Camelot

Camelot

Camelot is the second of four 6" squares designed as a part of the *Legends of King Arthur* series.  Each of these squares will be named after a place associated with the Legends and will represent the phases of Arthur's journey:  birth, life, death, and eternity.

Easily recognized as the fanciful backdrop of so many of the Aruthurian tales, Camelot represents the life of Arthur.  While one of the most recognizable places in the tales, Camelot is apparently absent from earlier writings and doesn't appear until the 12th century.  Teeming with adventures and fantastical stories, Camelot is one of those places that truly captures the imagination and the spirit of life itself.

This pattern, like the Legends themselves, is not for the faint of heart.  It is features **INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED** construction techniques.

Special thanks to the following Ravelry members for testing this square:

MawMawsGarden, Wuzzel, danika2407, ranthenae, and hrdnglynne.  

I appreciate the time and effort you put into testing this square and, in many cases, the entire series!

Enjoy the pattern!

- Lisa

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Materials:

·       Size H/5 mm crochet hook;

·       Tapestry needle for weaving in ends;

·       4 stitch markers;

·       Worsted weight yarns in the brand/color of your choice - if making the full Legends of King Arthur Blanket, make 3 squares.  I used the following colors - note Land version expressed as letters and Celtic version as numbers – round-by-round photos don’t necessarily match chart:

	Camelot by Land A	Camelot by Land B	Camelot by Land C
A	Sungold	Mid Green	Red
B	Burnt Pumpkin	Mixed Berry	Aubergine
C	Red	Sungold	Burnt Pumpkin
D	Aubergine	Purple	Sungold
E	Greybeard	Greybeard	Graphite
F	Mixed Berry	Red	Mid Green
G	Mid Green	Aubergine	Purple
H	Graphite	Graphite	Greybeard

	Celtic Colorway A	Celtic Colorway B	Celtic Colorway C
1	Navy	Antique Teal	Forest
2	Antique Teal	Forest	Navy
3	Sea Blue	Sea Blue	Sea Blue
4	Greybeard	Greybeard	Greybeard
5	Forest	Navy	Antique Teal
6	Light Sage	Light Sage	Light Sage

Note about selecting colors:  For the Celtic Colorway colors 3, 4, and 6 remain the same in all 3 squares.  This creates a nice unity and can be helpful in planning.

Hook Size/Gauge:

Using an H size hook I was able to obtain a 6” square.

Basic Terms/Abbreviations (US):

ch – chain                                                      BPsc – back post single crochet

yo – yarn over                                               BPhdc  – back post half double crochet

slst – slip stitch                                             FPsc – front post single crochet 

sc – single crochet                                        FPdc – front post double crochet

hdc – half double crochet                         

dc – double crochet                                    

tr – triple crochet                                                      

For reference ease, special stitches are defined in the rounds they are used in.  In-round notes are highlighted blue.

Beginning Loop:

With color A/1, ch 4.  Join with a slst to beginning ch – beginning loop made.

Round 1:

Ch 4 – counts as beginning hdc and ch-2 sp. [Hdc in beginning loop, ch 2] 7 times.  Join with a slst to 2^nd ch of beginning ch-4 and fasten off.  8 hdc and 8 ch-2 spaces.

Round 2:

Join color B/2 with a standing hdc in any hdc.  *(Hdc, ch 2, hdc) in the next ch-2 space, hdc in the next stitch.* Repeat * to * 7 more times, omitting last hdc on final repeat.  Join with a slst to beginning standing hdc and fasten off.  24 hdc and 8 ch-2 spaces

Round 3: 

Special Stitch – Extra Large Extended mini puff – XLxmp – yo, insert hook into indicated stitch or space, pull up a loop – 3 LOOPS ON HOOK.  Yo, insert hook into same indicated stitch or space, pull up a loop – 5 LOOP ON HOOK.  Yo, pull through 3 loops, [yo, pull through 2 loops] twice. 

