The Crochet Birch Square is the foundation granny square of the Treesacret afghan, a Celtic tree zodiac project.

Design Inspiration

The Celtic zodiac has multiple iterations, including trees and animals. The ancient druids believed that a person’s birth correlated with a specific tree related to lunar cycles and that correlation contributed to one’s personality traits. My Treesacret afghan project incorporates each of these thirteen trees into one stitch sampler blanket. Birch (December 24 – January 20) is considered the achiever and exhibits courage, ambition, and love.

PATTERN

Description

A crochet birch square pattern that forms the foundation for my Celtic tree zodiac afghan.

Materials

Yarn: Lion Brand Hue + Me (weight 5 – bulky)
Salt (4.4 oz/125 g, 137 yd/125 m) – 1 skein

Hook: L/11 – 8.00mm

Stitch markers

Tapestry needle

Scissors

Sizing 

Finished Dimensions: 8” length x 8” width

Abbreviations (US)

st – stitch
sl st – slip stitch
ch – chain
dc – double crochet
tc – treble crochet
fpdc – front post double crochet
bpdc – back post double crochet 

Notes

Brackets [ ] indicate directions worked in the same st. For example, sc 5 means sc 1 in five sts; [sc 5] means sc 5 in the same st.

Beginning ch 3 counts as a treble crochet

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Crochet Birch Square (Treesacret Afghan) – Instructions

Birch Square

Make a magic circle

Round 1: ch 3, *dc 3, tc 1, repeat from * twice, dc 3, sl st in the top of the starting ch 4 (12 dc, 4 tc)

Round 2: ch 3, turn, dc 2 in the same st as the starting ch, *dc 3, [dc 2, tc 1, dc 2] in the tc of the previous row, repeat from * twice, dc 3, [dc 2] in the same st as the starting ch, sl st in the top of the starting ch (28 dc, 4 tc)

Round 3: ch 3, turn, dc 2 in the same st as the starting ch, *dc 7, [dc 2, tc 1, dc 2] in the tc of the previous row, repeat from * twice, dc 7, [dc 2] in the same st as the starting ch, sl st in the top of the starting ch (44 dc, 4 tc)

Round 4: ch 3, turn, dc 2 in the same st as the starting ch, *alternate fpdc and bpdc five times, fpdc, [dc 2, tc 1, dc 2] in the tc of the previous row, repeat from * twice, alternate fpdc and bpdc five times, fpdc, [dc 2] in the same st as the starting ch, sl st in the top of the starting ch (60 dc, 4 tc)

Round 5: ch 3, turn, dc 2 in the same st as the starting ch, *alternate bpdc and fpdc 7 times, bpdc, [dc 2, tc 1, dc 2] in the tc of the previous row, repeat from * twice, alternate bpdc and fpdc seven times, bpdc, [dc 2] in the same st as the starting ch, sl st in the top of the starting ch (76 dc, 4 tc)

You can finish off or add a stitch marker to the sl st to add the next round later

Block

If you enjoyed this pattern, check out these other projects: Baby Countdown Series, Crochet Cloverlight Baby Blanket, Crochet Harvest Sampler Throw