Sharon Blignaut’s Crochet Block a Week CAL 2014: Your Complete Free Guide

If you’ve been crocheting for any length of time, you’ve probably heard about crochet-alongs, those wonderful community events where makers from all over the world follow along with a pattern, stitch by stitch, week by week, sharing their progress and cheering each other on. Few crochet-alongs captured the hearts of the global crochet community quite like Sharon Blignaut’s Crochet Block a Week CAL 2014. Years after it originally ran, crafters are still hunting it down, working through the blocks, and falling in love with the project all over again. If you’re one of those people — welcome. This guide is going to walk you through everything you need to know about this beloved free crochet-along, from who Sharon Blignaut is and what made the CAL so special, to how you can still find and use the free patterns today.

Who Is Sharon Blignaut?

Sharon Blignaut is a South African crochet designer whose warm, generous approach to sharing her craft made her something of a beloved figure in the online crochet world. She has been designing crochet patterns for many years and has always had a particular gift for explaining techniques in a way that feels accessible to beginners while still interesting enough to keep experienced crocheters engaged.

Her designs tend to have a timeless, classic quality. Rather than chasing trends, Sharon focuses on creating patterns that are beautiful in their own right, the kind of squares and motifs that look just as lovely in a modern apartment as they do in a cozy country cottage. This sensibility made her Crochet Block a Week CAL a natural hit, because the blocks she chose to share throughout 2014 were varied, interesting, and genuinely usable in a hundred different finished projects.

What Is a CAL, and Why Do They Matter?

Before diving into the specifics of the 2014 CAL, it helps to understand what a crochet-along actually is and why so many crocheters get so devoted to them.

A crochet-along, or CAL, is an event — sometimes running for weeks or months — during which a designer releases pattern segments on a schedule, and participants work on the project simultaneously. The social element is enormous. In a typical CAL, participants share photos of their progress in a dedicated Facebook group, a forum, a Ravelry thread, or across Instagram and Pinterest. They ask questions, offer tips, swap yarn suggestions, and celebrate each other’s finished objects. It’s one of the most community-minded corners of the crafting world.

The appeal of a block-by-block CAL specifically is that the format feels manageable. Instead of sitting down to a daunting blanket pattern with dozens of squares to plan out all at once, you receive one block at a time, often with a week to complete it before the next one arrives. This pacing suits both busy crafters who can only squeeze in a few hours a week and those who find large projects overwhelming. Many people who would never have attempted a large granny square blanket on their own found themselves finishing complete afghans through the gentle accountability of a CAL.

What Was the Crochet Block a Week CAL 2014?

Sharon Blignaut’s Crochet Block a Week CAL launched in 2014 with a beautifully simple premise: each week, for the duration of the year, she would release a free crochet block pattern. Participants could make each block as it was released or work at their own pace through the archive. By the end of the year, crafters who had kept up would have enough blocks to create a substantial blanket, throw, or wall hanging — or a collection of mixed projects like cushions, bags, and decorative pieces.

The blocks themselves ranged widely in style and technique, which was a large part of what made the CAL so popular. Some weeks brought traditional granny squares, those endlessly satisfying combinations of treble crochet clusters and chain spaces that have been loved by crocheters for generations. Other weeks introduced textured stitches, floral motifs, geometric patterns, or blocks that incorporated techniques like front post and back post stitches to create raised surfaces. There were blocks suited to complete beginners and blocks that offered a gentle challenge to more experienced makers.

Sharon accompanied each pattern release with clear, friendly instructions and often included notes on the techniques used, making the CAL as much an educational resource as a pattern collection. For many participants, working through the 2014 CAL was an opportunity to learn new stitches and approaches in a low-pressure, supportive environment.

Why This CAL Became a Community Favorite

The internet crochet community in 2014 was a vibrant, growing space, and CALs were becoming increasingly popular as a way for designers to connect with their audiences. But Sharon Blignaut’s Crochet Block a Week CAL stood out for several reasons.

First, there was the sheer generosity of the project. Releasing a new free block pattern every single week for a full year is an enormous commitment of time and creative energy. Designers who do this are genuinely giving something valuable to the community, and crafters recognized and appreciated that.

