Welcome to week 3 of the Study Of Corners crochet along! Let’s get started on the background to our squares using another C2C style stitch.

Keep reading for our week 3 pattern but if you haven’t heard much about this crochet along before, then check out this blog post here which will tell you what to expect.

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For week 3 we’re adding the border to our Alpine square using the C2C (Diagonal Block) Stitch. This border is also what will join all of our squares together in the join as you go way, so you will need to use your background colour for this.

For this square you’ll need a 5mm hook – this is the hook size I used for the whole pattern. I used Caron Simply Soft in the shade Off White. But you can use any aran or worsted weight yarn of your choice.

If you’d rather skip the ads and get an expansion pack alongside each week’s square, you can grab this pattern on Ravelry for £5 here. It’s released on the same weekly schedule as here, just with the extras and none of the clutter.

(And if you’re the type who collects every pattern I release – this one included – my Pattern Pass gets you the lot, including everything I publish in future, for a one-off £49.99.)

Week Three Of The Study Of Corners

Click here for the left hand video

We are going to be bordering each piece with a C2C border, which we will also use to join the pieces too.

It’s very important that you take note of the direction your starting C2C block lies for each piece. If it’s wrong, your blocks will not line up with the ones from the previous pieces.

For the blocks on the left hand edge, you will start the border by making 4 rows of C2C stitches. Then how we continue after that depends on which direction we want our first C2C Block to lie – these instructions will be under each square.

To make a C2C stitch:

Start by making a foundation chain of 6.

Row 1. In the 4th ch from your hook make a dc. Make a dc in each of the next 2 ch – 1 C2C Block

Row 2. Turn and ch6. In the 4th ch from your hook make a dc. Make a dc in each of the next 2 ch. Slst into the chsp of the block in the previous row and ch3. 

Make 3dc into the chsp – 2 C2C Blocks

Row 3. Turn and ch6. In the 4th ch from your hook make a dc. Make a dc in each of the next 2 ch. *Slst into the chsp of the block in the previous row and ch3. Make 3dc into the chsp*. Repeat between *and* until you reach the end of the row – 3 C2C Blocks

To continue increasing your rows, Repeat row 3. You will add a block with every row

To decrease your C2C stitches

Turn, make a slst into each of the 3 dc of the previous block. Slst into the chsp of that block and ch3. 

Make 3dc into the chsp.

Slst into the turning ch of the last block of the previous row – You will lose 1 block every row.

As we want our borders around the pieces to be straight sided, we will be using a mix of increasing and decreasing for our rows.

Alpine Square Border

Your first C2C block needs to have the stitches pointing side to side.

You need to complete 5 rows of C2C stitches before we join to the side of our Alpine square. The C2C block that will join the side of your Alpine square will also be orientated side to side.  

You will need to join your C2C blocks on the back side of the square in the top left corner.

Before we join it’s important to note that when counting stitches for this square, your sc rows don’t count. We will only be using the dc rows and completely ignoring the sc rows when counting the number of stitches. You will have 18 rows of dc stitches down each side which = 36st. If you made fewer rows of the Alpine square due to sizing, then just make sure that your C2C stitches are evenly spaced, but you must still have 18 blocks going down each side.

All the pictures below of the joining are taken upside down. This is because this is the direction you’ll be making your stitches. So although they look like you are working into the bottom left corner, they actually show the top left corner.

Join by making a slst into the corner. It is easier to do if you drop your working loop, insert your hook into the square and then pick up the working loop and pull through the corner.

*Take your hook out of the working loop and insert it 2 stitches down. Now hook back into your working loop and into the turning ch of the block we’re joining to the side. YO and slst through all loops.

Now ch2. Slst into the st 2 st down. Now you will start making C2C blocks again starting your dc st into the turning ch of the block below.

When you get back to the side of your square in the next row you will be joining your block into the chsp you created next to the final block below.*

Then you will continue making blocks down the side of your square as you did above.

Repeat between *and* until you reach the bottom of your square – you will have 18 C2C blocks down the side of your square.

When you get to this point, we will be continuing our C2C border and start working across the bottom, joining to our square in the same way as above.

To turn the corner around your square you will make an extra row to take your border an extra block beyond your square as you come back towards it. 

To join your next block to the bottom of your square you will chain 3, count 2 stitches over on the bottom edge and slst into the bottom edge.

Turn, ch3, now continue working your next row of C2C blocks. This is how you will join into the bottom edge all the way across.

We will be keeping a straight edge across the bottom to maintain our border of 5 blocks of C2C stitches all the way around. The bottom edge is a decrease edge, so to start your next row of C2C stitches across the bottom, you will need to slip stitch across the last block you made in order to start the next row.

Once you finish working along the bottom edge of your square, this is where we will stop. You can now cut off. I recommend not weaving in the ends just yet, as they can be used to help tighten the join between squares later.

You can also find all the links to each part of the CAL on this page here, which will be updated each time a new part of the pattern is released.

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Click here for the pattern for week 4

Loved this square? The Ravelry pattern gives you the same CAL ad-free with an expansion pack each week for £5.

Come on over to our Facebook group, Froggity Frogs Ribbit and Stitch, and show us your squares, I would love to see what yarn you chose. Don’t forget that if you ever have any questions, post into the group and I’ll be there to answer.