How to Crochet 2 Strand Buffalo Plaid (Buffalo Check) | Only 2 Yarn Colors Needed!

[@rrome6178]

Wow, my head is spinning yet you made it look so easy, lol! I’m going to go for it! Thank you for such a clear tutorial!

[@missangie1562]

Thank you. ❤. That was very well explained. Great job. I’m on my way to making buffalo plaid. ❤

[@GraeMatterz]

Great tutorial. The 2-color version you present here more closely approximates the Buffalo Plaid weave. In woven BP, the warp is alternating blocks of color strung on the loom and then the weft is alternating blocks of color woven thru the warp, creating solid blocks where the warp and weft are the same color and variegated blocks where the warp and weft are different colors. In your version, your dominant strand acts as the weft (working strand woven thru the loom) and your individual block strands act as the warp (strands mounted on the loom). This creates more vibrant blocks of color where they are mixed versus the 3rd color that attempts to be an in-between, which can wind up looking muddy. The only thing I would suggest: If the size you are going for calls for an even number of blocks in a direction then pick one of the colors to be at the edge and do half-blocks on each edge to make the pattern symmetrical. With blocks of odd numbered stitches, that would require adding an additional stitch at one edge.

[@CraftersAutonomous]

Ooh, I love the comparison with weaving! And great point about changing the block thickness at the edges for symmetry. Now you've got me thinking about how it would turn out if I made rectangles instead of squares for the plaid... might be a fun design to try!

[@GraeMatterz]

@@CraftersAutonomous I've decided to use your method to make a small car blanket, just big enough to cover my lap to my ankles. I have arthritic knees and my car's heater doesn't reach them on either the dash or floor setting. This will be a great pattern for it. TSM!

[@CraftersAutonomous]

@@GraeMatterz Sounds like a great project! I hope it goes well for you.

[@GraeMatterz]

​ @CraftersAutonomous UPDATE: I finally completed the Buffalo Plaid car blanket. I frogged the first attempt of the single crochet version (which was a slow tedious process to keep it from turning into a rat nest) because it wasn't thick enough for my needs. In the new version instead of single crochet, I substituted thermal stitch single crochet. The thermal stitch allowed it to be thicker without being too bulky (basically 4 strands thick) and it still had a nice drape. One thing I found with using the thermal stitch is that the demarcation between the color changes was more clearly defined by moving the strand I'm dropping to the front before picking up the next color and I could better hide the ends of the yarn (from switching the dominant color or from adding more yarn) by tucking the yarn end into the channel between the two previous rows, keeping the end under the hook between picking up the BLO and picking up the remaining loop from the previous row (if that makes sense). The result is on my instagram (same username) if you are interested (YT wouldn't let me post the link).

[@lmoody9559]

I like this method better because I can’t get over seeing the carry yarn 🧶

[@CraftersAutonomous]

So glad you enjoyed this tutorial! That's the same thing I didn't like about other patterns, the carry thread was too obvious for my tastes.

[@marilyngrayCraftandcrotchet]

This is by far the best instructional tutorial I've seen on a single crotchet/ foundation row ever🙌👏! Also amazing color changing instructions with a bonus of 2 strand plaid. Thank you so much.😊

[@CraftersAutonomous]

Thank you so much! It always makes me happy to hear one of my videos helped someone else.

[@feelute8352]

I love the buffalo plaid, and your explanation of the process was easy to follow. I could not have taught it that well. ( I taught crochet many years ago). You can teach old gals new tricks. I 💕 that FSC.(foundation less single crochet). Thanks. Fee.

[@CraftersAutonomous]

This makes me so happy to hear! ☺️ and yes the foundation single crochet is such a game changer!

[@barblee3174]

I really appreciate how much detail you showed. I really felt like I understood what to do before I even started.

[@looshandnugget]

Thinking about doing this with white and green for christmas throw pillow cases.

[@CraftersAutonomous]

Green is one of my favorite colors, so that sounds so pretty and festive!

[@janienauta7368]

That would be very beautiful!

[@eb5153]

I love green! That would be so pretty!

