Norwegian version here
I recon most of you have already seen this beautiful "mystery" square featured in multiple social medias during the last year, and so many of you have made this already.
I came pretty late to the "rustic lace" party myself, and made my first square just a few months ago, first of all to find out for myself what all the fuzz was about...
Needless to say, I was hooked from the first square, and fell under the "Rustic Lace Square spell" like so many others...
Many attempts have been made, by many people, to trace the original designer of this pattern, with no success so far, and the story behind this square is a fascinating example of the power of social media.
The name "The Rustic Lace Square" was "invented" by Susan, and is dedicated the talented blogger and IG profile Magda de Lange (Dubai). She calls herself rawrustic on Instagram, and also has a blog called Pigtails . Magda was one of the first to feature this sqaure on Instagram, after being inspired by a blanket made by Cornel Strydom (South.Africa).This was in December 2014, and since then this square has wandered across the globe. When Susan (California) published the diagram on her IG profile in April, and also created the #rusticlacesqaure, it's success was a fact!
"Everybody" in the crafting community on Instagram had to try this beautiful sqaure.
By coinsidence, when browsing the beautiful IG gallery of the supertalented and inspiring Marit K. Skjong @maritparit, I found this beautiful photo from October 2014 of an old tablecloth she had found in a local second-hand store on the west coast of Norway. The pattern was this mystery square!! It is so strange how the dots all connect, and how this old pattern pops up in so many different forms in so many different countries almost at the same time!
Many instagramers have participated in the global search for the original designer, and as far as I know, the design is now traced back to an old crochet book published by the mediahouse Allers in Sweden (and probably also in Norway) in the early 80-ies, and in a similar book in Argentina (?) from about the same period. It was probably a vintage design even in the 80-ies, and the name of the original designer is nowhere to be found.
Where can you find the pattern?
Social Media had now "taken control" of this, and the diagram and even written instructions are now available for free both on Instagram and on Ravelry.
If you look up #rusticlacasquare, you will find many beautiful versions of this square, in addition to the diagram. The same goes for Pinterest.
After I published a photo of this sqaure on my IG account, I got so many requests for a tutorial and pattern, but since this is not my design, I hesitated on publishing a tutorial for this.
When I first taught myself to crochet a few years ago, I learned so much from Youtube and generous bloggers who published step-by-step tutorials. I could not read a diagram, and written instructions without photos were just confusing to me. I'm a very visual learner!.
I now know how to read diagrams, so this sqaure was fearly easy for me now, but a few years back it would have been such a challenge!
I therefore made a step-by-step photo tutorial a few months back,but was not sure wether I could or should publish it. Since then, so much is done trying to find the rightful "owner" to credit, and many others have now alrady published both the diagram and instructions, so I have decided to publish thw tutorial - for all you "visual learners" out there!
This is my interpretation of the pattern, and if any of you who reads this knows more about this sqaure and the original designer, please let me know, so I can give credit where credit is due!
I hope you will enjoy making this wonderful design, and if you choose to share your makes in social media, please use the tag #rusticlacesquare . It is so wonderful to see all the different versions out there!
The Rustic Lace Square
A step-by step tutorial
Note: the tutorial is written in US terminology. Below are the terms in both US and UK versions.
US terms | UK terms | ||
| sl st | slip stich | sc | single crochet |
| sc | single crochet | dc | double crochet |
| hdc | half double crochet | htr | half treble crochet |
| dc | double crochet | tr | treble crochet |
| tr | treble crochet | dtr | double treble crochet |
| dtr | double treble crochet | trip tr/trtr | triple treble crochet |
| rev sc | reverse single crochet | rev dc | reverse double crochet |
| yo | yarn over | yoh | yarn over hook |
Repeat directions between * and *
Round 1:
Make a magic circle, and ch 5 (counts as 1 dc, ch 2) * 1 dc in the ring, ch 2* x 7. Sl st in 3rd st of beg ch to join.
Round 2:
Join new colour with a sl st in one of the ch-2 sp. Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc) * 1 dc in next st, 3 dc in 2-ch sp* x 7, 1 dc in next st, 1 dc in 3-ch sp, sl st in 3rd st of beg. ch to join.
