Brigid's Cross Square

Brigid's Cross

Using an I/9-5.50mm hook and worsted weight yarn: 10 inch square.
Gauge: 12 dc = 4 in long and 3/4 in tall.

Abbreviations:
ch = chain
dc = double crochet

Center:
In green, do 1A or 1B.
1A. Start a magic ring (phototutorial).
1B. ch 6, slst to form ring.
2. ch 2. *dc 4 in ring, ch 1* Repeat from * to * three more times for a total of 4 groups of 4dc+1ch. Slip-stitch together. Finish.

For Each of Four Rectangles:
1. With green and leaving a 12 in tail, ch 14. dc in 3rd ch from hook. dc across. (12 dc total)
2. Attach white. *ch 2 and turn. dc 12.* Repeat from * to * 7 more times. Finish with white.
You'll have 1 green row and 8 white rows.

Assembly:
Place rectangles with long green tails on outside of square. Using the tail and a yarn needle, sew the green edge of one rectangle to the long white edge of another rectangle (about 5 1/2 white rows). With the same tail, sew the second rectangle to one side of the green square (about 2 1/2 rows). I hope these photos can help you out.
As always, feel free to leave questions, comments, and suggestions.

The pieces all laid out prior to assembly. Green tails on the outside.

First two rectangles together, sewn with tail of left rectangle.

First two rectangles plus center square, sewn with tail of left rectangle.

Two rectangles and center square attached. Third rectangle being added. (Second rectangle is not attached to the square. First rectangle still has long green tail.)

Third rectangle attached to second rectangle, but flipped up to show it's not attached to the square. Secong rectangle is now attached to the square.

Lining up the fourth rectangle. Fourth rectangle's tail will attach it to third rectangle and then attach third rectangle to the square. First rectangle's tail will then finish attaching fourth rectangle to the other pieces.

When using with other squares, you may want to add a border. This is a hdc border, with (hdc, ch2, hdc) in the corners.

Brigid is a Celtic goddess of transformations, helping with healing, poetry, smithing, and finding your way. Saint Brigid is a patron of Ireland and known as an early leader of the Irish Catholic church. Here are the Wikipedia entries for Brigid's Cross and Brigid.
I created the pattern to make a lapghan for a family member having surgery. The lovely healing energy and the bright colors ought to help her feel better sooner!

Crochet as Spiritual Practice: What is it? & Getting Started

Having moved recently, my partner and I decided we'd check out a new spiritual/religious community. Upon visiting our chosen new fellowship, I learned that they had a set of free classes coming up. While a number of them were interesting, I was immediately drawn to 'Hooking the Spirit, Knitting Community'. It's about using crochet and knitting as part of a spiritual practice.

A spiritual practice is anything you do regularly (even when not feeling like it) that helps to quiet the busyness of the mind and for a short time takes you out of the regular flow of life, either into your inner space or connecting outward with the larger universe. Meditation, attending church, going for walks, writing poetry, and reading a specific book are all examples. Meditation brings you to your inner self, allowing you to reflect on life or to just find a moment of silence. Going for walks lets you experience the world around you and get in touch with something outside of yourself.

The class which I'm attending incorporates creating a blanket for charity. Each person works on at least one 7"x9" afghan block (usually in coordinating colors of donated yarn). Once we've got 49 blocks, we decide how to lay them out, pin them in place, and sew them together. Somebody crochets on an edging, and then the blanket is donated. Knowing that what you're making is for some one else, some one you will never meet, adds a special dimension to the spiritual practice of it.

When starting out with crocheting as spiritual practice, you'll want to pick out a pattern that's just difficult enough you won't get distracted. Be in a quiet place and do nothing but crochet for 10-15 minutes, preferably daily. Do your best to focus only on the pattern and yarn at hand. It may not be easy, but it's called 'practice' for a reason.


Try that out for a week and see how you do. Leave me a comment if you're struggling, enjoying yourself, or curious about how I'm doing in my practice.