[@mariankay6482]

I don't even care that much for the buffalo checks but I loved this so much! I'm gonna make some for Christmas gifts for those who do like it! Thanks do much!!!

[@CraftersAutonomous]

Haha, that's what my mom was saying, she's not a fan of buffalo plaid either but loves this pillow! 😄I'm sure your gift recipients are going to love their presents!

[@lisaknits69]

Beautiful buffalo square

[@CraftersAutonomous]

Thank you! It was such a fun pattern to make

[@lisaknits69]

@@CraftersAutonomous yes it would be a fun pattern to make

[@TCMedicare101]

This is a GREAT explanation of the process for buffalo check. I'll be using this to crochet a blanket for one of my nephews for Christmas!

[@jounderhill6913]

WOW - I love this! I must admit, I really thought it was going to be way beyond my ability, however, now I’ve watched your video a couple of times, I think - as long as I take it slowly - I might be able to do it! Thank you for making such a clear video: in description as well as camera angles…I’m sure you make it seem easier than it really is! Now to rummage through my stash to find something suitable to practice with! Forward Ho! 💜

[@CraftersAutonomous]

I believe in you! You've got this! And honestly the hardest part is getting things set up right and not tangling the little balls of yarn. 😄 Once you get the feel for the color changes, you'll probably find it's easier than it looks! If you have any questions or get stuck anywhere, just drop another comment and I'll do my best to help.

[@RockyRoadJY]

It all makes sense and it’s gorgeous. I would love to try this for a small pillow. In my minds eye I see an afghan but after 60+ years of crocheting I can now accept that an afghan will never happen and that is okay. 😅

[@CraftersAutonomous]

An afghan with this technique would be absolutely stunning! But as someone who has only ever completed two crochet blankets and it took literal years to complete, I understand why a pillow might be a more realistic project 😂 Also, you are living one of my life goals - I hope to one day be able to say that I too have crocheted for over 60 years!

[@buddyholly4672]

Omg its beautiful! Im excited to try it out. Thank you so much for sharing!

[@mushundir5238]

Your orange and purple creation is giving me serious Zany Brainy vibes and I love it! haha This is a great technique! I use a similar technique when making my loom knit hats and scarves, occasionally.

[@CraftersAutonomous]

Haha it totally does look like that! I was going to film the red and black on camera but then remembered the black is hard for the camera to pick up. 😆it so fun playing with different colors for projects!

[@mushundir5238]

@@CraftersAutonomous I used to make random hats with whichever two yarns I grabbed first to make some crazy color combos. It was fun randomizing it. I’ve never considered colors would be easier/harder to see on camera than others. Interesting

[@gdcleanfun]

Great tutorial, so clear and succinct. Thank you!

[@CraftersAutonomous]

Glad you enjoyed this project! It was fun to design and make.

[@dottieburton5501]

I love this and can not wait to try it thank you so much

[@CraftersAutonomous]

I'm so glad you like this idea!

[@batoulmahdi1908]

I swear i liike itt

[@realchandlerbling]

Kudos for an awesome, easy to follow tutorial! I do have a question though: do you think it would be possible to make something like a granny square, then sew several together to make a blanket? I would love to make a throw in this pattern, but I’m slightly terrified of keeping up with that many balls of yarn for that long 😅 Thank you again for this great explanation!!

[@CraftersAutonomous]

Ooh, that's a great idea! You could still use 2 strands of yarn for each granny square, and that would make the blanket extra chunky and let you get the perfect blend of colors for the in between squares. So you could use 2 strands of red for the solid red granny squares, 2 strands of black for the solid black squares, and 1 strand of red and 1 strand of black for the mixed color squares. Or you could use any color combo you wanted, of course. 😄 If you end up making a blanket, I'd love to see how it turns out! You could post a pic to my Crafters Autonomous Facebook page, or tag me @Crafters_Autonomous on Instagram.

[@Tri_AgainProject]

This was my thought as well… I've been looking for planned pooling yarn in a store but haven't had any luck. My other idea was to figure out a way to keep the balls from rolling, so maybe in dollar store plastic containers with a hole for the yarn to feed through. Maybe on a lazy susan, so it's easier to flip? I don't know if that would work, but since the yarn strands stay in the same order, it might work?