Join color C/3 with a standing XLxmp in the first hdc after a ch-2 space. *Ch 2, skip the next stitch, XLxmp in the next stitch.  Ch 3, skip the ch-2 sp, XLxmp in the next stitch.*  Repeat * to * 7 more times, omitting last XLxmp on final repeat.  Join with a slst to beginning standing XLxmp and fasten off.  16 XLxmp, 8 ch-3 spaces and 8 ch-2 spaces.

Round 4:

In the prior rounds, we built a small ‘ladder’ of ch-spaces.  In the next couple of rounds, we will be working into these space. I suggest taking a moment to familiarize yourself with these chain spaces – see photo below – round numbers appear to the right of the Round 2 and 3 chain spaces, and a stitch marker is located in the Round 1 ch-sp.  Round 1 may be a bit difficult to access and you may have to ‘pry’ apart the hdcs located in it to access the space between them.

Join color D/4 With a FPsc around a XLxmp just before any ch-2 space.   *Dropping to Round 2 and working in front of, not over the Round 3 ch-2 spaces -  dc in the skipped Round 2 stitch. Returning to Round 3 – skip the ch-2 space, FPsc around the next XLxmp.  Working down the ladder of ch-spaces from prior rounds, in front of, not over your other rounds and between any stitches already there – slst in the next ch-3 space, ch 2 – mark this ch-2 on the first pass, sc in the Round 2 ch-sp, ch 1, sc in the Round 1 ch-sp.  Working up the ladder of ch-spaces from prior rounds, in front of, not over your other rounds and between any stitches already there – ch 1, sc in the Round 2 ch-sp again, ch 2 – mark this ch-2 on first pass only, slst in the Round 3 ch-sp again.  FPsc around the next XLxmp.*  Repeat * to * 7 more times, omitting last FPsc on final repeat.  Join with a slst to beginning FPSC and fasten off - or alternatively join with an invisible join as we will be back posting in the next round. 16 FPsc, 8 dcs, and 8 ‘v’s worked down the chain spaces containing 2 slst, 2 ch-2 spaces, 2 ch-1 spaces, and 3 scs each. 

At the end of this round, tug on your XLxmps, pulling them forward as much as possible while sliding back the FPscs worked around them.  You will be  wobbly at this point and continue to be wobbly until  after round 8.

Round 5:

Join color E/5 with a standing sc in any ch-3 sp from Round 3 between the slsts already there.  *Working in front of, not over the ch-3 sp from Round 3 - dc in the Round 2 ch-sp between the stitches already there. Returning to Round 3 - sc in the ch-sp again. BPsc around the next Round 4 FPsc, sc in the Round 3 ch-2 space located behind the dc, FPsc around the Round 4 dc, sc in the Round 3 ch-2 space behind the dc again.  BPsc around the next Round 4 FPsc, skip the {slst and all the stitches worked up and down the chains from the prior rounds}, sc in the next Round 3 ch-3 space, Working in front of, not over the ch-3 sp from Round 3 - dc in the Round 2 ch-sp between the stitches already there, sc in the Round 3 ch-sp again.  Returning to Round 4 - BPhdc around the next Round 4 FPsc, (FPdc, ch 2, FPdc) around the next dc – corner made.  BPhdc around the next Round 4 FPsc, skip the {slst and all the stitches worked up and down the chains from the prior rounds}, sc in the next Round 3 ch-3 space.*  Repeat * to * 3 more time, omitting last sc on final repeat.  Join with a slst to beginning sc and DO NOT fasten off.  15 stitches per side.

Round 6:

Special Stitch – Extended mini puff - xmp – insert hook into indicated stitch or space, pull up a loop – 2 LOOPS ON HOOK.  Yo, insert hook into same indicated stitch or space, pull up a loop – 4 LOOP ON HOOK.  Yo, pull through 3 loops, yo pull through last 2 loops. 

Ch 2 – counts as 1^st hdc.  Hdc in next stitch, *sc in next 3, skip the next stitch - which should be the FP st worked around the dc in the prior round – sc in the next 3, hdc in the next 2, xmp in next 2 stitches, (xmp, ch 2, xmp) in the corner sp, xmp in next 2 stitches, hdc next 2 stitches.*  Repeat * to * 3 more times, omitting last 2 hdc on final repeat.  Join with a slst to 2^nd ch of beginning ch-2 – or alternately use the invisible join as we will be back posting in the next round. 16 stitches per side.

