Welcome to Week 9 of the Textures and Tassels Blanket mystery crochet along! Have you ever wondered about the front loop, back loop, and third loop in crochet? This week’s pattern for the 8″ (20.5 cm) Ruth Square will have you inserting your hook in all three parts of the stitch to create an interesting texture.
This post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation (at no added cost to you) if you make a purchase using these links. Materials for this project were generously provided by Clover USA and Lion Brand.
Join the Textures and Tassels Mystery Crochet Along!
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Textures and Tassels Blanket 9: Ruth Square
Crochet Pattern by Underground Crafter
Post and cluster stitches and alternating stitch placement in the front, back, and third loops create lots of texture on this 8” (20.5 cm) square.
The Textures and Tassels Blanket is a mystery crochet along for a throw-sized blanket worked in a combination of motifs and rows. Borders are crocheted in the round and the blanket is finished off with tassels. (Optional, of course, if you don’t like tassels.) New clues will be released on Fridays through December 10, 2021.
Finished Size
- Throw Blanket.
Materials
- Lion Brand Heartland yarn (Solids: 100% acrylic, 5 oz/142 g, 251 yd/230 m; Tweeds: 94% acrylic/6% rayon, 4 oz/113 g, 200 yd/183 m): 14 skeins in your choice of colors, or approximately 3,320 yards/3,036 meters in any medium weight yarn.
- Clover Amour US Size I-9/5.5 mm crochet hook, or size that matches gauge or you prefer using with medium weight yarn.
- Clover Tassel Maker in Large or Small, or the bundle of both sizes (optional, but very helpful if you plan to finish your blanket with tassels).
- Clover Quick Locking Stitch Marker set (optional, but helpful for marking the front and holding pieces together for seaming).
- Clover Chibi yarn needle.
Gauge
- See individual clues for gauge information.
Textures and Tassels Blanket Pattern Notes
- The Textures and Tassels Blanket Blanket is constructed using a combination of motifs and rows. Borders are crocheted in the round. New “clues” will be released on Fridays during 2021.
- I am using 3 colors for my version of the blanket: Lion Brand Heartland yarn in 178 Pinnacles (CA), 195 Biscayne (CB), and 350 Mount Rainier Tweed (CC). This is a “dye lot” yarn, so be sure to get enough of each color you plan to use so that the colors match. If you substitute a “no dye lot” yarn, the dyes are consistent between batches so you can order additional yarn as needed and the colors will match.
- You can use as many or as few colors as you like for your version. I recommend at least 2 colors to show certain stitch patterns.
- Whenever possible, I recommend crocheting over your yarn tails as you work. Sometimes, a stitch pattern will be too lacy to effectively crochet over your yarn tails. In that case, I recommend weaving in ends.
- Fiber Flux has a helpful video tutorial for crocheting over your yarn tails as you work here.
- Stitches n Scraps has helpful video and photo tutorials for 3 ways of weaving in ends here. I use the yarn (tapestry) needle method.
- Because the border will be crocheted in the round over the unworked sides of rows, when changing colors often you can carry your yarn tails up the side of your work. AllFreeCrochet has a helpful video tutorial for carrying your yarn tails up the side of your work here.
- Color changes are only suggestions. You are welcome to change colors more or less often.
Abbreviations Used in This Pattern
- 3L – third loop only – See Pattern Notes.
- BL – back loop only – See Pattern Notes.
- CA – Color A
- ch – chain
- dc – double crochet
- dc2tog – double crochet 2 stitches together (decrease) – [Yo, insert hook in next st, yo and draw up a loop, yo and draw through 2 loops] twice, yo and draw through all 3 loops on hook. A helpful photo tutorial for this stitch is available here.
- FL – front loop only – See Pattern Notes.
- FPdc – Yo, insert hook from front around back to front of st in previous round, yo and draw up a loop, (yo and draw through 2 loops) twice. A video tutorial for this stitch is available below.
- If you can’t see the FPdc video above, click here to watch it on YouTube.
- hdc – half double crochet
- rep – repeat
- Rnd(s) – Round(s)
- RS – right (front) side
- sc – single crochet
- sl st – slip stitch
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- WS – wrong (back) side
- yo – yarn over
- *Repeat instructions after asterisk as indicated.
- [] Repeat instructions between brackets as indicated.
- () Work instructions in parentheses into same stitch or space.
Notes for Part 9
- Gauge: Motif = 8” (20.5 cm) in pattern.
- You may find it helpful to mark corner ch-2 sp or ch-3 sp (especially on Rnd 11) with locking stitch markers. Move up stitch markers each Round.
- Ch 1 at beginning of Rounds and sl st joins do not count as a stitches.
- Moogly has helpful videos for identifying the front and back loops here and for identifying the third loop here.