[@hendricksefamily7935]

Hello: what more can I say just beautiful. You do amazing work . Can you please tell me the name of the yarn you use

[@CraftersAutonomous]

Thank you! The yarn shown in this video (purple and orange, and red and black) all come from Hobby Lobby. It's their "I Love This Yarn" which is their basic worsted weight 4 yarn. Similar to a Red Heart Super Saver or Joann Big Twist. But a bit softer than the RHSS at least.

[@JulieAnnAdventures]

FIRST, Thank YOU so much for such a fun pattern to try out today!!! Second, I learned a new trick from you this morning since My busy alreration seasons have come to a close. HOW I LOVE the awesome #FoundationRow without a starter chain! Third, I am going to try this new way to do the #BuffaloPlaid!! Fourth... BIG Question!!! How do you know how big to make the "small" balls of yarn? Do you just wing it with a trial by error method or...??? I am grabbing my "Unspoken for Skeins" ( LOL ) to give this a whirl in a few minutes!! I am just loving this video, too!!

[@CraftersAutonomous]

You're so welcome, and I'm glad you love the foundation row! That little trick has been so helpful for me, so it's always exciting sharing it with others. As far as how much yarn I use for the little balls, I just guess (and sometimes I'm way off haha!) If you want to use a more accurate but also more rigorous method, you can weigh the yarn and calculate how many yards you have. I walk through the process in the 5th hack in this video - kzbin.info/www/bejne/epzPnYCufaeHatU Then, you would also need to figure out how many yards you need for each column of your project. This would require a gauge test. For me, it's not worth going through all that effort to create the little balls 😄 My thinking is if I make the balls too small, I can just make another ball and swap to that one. And if I made the balls too large, at least I can fasten the little balls all into one big ball to use for another project. Hope this helps!

[@gingersnap1568]

Thanks for asking about the ball sizes I was wondering that myself. Love this pattern.

[@JulieAnnAdventures]

@@CraftersAutonomous 💞Thank You sooo much for the quick response!! I am considering watching for another 🧶big yarn sale... and have one skein for each one!! LOL I made a sample with two lovely Gray and Ivory skeins with🎾 Tennis size balls of that yarn... and it is GORGEOUS 💞and super thick!! I got a lot of positive feedback when I shared my sample (with a LOT of mistakes) on my Facebook page. I LOVE that your pattern looks like a more authentic #BuffaloPlaid using both colors to make multiple colors. Now... to plan how big and how much yarn I will need to make a big comfy Throw in the Gray/WhiteCombo for my daughter's🛋 huge couch.. She liked the sample... (which is why I purposely chose the Gray/White!! #THRIVEingMommaAndNana is sooo sneaky! TeeHeeHee!! 🤣🧶🧶

[@JulieAnnAdventures]

@@gingersnap1568 From one Ginger to another(?) LOL, I absolutely LOVE this pattern best of all the hours of patterns I've watched and read to see which one I would try!!! This one is the #1 for me.

[@gingersnap1568]

Ditto! Yes Im a real ginger. I cant wait to try this plaid too, very excited.

[@lsjrjt3583]

How do you know how long to make each of the balls of yarn? I'm thinking for a table runner.

[@CraftersAutonomous]

Honestly, I don't have a great rule of thumb here. I'm pretty good at guessing how much yarn I will need, and it's something I've acquired from years of crocheting. Of course, my intuition doesn't help you much in this instance haha! You could always make a small test swatch and weigh the yarn to see how much was used. If you're not sure how to figure out yardage based on how much the yarn weighs, the last hack in this video explains that process - kzbin.info/www/bejne/epzPnYCufaeHatUsi=tT5-I-5o4Pniouqr&t=622

[@rrome6178]

I want to make your version of the buffalo plaid but for a small project worked in the round. I can’t imagine having so many balls of yarn going, is there any other way of accomplishing your pattern? Also, since doing the crocheting in the round, do I need an even or an odd number of blocks so my pattern is consistent till the end? Many thanks for help you can provide!