Round 3:
Join new colour anywhere on the circle. Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), * 1 dc in each of next 4 sts, ch 2, 1 dc in same st as last dc.* x 8. Join with sl st in 3rd st of beg. ch to join.
Round 4:
Join new colour in the first dc in a 5-dc group. ch 3 (counts as 1 dc) 1 dc in the next 4 sts, but do not pull through the last loop of the dcs. When you have 5 sts on the needle, pull the yarn through all the loops, and you have a ch-5 cluster *( ch 3, 1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc, ch 3) in next. 3-ch sp, 5-ch cluster over next 5 sts. * x 7. ( ch 3, 1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc, ch 3) in next. 3-ch sp. Sl. st in 3rd st of beg. ch to join.
Round 5:
Join new colour into first dc. Ch 5, 1 dc in same st., skip 2, 1 dc in next st, ch 2, 1 dc in same st. *ch 3, skip 6 (ch + 5-ch cl), (5 dc, ch 3, 5 dc) in the next 2-ch sp, ch 3, skip 6, (1 dc in next dc, ch 2, 1 dc ) in same st, skip 2, (1 dc in next st, ch 2, 1 dc ) in same st. * x 3. Ch 3, skip 6 (1 ch + 5-ch cl),( 5 dc, ch 3, 5 dc ) in next 2-ch sp, ch 3, skip 6, sl st in 3rd ch of beg. ch to join.
Round 6:
Ch 5, 1 dc in same st, skip 2, (1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next 2-ch sp, skip 2, (1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next st, *ch 3, 5-ch cl in the next 5 st, ch 3, 5 dc in 3-ch sp, ch 3, 5- dc cl in next 5 st, ch 3,(1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next st, skip 2, (1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next 2-ch sp, skip 2,(1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next st * x 3, ch 3, 5-ch cl in the next 5 st, ch 3, 5 dc in 3-ch sp, ch 3. Sl st in 3rd st of beg. ch to join.
Round 7:
Ch 5, 1 dc in same st, skip 2, (1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next 2-ch sp, skip 2, (1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next 2-ch sp, skip 2,(1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next st , * ch 8, skip 7, 5-ch cl in next 5 st, ch 8,skip 7 (1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next st, skip 2, (1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next 2-ch sp, skip 2, (1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next 2-ch sp, skip 2,(1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next st,* x 3. Ch 8, skip 7, 5-ch cl in next 5 st, ch 8, skip 7. Sl st in 3rd st of beg. ch to join.
Round 8:
Ch 5, 1 dc in same st, skip 2, (1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next 2-ch sp, skip 2, (1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next 2-ch sp, skip 2,(1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next 2-ch sp, skip 2, (1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next st ,* ch 3, 1 sc in 3rd st of 8-ch sp, ch 8, 1 dtr in 5-ch cl, ch 8, 1 sc in 5th st of 8-ch sp, ch 3,(1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next st , skip 2, (1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next 2-ch sp, skip 2, (1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next 2-ch sp, skip 2,(1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next 2-ch sp, skip 2, (1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next st * x 3. Ch 3, 1 sc in 3rd st of 8-ch sp, ch 8, 1 dtr in 5-ch cl, ch 8, 1 sc in 5th st of 8-ch sp, ch 3. Sl st in 3rd st of beg. ch to join.
Round 9:
Ch 5, 1 dc in same st, skip 2, (1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next 2-ch sp, skip 2, (1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next 2-ch sp, skip 2,(1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next 2-ch sp, skip 2, (1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next 2-ch sp, skip 2, (1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next st, * ch 1, 9 dc in 8-ch sp, 1 dc in next dtr, ch 9, 1 dc in same st, 9 dc in 8-ch sp, ch 1, (1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next st, skip 2, (1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next 2-ch sp, skip 2, (1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next 2-ch sp, skip 2,(1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next 2-ch sp, skip 2, (1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next 2-ch sp, skip 2, (1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next st* x 3. Ch 1, 9 dc in 8-ch sp, 1 dc in next dtr, ch 9, 1 dc in same st, 9 dc in 8-ch sp, ch 1Sl st in 3rd st of beg. ch to join.
All done, and ready for blocking.
Tah-da! The Rustic Lace Square - all blocked and beautiful ❤️
I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial! All feedback and/or corrections are highly welcome!
Don't forget to tag you photos with #rusticlacesquare!
