Free Crochet Pattern Checkered Book Sleeve

Free Crochet Pattern
Checkered Book Sleeve



About this Pattern:
I've always loved reading. As a child, I enjoyed books like Fear Street, Goosebumps, and other spooky stories. These days, I prefer thrillers, especially books by James Patterson.

Whenever I go on vacation, I always bring a book with me. So, I thought it would be fun to make a book sleeve to take along! I looked at lots of patterns online, but most granny squares had flowers in them, which isn't really my style.

That's why I designed my own Checkered Book Sleeve! I'm sharing the pattern here for anyone who, like me, prefers something a little different from floral granny squares.

The Checkered Book Sleeve is made out of 6 granny squares, crocheted together. At the end, you will crochet a border and a buttonhole. There will be some ends to be woven in, so I would recommend weaving in the ends as you go.

Happy crocheting! 




Maybe Christmas themed?
(I used AI to change the colours)


Or Wednesday and Enid?
(I used AI to change the colours)


Materials:
  • 3.0 mm hook
  • DK yarn in 2 colours (2 skeins for each colour, 4 skeins in total)
  • Scissors
  • Optional: stitch markers 
  • Darning needle
  • 1 button
Abbreviations (US terms):
  • MC = magic circle
  • ch = chain
  • sc = single crochet
  • hdc = half double crochet
  • dc = double crochet
  • dc inc =  double crochet increase, meaning putting 2 dc in one stitch
  • sl st = slip stitch
  • inc = increase 

Size and Gauge:
When made with DK yarn and a 3.0 mm hook, the Checkered Book Sleeve is 27 cm (10.63 inches) wide. The height will depend on where you'll attach your button, but if you do it like I did, the height is 19 cm (7.48 inches).

One square should be 13.5 cm (5.31 inches) wide. If your squares are too big or too small, go up or down a hook size. 

Pattern notes:
  • After every round, turn your work.
  • When making the MC, make sure you keep crocheting over the starting tail to be able to pull the MC closed. This is a little fiddly because of all the yarn ends, but it will get easier in the next rounds.
  • Don't cut your yarns until the very end. After a colour change, just leave the yarn hanging. You will pick it back up in the next round.
  • When picking up your yarn after changing colour, you will see a little strand of yarn going up from the previous round. You can hide this by crocheting over this strand when making the first stitch in the new colour.
  • Change colour by starting the last stitch in the old colour and finishing that stitch with the new colour. So make the whole stitch like normal, except for the last "yarn over and pull through". That you will do with the new colour.
  • Leave all the yarns hanging on the same side, making this the wrong side. This will be the inside of the book sleeve.
  • Use a separate skein/cake/etc. for every colour block, so 2x colour A and 2x colour B.
  • You could make this with 4 colours as well.

Pattern (make 6):
R1: MC in Colour A. Ch 3 (counts as first dc), dc, ch 3, 2 dc. Switch to Colour B. 
2 dc, ch 3, 2 dc. Switch to colour A.
2 dc, ch 3, 2 dc. Switch to colour B. 
2 dc, ch 3, 2 dc, sl st to the third chain of the starting chain. 




R2: With Colour B, ch 3 (counts as first dc), turn, 1 dc in dc's of previous round, 2 dc in chain space, ch 3, 2 more dc in chain space, 2 dc in dc's of previous round. Switch to Colour A.
2 dc, 2 dc in chain space, ch 3, 2 more dc in chain space, 2 dc, switch to Colour B.
2 dc, 2 dc in chain space, ch 3, 2 more dc in chain space, 2 dc, switch to Colour A.
2 dc, 2 dc in chain space, ch 3, 2 more dc in chain space, 2 dc, sl st to third chain of the starting chain.



R3: With Colour A, ch 3 (counts as first dc), turn, 3 dc in dc's of previous round, 2 dc in chain space, ch 3, 2 more dc in chain space, 4 dc in dc's of previous round. Switch to Colour B.
4 dc, 2 dc in chain space, ch 3, 2 more dc in chain space, 4 dc, switch to Colour A.
4 dc, 2 dc in chain space, ch 3, 2 more dc in chain space, 4 dc, switch to Colour B.
4 dc, 2 dc in chain space, ch 3, 2 more dc in chain space, 4 dc, sl st to third chain of the starting chain.




