The Final Buzz: Creating the Orange Bee 2 Square | Garden Medley CAL
We’re circling back to another familiar favorite this week, the Orange Bee 2 square! This cheerful little design mirrors the green bee square, but with that bold rust background that ties the whole blanket together.
By now, you’ve probably got your color changes down to a fine art, so this one should feel like a relaxed, confidence-boosting make.
If you’re just joining in, make sure you’ve read the main CAL post here for information on materials, color choices, and the full release schedule.
About This Square
You’ll need to make one of this motif for your blanket. It’s similar to the previous bee squares, just with a warmer color palette that complements the flowers beautifully. This square is a quick, satisfying one that comes together smoothly, perfect for a cozy evening of crochet.
Get the Full Pattern
If you’d rather work ahead, you can grab the complete Garden Medley Blanket pattern now as a printable PDF. It includes all 12 charts, full written instructions, joining and border tutorials, and a coloring page to plan your palette.
👉 Click here to get the full pattern
And if you love this look, take a peek at the Bloom and Buzz Bundle, it includes two matching cushions that go perfectly with this blanket.
Materials & Notes
You’ll need the following materials to complete your Orange Bee 2 square:
Hook: 5 mm (or size needed to meet gauge)
Yarn: Amigo XL from Hobbii (Worsted weight, 100% Acrylic)
A – Ecru: 9 yards / 8 m
B – Black: 37 yards / 34m
C – Curry: 15 yards / 14 m
D – Rust: 102 yards / 94m
Extras: scissors, yarn needle, stitch markers, yarn bobbins, and a bobbin holder
Video Tutorials
If this is your first time doing colorwork or you’d like a refresher, these videos will help you get started:
- How To Read A Chart
- How To Do Intarsia Colorwork
- Foundation Single Crochet Tutorial
- How To Work With Multiple Bobbins
- 5 Tips For Crocheting A Graphgan
- 5 More Tips For Crocheting Graphgans
- How To Weave In Ends On A Colorwork Project
Tip of the Week
This week’s tip is all about blocking as you go. I know it’s tempting to leave it until the very end, but trust me, future you will thank you for tackling it now. Blocking each square before joining not only saves you time later but also helps your blanket come together neatly and evenly.
To block your squares, lay them out on blocking mats, pin them in place, and steam them using a steamer or the steam setting on your iron. Be careful not to touch the fabric directly with the iron, just let the steam do the work.
Once the squares have cooled and dried, you’ll notice how much better the colorwork looks and how any curling edges flatten out perfectly.
Taking a little time to block each square as you go makes the joining process so much smoother and gives your finished blanket a really polished, professional look.
Introduction
This pattern can be worked either by following the written instructions or the color chart.
Reading The Chart
The first row of the pattern is worked in FSC. For every following row, work a SC into every stitch. At the end of every row, ch 1 (not counted as a stitch) and turn. The ch 1 at the end of each row is not shown on the chart. The chart is worked flat. Read odd-numbered rows from right to left, and even-numbered rows from left to right. Each square equals one SC (or FSC for the first row).
Right and Wrong Sides
This pattern is worked back and forth in rows of single crochet. Both sides look nearly identical, but the RS and WS labels are used to keep the chart orientation consistent. The chart is read from the bottom right corner upward.
- Right-handed crocheters: Odd-numbered rows are the Right Side (RS)
- Left-handed crocheters: Even-numbered rows are the Right Side (RS)
This keeps everyone’s chart orientation consistent so the finished design faces the correct direction, no matter which hand you crochet with.
Color Changes
- To change colors, work last st with the current color until 2 loops remain on the hook, yarn over with the new color, and pull through.
- Use bobbins to add new yarn, do not carry the yarn that is not in use under stitches.
- When using the same color twice in a row, add multiple bobbins of color as necessary.
Chart
Written Pattern
A – Ecru
B – Black
C – Curry
D – Rust
Row 1: (D) 39 FSC, ch 1, turn.
Rows 2-6: (D) 39 SC, ch 1, turn.
Row 7: (D) 13 SC, (B) 4 SC, (D) 22 SC, ch 1, turn.
Row 8: (D) 19 SC, (C) 4 SC, (B) 5 SC, (D) 11 SC, ch 1, turn.
Row 9: (D) 10 SC, (B) 5 SC, (C) 7 SC, (D) 17 SC, ch 1, turn.
Row 10: (D) 15 SC, (B) 2 SC, (C) 7 SC, (B) 6 SC, (D) 9 SC, ch 1, turn.
Row 11: (D) 8 SC, (B) 6 SC, (C) 8 SC, (B) 3 SC, (D) 14 SC, ch 1, turn.
Row 12: (D) 13 SC, (B) 5 SC, (C) 7 SC, (B) 6 SC, (D) 8 SC, ch 1, turn.
