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

If you’ve been in the crochet community for more than a few years, you’ve probably heard whispers about Sharon Blignaut’s Crochet Block a Week CAL from 2014. It became one of those legendary crochet-alongs that people still talk about, still search for, and still attempt to recreate from saved links, pinned images, and dog-eared printouts. If you’re just discovering it now, you’re in for a treat. And if you’re coming back to finally finish what you started, welcome back — this is your moment.

This post covers everything you need to know about Sharon Blignaut’s Crochet Block a Week CAL 2014, from what made it so special to how you can access the free patterns, what materials you’ll need, how to approach each block, and tips for assembling a finished project you’ll be proud to display or gift. Whether you’re a beginner who just learned to crochet or a seasoned maker looking for a satisfying long-term project, this crochet-along has something for everyone.

What Is a Crochet-Along (CAL)?

Before diving into the specifics of Sharon Blignaut’s CAL, it helps to understand what a crochet-along actually is, especially if you’re newer to the fiber arts world.

A crochet-along, or CAL, is an organized event where crocheters around the world work through a shared pattern at the same time. The designer or host releases portions of the pattern — in this case, one block per week — on a schedule, and participants follow along, sharing their progress in online communities, Facebook groups, Ravelry threads, or blog comment sections. The social aspect is a huge part of what makes a CAL so enjoyable. You’re not just crocheting alone at your kitchen table; you’re part of a global community of makers all working on the same thing, sharing color choices, troubleshooting tricky stitches, and cheering each other on.

Sharon Blignaut’s Crochet Block a Week CAL ran throughout 2014, releasing one new block pattern every single week for an entire year. That’s 52 blocks in total, each one unique, each one building your skill set while giving you a satisfying piece to add to your growing collection.

Who Is Sharon Blignaut?

Sharon Blignaut is a South African crochet designer who has built a deeply loyal following through her thoughtful, approachable patterns and her generous spirit in sharing her work freely with the crochet community. Her blog and social media presence attracted makers from all corners of the world, and her 2014 CAL was one of the things that put her name firmly on the map for crochet enthusiasts everywhere.

What set Sharon’s approach apart was her ability to create blocks that felt both achievable and inspiring. She didn’t just recycle the same granny square over and over in different colors. Each week brought something genuinely new — a different stitch pattern, a new construction technique, an unexpected texture or motif. Beginners found the earlier blocks accessible, while the later designs gave more experienced crocheters something to sink their teeth into. That careful balance is part of why the CAL resonated so widely and why it continues to attract new participants a decade after it originally ran.

What Makes This CAL Special?

A lot of crochet-alongs have come and gone over the years, but Sharon Blignaut’s Block a Week CAL from 2014 has a staying power that most don’t. Here’s why.

First, the variety is extraordinary. Over 52 weeks, you encounter an enormous range of crochet techniques. You’ll work with solid squares, textured squares, floral motifs, geometric designs, and delicate lacy blocks. You’ll practice cluster stitches, bobbles, popcorns, shell stitches, spike stitches, and more. By the time you complete all 52 blocks, your stitch vocabulary will have grown tremendously, and you’ll have the kind of practical, hands-on knowledge that no single pattern or stitch tutorial can give you.

Second, it’s completely free. Sharon generously made every single block pattern available at no cost on her blog. In a world where quality crochet patterns are rightly priced for the work that goes into them, having 52 beautifully designed blocks available for free is genuinely remarkable.

Third, the community that grew around this CAL was (and continues to be) warm and supportive. Even years later, people are still sharing their finished afghans and their in-progress block collections in crochet groups online. If you search for the CAL on Facebook, Pinterest, or Ravelry, you’ll find a vibrant archive of color inspiration, finished object photos, and encouragement.

Accessing the Free Patterns

Sharon Blignaut originally posted all 52 blocks on her blog. Because the CAL ran in 2014, some links may have moved or changed over the years, and this is where a bit of patience and detective work comes in handy.