- Color changes are only suggestions. You are welcome to change colors more or less often. For this section, my Color A is Lion Brand Heartland yarn in 178 Pinnacles.
- If you decide to change colors within this square, fasten off at the end of a Round. Join new color next Round with sl st to any st (Rnds 5-7), any ch-1 sp (Rnds 2-4), any ch-2 sp (Rnds 8-9, 12), or any ch-3 sp (Rnds 10-11) and follow pattern for that Round.
Pattern Instructions
Ruth Square
- With CA, ch 4, skip 3 ch, join with sl st to next ch to form ring.
- Rnd 1: (RS) Ch 1, [dc in ring, ch 1] 7 times, dc in ring, join with sc (counts as ch 1) to top of first dc. – 8 sts + 8 ch-1 sp
- Rnd 2: Ch 1, 2 dc in same ch-1 sp, [ch 1, skip 1 st, 2 dc in next ch-1 sp] 7 times, skip next st, join with sc (counts as ch-1 sp) to top of first dc. – 16 sts + 8 ch-1 sp
- Rnd 3: Ch 1, 2 dc in same ch-1 sp, [*ch 1, dc2tog in next 2 sts,** ch 1, 2 dc in ch-1 sp] 7 times, rep from * to ** once, join with sc to top of first dc. – 16 dc + 8 dc2tog + 16 ch-1 sp
- Rnd 4: Ch 1, 2 sc in same ch-1 sp, [*dc in next 2 sts, sc in next ch-1 sp, sc in next st,** 2 sc in next ch-1 sp] 7 times, rep from * to ** once, join with slstBL to first sc. – 48 sts
- Rnd 5: Turn to WS, ch 1, 2 hdcFL in same st, [*hdcFL in next 5 sts,** 2 hdcFL in next st] 7 times, rep from * to ** once, join with sl st to top of first hdc. – 56 sts
- Rnd 6: Turn to RS, ch 1, 2 sc3L in same st, [*sc3L in next 6 sts,** 2 sc3L in next st] 7 times, rep from * to ** once, join with sl st to top of first sc. – 64 sts
- Rnd 7: Ch 1, 2 dc in same st, *dc in next 2 sts, hdc in next 2 sts, sc in next 7 sts, hdc in next 2 sts, dc in next 2 sts,** (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in next st; rep from * around, ending last rep after **, 2 dc in first st, ch 1, join with sc (counts as ch 1) to top of first dc. – 19 sts on each side + 4 ch-2 sp
- Rnd 8: Ch 1, dc in same ch-2 sp, *skip next st, dc in next 17 sts, skip next st,** (dc, ch 2, dc) in ch-2 sp; rep from * around, ending last rep after **, dc in first ch-2 sp, ch 1, join with sc (counts as ch 1) to top of first dc. – 19 sts on each side + 4 ch-2 sp
- Rnd 9: Ch 1, sc in same ch-2 sp, *[sc in next st, FPdc around next st] 9 times, sc in next st,** (sc, ch 3, sc) in ch-2 sp; rep from * around, ending last rep after **, sc in first ch-2 sp, ch 2, join with sc (counts as ch 1) to top of first sc. – 21 sts (12 sc + 9 FPdc) on each side + 4 ch-3 sp
- Rnd 10: Ch 1, sc in same ch-3 sp, *sc in next 2 sts, [FPdc around next FPdc, sc in next st] 9 times, sc in next st,** (sc, ch 3, sc) in ch-3 sp; rep from * around, ending last rep after **, sc in first ch-3 sp, ch 2, join with sc (counts as ch 1) to top of first sc. – 23 sts (14 sc + 9 FPdc) on each side + 4 ch-3 sp
- Rnd 11: Ch 1, 2 sc in same ch-3 sp, *scBL in next 23 sts,** (2 sc, ch 2, 2 sc) in ch-3 sp; rep from * around, ending last rep after **, 2 sc in first ch-3 sp, ch 1, join with sc (counts as ch 1) to top of first sc. – 27 sts on each side + 4 ch-2 sp
- Rnd 12: Ch 1, sc in same ch-2 sp, *scBL in next 27 sts,** (sc, ch 2, sc) in ch-2 sp; rep from * around, ending last rep after **, sc in first ch-2 sp, ch 1, join with sc (counts as ch 1) to top of first sc. – 29 sts on each side + 4 ch-2 sp
- If your square is smaller than 8” (10.5 cm) after Rnd 12, work additional rounds as follows until square reaches 8” (10.5 cm):
- Ch 1, sc in same ch-2 sp, *sc in each st across to corner ch-2 sp,** (sc, ch 2, sc) in ch-2 sp; repeat from * around, ending last repeat at **, sc in first ch-2 sp, ch 1, join with sc (counts as ch 1) to top of first sc. (Increases by 2 sts on each side with each rep)
- Fasten off with long yarn tail (approximately 32”/81.5 cm) for seaming.