Second, Sharon’s patterns were reliably well-written. In the world of free online patterns, quality can vary widely. Some free patterns are riddled with errors or assume too much prior knowledge. Sharon’s blocks were consistently clear, tested, and presented in a format that worked for both newer crocheters and those with more experience.

Third, the variety kept people hooked. When every week brings something different — this week a delicate lace-look motif, next week a chunky textured square — it’s hard not to keep coming back. Participants frequently talked about how much they looked forward to seeing what block would be revealed each week.

Finally, the community that grew up around the CAL was warm and supportive. Facebook groups dedicated to Sharon’s CAL became spaces where crafters shared not just their project photos but yarn tips, color combination ideas, and encouragement. That sense of connection kept people engaged long after the original 2014 CAL had officially concluded.

The Blocks: What to Expect

While the full list of blocks from the 2014 CAL covers a wide range of designs, here is a sense of the kinds of motifs and techniques that participants worked through over the course of the year.

Traditional granny square variations were a cornerstone of the collection. These ranged from the most classic three-round granny square to larger, more elaborate versions with additional rounds and decorative elements. If you love the granny square aesthetic, you’ll find plenty to love.

Floral and nature-inspired motifs featured prominently as well. Flowers worked in the round, leaves, sunburst squares — these blocks bring a softness and natural warmth to any finished blanket. They pair beautifully with more geometric designs when it comes time to arrange your finished blocks.

Textured blocks were among the most popular with participants. Blocks using front post and back post double crochet stitches to create basket-weave effects or raised patterns have a wonderful tactile quality and look impressive even though the technique is not as difficult as it appears. Working a textured block for the first time is one of those satisfying moments that makes crocheters want to keep practicing.

Lace-style blocks, worked with chain spaces and open stitches to create a delicate, airy look, offered a contrast to the denser textured designs. These are particularly lovely when worked in a solid color yarn that lets the stitch pattern shine.

Solid-stitch sampler squares introduced different foundational stitches in a block format, making them useful references as well as attractive finished pieces.

How to Find the Free Patterns Today

One of the most common questions from crocheters who discover the 2014 CAL years after the fact is: where can I still find all the free patterns? This is a fair concern, because online content can disappear over time.

The good news is that Sharon Blignaut has maintained her crochet presence online, and many of the original CAL patterns have remained available through her website and associated social media pages. Searching for Sharon Blignaut crochet or visiting her blog directly is the best starting point. Many of the blocks have been catalogued and pinned extensively on Pinterest, which makes the platform a useful discovery tool — though for the actual pattern, you’ll always want to click through to the original source.

Ravelry, the beloved pattern database and community site for knitters and crocheters, is another excellent resource. Many of the 2014 CAL blocks have been logged by users, and you can often find links to the original free patterns there, along with project pages showing how other crafters worked them up. Looking through project photos on Ravelry is one of the best ways to gather color inspiration before you cast on.

Facebook groups originally formed around the CAL may still be active or have archives of discussions and pattern links. Searching for Sharon Blignaut CAL on Facebook is worth trying if other avenues come up short.

Pinterest boards curated by crochet enthusiasts have also preserved many links to the individual blocks. While Pinterest links can go stale over time, they’re often a useful guide to what search terms will find the original pattern pages.

What Yarn Should You Use?

One of the joys of a block-by-block CAL is that you can adjust your yarn choices as you go, experimenting with different weights and colors and changing direction if you decide partway through that you want a different overall look.

That said, having a general plan before you start will make your finished project more cohesive. Most crocheters working the 2014 CAL chose a worsted weight yarn, which is a practical, widely available weight that gives blocks a good size without being too heavy. DK weight is another popular choice for those who prefer a slightly lighter fabric.

For color palette, there are two main approaches that the CAL community gravitates toward. The first is a scrappy, maximally colorful approach: use up every yarn in your stash, assign a different color scheme to each block, and embrace the joyful chaos of a technicolor blanket. This approach tends to produce show-stopping pieces that draw the eye from across the room and make brilliant use of yarn leftovers.

The second approach is a coordinated palette: choose two to five main colors that work harmoniously together and rotate them across the blocks in a planned pattern. This produces a blanket with a more intentional, designed look, where the variety in block patterns is the star rather than the variety in colors.

Neither approach is better; they simply reflect different aesthetics. Many crocheters make the CAL twice — once as a scrappy project and once as a carefully coordinated one.