The best places to find the patterns include Sharon’s blog, where the original posts were made week by week throughout 2014. Searching “Sharon Blignaut Block a Week CAL 2014” will bring up the blog directly. Many of the individual block posts also come up in Pinterest searches, where crafters have pinned them over the years, creating a helpful visual index.

Ravelry is another excellent resource. If you have a Ravelry account (which is free to create), you can search for the CAL and find many of the individual blocks listed in the pattern database, often with links back to Sharon’s original blog posts. Ravelry project pages are also incredibly useful for seeing how other makers have interpreted each block in different color schemes.

If you find that certain links are broken, the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine can sometimes retrieve older blog posts that have since moved or been taken down. Many crochet communities have also compiled master lists of all 52 blocks with working links, so a quick search in a Facebook crochet group or on Pinterest will often turn up a helpful roundup post.

What You’ll Need Before You Start

One of the beautiful things about this CAL is that the supply list is simple. You don’t need special equipment or exotic yarn. Here’s what to gather before you cast on your first block.

Yarn: Sharon worked her original blocks in a worsted-weight yarn. This is the most widely available weight and the one that produces the clearest stitch definition in textured patterns. Choose a smooth, plied yarn rather than a fuzzy or bouclé yarn, especially for the more intricate blocks where you want the stitch work to show clearly. As for color, that’s entirely up to you. Many participants chose a single neutral color throughout — cream, gray, or white — to let the textures speak for themselves. Others went full rainbow, using a different color for every block. Still others chose a cohesive palette of three to five complementary colors to give their finished blanket a curated, intentional look. There is no wrong answer.

Hook: A 5mm hook works well for most worsted-weight yarns, though you should always work a gauge swatch for the first block and adjust your hook size if needed. Many crocheters find that going up or down half a size makes a significant difference in how even and relaxed their tension feels.

Other supplies: You’ll want a yarn needle for weaving in ends, scissors, stitch markers for keeping your place in more complex rounds, and some form of organization system for keeping your finished blocks safe until you’re ready to join them. A zippered bag or a dedicated project bin works well.

Tips for Working Through All 52 Blocks

Starting a year-long project is exciting, but staying motivated all the way through is a different challenge. Here are some strategies that successful CAL participants have used to keep momentum going.

Work consistently rather than in bursts. The weekly structure of the CAL is actually a gift — one block a week is completely manageable, even for the busiest crocheters. If you try to marathon the whole thing in a month, you’ll burn out. But if you commit to one block per week, you’ll find that the project becomes a pleasant habit rather than a looming obligation.

Keep a dedicated project basket. Having your CAL yarn and hook in one specific place makes it easier to pick up and put down without losing your spot. When your supplies are organized, you’re more likely to reach for them.

Join a community. Even if the original 2014 CAL has long since concluded, there are active groups of people working through it at their own pace. Search Facebook for groups dedicated to Sharon Blignaut’s CAL or to blanket CALs in general. The accountability and inspiration that come from a community of fellow makers is genuinely motivating.

Weave in your ends as you go. It’s tempting to leave all the end-weaving until the very end, but 52 blocks with multiple ends each amounts to a mountain of finishing work. Weave in each block’s ends before setting it aside, and your final assembly will feel much lighter.

Don’t skip the blocks that seem hard. The instinct when you hit a challenging block is to set it aside and come back to it later. Resist this. The harder blocks are often the most rewarding, and working through them in sequence builds the skills you’ll need for blocks further down the line.

Understanding the Block Sizes and Assembly

Each block in the CAL is worked to a consistent finished size, which is what makes them all joinable into a cohesive blanket or other project at the end. The standard target size for each block is approximately 6 to 8 inches square after blocking, though this can vary slightly depending on your tension and yarn weight.

