Tropical Delight Square Photo Guide For Rounds 1-9

Here is my latest crochet feat!  I made this square to go with my Ravelry Block a Month Crochet Along blanket project.

This beautiful crocheted square is a pattern called Tropical Delight and it was designed by Susan Stevens.  The pattern, which has been out of print for some time, was recently made available for free by mellie of Mellieblossom.com.

 After I made this square, I posted a picture of it on a Ravelry forum thread, where it garnered a lot of interest!  But because it is a very, very involved....and challenging pattern, I thought it would be nice to have a photo guide of the first 9 rounds to go along with the pattern. Hopefully... it will make the instructions a little more clear. 

This is only a photo guide with minimal notes. If you would like to make this pretty square, you will need to visit mellieblossom.com and print out the pattern.

My square finished measures 10 inches.  I used worsted weight yarn and a 4mm (G) hook. 

yarn colors are Lion Brand Vanna's Choice Solids: Pink and Taupe and Loops and Threads Impeccable Solids: Rouge, Fern and Aran

Round 1

 Beg-sh-pc: I worked the 3dc into the side post of the beginning sc...I think that is what Fig 2 on the pattern is showing

finish the popcorn

 beg-sh -pc made

 chain 3

sh-pc-A:  Tr in ring

 3 dc into the base of the tr as in Fig. 3 of pattern

 Finish popcorn

 sh-pc-A made

 Two popcorns made, ch3

 continue around until you have a total of 8 popcorns: 1 beg-sh-pc and 7 sh-pc-A

Fasten off

Round 2

(This will be your first round of petals)

Petal 1

 after the ch5 you are going to turn your work to the back side as in the picture below

 slip st in the next ch3-sp, ch3 

 then you turn your work back to the front

 and make 10 dc in the ch5 space you just created

remember the ch3 does not count as one of the 10 dc, ch1

slip stitch in next ch-3 sp

Petal 2-6 

After you chain 5 turn your work to the back side again and slip st to the left of the previous sl st as shown below

 

 ch3 and turn your work back to the front side and make 10dc in the ch5 sp as shown below

Remember to ch1 after the 10 dc

 

 Petal 7

After working your 10dc and ch1 of petal 7, you will now slip stitch to the left of slip st in the next ch-3 space as shown below

 Petal 8

ch5

 turn work to back side slip st to the left of the slip st in next ch-3 space as in photo below

chain 3 

and turn work to the front side, work 10dc in ch-5 sp, ch1 and then sl st into post of first slip st of second petal made as shown below

 

 Round 3

(this will set up for your second round of petals)

ch3 

and slip stitch  abound base of ch-3 of first petal made as shown below (that is to the right)

 ch3, and working backwards to your right, slip st in back loop only of sixth dc (fifth from the left) of petal as shown by the arrow below.

ch7 and slip st in first dc of the same petal 

(this time through both loops) as shown below (remember the ch3 does not count as a dc, do not slip st in the chain 3)

 

 chain 5 and still working backwards, slip st in back loop only of sixth dc in next petal as shown below

 ch7 and slip st in first dc

 continue around and your flower should now look something like the one in the photo below

Round 4

(this will be your second round of petals)

sc over the joining slip st (that's right, sc right over it)

 now you are only going to work in the ch-5 spaces...skip all the ch-7 spaces...and work (sc, 9 dc, sc) in each ch-5 space around as shown in the photos below

 see the skipped ch-7 space in photo below

 This is how it should be looking:

 end of round 4

Round 5

This round is pretty self explanatory.  I used pink instead of white to show you the detail..you can use a different color too if you choose.

Round 6

(This will be the round that creates the leaves)

begin round 6 as instructed

 You will be making your shaped popcorn stitches into the middle chain of the ch7 that you skipped in round 4 as shown below

 follow the instructions and make your shaped popcorn-B as shown in photos below:

be sure and slip stitch into the same center chain as shown below

 continue following the directions for your shaped popcorn-c again using the same center chain 

 slip st in back loop of middle dc of petal and continue around as shown below

 

 at the end of round 6, your flower should look like the one below:

Round 7

(This is the round that forms the buds between the leaves)

The pattern does not specify, but we will assume the sc in center petal of this round is through the back loop only, 

 Sc right over the slip st from the last round as shown below

 ch 2

 front post slip st tightly around  top of next pc which is the next petal as shown below

  ch2

 make shaped popcorn-A into center ch of ch-7 loop, in the same place as the popcorn leaves as shown below

 after making both buds you ch2 and again tightly front post slip st around the next leaf (you will be making FPSlst's around every leaf as you go around...be sure not to skip any!)

 continue around following your instructions around

 at the end of round 7, your flower should be looking like this:

Round 8

(this will form your third round of petals)

Look at figure 5 on your instructions to see where to place the first two slip sts

first slip st:

 second slip st:

 In this round you will be making a front post dc around the leaves, right over the FPSlst you made in the last round...read your instructions carefully and don't forget this is a FPdc (not FPSlst) around every leaf  as shown in photos below:

 continue following the directions, don't forget the ch1 before the 5dc.

 I didn't get a picture of this step but next you are making a FPsc around the popcorn bud.  You will be making a FPsc around every bud and a FPdc around every leaf in this round.

between the buds you are making (3dc, ch1, 3dc) as shown in the photos below

 continue following your directions carefully for this round making sure you are making a FPsc around all buds and a FPdc around all leaves

 Below is what your flower should look like at the end of round 8:

Round 9

(this will be the first round of your background)

You will be working over the chain from round 7 between the stitches of round 8 and working on the back side of the flower as shown below:

sc into space specified on pattern, ch2...

 and dc in sc from round 7 as shown below

 ch2 and again sc in space specified on pattern as shown below

 ch2 and this time dc in space specified in pattern and shown below. (you dc here because you are setting up for the corner)

follow the directions for the corner...Tr trs are so fun!

 continue around following your pattern.  

 This is what you should have at the end of round 9:

Soooo pretty!

After this round it gets easy and I think you can handle it on your own!

I sincerely hope these photos helped.  This is a very difficult pattern to follow but it is also difficult to show everything in a photo.  

Best wishes my friends and happy hooking!