Block 26 of the Block a Week CAL (hosted by Kimberly Slifer) is Julie Yeager’s striking Firenze Square.  I love Julie’s designs and this is another one I am particularly fond of.  You can find more of Julie’s patterns here on Ravelry.

Update:  This pattern is no longer available for free.  Julie is happy for the tutorial below to remain on my site, but it is not the complete pattern.  You can buy the complete written pattern HERE.

Firenze Square

{Pattern © 2012 Julie Yeager Designs.  Photo tutorial done with kind permission}

Pattern

You can BUY the pattern here on Ravelry.  It is no longer a free pattern.

Suggested Materials

• 5.5 mm Clover Amour Crochet Hook (US I/9  UK 5)
• Worsted weight yarn

Size

• Using the hook and yarn specified, your square should be a nice even 12″ when you are done.
• Using a 4 mm crochet hook (US G/6  UK 8) and double knit yarn, as I have done, your finished square will be about 7.5″ big.

My Yarn and Colour Choices

I am using the Stylecraft Special DK.

• Saffron (Rounds 1, Optional 14, and Optional 15)
• Fondant (Rounds 2-4)
• Pomegranate (Round 5)
• Lipstick (Round 6)
• Plum (Round 7)
• Magenta (Round 8)
• Lavender (Round 9)
• Sherbet (Round 10)
• Turquoise (Round 11)
• Meadow (Round 12)
• Spring Green (Round 13)

Notes

• The initial ch st’s in each round are counted as a stitch, except for the initial ch st in Rounds 2, 10, and 11, which doesn’t count as a stitch.
• US Crochet Terminology used.  (See this comparative chart if you need help transcribing from US to UK)
• Affiliate Link:  The yarn used in most of the tutorial photos is Patons 100% cotton dk.

Special Stitches

• Bpsc – Back post sc (explained in the relevant round)
• Sc2tog – Single crochet 2 together (also known as a single crochet decrease).  This stitch is also explained in the relevant round.
• Fptr – Front post treble crochet.  This is the same as a standard tr, but made around the post of the stitch instead of into the top of the stitch.
• Spk dc (or long dc) – Spiked double crochet.  The dc is made into the row below, with the stitch pulled up to the hight of the current row.

Firenze Square Photo Tutorial

This photo-walkthrough is NOT the actual pattern and should not be used instead of the pattern, but rather in conjunction with it.

Thank you very much to Julie Yeager for giving us permission to do this photo-tutorial for her Firenze Square.  And a special thank you to Kimberly Slifer for letting me do these tutorials and for obtaining the necessary permission.

Round 1

You can start this round with a magic ring instead of the initial ch-4.

Magic Ring Instructions for Round 1

Into a magic ring:  ch 3 (this counts as your first dc).  Dc x 11 into the ring and pull the ring tight.  Join to the top of the initial ch-3 with a sl st.

If you feel like practising the invisible join I talked about two weeks ago, feel free to use it instead of the sl st join.  Make sure that you understand which stitch to join to if you do use it!

If you are not familiar with working into a magic ring, this video tutorial from Moogly is clear and easy to follow.

Please remember, when working into a magic ring you HAVE to work away your initial tail very well.  If you just cut it, your whole square might unravel!

Stitch count:  12 dc’s

Round 2

In this round you will be making back post single crochet stitches (bpsc’s).

Photo 1 below shows Round 1 completed.  Photo 2 shows you what the bpsc’s should look like.

To Make the Bpsc’s:

Insert your hook from back to front around the post of the relevant stitch (Photos 3 and 4) and complete a sc as normal.

• If you are using the same colour, ch 1 and make a bpsc in the same st as the sl st join.
• If you are using a new colour, join your yarn by making a standing sc around the back post of any st around.

Make a bpsc around the post of each of the remaining 11 st’s.  Join to the first sc with a sl st.