Row 13: (D) 7 SC, (B) 6 SC, (C) 7 SC, (B) 7 SC, (D) 12 SC, ch 1, turn.
Row 14: (D) 12 SC, (B) 7 SC, (C) 7 SC, (B) 6 SC, (D) 7 SC, ch 1, turn.
Row 15: (D) 7 SC, (B) 6 SC, (C) 6 SC, (B) 7 SC, (C) 2 SC, (D) 11 SC, ch 1, turn.
Row 16: (D) 11 SC, (C) 3 SC, (B) 6 SC, (C) 6 SC, (B) 6 SC, (D) 7 SC, ch 1, turn.
Row 17: (D) 7 SC, (B) 5 SC, (C) 7 SC, (B) 6 SC, (C) 3 SC, (D) 11 SC, ch 1, turn.
Row 18: (D) 10 SC, (C) 5 SC, (B) 5 SC, (C) 7 SC, (B) 5 SC, (D) 7 SC, ch 1, turn.
Row 19: (D) 7 SC, (B) 5 SC, (C) 6 SC, (B) 6 SC, (C) 5 SC, (D) 10 SC, ch 1, turn.
Row 20: (D) 9 SC, (B) 3 SC, (C) 4 SC, (B) 5 SC, (C) 6 SC, (B) 5 SC, (D) 7 SC, ch 1, turn.
Row 21: (D) 8 SC, (B) 4 SC, (C) 6 SC, (B) 5 SC, (C) 3 SC, (B) 5 SC, (D) 8 SC, ch 1, turn.
Row 22: (D) 7 SC, (B) 6 SC, (C) 3 SC, (B) 5 SC, (C) 6 SC, (B) 4 SC, (D) 8 SC, ch 1, turn.
Row 23: (D) 9 SC, (B) 3 SC, (C) 6 SC, (B) 4 SC, (C) 3 SC, (B) 7 SC, (D) 7 SC, ch 1, turn.
Row 24: (D) 7 SC, (B) 7 SC, (C) 3 SC, (B) 4 SC, (C) 5 SC, (B) 3 SC, (D) 10 SC, ch 1, turn.
Row 25: (D) 11 SC, (B) 2 SC, (C) 5 SC, (B) 4 SC, (C) 3 SC, (B) 7 SC, (D) 7 SC, ch 1, turn.
Row 26: (D) 7 SC, (B) 7 SC, (C) 3 SC, (B) 4 SC, (C) 5 SC, (D) 13 SC, ch 1, turn.
Row 27: (D) 14 SC, (A) 2 SC, (C) 2 SC, (B) 4 SC, (C) 3 SC, (B) 7 SC, (D) 7 SC, ch 1, turn.
Row 28: (D) 7 SC, (B) 7 SC, (D) 3 SC, (A) 9 SC, (D) 13 SC, ch 1, turn.
Row 29: (D) 12 SC, (A) 10 SC, (D) 4 SC, (B) 5 SC, (D) 8 SC, ch 1, turn.
Row 30: (D) 8 SC, (B) 1 SC, (D) 2 SC, (B) 1 SC, (D) 5 SC, (A) 10 SC, (D) 12 SC, ch 1, turn.
Row 31: (D) 11 SC, (A) 11 SC, (D) 5 SC, (B) 1 SC, (D) 2 SC, (B) 1 SC, (D) 8 SC, ch 1, turn.
Row 32: (D) 8 SC, (B) 1 SC, (D) 2 SC, (B) 2 SC, (D) 5 SC, (A) 10 SC, (D) 11 SC, ch 1, turn.
Row 33: (D) 11 SC, (A) 10 SC, (D) 5 SC, (B) 1 SC, (D) 2 SC, (B) 2 SC, (D) 8 SC, ch 1, turn.
Row 34: (D) 9 SC, (B) 1 SC, (D) 8 SC, (A) 10 SC, (D) 11 SC, ch 1, turn.
Row 35: (D) 11 SC, (A) 9 SC, (D) 19 SC, ch 1, turn.
Row 36: (D) 19 SC, (A) 9 SC, (D) 11 SC, ch 1, turn.
Row 37: (D) 11 SC, (A) 8 SC, (D) 20 SC, ch 1, turn.
Row 38: (D) 21 SC, (A) 6 SC, (D) 12 SC, ch 1, turn.
Row 39: (D) 13 SC, (A) 4 SC, (D) 22 SC, ch 1, turn.
Rows 40-44: (D) 39 SC, ch 1, turn.
Row 45: (D) 39 SC.
Fasten off and weave in ends.
Share Your Square
That’s it for the Orange Bee 2 square! This one really ties together the earthy tones of the blanket and adds another little pop of personality. Once you’ve finished, give it a quick block and admire how those colors come to life.
Don’t forget to tag your progress photos with #GardenMedleyCAL so I can see your work and share it with the community.
If you’d like a quick reminder whenever each week’s square goes live, you can sign up for email reminders below.
