Stash-buster Squares
Do you have lots of leftover bits of DK yarn in your stash that are too good to throw away, but not quite enough to make anything with on their own?
These simple Stash-Buster Squares are a great way to use them up. Each square uses just a small amount of yarn, making them perfect for those odd leftovers and half-used balls that have been building up in your stash.
The squares are quick and easy to crochet, with a lovely textured pattern that looks great when worked in lots of different colours. You can make them one at a time whenever you have some yarn to use, then join your squares together when you have enough to create a blanket, cushion or another project.
I used leftover Stylecraft Special DK for these squares, with approximately 7–8g of yarn needed for each square. Each finished square measures approximately 11.5cm x 12cm, and I used a 4mm crochet hook.
You can use any DK yarn from your stash, making this a great project for mixing and matching leftover colours.
The stitches used in these squares are double crochet (dc) and half treble crochet (htr) (UK terms). The main body of the square is based on a modified lemon peel stitch (the lemon peel stitch alternates between double crochet and treble crochet, but this pattern uses a half treble instead of the treble crochet).
I left a long tail of approximately 30cm so that the squares can be sewn together using these tails.
Make a Stash-Buster Blanket
These squares are perfect for making a colourful stash-busting blanket. You don’t need a large quantity of any one colour – simply use whatever leftover DK yarn you have and keep adding to your collection of squares.
I used my squares to make my Stash-Buster Square Blanket, joining lots of different coloured squares together to create a bright and colourful blanket.
You can find the full Stash-Buster Square Blanket pattern here, including how many squares you’ll need and how to join them together.
With a border
Abbreviations/Crochet Terms
UK terms are used throughout.
ss | Slip stitch |
dc | Double crochet |
htr | Half treble crochet |
ch | Chain |
* to * | Instructions between asterisks will be repeated as specified |
st(s) | Stitch(es) |
beg-ch | Beginning chain |
Stitch Description/UK-US Conversion
UK term | US term | Description |
|---|---|---|
Double Crochet (dc) | Single Crochet (sc) | Insert hook into stitch, yarn over hook, pull through stitch (2 loops on hook), yarn over hook, pull through remaining two loops to leave 1 loop on the hook |
Half Treble Crochet (htr) | Half Double Crochet (hdc) | Yarn over hook. Insert hook into stitch, yarn over hook, pull through stitch (3 loops on hook), yarn over hook, pull through remaining three loops to leave 1 loop on the hook |
Slip Stitch (ss) | Slip Stitch (ss) | Insert hook into stitch, yarn over hook, pull through stitch and through loop |
Chain (ch) | Chain (ch) | Yarn over hook, pull through loop |
Written Pattern (UK terms)
- Foundation chain – Ch18
- Row 1 – dc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch to the end, turn. [17 stitches]
- Row 2 – ch1 (does not count as a st), htr in the first st, *dc in the next, htr in the next* repeat from * to * to the end, ensuring that the last st worked is a htr. Turn.
- Row 3 – ch1 (does not count as a st), dc in first st, *htr in the next st, dc in the next st*, repeat from * to * to the end ensuring that the last st is a dc. NOTE: the dc’s are worked into a htr st from the row below and the htr’s are worked into a dc.
- Rows 4 -15 – repeat row 2 and row 3
- Row 16 – repeat row 2
- Row 17 – ch1 (does not count as a st), dc in each st to the end. Cut yarn leaving a long tail of approximately 30cm (if you are going to sew your squares together).
