Solar panel

 This is a short somewhat obscure pattern for making a crocheted solar panel. 

Difficulty:

easy - medium

You will need:

• A 2mm crochet hook
• Dk yarn in blue, black, and white
• White embroidery thread
• An embroidery needle
• A darning needle
• Cardboard
• A pair of scissors

Note:

• 'fasten off neatly' refers to a special way of fastening off which is neater and makes it easier to see where you should be crocheting on the next round (also known as invisible fastening off). This involves pulling up your yarn through your stitch, threading the yarn underneath the second stitch from where you pulled your yarn up, then threading your yarn back through the top of this stitch and down through the back of the work. There is a very helpful site that explains it clearly found here. Just make sure when you do this that you thread your needle through the SECOND stitch after the last stitch you made, otherwise you will end up with an extra stitch which may mean that all of the following rounds are out of line with each other. The false stitch that you create is referred to in this pattern as the 'new' st.

For the plates (make one in blue and one in black):
With a 2mm crochet hook ch10
Round 1: sc inteh 2nd chain st from hoo, thn sc in each of the next 7 chain sts. Make 3sc in  the first chain st you crocheted into, then sc into the back of each of the previous chain sts you crocheted into, in reverse order. Make 2sc in the back of the first chain st you crocheted into (20sc)
Round 2: make 3sc in the first st, sc7, make 3sc in the next st, sc, make 3sc in the following st, sc7, make 3sc in the next st, sc (28sc)
Round 3: sc, make 3sc in the next st, sc9, make 3sc in the following st, sc3, make 3sc in the next st, sc9, make 3sc in the following st, sc2 (36sc)
Round 4: sc2, make 3sc in the next st, sc11, make 3sc in the following st, sc5, make 3sc in the next st, sc11, make 3sc in the following st, sc3 (44sc)
Round 5: sc3, make 3sc in the next st, sc13, make 3sc in the following st, sc7, make 3sc in the next st, sc13, make 3sc in the following st, sc4 (52sc)
Round 6: sc4, make 3sc in the next st, sc15, make 3sc in the following st, sc9, make 3sc in the next st, sc15, make 3sc in the following st, sc5 (60sc)
Round 7: sc5, make 3sc in the next st, sc17, make 3sc in the following st, sc11, make 3sc in the next st, sc17, make 3sc in the following st, sc6 (68sc)
Round 8: sc6, make 3sc in the next st, sc19, make 3sc in the following st, sc13, make 3sc in the next st, sc19, make 3sc in the following st, sc7 (76sc)
Round 9: sc7, make 3sc in the next st, sc21, make 3sc in the following st, sc15, make 3sc in the next st, sc21, make 3sc in the following st, sc8 (84sc)
Round 10: sc8, make 3sc in the next st, sc23, make 3sc in the following st, sc17, make 3sc in the next st, sc23, make 3sc in the following st, sc9 (92sc)
Round 11: sc9, make 3sc in the next st, sc25, make 3sc in the following st, sc19, make 3sc in the next st, sc25, make 3sc in the following st, sc10 (100sc)
Fasten off neatly

Cut a section of cardboard 8cm x 11cm large

Round 12: With white yarn sc simultaneously in the st before the 'new' st of the blue section you made when fastening off neatly (the one that tightens when you pull the loose end) and the st before the 'new' st of the black section. Crocheting into both the blue and black section simultaneously: sc in the next 10sts, make 3sc in the following st, sc27, make 3sc in the next st, sc21, make 3sc in the following st.
Insert the cardboard into this crocheted section, then continue crocheting into both the blue and black sections: sc27, make 3sc in the next st, sc10
Fasten off neatly

For the stripes:
(make 5)
With white ch27
Fasten off

(make 3)
with white ch23
Fasten off

Sew these to the blue side of the panel, as shown below. Following this using 2 strands of embroidery thread embroider vertical and horizontal lines onto the front of your solar panel so that each section of blue is divided into 9 section, as shown below.


For the stands (make 4):
With black make a magic loop with 1sc. ch1, turn
Row 1: make 2sc in this st. ch1, turn (2sc)
Row 2: sc,  make 2sc in the last st. ch1, turn (3sc)
Row 3: make 2sc in the first st, sc2. ch1, turn (4sc)
Row 4: sc3, make 2sc in the last st. ch1, turn (5sc)
Row 5: make 2sc in the first st, sc4. ch1, turn (6sc)
Row 6: sc5, make 2sc in the last st. ch1, turn (7sc)
Row 7: make 2sc in the first st, sc6. ch1, turn (8sc)
Row 8: sc7, make 2sc in the last st. ch1, turn (9sc)
Row 9: make 2sc in the first st, sc8. ch1, turn (10sc)
Row 10: sc9, make 2sc in the last st. ch1, turn (11sc)
Fasten off

Cut a rectangle 4cm x 4cm, then cut diagonally to make 2 triangles
Sandwich each of these triangles between 2 crocheted stand segments, and sew around the outside to keep them in place.
Sew these to the back of the panel to keep it upright, as shown below.


That's all from this pattern - I hope you've enjoyed it! If you have any questions please feel free to email them to me at lhodginscrochet@gmail.com. You can also contact me on my Instagram to keep up to date with what I'm working on.