[@CraftersAutonomous]

To be honest, I'm not sure how this method could be worked in the round. Sorry I can't be of more help!

[@carolschramski]

So have a questions. If I were to do a twin size blanket and have 10 solid colors in each row. So for each I will use 11 balls of each color. But how many balls will I be using at one time. You are using 5 balls at a time

[@CraftersAutonomous]

Great question! So if you have 10 solid colors in each row, you will either have 19 or 20 blocks across each row (if you start and end with 10 solid colors, then there will be 9 blocks of the variegated in between those 10 solid colors, for a total of 19; if you start with a solid color and end with a variegated block, then there would be 10 of each block for a total of 20.) Once you know how many blocks across you have, you will need one ball for each column of blocks. If 19 blocks, then 10 of the color that's the solid on the ends, 9 of the other color. If 20 blocks, then 10 of each color. Then you will need two more balls, one of each color. So for your specific scenario, you will need a total of 21 or 22 balls, with the color breakdown as described above. As far as how many you will be using at one time, you will be using all but one of the two extra balls. Those two balls get swapped in and out for each row of blocks. That's one ball for each column, plus one of the extra balls. The extra balls are the color that is combined with balls for each column. I hope this answer clears things up a little bit! I know it's super wordy, and the method is a little confusing to set up. But the good news is once you get it set up right, getting the hang of crocheting it comes much easier. Let me know if any of this is confusing and I'll try to explain another way!

[@lalagamma4452]

This is a Cute!! 💞Namesta🐞🕉️

[@CraftersAutonomous]

Thanks! Are you feeling better?

[@lalagamma4452]

Yes just a little bit run down. But I'm finding more energy for my crocheting. 😆 I hope you and yours are well.💞Namesta🐞🕉️

[@CraftersAutonomous]

@@lalagamma4452 I'll keep praying for healing and strength. Hang in there!

[@janienauta7368]

I love this pattern and want to make a lap blanket that will be 36" x 36". I'm going to use 2 colors of yarn in either a 3 weight or 4 weight, haven't decided yet! What I need to know, is how many small balls if yarn I need for each color? Let's just say that we doubled the size of your plaid pattern, 32" x 32", had 12 squares across, using 2 colors, how many small balls do I need to create? Would it be 7 small balls if each color?

[@mariankay6482]

Good question! I was thinking about it and it seems to me that you need one ball, alternating, per every row you crochet up your project. Then, you would use the 2 dominant colors going from side to side. I am not sure that's correct but that's how it appears. I'll wait for the answer from the expert because I am just guessing. ❤️🤪🧶

[@janienauta7368]

@@mariankay6482 Thank you for the feedback, it makes sense, though Amanda did alternate 6 small balls of yarn just for that 4 x 4 pattern! Thanks again Marian!

[@CraftersAutonomous]

Yes, 7 small balls of each color! The reason why is because the secondary color alternates for each column of blocks. If it's 12 squares wide, that's 6 balls of each of the 2 colors. Then, we need an extra ball of each color for the alternating dominant color for each row of blocks. So that brings us to 7 balls of each color. Hope that makes sense!

[@mariankay6482]

Thank you!!!

[@janienauta7368]

Crafters Autonomous Thank you Amanda!

[@lsjrjt3583]

Mine is making a circle. It doesn't look like yours. Do you have written instructions?

[@CraftersAutonomous]

I don't have written instructions at this time. So sorry!

[@BADRUBULDURA]

🙂🙂😊😊

[@carolschramski]

Is there a written pattern

[@CraftersAutonomous]

Sorry, I just have the video tutorial.

[@carolschramski]

So have a questions. If I were to do a twin size blanket and have 10 solid colors in each row. So for each I will use 11 balls of each color. But how many balls will I be using at one time. You are using 5 balls at a time

[@CraftersAutonomous]

Just responded to your other comment! I don't always see comment replies because of the way youtube notifications work, so I'm glad you posted a new comment so I didn't miss your question 😄

[@vincciyip8568]

Thanks for your great explanation of the process and easy to understand. 😊

[@CraftersAutonomous]

You're very welcome! Glad you enjoyed this tutorial.