R4: With Colour B, ch 3 (counts as first dc), turn, 5 dc in dc's of previous round, 2 dc in chain space, ch 3, 2 more dc in chain space, 6 dc in dc's of previous round. Switch to Colour A.
6 dc, 2 dc in chain space, ch 3, 2 more dc in chain space, 6 dc, switch to Colour B.
6 dc, 2 dc in chain space, ch 3, 2 more dc in chain space, 6 dc, switch to Colour A.
6 dc, 2 dc in chain space, ch 3, 2 more dc in chain space, 6 dc, sl st to third chain of the starting chain.




R5: With Colour A, ch 3 (counts as first dc), turn, 7 dc in dc's of previous round, 2 dc in chain space, ch 3, 2 more dc in chain space, 8 dc in dc's of previous round. Switch to Colour B.
8 dc, 2 dc in chain space, ch 3, 2 more dc in chain space, 8 dc, switch to Colour A.
8 dc, 2 dc in chain space, ch 3, 2 more dc in chain space, 8 dc, switch to Colour B.
8 dc, 2 dc in chain space, ch 3, 2 more dc in chain space, 8 dc, sl st to third chain of the starting chain.




R6: With Colour B, ch 3 (counts as first dc), turn, 9 dc in dc's of previous round, 2 dc in chain space, ch 3, 2 more dc in chain space, 10 dc in dc's of previous round. Switch to Colour A.
10 dc, 2 dc in chain space, ch 3, 2 more dc in chain space, 10 dc, switch to Colour B.
10 dc, 2 dc in chain space, ch 3, 2 more dc in chain space, 10 dc, switch to Colour A.
10 dc, 2 dc in chain space, ch 3, 2 more dc in chain space, 10 dc, sl st to third chain of the starting chain.




Weave in the ends.




Assembly
Lay out all your squares in a 2 x 3 formation. The wrong side is facing up, the right side facing down.



Attach your yarn with a slip knot to the chain space on the right of the bottom left square and chain 1. 
Crochet the squares together with hdc stitches, doing 1 hdc in each dc and 2 hdc in each chain space. 
Crochet the red line first (fasten off), then the blue (fasten off) and then the green (do NOT fasten off).



After finishing the green line, you do not fasten off. Fold the bottom squares on top of the middle 2 squares, wrong sides inside.




Now you will crochet the side of the Book Sleeve closed, the same way as before (hdc and 2 hdc in chain spaces). The chain space on the bottom corner will have 4 hdc in total. Fasten off.



Now attach your yarn with a slip knot to the chain space on the bottom of the other side and close it the same way. Fasten off.

Border of pouch:
Next you'll add a border to the top of the pouch. First, fold it right side out. 

Attach your yarn with a slip knot to the chain space of the back panel on the right. First, go into the chain space of the back panel, then into the chain space of the front panel, sc across the edge to the other side. 1 sc in each dc, 2 sc in each chain space. 
Fasten off after the last 2 sc in the chain space of the back panel on the left side.


Border of flap:
The last thing to do is add a border to the flap. 
Work the first row facing the right side of your project. Then turn and work the second row facing the wrong side.

R1: Attach your yarn with a slip knot to the chain space on the right side of your work. Attach it to the last chain space of the pouch. Make 2 sc in this chain space and 2 sc in the chain space of the flap.


Sc across the edge. Work 4 sc in the chain space of the corner of the flap.
Sc to the middle of the edge of the flap. Do not crochet into the chain spaces in the middle. Instead, chain as many as you need to make the loop big enough to fit around your button.



Then sc across the rest of the edge, 4 sc in the corner chain space, more sc on the side, ending in the chain space of the pouch.

Chain 1, turn your work.

