Asteroid Block Buckle Cover: Free Crochet Pattern
Asteroid Block Buckle Cover: Free Crochet Pattern
Introduction
Give your medium-sized dog a little piece of the cosmos with the Asteroid Block Buckle Cover, a straight crocheted tube that slips right over an existing collar. Worked in bold blocked sections of cobalt and orange, it uses basketweave stitch to build a raised, woven texture that looks far more complicated than it is. The two small yarn-covered buttons at each end act as faux control pads, giving the whole piece a playful space-age feel. It is soft, sturdy, and quick to make in bulky wool, perfect for an advanced beginner ready to try post stitches.
Materials Needed
- Yarn: Bulky weight (weight category 5) wool yarn, approximately 80 yards cobalt and 40 yards orange
- Hook: 6.0 mm (J-10) crochet hook
- Notions: Two buttons to cover (about 0.75 inch), yarn needle, scissors, stitch markers
- Finished size: Approximately 2.5 inches wide and 16 inches long (circumference when buttoned)
Abbreviations
- ch – chain
- dc – double crochet
- FPdc – front post double crochet: work a double crochet around the post of the stitch from the front, pushing the hook behind the post
- BPdc – back post double crochet: work a double crochet around the post of the stitch from the back, bringing the hook in front of the post
- sc – single crochet
- sl st – slip stitch
- inc – increase: work 2 single crochet in the same stitch
- dec – decrease: work 2 single crochet together
- rep – repeat
- sts – stitches
- Rnd – round
Gauge
12 stitches and 12 rows = 4 inches in basketweave pattern. Crochet a small swatch in pattern and measure a 4-inch square to confirm your gauge before starting.
Tips Before You Start
- Keep your post stitches loose enough to slide around the posts easily; tight FPdc and BPdc will pull the fabric in and shrink your finished length.
- Count your blocks every row. Each row should have four 4-stitch blocks plus one plain dc at each edge, so the pattern stays aligned.
- Change colors at the last yarn-over of the final stitch of a row so the new color begins cleanly on the next row.
- Measure the band against your dog's collar as you go; the 16-inch length is easy to adjust by adding or removing color sections in pairs of rows.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Collar Cover (worked flat in rows)
With cobalt, ch 20.
Row 1: Dc in 4th ch from hook and in each ch across (18 dc). Turn.
Row 2: Ch 3 (counts as first dc), skip first st, *FPdc around next 4 sts, BPdc around next 4 sts; rep from * to last st, dc in last st. Turn. (18 sts)
Row 3: Ch 3, skip first st, *BPdc around next 4 sts, FPdc around next 4 sts; rep from * to last st, dc in last st. Turn. (18 sts)
Rows 4-5: Rep Rows 2-3. (18 sts)
Change to orange.
Rows 6-9: Rep Rows 2-3 twice. (18 sts)
Change to cobalt.
Rows 10-13: Rep Rows 2-3 twice. (18 sts)
Change to orange.
Rows 14-17: Rep Rows 2-3 twice. (18 sts)
Change to cobalt.
Rows 18-21: Rep Rows 2-3 twice. (18 sts)
Change to orange.
Rows 22-25: Rep Rows 2-3 twice. (18 sts)
Change to cobalt.
Rows 26-29: Rep Rows 2-3 twice. (18 sts)
Change to orange.
Rows 30-33: Rep Rows 2-3 twice. (18 sts)
Change to cobalt.
Rows 34-37: Rep Rows 2-3 twice. (18 sts)
Change to orange.
Rows 38-41: Rep Rows 2-3 twice. (18 sts)
Change to cobalt.
Rows 42-45: Rep Rows 2-3 twice. (18 sts)
Fasten off.
Button Covers (make 2)
With orange, make a magic ring.
Rnd 1: 6 sc in ring. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)
Rnd 3: Sc in each st around. (12 sts)
Insert button.
Rnd 4: Dec around. (6 sts)
Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Sew opening closed.
Edging
With right side facing, join orange with sc to any corner of the collar cover. Work sc evenly around the entire perimeter, working 3 sc in each corner. Join with sl st to first sc. Fasten off.
Assembly and Finishing
Sew one button cover to each end of the collar cover, centered horizontally, about 0.5 inch from the edge. Weave in all ends on the wrong side of the fabric. Block the finished band lightly by misting with water and pinning it flat to the measurements of 2.5 inches wide and 16 inches long; let it dry completely so the basketweave texture settles evenly.
Pro Tips and Variations
- Swap the orange sections for a metallic silver or glow-in-the-dark yarn for an even more futuristic look.
- Make a matching mini version for small dogs by chaining 12 instead of 20 and working fewer color sections.
- Use a smooth cotton blend instead of wool for an easy-care collar cover that holds up to muddy walks.
