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Granny Squares

We start by crocheting the granny squares in different colours. Start with the color you want in the center of the box. The square will be crocheted in double crochets, follow the instructions.

Round 1 on the granny square:

1. Crochet a magic ring. Hold the yarn in your left hand. Twist the yarn around your fingers (left hand) three times. Use your crochet hook to go under the first two loops and hook the third with your crochet hook. Pick up the yarn again and pull under the two finger loops, hook the yarn onto the hook, and pull through. Now the loop on the crochet hook holds the double inner ring together and we can start on round 1.
2. Crochet 3 single loops (this chain replaces the first double crochet). Then crochet two double crochets in the innermost ring. A pole is crocheted by taking the yarn over the hook and going down with the hook in the innermost ring, pick up yarn and pull through (you now have 3 loops on the hook), pick up yarn and pull through 2 loops (you have two loops left on the hook ), pick up the yarn one last time and pull through the last two loops. You have now crocheted a double crochet. Crochet one more so you have two. Crochet two loose loops.
3. Crochet three double crochets and after that, crochet two loose loops.
4. Crochet three double crochets and after that, crochet two loose loops.
5. Crochet three double crochets and after that, crochet two loose loops.
6. Finish round 1 by bringing the hook down into the top of the three loops (as you did at the beginning), picking up the yarn and pulling through. Cut the yarn and change colors.

Round 2 on the granny square:

1. Make a slipknot. One way you can do this is to wrap the yarn around your index and middle finger and then pull the yarn up so that the loop locks when you tighten. Leave about 15 cm tail. Go down into a corner and pick up yarn and pull through immediately (so we have a start). Keep the two yarn ends on the left so that they are hidden when we crochet. Crochet three loose loops and two double crochets in the corner. Then crochet two loops and three double crochets in the same corner.
2. In the other corner you crochet (in the same hole); three double crochets, then two single loops and finally three double crochets.
3. In the third corner you crochet (in the same hole); three double crochets, then two single loops and finally three double crochets.
4. In the fourth corner you crochet (in the same hole); three double crochets, then two loose loops and finally three double crochets. Finish round 2 by bringing the hook down into the top of the three loops (as you did at the beginning), picking up the yarn and pulling straight through.

Round 3 on the granny square:

1. Make a slipknot. Go down into a corner and pick up yarn and pull through immediately (so we have a start). Keep the two yarn ends on the left so that they are hidden when we crochet. Crochet three loose loops and two double crochets in the corner. Then crochet two loops and three double crochets in the same corner.
2. After the first corner comes a hole that is on the side ie. not a corner. In these holes you crochet three double crochets.
3. Continue the round in the same way and crochet three double crochets, two loops and three double crochets in the corners, and in the holes between the corners, you crochet three double crochets.
4. Finish round 3 by bringing the hook down into the top of the three loops (as you did at the beginning), picking up the yarn and pulling straight through.

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Rounds 4 and 5 are crocheted in exactly the same way as round 3, i.e. three double crochets, two loops and three double crochets in each corner and the holes in between with three double crochets in each.

After round 5, the square measures approx. 18 x 18 cm. Sometimes you may need to add an extra round or two to get to the same size (but depends on how hard we all crochet).

In the video, round 5 is crocheted with the same color on all eight squares, but it´s entirely up to you how you want your balaclava.

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Fasten off all yarn ends by cutting the yarn, leaving a 5-10 cm tail. Tie the remaining tail in a knot around a loop at the back of the granny square to prevent it from unraveling. Tighten and hide the tail by attaching it through a few nearby loops.

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Crochet the squares together

1. Now it´s time to crochet the squares together. Row 1 will have four squares and row 2 will have three squares. Start by crocheting together six squares in rows one and two (see picture 1). Have the nice side out and the wrong side facing each other. Make a running knot. One way you can do this is to wrap the yarn around your index and middle finger and then pull the yarn up so that the loop locks when you tighten. Leave about 15 cm tail. Go down into a corner of both squares and pick up yarn and pull right through (so we have a start). Go back down in the corner and pick up yarn and pull right through. Continue in the same way in each stitch until you are at the second corner. When you are at the other corner and have made a slip stitch, take two more squares and go down in the corner of both squares. Continue in the same way until you have fitted all six squares together. When you have done that, you crochet an extra stitch in the last corner. Pick up one more square and then place it on the right side of row 1. Now fasten the two edges together. When you are at the bottom, cut the yarn and finish with a loop.

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2. The next part we will attach is vertically from the bottom of row 1 up to row three (see picture) you do exactly the same way as before.

3. Now we will attach the squares again vertically from the bottom of row 1 to row three again but this time we crochet together row two and the single square of row 3 horizontally.

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4. Now we attach the box to row 3 with row 2.

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5. Start by attaching all yarn ends just like we did on the box. Now we will attach the first row of four squares to each other. Start at the bottom and crochet the squares up, when you are up in the main opening, crochet around the main opening with a stitch in every stitch.

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6. Finally, you crochet an edge at the bottom, starting at the back of the balaclava with a slipknot. Go down into a stitch, pick up yarn and pull everything through immediately. Continue like this with one in each stitch.

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Now you are done! Hope you like your new balaclava!

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