Round  7:

Special Instruction – Shallow Post Stitches - For a more even look, work your back post stitches ‘shallow’ in this round, or at the very top of your stitches, just under the front and back loops and above the 3rd loop of your stitches rather than dropping beneath the 3rd loop and working around the post itself (see photo below – hook entering stitch from back to front above the 3rd loop and arrow is showing where hook will exit from front to back above 3rd loop to complete the stitch.  Photo from different pattern).

Note:  In Round 4 we placed stitch markers in a couple of ch-2 spaces.  That is because we will be working around some of these ch-2 spaces when we make our FPdc3togs and I wanted you to be able to identify which ch-2 spaces I was referring to.  You have 8 sets of these and you may not be working around the two you actually marked.  You can remove these markers now.

Special stitch – Extended Front Post Double 3 Together – ExFPdc3tog -  Yo, insert hook from front to back to front around the post of the first indicated stitch or chain and draw up a loop. Yo, pull through 2 loops – 2 LOOPS ON HOOK.  Yo, insert hook from front to back to front around the post of the next indicated stitch or chain and draw up a loop. Yo , pull through 2 loops – 3 LOOPS ON HOOK.  Yo, insert hook from front to back to front around the post of the last indicated stitch or chain and draw up a loop – yo and pull through 2 loops -  4 LOOPS ON HOOK.  Yo pull through 2 loops, yo pull through last 3 loops.

Join color F/6 with a standing BPsc around the last stitch of any side.  *Ch 1, skip the Round 6 corner space, sc in Round 5 corner sp between the stitches already there, ch 2, FPsc around the Round 4 dc that already has your corner stitches posted around it – work over/in front of the FPdcs already there , ch 2, sc in the Round 5 corner space again, ch 1, BPsc around the first 7 stitches of the next side.  Dropping to Round 4 -ExFPdc3tog over the next {ch-2, dc, and ch-2} from Round 4. Returning to Round 6 - skip the next 3 stitches, BPsc around last 6 stitches of side.*   Repeat * to * 3 more times, omitting last BPsc on final repeat.  Join with a slst to beginning sc and fasten off. 14 stitches per side not counting stitches worked into ch spaces.

Round 8:

Join color G/1 with a standing hdc in any skipped Round 6 corner space.  (Hdc, ch 2, 2 hdc) in the same space. *Skip the chains and stitches forming a ‘v’ in the corner, skip the first stitch of side, sc in the next 6 stitches, FPhdc around next stitch – which should be the ExFPdc3tog – sc in last 6 stitches of side.  (2 hdc, ch 2, 2 hdc) in the next skipped Round 6 corner space.*  Repeat * to * 3 more times, omitting corner sequence on final repeat.  Join with a slst to beginning hdc. 

If changing colors (land version) – Fasten off. 17 stitches per side.

If keeping the same color (celtic colorway) – DO NOT fasten off.  17 stitches per side.

Round 9:

If changing colors (land version) –   Join with a standing sc in any corner space. (Ch 2, sc) in same space. 

If keeping the same colors (celtic colorway) – Slst to corner sp.  Ch 1, sc in same space.  (Ch 2, sc) in same space.

*Sc in each across, (sc, ch 2, sc) in the next corner space.  Repeat * to * 3 more times, omitting corner sequence on final repeat. 19 stitches.

At the end of this round, once again tug on your XLxmps from Round 4, pulling them forward as much as possible.  Don’t be afraid to give them a good tug. 

Photo above, l to r, Celtic colorway A, B, and C

Photo above, l to r, Land version A, B, and C

Please Remember:

This pattern was written and designed by me, Lisa Mauser, for This Little Hook of Mine. I am happy to share it with you, but this pattern belongs to me and I retain all rights.  You may not distribute, sell, or share this pattern, or any parts of it.  If you wish to share the pattern, please refer the party you are sharing it with to the original pattern link. Though this pattern has been tested, it is not perfect.  If you find a mistake, please let me know in the comments below or through the contact me button and I will fix it.

Thank you for respecting my property.  I really hope you enjoyed the pattern!