Hello crocheting friends,
The day has arrived to release my contribution to the wonderful Moogly CAL 2026! You can find the announcement post for this crochet-along and links to all the patterns here.
The Metaphor Square came about because of a series of surprises in the design process that led me to follow an idea through to its logical, but somewhat absurd conclusion. It was fun to design, and made me see granny squares in a different light which is really delightful. It offered me understanding and a little humor and became a concrete representation of abstract ideas like going with the flow when you don’t know the outcome just to see what might happen. Like making things come right when at first they seem wrong.
Here is Tamara’s interpretation of Metaphor. I really love the way Tamara framed hers with the light neutral. After trying a number of color combinations I liked several options. Using cooler colors for the center and warmer for the corners, or the opposite, or colors in the center and neutrals in the corners then finishing with color borders, or solid-color corners are all things to try if you feel the urge to experiment. And as always I look forward to seeing what you come up with!
Metaphor Square
By Carolyn Christmas
Made for August 2026 Moogly CAL square
Size
12” square
Materials
For version one, I used:
Berroco Vintage worsted-weight (category 4) yarn:
A: Grapes 51132
B: Fennel 5175
C: Bird’s Egg 5136
D: Rye 5174
E: Alloy 51199
For version two:
Berroco Vintage worsted-weight (category 4) yarn:
A: Bird’s Egg 5136
B: Fuchsia 51176
C: Acai 51198
D: Ballet Slipper 51120
E: Watermelon 5126
J/10/6.00 mm hook or size needed to obtain gauge
Gauge
Center motif after rnd 5 is about 3 ½” across and 5 1/4” diagonally corner to corner.
Instructions
Center motif
Note: Each rnd may be fastened off, or at the end of each rnd, ch 3 or 4 at back of work to carry yarn to next same-color rnd, making sure yarn is not under tension when making first sc in each new rnd.
Rnd 1: With A, make magic ring or ch 5, join with sl st in first ch to form ring, ch 1, (2 sc in ring, ch 2) 4 times, join with sl st in first sc. Fasten off. (8 sc and 4 corner ch-2 sps)
Rnd 2: Join B with sc in any corner sp, (sc, ch 2, 2 sc) in same sp, ch 2, * (2 sc, ch 2, 2 sc) in next corner sp, ch 1; repeat from * around, join. (16 sc, 4 ch-1 sps and 4 corner ch-2 sps)
Rnd 3: Join C with sc in any corner sp, (sc, ch 2, 2 sc) in same sp, ch 1, * 2 sc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1, (2 sc, ch 2, 2 sc) in next corner sp, ch 1; repeat from * around, join. (24 sc, 8 ch-1 sps and 4 ch-2 corner sps. 3 2-sc shells on each side)
Rnd 4: Join A with sc in any corner sp, (sc, ch 2, 2 sc) in same sp, ch 1, * (2 sc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1) across to corner **, (2 sc, ch 2, 2 sc) in next corner sp, ch 1; repeat from * around ending last repeat at **, join. (4 2-sc shells on each side)
Rnds 5-10: Repeat rnd 4 in the following color order or as desired:
Rnd 5: B
Rnd 6: C
Rnd 7: A
Rnd 8: B
Rnd 9: C
Rnd 10: A
(At end of rnd 10, 10 2-sc shells on each side)
Granny corners (make corner on all four sides)
Mark any corner ch-2 sp on rnd 10 with yarn scrap or stitch marker.
Row 1: Join D with sl st in ch-1 sp between third and fourth 2-sc shells after marker, (2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next ch-1 sp, skip next 2 2-sc shells, sl st in next ch-1 sp. Fasten off. (5 dc, ch 2 sp in corner, 2 sl sts)
Row 2: Join E with sl st in ch-1 sp between second and third 2-sc shells after marker, 3 dc in next ch-1 sp on rnd 10 (this is same ch-1 sp as first sl st of row 1), (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next ch-2 sp, 2 hdc in sp between next 3-dc shell and sl st, sl st in next ch-1 sp on rnd 10. Fasten off. (9 dc, ch-2 corner sp, 2 hdc, 2 sl sts)
Row 3: Join D with sl st in ch-1 sp between first and second 2-sc shells after marker, 3 dc in sp after next 3-dc shell, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next ch-2 sp, 3 dc in sp after next 3-dc shell, 3 hdc in same ch-1 sp on rnd 10 as last sl st of row 2, sl st in next ch-1 sp on rnd 10. Fasten off. (12 dc, ch-2 corner sp, 3 hdc, 2 sl sts)
Row 4: Join E with sl st in marked ch-2 sp, 3 dc in sp between sl st and first 3-dc shell on row 3, 3 dc in sp after first 3-dc shell, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next ch-2 sp, (3 dc in sp after next 3-dc shell) 2 times, sl st in first sc of next 2-sc shell on rnd 10. Fasten off. (18 dc, 2 sl sts)
Rnd 5 (work all the way around): Join D with dc in any corner sp, (2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in same sp, * (3 dc in sp after next 3-dc shell) 3 times, (hdc, 2 sc) in next ch-1 sp on rnd 10, (2 sc, hdc) in next ch-2 sp on rnd 10, (3 dc in sp after next 3-sc shell) 2 times **, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next corner sp; repeat from * around ending last repeat at **, join. Fasten off. (9 3-st groups on each side)
Rnd 6: Join E with dc in any corner sp, (2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in same sp, 3 dc between 3-st groups around with (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in each corner, join. Fasten off. (10 3-dc shells on each side)
Rnds may be adjusted by working last rnd or additional rnds in sc, hdc or dc as needed to achieve desired measurement.
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