In terms of fiber content, a smooth cotton or cotton-blend yarn will show off stitch definition beautifully, making textured and lace-style blocks particularly crisp. Acrylic yarn is practical, machine-washable, and widely available in excellent quality options that also show stitch detail well. Wool and wool-blend yarns have a warmth and elasticity that many crocheters love, though they require more careful care. The best yarn is always the one that suits your lifestyle and budget.

How to Join Blocks and Finish Your Blanket

Once you have a collection of finished blocks, the joining and finishing stage is where your CAL project truly comes together as a blanket or throw. There are several popular methods for joining crochet squares, and the one you choose will affect the final look of your project significantly.

The join-as-you-go method involves connecting each new block to the previous ones during the final round of crocheting, so that by the time you’ve finished all your blocks, they’re already assembled. This is efficient and satisfying, though it requires some advance planning about your layout.

The flat slip stitch join creates a nearly invisible seam when worked through the back loops only. This is a clean, tidy option that keeps the focus on the blocks themselves.

The standing chain join, sometimes called the chain join or zigzag join, creates visible lines between the blocks that become part of the design. Worked in a contrasting color, this kind of join can add a graphic quality to the finished blanket that many people love.

The granny join uses small joining motifs worked in the spaces between four squares to connect them. This creates additional design elements in the negative space of your blanket and works beautifully when the joining motifs echo elements from the blocks.

After joining, most blanket projects benefit from a border — one or more rounds worked around the entire outer edge to give the piece a finished, intentional look. A simple round of single crochet followed by a decorative shell or picot round is a classic choice that never looks out of place.

Project Ideas Beyond the Blanket

While most people who work through a block-a-week CAL have a blanket in mind, the individual blocks are also versatile enough to use in other projects.

Cushion covers are one of the most popular alternatives. Four to nine squares joined together make a cushion cover that can be backed with fabric or more crochet. A collection of different CAL blocks arranged on a cushion creates a patchwork-style piece full of texture and interest.

Tote bags worked from several blocks joined together are sturdy, practical, and eye-catching. The structured nature of solid-stitch blocks makes them particularly suitable for bags, since they maintain their shape well.

Individual blocks can be framed as textile art, especially the more intricate lace or floral designs. A well-blocked, beautifully photographed crochet motif makes a lovely piece for a craft room or nursery wall.

Table runners, placemats, and potholders are all achievable from individual blocks or small groupings, particularly if you choose cotton yarn.

Blocking Your Finished Work

One step that newer crocheters sometimes skip but experienced makers swear by is blocking. Blocking is the process of wetting or steaming your finished crochet and pinning or reshaping it while it dries so that the final dimensions and stitch definition are as beautiful as possible.

For cotton and plant-fiber yarns, wet blocking — soaking the piece in cool water, gently pressing out excess moisture, and pinning to the desired shape on a blocking board — works wonderfully. For wool, a similar process with gentle wool wash is effective. For acrylic, steam blocking with a steam iron held above the surface (not pressed directly onto the yarn) can open up stitches and give a more polished finish.

Blocking is particularly important for lace-style blocks where the open chain spaces need to be stretched into their proper shape. It’s also helpful for ensuring all your squares are the same size before joining, since uneven blocks can make the joining process challenging.

The Legacy of the 2014 CAL

Sharon Blignaut’s Crochet Block a Week CAL 2014 left a lasting mark on the crochet community not just because the patterns were good — though they were — but because of what the project represented: the idea that crafting is more joyful when done in community, that generosity in sharing skills and patterns creates ripple effects of creativity and connection, and that working through something week by week, one manageable step at a time, can result in something much larger and more beautiful than you might have imagined when you began.

If you’re picking up these patterns years after the original CAL ran, you’re in good company. Crocheters are still stitching these blocks, still sharing their progress photos, still discovering new color combinations and uses for the motifs. The community around Sharon’s work has never really gone away — it’s simply spread across different platforms and continued in private studios, spare rooms, and kitchen tables all over the world.

Whether you work through all the blocks in order, pick out your favorites, or simply use the collection as a reference library of techniques, Sharon Blignaut’s 2014 Crochet Block a Week CAL is a resource worth having in your crafting repertoire. Grab your hook, pick a yarn that makes you happy, and add your own chapter to this ongoing story.