Square E-6 presented challenges that up until now, the other squares had not.
The directions for square E-6 read: Work same motif as in directions E-3.
The directions for Square E-3 read: Work 5 rounds as in directions for E-1.
The problem is, E-6 looks nothing like E-1 and does not make use of the same combination of stitches, so ultimately, our dear crochet pattern reader is reduced to pulling out a magnifying glass to examine the photo to figure out how E-6 was made.
My first attempt was made using my trusty 4.5 mm Etimo hook just as I had for Squares, D-2, E-2, and E-3, and a pile of yarn from my stash of Red Heart Super Saver acrylic.
I started by chaining 6 and joining with a slip stitch to the first chain. I then did the following:
Rnd 1: ch 3 (counts as first dc), 11 dc into center of ring. Join to first dc made (12dc). Fasten off.
Rnd 2: Join new color with sl st in any st. Ch 3 (counts as first dc), and make 1 dc in same stitch. 2dc in each remaining st, join with sl st to first dc (24 dc). Fasten off.
Rnd 3. Using a new color, join with a sc in the back ridge of any stitch, 2sc in the back ridge of next stitch, *1 sc in the back ridge of next stitch, 2sc in the back ridge of next stitch, repeat from * 10 times more. (36sc). Fasten off.
Round 4: Using a new color, 1 sc in each sc around (36 sc) fasten off.
Round 5: Using a new color, join with a sl st in any stitch, and chain 3 (counts as first dc)1 dc in same stitch, ch3, 2 dc in same stitch (first corner made), 1 dc in next st, 1 hdc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 4 sts, 1 hdc in next st, 1 dc in next stitch, * 2 dc, ch 3, 2 dc in next stitch, 1 dc in next st, 1 hdc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 4 sts, 1 hdc in next st, 1 dc in next stitch; repeat from * two times more. Join with sl st to first dc made. (do not finish off)
Here is where I discovered that in using the same hook size as I had in the previous 3 squares, I was going to have a square that was much smaller than was needed. At that point I decided to add two rounds which I did as follows:
Round 6: Ch 2 (counts as first hdc), hdc into next st, *(2hdc, ch3, 2hdc), 1 hdc in next 5 sts, hdc together next 2 sts, 1 hdc in next 5 sts; repeat from * twice more, hdc in next 5 sts, hdc together next 2 sts, 1 hdc in next 3 sts. Join with sl st to first hdc made (60hdc & 4 ch3). Finish off.
Round 7: With a new color begin in any corner, *(sc, ch3 sc), sc in the back ridge the next 15 sts; repeat from * 3 times more and join with a sl st to first sc made (68sc and 4 ch-3 loops).
Round 8: With a new color, join with sl st in any ch-3 loop and chain 3 (counts as first dc) work 2dc, ch3, 3dc in to same loop (corner made), [*skip 2 sts, 3dc in next st, repeat from *4 times more, (3dc, ch3, 3dc) in next ch-3 loop] repeat from [ to ] 2 times more, skip 2 sts, 3dc in next st, repeat from *4 times more. Join with sl st to first dc made.
This is the result:
While the resulting square fit well, it does not look as identical to the original pictured in the Granny Square Sampler Afghan in Better Homes and Garden Crocheting and Knitting as I had hoped, so I decided to make a 2nd version using a larger hook to see if I could make a square that more closely resembled the square in the afghan.
I switched out my trusty 4.5 mm Etimo crochet hook for my 5.0 mm Etimo crochet hook, and began anew using the following directions:
Rnd 1: ch 3 (counts as first dc), 11 dc into center of ring. Join to first dc made (12dc) & fasten off.
Rnd 2: Join new color with sl st in any st. Ch 3 (counts as first dc), and make 1 dc in same stitch. 2dc in each remaining st, join with sl st to first dc (24 dc). Fasten off.
Rnd 3. Using a new color, join with a sc in the back ridge of any stitch, 2sc in the back ridge of next stitch, *1 sc in the back ridge of next stitch, 2sc in the back ridge of next stitch, repeat from * 10 times more. (36sc). Fasten off.
Round 4: Using a new color, 1 sc in each sc around (36 sc) fasten off.
Round 5: Using a new color, join with a sl st in any stitch, and chain 3 (counts as first dc)1 dc in same stitch, ch3, 2 dc in same stitch (first corner made), 1 dc in next st, 1 hdc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 4 sts, 1 hdc in next st, 1 dc in next stitch, * 2 dc, ch 3, 2 dc in next stitch, 1 dc in next st, 1 hdc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 4 sts, 1 hdc in next st, 1 dc in next stitch; repeat from * two times more. Join with sl st to first dc made. Finish off.
Round 6: With a new color, join with sl st in any ch-3 loop and chain 3 (counts as first dc) work 2dc, ch3, 3dc in to same loop (corner made), [skip 2 sts, 3dc in next st,* sk 1 st, 3dc in next st, repeat from * twice more, sk 2 sts, 3dc in next st, (3dc, ch3, 3dc) in next ch-3 loop] repeat from [ to ] 2 times more, skip 2 sts, 3dc in next st,* sk 1 st, 3dc in next st, repeat from * twice more, sk 2 sts, 3dc in next st, Join with sl st to first dc made.
This was the result:
This square is just a hair smaller than the D-2 square to which it would be attached, but it has the same number of stitches on the outer edge, and should I choose to use it , I will most likely be able to make it fit reasonably well. At this point, however, I am not decided as to which version of the square I will use.
