Fall Friendship: Friends Around the World CAL 5th Anniversary

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When I was asked if I’d be interested in designing a square for the Facebook Crochet Along Group‘s FATW CAL 5th Anniversary blanket, I was thrilled!

The designers who’d contributed crochet alongs throughout the year got a chance to provide a square to compile together in this mix-match blanket of various unique designs.

What I wanted to create was a square all about friendship set during my favorite season, and also something that married together the two crochet alongs I’ve contributed so far. Thus came Fall Friendship. The perfect marrying of the Dogghan and Catghan designs. 

If you are taking part in the Friends Around the World Crochet Along this year, I hope you’ll add this design in with the others you’ve chosen!  Also, thanks to one of my amazing testers, Tania, there is also a video from start to finish making this square!

The pattern is available in two PDFs with
US or UK terms.

 

3 Other Ways to Make Use of this Square Too!

1. A Pillow!
   
   Photo from @sjmkok on Instagram
   
   Many of the people who have crocheted my two different crochet alongs have shared photos of their creations, and how they’ve taken the squares and made some other unique things! A 12×12″ pillow would be a great and fun accessory to add to any bed or couch, and would be a seasonal favorite this fall! 
   
   Steps for the Pillow: 
   a) Simply crochet another square the same size with any color you like, or even variegated.
   
   b) Stitch them together with a single crochet making sure to add more single crochets in the corners so they don’t pucker. Usually the whole (2sc, ch2, 2sc) in each corner space works well.
   
   c) From there, you can continue (if you’d like) to add on any of your favorite blanket border designs to make the edging of the pillow unique. It could be ruffly or wavy, bobbled or straight. Whatever suits your fancy!
   
   
2. An Across the Body Handbag! 
   
   

   

   
   Steps to Make a Handbag:
   a) Crochet the Fall Friendship square.
   
   b) Crochet another using one of the colors from the square for the backing.
   
   c) Whipstitch the left, bottom, and right side with RS facing each other, leaving the top edge unstitched. Flip RS out.
   
   d) Create an inner lining using the fabric of your choice. Here’s a wonderful video to help you from start to finish by The Crochet Crowd.
   
   e) Sew a strap on to the left and right side tops on the interior upper edge.
   
   For the strap: You can make a long flat piece by making a chain whatever the desired thickness of the strap would be, then work back across using your favorite stitch. I might suggest doing dc so that it works up more quickly and has some give. Just make sure when you are working back through the initial chain that you account for the height of the stitch.
   
   For example: If you ch10 and plan to do dc, then you’d want to dc in the 4th chain from the hook and then continue on to the end. You will end with 7 stitches at the end in this case. When you reach the end, you’ll want to ch3 and turn, before working back to the other side of the strap. Crochet the desired length back and forth, so that the strap comfortably wraps from one side of the purse, across your chest and around your back to the other side of the purse. Also make sure it sits at your hip in the desired location!  
3. Bonus Square for the Dogghan!
   
   If you haven’t yet made the Dogghan, but plan to, consider this a bonus square that you can use to substitute out any of the other squares that may not be your favorite. It’s just a bit of extra fun!
   
   

I hope you’ve decided on a way to put this Fall Friendship square to good use!

How are you going to use the square? Leave a comment down below and share your finished Fall Friendship squares or how you made them uniquely your own with me @jhwinterauthor!

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