Sorry for the Delay, But Here’s Part 2! Your Free Crochet Pattern Continues

If you’ve been waiting patiently (or maybe not so patiently — we see your comments!), today is finally the day. Part 2 is here, and it was worth the wait. Whether you found Part 1 on TikTok, stumbled across it on Pinterest, or a friend sent it your way saying “you HAVE to try this,” welcome back to the hook. Grab your yarn, find a cozy spot, and let’s pick up right where we left off.

Before we dive in, a quick thank you to everyone who reached out after Part 1 dropped. The messages, the photos of your works in progress, the videos of your yarn stash sprawled across the floor trying to find the right color — all of it made the slight delay on this post completely worth it. The crochet community is genuinely one of the most encouraging, creative, and generous corners of the internet, and being a part of it never gets old.

Now, let’s talk yarn, hooks, and all the stitches you’ve been waiting for.

A Quick Recap of Part 1 (In Case You Need a Refresher)

Life gets busy. Maybe you bookmarked Part 1 three weeks ago and haven’t had a chance to sit down with it yet, or maybe you crocheted through it so fast you need to jog your memory before moving on. Either way, here’s a brief rundown of what we covered.

In Part 1, we walked through the supplies you’ll need for this project, including yarn weight, hook size, and a few optional notions that make the process smoother. We also covered the foundation chain and the first several rows of the main body, establishing the stitch pattern and the overall structure of the piece. If you haven’t finished Part 1 yet, head back and complete those steps before continuing here — this section builds directly on that foundation, and jumping ahead will make the instructions much harder to follow.

For those of you who are caught up and ready to go: you’re in exactly the right place.

What You’ll Need for Part 2

You likely have everything you need already sitting beside you, but just in case, here’s a refresher on the materials this section calls for.

You’ll want to continue with the same yarn you used in Part 1 to keep the tension and texture consistent throughout the piece. If you ran out and had to grab a new skein, make sure it’s from the same dye lot if possible. Different dye lots can sometimes create a subtle but noticeable color shift, especially in lighter or more saturated shades. It’s not the end of the world if they don’t match perfectly — handmade items carry character — but it’s worth checking if you have the option.

Keep your stitch markers close by. Part 2 introduces a couple of shaping elements that require you to mark specific stitches so you can find them easily on the next row. If you don’t have official stitch markers, a small loop of contrasting yarn works just as well. Keep scissors and a yarn needle within reach for any ends you need to weave in as you go, and have your hook from Part 1 handy. Switching hook sizes mid-project without intending to can subtly change your gauge and affect the final dimensions.

Understanding the Stitch Pattern Before You Begin

One of the most common questions in the comments after Part 1 was about the stitch pattern itself — specifically, how to read the repeats and keep track of where you are in the sequence. It’s a fair question, and if this is one of your earlier projects or you’re newer to following written crochet patterns, it can feel a little overwhelming at first.

Here’s the thing about stitch repeats: once you’ve done them a few times, your hands start to remember. Muscle memory in crochet is a real phenomenon, and the moment the pattern starts to feel automatic is genuinely one of the most satisfying experiences in the craft. You stop counting under your breath every single stitch and start to feel when something is off, which makes the whole process faster and more enjoyable.

For this project, the stitch pattern works in a multiple of stitches per row. Always count your stitches at the end of each row, at least through the first several rows of Part 2, until you’re confident you’re maintaining the correct count. One missed stitch or one extra can throw off the pattern, and catching it early is so much easier than trying to figure out three rows later where things went sideways.

If you’re using a textured or variegated yarn, it can sometimes be hard to see individual stitches clearly. Good lighting makes an enormous difference — natural daylight is ideal, but a dedicated craft lamp or even just moving closer to a bright overhead light can help you see the structure of your stitches more clearly.

Part 2: The Pattern Instructions

Let’s get into it. Pick up your work at the last row you completed in Part 1 and continue from there.

Continuing the Body

Begin this section with a standing stitch or a standard chain-up, depending on your preference and the stitch you’re working. For most crochet stitches, a turning chain at the beginning of the row does not count as a stitch in this pattern — work your first stitch into the first stitch of the previous row, not into the chain. This is noted here because it’s a detail that trips people up, and skipping it leads to those mysterious decreasing stitch counts that make you feel like your work is slowly eating itself.

Work across the row in the established pattern from Part 1. At this point, the rhythm should be starting to feel familiar. If you’re still referencing your notes or the original post for every stitch, that’s completely fine — there’s no crochet police, and going at your own pace is always the right call.

Continue in pattern for the number of rows specified in Part 1’s instructions until your piece reaches the length indicated for the beginning of the shaping section. This is where you’ll want those stitch markers.

Beginning the Shaping

Shaping is what transforms a flat rectangle into something with dimension and structure. It’s also where a lot of people start to feel nervous, but there’s genuinely no reason to be. Shaping in crochet is almost always just a matter of working increases or decreases at specific points in the row, and those are techniques you’ve almost certainly already used if you’ve crocheted anything with a curved edge.

Place a stitch marker in the stitch at each end of the row where shaping begins. These marked stitches will serve as your reference points as you work the shaping rows.

On the first shaping row, work in pattern across the row until you reach a specific number of stitches before the end. At that point, you’ll begin the decrease sequence. Work the decreases as indicated — most commonly this will be a crochet two together or a slip stitch decrease depending on the overall look you’re going for and the yarn weight you’re using. A crochet two together gives a slightly softer edge, while a slip stitch decrease pulls in more tightly. Either works; choose based on what looks most consistent with the rest of your piece.