R2: Now, starting in the next available stitch, alternate a dc and a sl st all across the edge.
So, 1 dc, 1 sl st, 1 dc, 1 sl st...
At the two corners, put 1 sl st, 1 dc inc, 1 sl st, 1 dc inc. 

If you need to squeeze in another stitch to make it line up at the end, then you do that.
End with a sl st.

Link to video tutorial (not mine): Simple Border


Add button:
Now decide where you want your button to be. The lower you sew it on, the smaller your Book Sleeve will be.
I put mine in the middle of the upper blocks on the pouch, because that way most of my books will fit snugly. But please test it with your books!

Weave in your ends. While weaving, you can tidy up some corners and seams if they are not neat.






This pattern is for personal use. You may sell finished items made from this pattern, but please do not copy, redistribute, or republish the pattern in whole or in part. If you share your finished Checkered Book Sleeve online, please credit Kate's Cozy Crochet.


Finished your project?
I hope you enjoyed making this Checkered Book Sleeve. If you share your project on Instagram, I'd love to see it. Tag me at @katescozycrochet.


You might also like:





















©Kate's Cozy Crochet


Comments

Post a Comment

Populair posts

Free Crochet Pattern No-Sew Cauldron of Potions Pincushion

Image
Free Crochet Pattern  No-Sew Cauldron of Potions Pincushion About this Pattern Years ago, I crocheted a little coffee cup to use as a pincushion. It actually turned out pretty cute and I was quite happy with it, but it doesn't really fit me. I don't even drink coffee! And to be honest, there is something else that has been secretly annoying me all these years: I sewed the handle of the cup on the wrong way around.  Now that I write my own crochet patterns, I decided it was time to make a new pincushion. One that suits me a little better. I love cozy things, but I also have a soft spot for spooky things. And since Halloween is almost here, the idea for a little witch's cauldron was born. With bright colours inside, because I wanted it to look both poisonous and cheerful at the same time. You can change the colours to make another type of potion. Maybe a Love Potion with three pink yarns? Add a little sparkle with a sparkly yarn? If you find the three-colour spiral too fiddly...
Read more

Free crochet pattern C2C Dachshund

Image
  Free C2C crochet pattern  Dachshund (40 x 40 graph) How to download the graph: On a desktop computer, click the graph to open the full-size image, then right-click and choose “Save image as.” On mobile, tap and hold the image to save it to your device. About this Pattern: Since I was very young, my family has always had dachshunds. We had two when I was growing up, and the second one was quite a character. She was incredibly fast and seemed to chew through absolutely everything. I still remember waking up one morning to find her running around the living room after she had chewed her way through her dog bed. My parents still have one dachshund today. Sadly, our other dachshund passed away three months ago. They have decided not to get another one, as they would like to travel more. I don't have any pets myself. I would love to have a dog, but with both of us working, we don't feel it's the right choice for us at the moment. And, to be completely honest, my boyfriend isn...
Read more

Free crochet pattern No-Sew Mushroom Bag Charm

Image
  Free No-Sew Crochet Pattern Mushroom Bag Charm About this Pattern: This no-sew Mushroom Bag Charm is a quick and beginner-friendly crochet project that's perfect for using up small amounts of DK yarn. Make one in your favourite colours or combine different sizes for a playful accessory to decorate your bag, backpack, or keychain. If you enjoy what I do, please consider supporting me! Every little bit means the world! Click here: Ko-fi . Thank you so much! Happy crocheting! Materials: 3.0 mm crochet hook DK yarn in 1 colour for the cap DK yarn in 1 colour for the stem stuffing for the big mushroom scissors darning needle optional: stitch markers Abbreviations (US): MC = magic circle sc = single crochet inc = increase dec = decrease FLO = front loop only sl st = slip stitch ch = chain Small Mushroom: You will be working in continuous rounds. The Small Mushroom is not stuffed. Start with cap colour.  R1: 6 sc in MC (6) R2: 6 sc (6) R3: 6 inc (12) R4: 12 sc (12) R5: FLO (1 sc, ...
Read more