When you have completed this round, the tops of your stitches from Round 1 should stand up and form a little well (Photo 6).  The bpsc’s from Round 2 will look like a band of chain stitches around the base of the well (Photo 6).

Stitch count:  12 bpsc’s

Round 3 

• If you are using the same colour, ch 1 and make a sc in the same st as the sl st join.  Ch 5 and sc in the same st.
• If you are using a new colour, join your yarn by making a standing sc in any st around.  Ch 5 and sc in the same st  (Photos 1 and 2).

*Make 2 sc’s in each of the next 2 st’s – see Photo 3.  (Sc, ch 5, sc) in the next st.* Repeat from * to * twice.  Make 2 sc’s into each of the last 2 st’s.  Join to the first sc with a sl st  (Photo 4).

Stitch count:  24 sc’s and 4 ch-5 loops

Round 4

• If you are using the same colour, sl st into the ch-5 loop.  Ch 3 (this counts as your first dc).  (6 dc, ch 3, 7 dc) all into the same ch-5 loop.
• If you are using a new colour, join with a standing double crochet in any ch-5 loop around.  (6 dc, ch 3, 7 dc) all into the same ch-5 loop (Photos 1 and 2).

(7 dc, ch 3, 7 dc) into each of the remaining 3 ch-5 loops.  Join to the top of the beginning ch-3 (or the standing double crochet) with a sl st.

Stitch count:  56 dc‘s and 4 ch-3 spaces

Round 5

In this round you will be using sc2tog’s (or single crochet decreases).

How to Make a Single Crochet Decrease (Sc2tog)

Insert your hook into the next st and pull up a loop (Photo 1).  Insert your hook into the next st and pull up a loop (Photo 2).  Yarn over (Photo 3) and pull through all 3 loops on your hook (Photo 4).

In Photo 4 you can clearly see that the post of the sc2tog looks like a “W”.

Join your new yarn by making a standing double crochet in any ch-3 space around.  (2 dc, ch 3, 3 dc) into the same ch-3 space.

*Dc in the next 2 st’s (Photo 1).  Remember that the first stitch will be slightly hidden by the stitches you just made into the corner.  See this tutorial if you need help identifying the first st to work into.  Hdc in the next st (Photo 2) and sc in the next st (Photo 3).  Sc2tog over the next 2 st’s (Photo 4).  Skip the last dc of the petal and make a fptr around the post of the sc in Round 2 directly below where the petals join (indicated with an arrow in Photo 5 and illustrated in Photos 6 and 7).  Skip the first dc of the next petal.  Sc2tog over the next 2 st’s (the arrow in Photo 8 shows you the first stitch to work into).  Sc in the next st and hdc in the next st.  Dc in the last 2 st’s before the ch-3 space.  (3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc) in the ch-3 space. (Photo 9)*

Repeat around as instructed in the pattern and join to the top of the standing double crochet with a sl st.

Stitch counts:

• Total:  68 st’s and 4 ch-3 spaces  {16 sc’s, 8 hdc’s, 40 dc’s, and 4 fptr’s}
• Per Side:  17 st’s {4 sc’s, 2 hdc’s, 10 dc’s, and 1 fptr}

Round 6

As written.

You will be skipping the sc2tog’s before and after each fptr in this round.  Remember also that the first st after every corner will be slightly hidden.

In Photo 1 the next available stitch is the sc2tog, which you will skip.  In Photo 2, the arrow indicates the first stitch to work into after making the fptr.

Stitch counts: 

• Total:  84 st’s and 4 ch-3 spaces  {16 sc’s, 24 hdc’s, 40 dc’s, and 4 fptr’s}
• Per Side:  21 st’s {4 sc’s, 6 hdc’s, 10 dc’s, and 1 fptr}

Round 7

As written.

You will be skipping the sc before and after each fptr in this round (in other words, the first and last sc of each petal).

