crochet: puff circle in a square pattern

Hi there crochet fans.  So I think a couple of weeks back, I might have promised to post a granny square pattern that I came up with.  I should really know better than to make promises at the end of my posts.  So many projects, so little time to write about them all!

Anyway, I'm spending the day drafting a bunch of posts to go live in the next week or so, and this baby is on my list.  

Ta-da!

OK, please pay no attention to the fact that I took a photo of this square upside down.  Ahem, I just wanted to show you how purty the back of it is.  {Good golly, where is my brain sometimes?!}

My plan of attack is to make a bunch of circles first, 

and then square them up with a little traditional granny motif (see the green wip below)

 The squares themselves work up fairly quickly, but since I have crafty ADHD I am allowing myself plenty of time (like until Christmas) to finish this. {Who am I kidding?  We all know I'll be cursing myself into the wee hours of the morning hooking this blanket up come December 14th}

Noted: 14 circles & 1 1/2 squares complete on 3/8  Yeah, we'll see how this progress tracks {and we're not going to mention this blanket}.

The Pattern:

ETA: 3/23 please note change made to final granny round below

To make puff circle motif

Rnd 1: in a magic circle sc 12 stitches, join with a slst to first sc and pull tail tightly to close center circle

Rnd 2: ch3 (counts as first dc here and throughout), 2dc cluster (beginning cluster), ch1, *3dc cluster, ch1 repeat from * around in each sc from rnd 1, slst to first cluster to join. You should have 12 3dc clusters separated by a ch1 space.

to make a beginning cluster: *yo, insert hook into stitch, draw up a loop, yo, pull through two loops on hook*, yo, insert hook into stitch, draw up a loop, yo, pull through 2 loops, yo, pull through remaining 3 loops on hook to complete stitch.

to make a 3dc cluster: repeat steps above between * * 3 times until there are 4 loops left on the hook, yo and pull through all 4 loops.  It's like you are doing the first half of 3 dc stitches and then pulling through all of the stitches at the end. Here's my rhythm: yo insert hook, pull up, yo pull through 2, yo insert hook, pull up, yo pull through 2, yo insert hook, pull up, yo pull through 2, yo pull through 4, ch1 (repeat)

Rnd 3: slst into ch1 space between clusters of rnd 2, ch3, 3dc cluster ch2, *4dc cluster, ch2 repeat from * around in each ch1 space (between cluster from rnd 2), slst to top of first cluster to join.  You should have 12 4dc clusters separated by a ch2 space.  Fasten off--puff circle motif complete.

note: 4dc clusters are the same concept as the 2dc and 3dc clusters, you just do the beginning part of 4 dc stitches to have 5 loops on hook to pull through at the end.

To turn the circle into a square

Join border color {white} in space between any 4dc cluster. Ch3, dc, ch 2dc all in same space (first corner made).  Each cluster from the previous round has two stitches plus a space into which you can crochet.  You will be working the following stitches into these stitches (the stitches in the {} are worked into the ch2 space created in rnd 3, and all corners are worked into a space also): *dc, hdc, {2hdc}, hdc, hdc, {2hdc}, hdc, dc, corner: {2dc, ch2, 2dc} repeat from * join with a slst to top of beginning ch3.  You should now have a square shape with 14 stitches along each side 

To create granny border Note change in this round: omit ch1 stitch between groups of 3dc

Slst to corner space.  Ch3, 2dc, ch3, 3dc in same space (first corner made), *ch1, sk 2st, 3dc in next stitch, ch1, sk 3st, 3dc in next, ch 1, sk 3st, 3dc in next, ch1, sk 2st, 3dc in corner space, ch 3, 3dc in same space.  Repeat from * around and join with a slst to the top of the beginning ch3.

That's it!  If you find any errors in the pattern, or have any questions, please let me know.  I hope you give this pattern a try, and I'll keep you updated on my slow progress.