Bonus Square - August Blooms

August Blooms is a bonus square for my blanket square project - [Threads of Colour - a Year in Squares.](https://www.facebook.com/groups/1587569399330205) The daisy chain stitch is a fun stitch that involves adding extra wraps while knitting and then dropping the wraps to create elongated stitches. The stitches are then wrapped to create the flower shape. While this seems laborious it creates almost an inch of fabric in only 4 rows – a huge payback on the effort. A photo tutorial is included in the pattern. **Bonus Square - August Blooms** is a textured knitting pattern for a single Afghan block, designed to evoke the lush, layered feeling of a late-summer garden. Intentional dropped stitches create elongated ladder columns that read as blooms and stems across a striped colorwork ground, packing real visual depth into a compact worsted-weight square. An intermediate technique set in a beginner-friendly format: if you have worked stripes before and are ready to try a deliberate drop, this square is a satisfying next step. Construction and Technique -------------------------- • Worked flat, bottom-up, in a single piece with no seaming • Stripe sequencing builds the colorwork structure row by row • **Dropped stitch technique** used intentionally to open elongated columns and create surface texture • Stockinette base with structured stitch manipulation; textured right-side fabric • Blocking recommended to open the dropped-stitch ladders fully and square the block Materials --------- • **Yarn weight:** Worsted weight / CYC Size 4 (shown in **Cascade 220**) • **Yardage:** 75-90 yards (68-82 m) per square; plan for each color stripe separately • **Needles:** US 7 / 4.5 mm (straight or circular) • **Gauge:** 20 sts per 4 inches (10 cm) in stockinette stitch; always follow pattern gauge • Notions: tapestry needle for weaving ends, blocking pins Sizing ------ • One size: a single square block • Finished dimensions depend on your gauge and blocking; wet block and pin for a crisp, consistent Afghan square What's Included --------------- • Full written pattern in English (US knitting terms throughout) • Step-by-step photo tutorial covering the dropped stitch technique • All abbreviations defined within the pattern A quick, rewarding knit that earns its place in any sampler Afghan or seasonal blanket project. Cast on, drop on purpose, and watch August bloom in your hands.