We are finished! All of our squares have been crocheted, including our graphgan banner with the Star Wars Logo. Now you have a bunch of squares squirreled around your house while you wait to put them all together.
This blog post has A LOT in it. So I’ll quickly break down the sections. First I’ll explain how to add a single crochet border around each square, then I will talk about how to join squares and how to join the whole blanket together. Finally, I will talk briefly about adding a border around the whole blanket.
Alright, Let’s do it!
The method I’m choosing to use to put this together is a single crochet (sc) join method. If you would prefer a different method, feel free to do so!
This join method is super easy and simply involves single crocheting each piece together. It gives a nice ridge in between the squares, almost like a window frame. I found this to be the easiest way to do it for myself, so let’s get started.
ADDING A BORDER TO EACH SQUARE
To begin, the first thing we need to do is to single crochet around each graphgan piece.
For every square (and rectangle) I worked 2 single crochet stitches for every block in the square. The blocks are the little squares you worked across in diagonals. (the CH2 and 2HDC make up one block).
The majority of the squares were 25 blocks by 25 blocks, which means there will be 50 single crochet stitches on each side for a total of 150 single crochet stitches. I did not add any extra corner stitches because I didn’t feel like it needed it. If you corners are curling inwards, you might need extra stitches in the corner. This is fine, but make sure whatever you do for one square, you also do for the others. Because when we are joining them altogether, you want all the single crochets to line up.
Here are the totals for the irregular squares (and rectangles):
For the Darth Vader rectangle had 70 sc along the bottom and top and 50 along the sides for a total of 240 sc stitches around the rectangle.
The Lightsaber squares had 40 sc along the bottom and top of the square and 50 along the sides for a total of 180 sc stitches around the square.
The Star Wars banner had 150 sc along the bottom and top of the rectangle and 58 along the sides for a total of 416 sc stitches around the rectangle.
Here’s a video below of an explanation and how I found each little box to work into.
JOINING OUR SQUARES
Here’s the layout I used to join the squares together, the red arrows indicate the direction I worked in.
I started with The Empire Square and The Millennium Falcon Square and worked by adding 2 at a time until I reach The Death Star and Mando.
Then I added the third column starting at the bottom with the Boba Fett Square and worked up to the BB8 square.
Now, you need to join the rows across. Here’s the layout I used, again I followed the direction the red arrows are indicating.
HOW TO JOIN SQUARES
Take the two starting squares you want to join together, and place the wrong sides together (like a sandwich). Locate the corner of each square, insert your hook through both loops of the sc on the first square AND ALSO both loops of the sc on the second square. YO, Pull up a loop and complete your first sc. Now, continue down the side, sc through each square and going under both loops.
Take a look below at the video:
Now that your first two squares are joined together, you are going to pick up the next two squares. Without breaking your yarn, you are going to simply continue single crocheting into the corner of the next two squares. It might be a little fiddly at first, but just keep going and it will work out. You will continue crocheting until the next 2 squares are joined together. There will be 6 squares joined.
As you can see in the photo below, all of the vertical joins are complete, but now we have to complete it by doing the sc join across the rows.
We will use the same join method as before, except now we are working horizontally across the rows.
It should be a little easier now since technically all the squares are connected and will be less fiddly as you work.
When you reach a joined corner, just work into the sc before and the sc after, it will lay flat when you are done. Don’t worry about that!
Ta Da! The bottom half of the graphgan is connected! Now you can start weaving in all those ends, or do what I did and leave them until the end. Next up, we are adding the irregular rectangles together!
Next up is the top half of the blanket. Take a look at the arrows below for directionality. (Squares are not to scale).
First we are going to start by working on the Darth Vader row. You are going to join the lightsabers to Darth Vader by working up the short side vertically. Use the same method of single crocheting under both loops from each square to join. Fasten off when you are done.
Next, you are going to join the Darth Vader row to the Star wars banner. You will work starting on the right side across until you reach the end of the row. Fasten off.
Take a look below to see how this section looks when it’s finished:
Now, join this top section with the bottom section and then you are all done with joining the squares!! Work across the rows and single crocheting under both loops from both squares.
YES!!!
ADDING A BORDER AROUND THE BLANKET
If you want to add a border around the whole project feel free!
I added a sc border around continuing in the same color I used to join all the squares together. I single crocheted in each stitch around and did an extra 2 sc in each corner to make sure the edges didn’t curl in. I then repeated one more time around.
As with everything, in this project you don’t have to do exactly what I did. There are lots of different borders you can add. If you look up graphgran borders, or simply crochet borders there are tons of options out there. Do what feels right for you!
Here’s my finished blanket:
I’ve had a wonderful time with this project and working alongside everyone. I might even do this again with another fandom, so stay tuned. And please, if you are working on one of these squares or all of these squares, send me a pic, I would love to see it. Remember to use the hashtag : #starwarsgraphgan2020 to show me your squares (and blankets) and to follow along with everyone’s progress. My instagram account will have sneak peeks and some bonus videos for help, you can find me here: @theknitknackshop
These blog posts will remain active indefinitely, so even though the CAL project is complete, feel free to start whenever you want.
I will also be creating a blog post that has all of the links for each part of this graphgan to make it easier to find whatever you are looking for.
Thanks for joining me on this journey, I hope you had fun!
Jessica
The knit knack shop 