Blocking is worth mentioning specifically here because it makes an enormous difference to how crochet squares look and behave when joined. Wet blocking — soaking your finished blocks in cool water, gently squeezing out the excess, and pinning them to a foam mat or blocking boards to dry — evens out uneven tension, opens up lacy patterns beautifully, and ensures all your blocks will be the same size when it comes time to join them. It’s an extra step, but crocheters who skip it often find themselves wrestling with a lumpy, uneven blanket at the assembly stage.

For joining, you have several options. The flat slip stitch join gives a clean, nearly invisible seam. The join-as-you-go method eliminates most of the sewing and is popular with crocheters who dislike finishing work. The decorative join, where you work a visible seam in a contrasting color, can become a design feature in its own right and gives your blanket a stained-glass quality. Your choice of join will depend on the overall look you’re going for and your personal preference.

A 52-block blanket can be arranged in many ways. A 7×7 arrangement gives you a roughly square blanket with three blocks left over for a small pillow cover or decorative piece. A 6×8 arrangement gives you a more rectangular throw. You can also set the blocks on point (rotated 45 degrees) with half-square triangles filling the edges for a different visual effect entirely. The arrangement is worth thinking through before you start joining, because it will affect how you organize your color placement and which blocks end up at the center versus the edges.

Project Ideas Beyond a Blanket

While most people participating in Sharon Blignaut’s CAL were working toward a finished blanket, the 52 blocks can be used in many other ways. If a full blanket feels too ambitious or too large for your current life circumstances, consider these alternatives.

A sampler pillow collection. Group your favorite six to twelve blocks into pillow covers of various sizes. Displayed together on a sofa, they make a stunning, cohesive set.

Wall art. Frame individual blocks in embroidery hoops or simple shadow box frames for textile wall art. The more intricate, sculptural blocks work especially well for this.

A baby blanket. Using a smaller hook and lighter-weight yarn, a selection of 12 to 16 blocks can be joined into a beautiful baby blanket — a truly thoughtful handmade gift.

Bags and totes. Several blocks joined together and lined with fabric make beautiful project bags, market totes, or clutch purses. This is a great way to use blocks that turned out slightly different in size from the rest.

A table runner. Six to eight blocks joined in a single row make a lovely table runner for a dining table or sideboard.

The Legacy of This CAL

It’s remarkable that a crochet-along that ran a decade ago still attracts new participants every year. Sharon Blignaut’s Block a Week CAL 2014 has become one of those foundational projects in the online crochet community — something that gets passed between friends, recommended in beginner groups, and revisited by makers who find their unfinished blocks tucked away in a forgotten bin.

Part of what gives it such lasting power is the educational value. Working through 52 diverse blocks is genuinely one of the best ways to grow as a crocheter. You can read all the tutorials and watch all the YouTube videos you like, but there’s nothing quite like the combination of a written pattern, your hands, and the need to figure something out because you want to see the finished block. That problem-solving, that muscle memory, that gradual building of confidence — it’s irreplaceable, and this CAL delivers it in spades.

The other part of its enduring appeal is simpler: it’s beautiful. The finished blankets people have made from these 52 blocks are genuinely stunning. They’re heirlooms. They’re the kind of thing you wrap around yourself on a cold evening and feel genuinely proud of. That’s what Sharon Blignaut gave the crochet community when she sat down and designed 52 unique blocks and shared them freely with the world.

Getting Started Today

If you’ve made it this far, you’re clearly ready to begin. The best time to start Sharon Blignaut’s Crochet Block a Week CAL 2014 was in January 2014. The second best time is right now.

Head to Sharon’s blog and find the first block. Gather your yarn and hook. Make a cup of tea. Sit down somewhere comfortable and work that first square. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be started.

In a year’s time — or however long it takes you, because there are no rules here — you’ll have 52 unique crochet blocks and the skills, memories, and satisfaction of a project that challenged you, taught you, and rewarded your effort every single week. That’s a pretty good return on a ball of yarn and a few hours a week.

Happy crocheting.