Have you ever created a cable pattern in crochet? Well, if you haven’t, then I’d recommend giving it a try! Today we’re going to go over that skill, and then make a celtic cable granny square.
This technique is more of an intermediate skill level, or an advanced beginner. How do you tell if you’re an advanced beginner? In my opinion, you’d want to be making decent quality items, your tension is pretty consistent, and stitches fairly uniform. Probably in the neighbourhood of 5-10 projects depending on the size. Of course, if you’re mostly making blankets, then your going to get a lot more practice than if you’re only making newborn baby hats, right? If you need help with basic stitches, like double crochet, half double crochet and single crochet, go here.
Today, we’re going to make this super cute and modern style of granny square shown at left.
Now, I find inspiration in so many places. I see a design on Pinterest, and think, ‘I should put that together into this other thing, like a granny square!’ Now, lots of times my idea isn’t 100% original, but the execution is all mine. I try not to look up other peoples patterns, to see how they do things, or copy others work, but ideas can definitely be similar.
For this square, I remember seeing this beautiful hat pattern on Ravelry, that included rows of this style of stitching, and, honestly, a knit blanket using the celtic cables. Either way, they are both beautiful. Click each photo below for more information about each.
So, in working on our granny square series, I knew I had to create this square!
But first, let’s talk about how to make the basket weave sections, and then I’ll include the pattern below.
Crochet Stitches Used to Make Cables
There are 2 stitches used to make this pattern, front cross and back cross. We use treble crochet stitch for both styles, and when worked they are approximately the height of a regular double crochet.
How to Treble Crochet
To begin, yarn over your hook twice, insert your hook into desired stitch, and catch your yarn, draw back through keeping this loop over your hook, yarn over, and draw through 2 loops, 3 times, until you only have 1 loop left on your hook.
Front Cross
Alright, now let’s get into our basket weave, or celtic cables. So, for this pattern we’re starting with multiples of 4 stitches. I am making 4″ granny squares, so using my foundation double crochet, I needed 16 dc to be close to 4″.
For our first basketweave row, we chain 2. Skip 2 stitches after your chains, and yarn over twice, insert hook into the third stitch, TC. Yarn over twice again and insert hook into the 4th stitch, and TC.
Now, to create the front cross, we’re going to work in front of those trebles we just made, and work back into the 2 skipped stitches.
Yarn over twice, then bring your hook across the front of the stitches and insert into the first skipped stitch, but when you bring it out the back, keep your hook in front of all the stitches (See image bottom left in collage below). work your TC.
Finally, yarn over twice again, and insert your hook into the final skipped stitch, keeping the hook in front, and work a final TC.
Continue working your basketweave across the row, and finish with a DC into the final stitch.
Back Cross
We’re going to continue working in DC and TC for this row as well.
To start our row, we ch2, and then work 2 dc into the next 2 stitches. This will offset our basketweave.
To make the back cross, begin the same way we did with the front cross, skipping 2 stitches and working 2tc into the next 2 (shown in first 3 images below).
Now, we’re going to work behind the tc we just created, and into the skipped stitches. See the image in the center row, on the left to see where we’re going to work our stitch. With yarn over your hook twice, turn your work over, so you’re looking over the top, and insert your hook into the first skipped stitch. (Shown by the purple arrow below) Finish your TC.
Yarn over your hook twice, insert your hook into the final skipped stitch, and work the final TC. Continue working across, using back cross until you have 3 stitches left and dc into each one.
Alright, so that is our new stitches. Now, for the celtic cable granny square pattern!
Celtic Cable Granny Square
Size: 4″
Materials: Loops & Threads Snuggly Wuggly, and a 3.5mm crochet hook
Notes: Turn your work at the end of each row. We are not working around in a circle as is traditional in granny squares.
Stitches used: foundation double crochet(FDC), front cross, back cross, half double crochet (HDC), and single crochet (sc)
Instructions
Row 1: FDC 16 stitches (or ch 18, dc into third ch from hook, and each stitch across)
Row 2: ch2, DC into first st, front cross 4 times (See above), and finish with 2 dc into final 2 stitches.
Row 3: ch 2, dc into first 3 stitches, back cross 3 times (see above), and finish with 3dc into each of last 3 stitches on your row.
Repeat Rows 2 & 3, twice more times.
Row 8: HDC into each stitch across.
Border
If your square is a bit smaller than you’d like, you can add a dc border. We did it in the video below. Or if it’s a good size, just add a single crochet row around the outside.
DC border: (change colours as needed) ch 2, turn. DC into each stitch across, for corner, work *2dc ch1 2dc* into the last stitch. Work dc down the side, then another corner at the end. Continue working around until you get to the final corner, and slip stitch to the chains and fasten off.
SC border: work single crochets into each stitch around, with corner *sc ch sc*
Thanks so much for hanging out with me today! I would love to see what you create with this stitch. So tag us on Instagram, and we’ll share them to our stories!
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Much Love,
