in the blo of next st) rep around. Slst into the top of the ch1. (24tr)

Round 3 Ch1, (2dc in next st, 1dc in next st) rep around. Slst into top of ch2. Fasten off and break yarn. (36 dc)

1st Petal Rows 1 & 2 Using Yarn B & working into flo, ch2 & 1tr, 2tr in next 7 sts. Turn your work and ch1. Miss 1st st, (2htr in next st, 1htr in next st) rep five times, ch1, miss the next st, slst into last st. Fasten off and break yarn.

2nd Petal Row 1 & 2 Insert your hook into the next unworked front loop of Round 2 and repeat the petal making process as with 1st Petal.

Petal Row 3 (work for both petals) Join Yarn B around first st of Row 1 work 2dc around 2ch, 1dc into the ch1 at the edge of Row 2, then, being careful not to pull your yarn too tightly, work 1dc into every stitch along the top of Row 2, 1dc into the ch1 at the end of Row 2, then work 2dc around the last tr of Row 1 slst into the flo of Round 1 that the final tr is worked into. Fasten off and break yarn. Repeat the who process with 2nd petal.

Round 4 Join Yarn C into a st in Round 3 which is in the centre of one of the petals. Ch2, (2htr in next st, 1htr in next 2 sts) rep around. Slst into top of Ch2. (48 htr)

Round 5 Ch2, (2tr in next st, 1tr in next 3 sts) rep around. (60 tr)

Round 6 NOTE: You need to be beginning this round from a st in the centre of one of the poppy petals. If you are not in the correct position, fasten off and rejoin Yarn C in a st at the centre of one of the petals. 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)

To make the border:

Round 7 Join Yarn B into any st, ch1 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 8 Join Yarn D in final st of one of the sides of Round 7, Ch1 & 1dc in that st, work 1dc 2ch 1dc into the corner chain space. 1dc in the 1st st, (1ch, miss next st, 1dc in next st) rep along the side 1dc 2ch 1dc in corner space. Rep around, slst into to the top of the first ch1. Fasten off and break yarn. (12 dc in each side = 48 dc around)

Round 9 Join Yarn E in last st on one of the sides of Round 8. Ch1 & 1dc in that st, 1dc 2ch 1dc in the corner space, 1dc in first st (ch1, miss next st, 1dc into the ch space in the Round below) rep around making 1dc 2ch 1dc into each corner space. Slst into top of the first ch1. Fasten off and break yarn. (14 dc on each side = 56 dc around)

Round 10 Using Yarn B, Rep Round 9. (16 dc on each side = 64 dc around)

Round 11 Using Yarn F, Rep Round 9. (18 dc on each side = 72 dc around)

Round 12 Using Yarn G, Rep Round 9. (20 dc on each side = 80 dc around)

Round 13 Using Yarn B, Rep Round 9 but do not break yarn and finish off at the end. (22 dc on each side = 88 dc around)

Round 14 Note: In this Round we need to increase the stitch count for the Round from 88 dc to 120 dc to match the other Making Stitches 2025 CAL Squares. You will need to end up with 30 dc on each side. It is important that you are relaxed with the tension on this round as you won’t be working dcs into all of the chain spaces, but you want the tension to be even so don’t pull your stitches tight. Ch1 1dc in that st, 1dc in next st, 1dc 2ch 1dc in corner space. 1dc (loosely) in next 9 dcs without working any ch spaces between them, (1dc in next ch space, 1dc in next st) 5 times, 1dc in next 9 dcs, 1dc 2ch 1dc in the corner space. Rep around until you are back at the beginning of the Round Slst into top of the first ch1. Fasten off & break yarn. You should, then, have 30 dc on each side and 120 in total.

Then, with Yarn B, neatly sew around the edge of your poppy petals to fix them to the square and stop them from curling up. Weave in all your ends and your October Making Stitches 2025 CAL is complete!

I do hope you enjoy making your November Remembrance Square! If you share your square online, I would love it if you could use the hashtag #MakingStitches2025CAL so I can see any squares when they appear.

I’m sharing this post from Gibraltar! We are visiting for the first time since we left back in 2020. I brought my square with me in case a spotted a photo opportunity. Here it is by the Gibraltar war memorial.

Also in Gibraltar, I was amazed to spot these beautiful displays of knitted and crocheted poppies! How apt. This lovely display knitted & crocheted by members of the Gibraltar community re just lovely and very effective.

Poppies on the Gibraltar City Hall balcony

More poppies adorn the Main Guard, home to Gibraltar Heritage Trust

Whatever you are up to this month, I hope November will be a good month for you.

