Year of Color 2026 — Month 6 of 12

Welcome to Year of Color!

Copper Shoals is a free crochet granny square pattern worked in the round using four shades of Cascade Heritage fingering weight yarn: Bachelor Button, Marine, Mango, and Pumpkin. Part of the Year of Color 2026 MAL, this square builds from a small center medallion outward through rings of fans and clusters, framed by solid borders that lock in the color sequence. Inspired by the Venus Allure square by The Lavender Chair.

The construction is classic granny square, worked one round at a time with a single color per round. The fan and cluster details add texture and visual interest without adding complexity. The square is worked in the round and lies flat.

The name comes from the shallow coastal waters where warm sandy tones meet the deep blue of open ocean. Same palette as Copper Tide, completely different structure.

Materials

Yarn: Cascade Heritage Fingering in 5641 Mango (A), 5646 Pumpkin (B), 5603 Marine (C), 5741 Bachelor Button (D)

Hook: E/4 (3.5mm) or size needed to obtain gauge

Gauge: After completing the second round of Pumpkin, the circle will measure 4-7/8”

Block finished square to 8.5″ × 8.5″.

Because this pattern has very few consecutive stitches, a traditional gauge swatch isn’t practical. Check your size early by measuring the center that we described above.

Notions: Tapestry needle, scissors

Finished size: 8.5″ × 8.5″

Special Stitches

DC5tog: Work 5 incomplete dc’s (meaning, do not made the final YO maneuver) in same st. 6 loops on hook, YO and pull through all 6 loops.

FpTr2Tog (Front Post Treble 2 Together): Work 2 incomplete tc’s in same st; 3 loops on hook, yo and pull through all 3 loops.

DTD3Tog (Double Treble Double 3 Together): Work an incomplete FPDC in the last TC of fan, then work an incomplete FPTC in the TC from Rnd 5, work an incomplete FPDC in the first TC of the next fan. YO and draw through all 4 loops.

Pattern

Rnd 1: With Mango (A), make a MR. Ch 2 (does not count as a stitch here and throughout). 8 hdc. Join with SS to first hdc made; 8 hdc.

Rnd 2: Ch 2, 2 hdc in each st around. Join with SS to first hdc made and FO; 16 hdc.

Rnd 3: Join Pumpkin (B) in any st. Ch 2. *(dc, Ch 1, dc) in next st, sk*, rep from * around. Join with SS to first dc made and FO; 16 dc, 8 ch 1 sp

Rnd 4: Join Marine (C) in first Ch 1 sp, Ch 2. *DC5tog in ch sp, Ch 6*, rep from * around. Join with SS to first dc made and FO; 8 DC5tog, 48 ch

Rnd 5: Join Bachelor Button (D) with a SS to the top of any DC5tog, Ch 2. *(hdc, dc, tr, dc, hdc) in the top of the DC5tog, Ch 1, FpTr2tog around the next 2 dc from Rnd 3, Ch 1* rep from *around. Join with SS to first hdc made and FO; 16 hdc, 16 dc, 8 tr, 8 ch sp, 8 FpTr2Tog.

Note that the final FpTr2Tog works both the final dc and first dc from Rnd 3.

Rnd 6: Join Mango (A) with a SS to any FpTr2Tog. Ch 3. *(Tr, Ch1) 5 times, Ch 2*, repeat from * in each FpTr2Tog around. Join with SS to first tr made and FO; 40 Tr, 40 Ch-1 sp, 8 Ch-2 sp.

Rnd 7: Join Pumpkin (B) to and third (middle) Tr made. Ch 1. *Sc, Ch 4, DTD3Tog, Ch 4*, repeat from * around. Join with SS to first sc made; 8 sc, 16 ch-4 sp, 8 DTD3Tog.

Measure up to this point to check gauge.

Rnd 8: Ch 2. *Hdc in sc, 4 hdc in ch-4 sp, ch 2, skip to next ch-4 sp, 4 hdc in ch-4 sp*, repeat from * around. Join with SS to the first hdc and FO; 72 hdc, 8 ch-2 sp.

Rnd 9: Join Bachelor Button (D). Ch 2. *Dc 4, tr, (2 tr, ch 2, 2 tr) in next ch-2 sp (corner), tr, dc 4, hdc 2, sc 2, Dc2Tog between 2 ch-4 spaces in Rnd 8, sc 2, hdc 2*, repeat from * around. Join with SS to first dc made, FO; 64 dc, 8 (2 tr, ch 2, 2 tr), 8 tr, 32 hdc, 32 sc, 8 Dc2Tog,

Rnd 10: Join Marine (C). Ch 1, *sc 3, hdc 3, dc, (dc, ch 2, dc) in corner, dc, hdc 3, sc 12*, repeat from * around. Join with SS to first sc made and FO.

Rnd 11: Join Pumpkin (B). Ch 2. *Dc around but work (dc, ch 2, dc) in each corner sp. Join with SS to the first dc made and FO.

Rnd 12: Join Mango (A). Ch 2. Hdc BLO around but work (hdc, ch 2, hdc) in each corner sp. Join with SS to first hdc and FO.

Rnd 13: Join Marine (C). Ch 2. [ *Dc in FLO, 2 rows below, sc in BLO* rep to corner, (sc, ch 2, sc) in corner ], rep from [ all around. When you come to your starting chain, join with a slip st and FO.

NOTE: The FLO just before and just after the ch 2 corner will be in a corner stitch, not a regular stitch like the others. You might need to dig a little to get a stitch to work into.

Rnd 14: Join Bachelor Button (D). Ch 2, *Dc around but work (dc, ch 2, dc) in each corner sp. Join with SS to the first dc made and FO.

Blocking: Block to 8.5″ so that when you take it off the blocking wires and it compresses, it will be 8″.

Finishing: Weave in ends.

About Year of Color

This square is part of Year of Color 2026, a 12-month program that teaches you a new colorwork technique every month through two free square patterns (one crochet, one knit). Each month features a curated color palette, technique tutorials, and color inspiration articles. By December, you’ll have 12 squares to join together into whatever you’d like, and a whole year of new skills to show for it.