Turn your work and repeat the shaping row on the opposite side, keeping the pattern consistent. Symmetry is your friend here. After each shaping row, count your stitches and compare against the expected stitch count to make sure everything is tracking correctly.

The Detail Work

This is the part of the pattern that takes your project from nice to really special. After completing the main shaping rows, you’ll add the detail work that gives the piece its finished, polished look. This might be a border, an edging, a series of surface stitches, or an embellishment depending on the specific project you’re working on.

For the edging: join your yarn at a corner or designated starting point with a slip stitch. Work a round of single crochets evenly around the entire perimeter of the piece, placing a specific number of stitches in each corner to keep the work flat and prevent puckering. The exact number of stitches in each corner depends on the corner angle — right-angle corners typically call for three single crochets in the corner stitch, while more acute corners may only need one or two. Use your judgment and adjust if your corners start to curl up or ripple outward.

Once your first edging round is complete, you can finish there for a clean, minimal look, or continue with additional rounds to create a more substantial border. Changing colors at this stage is a fantastic way to add visual interest without adding complexity to the pattern itself. Even a single round in a contrasting color can transform the overall feel of the finished piece.

Troubleshooting Common Issues in Part 2

Every crocheter has been there: you’re humming along, the project is looking great, and then something goes wrong. Maybe your stitch count is off, maybe your tension changed somewhere along the way, or maybe you just can’t figure out where you are in the pattern. Here are a few of the most common issues that come up in this section and how to handle them.

Your stitch count is off. Stop immediately and count back carefully, row by row if necessary. It can feel tedious, but frogging (unraveling your work) three rows to fix a mistake is always better than continuing and realizing twenty rows later that something is wrong. Place more frequent stitch markers if you’re having trouble keeping track.

Your tension feels tighter or looser than it was in Part 1. This happens to almost everyone, especially if you took a break between working sessions. Your tension is influenced by your mood, your posture, how you’re holding your hook, and even how tired you are. Try to crochet a few practice stitches to get back into your natural rhythm before picking up the actual project, and don’t be afraid to adjust your grip slightly if things feel off.

The shaping rows look uneven. Check that you’re placing your decreases in the correct stitches. It’s easy to accidentally work one stitch too early or too late, which shifts the angle of the shaping. Stitch markers at the specific decrease points — not just at the ends of the rows — can help keep everything aligned.

You’ve run out of yarn before the project is finished. This is frustrating but very fixable. Join new yarn with a magic knot or a simple joining method that works with your yarn’s fiber content, and continue. Weave in ends securely and try to join in a spot that won’t be too visible in the finished piece.

Tips for Making This Pattern Your Own

Free crochet patterns are wonderful starting points, but some of the most beautiful finished objects come from people who took a pattern and made it entirely their own. Here are a few ideas for customizing this project.

Swap the yarn weight for a different gauge to create a scaled-up or scaled-down version of the original. Going up in yarn weight and hook size makes the piece larger and chunkier; going down creates something finer and more delicate. Just keep in mind that changing yarn weight will affect yardage requirements significantly, so plan accordingly.

Experiment with color blocking. Instead of working the entire piece in one color or a single variegated yarn, use solid colors in intentional sections for a bold, graphic look. Color blocking works especially well with simple stitch patterns because the color itself becomes the visual interest.

Add texture with surface slip stitches or post stitches worked over the completed fabric. These techniques let you embellish a finished or nearly finished piece without altering the underlying pattern.

Try the pattern in a different fiber. If you worked Part 1 in acrylic, imagine how this same pattern might feel in cotton, linen, merino wool, or a silk blend. Each fiber behaves differently, drapes differently, and creates a completely different vibe in the finished object.

A Note on Sharing Your Finished Project

When you finish this project — and you will finish it — please share it. Post it on TikTok, tag it on Instagram, pin it on Pinterest. Share it in a Facebook group, text a photo to your best friend, or just prop it up somewhere in your home and admire it quietly. You made something with your hands, and that is always worth celebrating.

If you share it on TikTok or Instagram and want it to be seen by others following along with this pattern, use a consistent hashtag so people can find each other’s finished objects and works in progress. There is something genuinely wonderful about seeing the same pattern interpreted in dozens of different colors, textures, and styles. The same set of instructions, the same sequence of stitches, and yet every single finished object is entirely unique because of the person who made it.

Crochet has always been a communal craft. Patterns were passed down through families, shared between neighbors, adapted and improved and passed along again. The internet has just made that community infinitely larger and more connected. Every time you share your work, you’re participating in something that has existed for generations, and every time you encourage someone else’s work in the comments, you’re carrying that tradition forward.

What’s Coming in Part 3

Yes, there will be a Part 3. No, the delay won’t be quite as long this time (fingers crossed and yarn crossed and everything else crossed). Part 3 will cover the finishing steps, any optional embellishments, blocking and care instructions, and a full pattern summary so you have everything in one place for future reference.

In the meantime, if you have questions about Part 2, drop them in the comments. Specific questions get specific answers, and the more detail you include about what you’re seeing or what isn’t working, the more helpful the response can be. And if something in this post is unclear, that feedback is genuinely valuable — clear instructions are something every pattern writer is always working to improve.

Thank you for being here, for your patience, for your kind comments, and for picking up your hook and making something beautiful. See you in Part 3.