Happy hooking!

Lindsay x

Hello there and welcome to Part 10 of the Making Stitches 2025 CAL!

My word, how are we at October and the tenth month already? That’s madness!

I spent quite a while mulling over what to use as the inspiration for my October square and couldn’t resist some autumnal colours – it was really hard to think ‘autumn’, when we were in the midst of some warm sunny September days! I also wanted to give a nod to Halloween, but without going down the spooky black white and orange theme. So here we are with a large pumpkin at the centre of our October square and some autumn leaves in the border.

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.

Here’s the pattern for my October Pumpkin Making Stitches 2025 CAL square!

October : Pumpkin Square

I used Stylecraft Special DK in:

(A) Spice (1711)

(B) Parchment (1218)

(D) Meadow (1065)

(E) Copper (1029)

(F) Gold (1709)

Size 4mm crochet hook

Scissors

Stitch Marker

Yarn Needle

To make the square:

Using Yarn A, make a MC.
Round 1 Ch3 (counts as a st), 11 tr into MC. Slst into top of ch2 to close the round. Pull the central yarn tail tight to close MC. (12tr)

Round 2 Ch3 1tr in same st, (2tr into next st) rep around. Slst into the top of the ch2. (24tr)

Round 3 Ch1, (2dc in next st, 1dc in next st, 2htr in next st, 1htr in next st, 2tr in next st, 1tr in next st, 2tr in next st, 1tr in next st, 2htr in next st, 1htr in next st, 2dc in next st, 1dc in next st) rep. Slst into top of ch2 changing to Yarn B in fyo. (36 tr)

Round 4 Work in the blo in this round Using Yarn B & working into blo, ch3, (2tr in next st, 1tr in next st, 1tr in next st, 2htr in next st, 1htr in next st, 1htr in next st, 2dc in next st, 1dc in next st, 1 dc in next st, 2dc in next st, 1dc in next st, 1dc in next st, 2htr in next st, 1htr in next st, 1htr in next st, 2tr in next st, 1tr in next st, 1tr in next st) rep. Slst into top of Ch3.(48 sts)

Round 5 Ch1, (2dc in next st, 1dc in next 3 sts) rep around. (60 dc)

Round 6 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)

To make the border:

Round 7 Work in blo in this round Join C into any st, ch1 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 8 Work in blo in this round Join Yarn D in final st of one of the sides of Round 7, Ch4 (counts as 1dtr), work 1dtr 2ch 1dtr into the corner chain space. (1dtr in next st, 1tr in next st, 1htr in next st, 1dc in next 3 sts, 1htr in next st, 1tr in next st, 1dtr in next 2 sts, 1tr in next st, 1htr in next st, 1dc in next 3 sts, 1htr in next st, 1tr in next st, 1dtr in next st, 1dtr 2ch 1dtr into corner space) rep around following the pattern until you reach the start of the round, slst into to the top of the ch4. (80 sts)

Round 9 (Please note slsts are worked through both loops, other sts are worked in blo in this round) 1slst into next st, 1dc 2ch 1dc in corner space, 1slst into next st changing to yarn E with fyo. With Yarn E and working in the blo, 1dc in next st, 1htr in next st, 1tr in next 3 sts, 1htr in next st, 1dc in next st changing back to Yarn D with fyo. 1slst in next 2 sts changing to Yarn F in fyo of 2nd st. With Yarn F and working in the blo, 1dc in next st, 1htr in next st, 1tr in next 3 sts, 1htr in next st, 1dc in next st changing back to Yarn D with fyo. Repeat this pattern around. No need to slst into the first stlst on this round. (88 sts)

Round 10 Rep Round 9. (96 sts)

Round 11 Rep Round 8. Fasten off and break yarn. (104 sts)

Round 12 Work in the blo on this round. Ch1, 1dc in every st around, 1dc + 2ch +1dc in the corners spaces, slst into the top of ch1, fasten off and break yarn. (112 sts)

Round 13 Rep Round 12. (120 sts)

Then, with Yarn E, surface crochet around the pumpkin and add its stripes. Then, with Yarn D, surface crochet (or chain embroidery st) the spirally tendril & pumpkin stalk. Weave in all your ends and your October Making Stitches 2025 CAL is complete!

I do hope you enjoy making your October Pumpkin Square!

If you share your square online, I would love it if you could use the hashtag #MakingStitches2025CAL so I can see any squares when they appear!

I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who joined in with the CAL during September including Annette from @etenamakes & Kristina from @crochet_at_holme, you can see their squares here.