Stitch counts: 

• Total:  100 st’s and 4 ch-3 spaces  {24 sc’s, 24 hdc’s, 48 dc’s, and 4 fptr’s}
• Per Side:  25 st’s {6 sc’s, 6 hdc’s, 12 dc’s, and 1 fptr}

Round 8

As written.

You will be skipping the sc before and after each fptr in this round (in other words, the first and last sc of each petal).

Stitch counts: 

• Total:  100 st’s and 4 ch-2 spaces  {24 hdc’s, 72 dc’s, and 4 fptr’s}
• Per Side:  25 st’s {6 hdc’s, 18 dc’s, and 1 fptr}

Round 9

You will have noticed that the second half of each side (the part after each fptr) so far has been a mirror image of the first half (the part before each fptr).  In this round (and Round 10), the two halves of each side are NOT mirror images of each other.

The first st of each side will be hidden by the stitches of the corner.  Make sure you don’t accidentally skip that first st.

Join your yarn by making a standing single crochet in the second dc of any corner around (Photo 1).  Sc in the next 9 st’s (Photo 2).  *Hdc in the next st.  Skip the next hdc and fptr around the fptr.  Skip the next hdc and dc in the next 3 st’s (Photo 3).  Hdc in the next 2 st’s and sc in the last 6 st’s (Photo 4).  (2 spkdc, ch 1, 2 spkdc) into the ch-3 space from Round 7 (indicated with an arrow in Photo 4), working over and enclosing the ch-2 space of Round 8 (Photo 5).  Sc in the next 10 st’s.*  Repeat around and join as instructed in the pattern.

Stitch counts:

• Total:  108 st’s and 4 ch-2 spaces  {64 sc’s, 12 hdc’s, 12 dc’s, 4 fptr’s, and 16 spkdc’s}
• Per Side:  27 st’s {16 sc’s, 3 hdc’s, 3 dc’s, 1 fptr, and 4 spkdc’s}

Here’s my completed Round 9 using Stylecraft Special DK.  Sorry for the poor photos.  The light was horrendous yesterday, but I hope you can at least get an idea of what your square should look like at this point.

Round 10

In this round you won’t be skipping any stitches before and after the fptr’s.  Be mindful of the fact the first st of every side will be hidden by the corner stitches.  You’ll have to pull the 3 sc’s in each corner out of the way so that you can insert your hook into the first st.

Stitch counts:

• Total:  120 st’s and 4 ch-2 spaces  {80 sc’s, 20 hdc’s, 16 dc’s, and 4 fptr’s}
• Per Side:  30 st’s {20 sc’s, 5 hdc’s, 4 dc’s, and 1 fptr}

Round 11

• If you are using the same colour, ch 1 and make a sc in the same st as the sl st join.
• If you are using a new colour, join your yarn by making a standing sc in the same st as the sl st join.

Sc in the next 9 st’s (Photo 1).  *Hdc in the next 12 st’s (Photo 2).  The first hdc should fall in the hdc before the fptr in the previous round (see Photo 1).  Sc in the next 4 st’s (Photo 3).  Make 3 sc’s in the next sc (Photo 4), which should be the central sc of the 3-sc corner.  Sc in the next 13 st’s.*

Repeat and join as instructed in the pattern.

Stitch counts:

• Total:  128 st’s  {80 sc’s and 48 hdc’s}
• Per Side:  32 st’s {19 sc’s and 12 hdc’s, not including the central sc of the 3-sc corner}

Round 12

As written.

Stitch count:  132 hdc’s and 4 ch-2 corners  {33 hdc’s per side}

Round 13

As written.

Stitch count:  140 hdc’s and 4 ch-2 spaces  {35 hdc’s per side}

My square will need 2 additional rounds to get it to the size of the other squares I have made so far.  It is worth noting that the corners of this square tend to creep clockwise.  The photo below was taken after blocking and my corners are still a bit skew.  Never mind, though.  Once the square is attached to the others it will be right as rain.

I have added an Optional Additional Round 14 and 15 to get my square to the same size as the other squares.  You

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Happy Hooking!