CAL Information

I am both excited and nervous to announce the release of my first Crochet Along, Journey to the Four Corners.  All of the information you need to participate in the CAL follows.  The first pattern, an 18” square representing the state of New Mexico, will release JANUARY 31, 2019, with additional parts releasing every one to two weeks after (see schedule below).  All parts will be available on my blog.  I am looking forward to taking this journey with you and sincerely hope you enjoy the CAL.  Remember, I can also be reached on my Ravelry group HERE if you have any questions.

Journey to the Four Corners

CAL OVERVIEW:

There’s a spot in the US where the corners of four amazing states meet.  The monument located at this spot allows the visitor to be in all four of these states at one time – a geographical curiosity that has drawn tourists for generations.  The vast area surrounding this monument is known generally as the Four Corners Region and is in the heart of the American Southwest.    This area is:

-         Full of red-rock canyons and craggy mountains (The Rockies, Red Mountain Pass, the      Grand Canyon,  Monument Valley, Arches National Park and many more);

-         Covered by stretches of fabled deserts (The Painted Desert, Chihuahuan, Sonoran, and Mojave);

-         Home to many indigenous people of North America (the Navajo, Apache, Hopi, Zuni, Ute, Anasazi, and more);

-         The place where many Wild West characters lived out their stories (Billy the Kid, Butch Cassidy, Wyatt Earp, and Doc Holliday) .

There is a reason many people put the American Southwest on their must-see list when touring the U.S. – it is beautiful and unique.

Join me on a crochet-along Journey through this amazing region.  It is a special area to me;  raised in Colorado just 35 miles from the Utah border, Colorado is home, but the high-desert plateau of Utah is a close second.  My family settled in Southwestern Colorado in 1884 and my ancestors also lived in parts of New Mexico. Such an amazing region to explore – each of these states holds a special place in my heart.  I hope you will join me in this journey so that they might hold a special place in your heart as well.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

·       This will be an extensive, fully supported throw blanket pattern with a finished size of approximately 52” by 62”;

·       The patterns will remain free for the period of the CAL;

·       The CAL features  (4) 18” squares, one for each of the Four Corner states, and 5 Edging/Border Parts;

·       Squares will be released two weeks apart and the edging/border parts will be released one week apart.  

       
       Scheduled release dates are as follows:

                           -            New Mexico – 1/31/19

                           -            Arizona – 2/14/19

                           -            Utah – 2/28/19

                           -            Colorado – 3/14/19

                           -            Border Rounds releasing 3/28, 4/4, 4/11, 4/18, and 4/25

·       This is a free spirited pattern and I am an amateur designer.  It has been fully tested by experienced designers and testers, but due to the complexity and difficulty level, there are bound to be errors or questions that arise. I will work with you to convey any unconventional stitches and support this CAL, but I want it to be fun, so please join with a spirit of creativity and adventure!

COMMUNICATION AND PATTERN SUPPORT:

Communication and pattern support will be primarily through my Ravelry Group HERE.

You can also message me through this blog.

A WORD ABOUT DIFFICULTY:

Please note that this pattern is intermediate to advanced and will require good deal of ‘stick-to-it-ness.’  It features a large variety of stitches and some very unconventional construction.  You should have a good understanding of stitch anatomy before embarking on this project.  

I would rate the difficulty of each square as follows:  

·       New Mexico (intermediate);

·       Arizona (advanced);

·       Utah and Colorado (intermediate to advanced).  

SELECTING COLORS:

I have made these squares in two different color schemes, Prickly pear and Canyon Sunset.  If you wish to follow the same or a similar scheme, please see charts and swatch photos for color information. 

Pictured below: Prickly pear sample swatches and New Mexico square worked in those colors

Pictured below: Canyon Sunset sample swatches and New Mexico square worked in those colors

MORE TIPS FOR SELECTING COLORS:

If you wish to select your own colors, you may want to keep this in mind – some elements of the

pattern are literal and may look better in certain colors (i.e. red rock canyons, white sand dunes,

the sun, green leaves, and the white petals of each state’s flower).   For this reason, I recommend that you select nine colors using the following guidelines:

-   Color A – your flower centers – I recommend a yellow value; 

-   Color B – your flower petals - I recommend a white, linen, pale/pearl grey, oatmeal

    beige, or off-white value;

-   Color C –  your columbine petals in Colorado and a substantial portion of your borde

    rounds. I recommend a dark blue, turquoise or teal value; 

-   Color D – I recommend a light blue, turquoise or teal value;

-   Color E – your mountains – I recommend a dark purple, plum, or maroon value.  If you

    don’t want purple, a dark brown might also work here, depending on your other color

    choices;  

-   Color F – I recommend a light purple, plum, or maroon value.  If you went with brown for

    color E, a tan of some sort might work well, depending on your other color choices; 

-   Color G –  your canyon country portions and a large portion of your borders.  I recommend a dark

    red, burgundy, rusty orange, coral or rose/pink value;

-   Color H –  this will also be used for canyon and desert portions.  I recommend a light red,

    burgundy, spice, light coral, or soft pink value;

-   Color I –  your leaves – I recommend a green value. 

You can also be scrappy and just make things up as you go!  The most important this is that you

are happy with your colors and the way they look together. 

YARN WEIGHT, HOOK SIZE, AND ESTIMATED YARDAGES: 

I used worsted weight yarn and a G size hook to obtain 18” squares and a finished size of 52” by

62” (not including the fringe).

The yarn yardages needed for each color letter are listed below.  They are listed 2 ways –

yardages if you are making the squares only, and yardages if you are making the entire project.

Please note, these are estimates based on my tension, a G size hook, and worsted weight yarn.

Your yardages may come out slightly different.

THANK YOU TO MY TESTERS:

This is no small project - I have been working on this project on and off for over two years (since late summer 2016), and the testing process has taken over 3 months.  A special *THANK YOU* to each of the testers who worked on this project.  Some took on the entire project, others took a square or two, but without these Four Corner CAL pioneers, the journey wouldn’t be possible for you!  A huge shout out to the following Ravelry members, many of which are talented designers in their own right:

Berniece

            Skyhookdesigns – Sky Hook Designs

Tossedwave – Tossed Wave Design

Wisdom61

Aschmidtalso

Twistednattyb

Christibj

A WORD ABOUT CULTURAL SYMBOLISM IN THIS PATTERN:

Please note that this pattern does feature some Native American references and symbolism.  I am not Native American and am not claiming that this is a Native American project or design.  Any symbolism has been included out of respect and admiration for the indigenous people of the area and as a tribute to their deep heritage in the region.  I can’t imagine how I could represent the Southwestern United States without paying tribute the indigenous people of the area and I hope that any tributes made come across with the respect and dignity with which they were intended.