Crocheting is not my job (how I wish it was). My job is to raise my children to love Jesus and be prepared for the real world. My other job is to help others teach/learn at co-op. Yet another job is freelance editing and design. Then crocheting falls after that.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t treat it like my job.

This week I was determined to make some progress on the Granny Square Gauntlet, so I devoted myself to crochet and true crime and completed 11 squares!

If this is your first time reading about my current crochet challenge, make sure you go back and read this post for a refresher of my self-imposed rules. As I post each square, I will post the name and difficulty rating given to each square by Diana Krenz in her book 100 Vibrant Granny Squares, which I’m using for this challenge. Then I will give my difficulty rating and notes about the yarn I used and any new stitches, etc., that I encounter. See squares 1-2 here and squares 3-5 here and 6-11 here and 12-19 here and 20-25 here and 26-31 here and 32-40 here and 41-46 here and 47-50 here and 51-52 here and 53-55 here.

I did the 9″ version of this square and ended on round 11 with a sc instead of hdc. I really love these colors and wish I had enough of the pale purple to do many squares in this exact colorway, but I did not. I love how each round is carefully constructed to become the finished square.

Enter the controversial Kelly Green yarn. I thought about redoing this square without it, but then didn’t. I decided to lean into the color and add it as an accent to a couple of squares. I think it turned out ok. I guess we’ll see once the squares are put together in a… (gotcha. I’m not going to tell you what I’m making!)

The 12″ square itself used many of the same stitches as before, but it had color changes mid-row for the bobbles. Once I attached the yarn, I was able to carry it along with the gray. It’s definitely a learning curve.

Claire Square…that rhymes! I wanted to name one of our kids Claire, but it was nixed by the hubby. I still like the name, and I like this square. I was back to the purples with this one. The rounds of light gray after the flower were a breath of fresh air as I didn’t have to change colors every row. Even in that, there is a special intricacy to the pattern. This is a 12″ square.

This 12″ square measures a little on the large side, but could easily be made smaller in the last rounds. This was another case of loving the light blue and dark blue colors. Round upon round has something new to discover in texture and style. One thing these squares aren’t is boring.

This square was supposed to be a 12″ square with no special instructions for a 9″ square, but I made it a 9″ square anyway. I finished the pattern through round 11, which seemed to be a great stopping point.

This square wasn’t actually “endless” because I stopped at round 13 for the 9″ instructions using hdc in the final round instead of dc for size.

This square is the perfect example of the way Diana Krenz takes elements we’ve used before and adds something different to make the square completely unique. The flattened corners before the final rounds were a refreshing touch. At the same time, the way they became to be seemed ingenious. I will admit that the corners appear more pronounced when the square is finished to 12″, but I still like it.

Because I stopped at round 12 for the 9″ square, I’m not sure what instructions are meant to take this pattern from intermediate to advanced in difficulty. I just labeled it a three. There were new stitches in this one that are also repeated in a later square. The light gray corners are made using chain loops instead of other stitches. It makes the square a little airier. Hopefully that airiness won’t be a problem when I put it together with the other squares for a… (gotcha again!)

This square was the first one I have done that had separate instructions for the final row in the 9″ square vs. the 12″ square. Where I have a gray dc going into the white fan on the last round, the other instructions had a popcorn stitch. I like how it turned out.

This square also had the chain loops used to square up the pattern. It was a new technique, but I like it. It definitely adds variety.

The blue round in this square uses a technique we used earlier in a square, but is still not one I normally see. In the picture for the pattern, the center looks much more like a star. I’m not sure if it was my color choices or poor execution that kept mine from looking that way. This is a texture rich square and is fun to touch.

I used the instructions for the 9″ square which took me to round 14.

Monika definitely meets the Extra Advanced rating. I gave it a four.

From the beginning, the construction of this square was unique. The center bobbles were worked around dc stitches which gave them a different motion almost. They did not seem like anything special until the next round puffed them up. That center is solid. I have no idea how the author came up with some of these stitches, but who can argue with the final product.

One of my goals for this Challenge was to actually be challenged. This square has definitely grown my crochet skills.

I made this a 9″ square and stopped at round 14.

I lost yarn chicken on this square. The blue center actually has a bit of gray and is like six leftover pieces tied together. The ends I had to weave in! I also lost on the last round with the purple. Can you find it?

I was going to follow the 9″ instructions for this square, but the outer edge was so new and interesting that I just had to continue through the 12″ instructions. This might be one of my favorite squares. I am always amazed by the different methods of constructions that result in the finished product.

Which of these squares was your favorite? I hope they all work together for what I have planned. Stay tuned for that!

Keep stitching, Heidi