Most beginner blanket patterns hide a lie - they look easy but take forever. This one from Sarah-Jayne Fragola at Bella Coco does build up in about three hours, because the chunky yarn and big hook do the heavy lifting for you.
You only need two things: a slip knot and the half double crochet (half treble in UK terms - same stitch, different name). The whole pattern is rows of half doubles, and color stripes give it a finished look without any fancy technique. It makes a stroller or lap blanket that works as a baby shower gift or a quick housewarming present.
What you need
- About 200g each of two colors of Bernat Baby Blanket (super bulky, weight 6)
- An 8mm crochet hook
- Scissors and a yarn needle
Blanket sizes
Width comes from your foundation chain, length from how many rows you stop at. These are common finished sizes and rough yardage in super bulky yarn:
| Blanket | Size (inches) | Super bulky yarn |
|---|
| Baby / stroller | 30 x 36 | 300-500 yd |
| Lap | 36 x 48 | 600-800 yd |
| Throw | 50 x 60 | 1,000-1,300 yd |
| Twin | 66 x 90 | 1,800-2,400 yd |
Work a few rows, measure, and adjust the chain before you commit. Half double crochet has no stitch multiple, so add or remove chains in any number and keep the extra 2 for turning. Worsted yarn takes roughly twice the yardage and twice the hours.
Choosing yarn
Acrylic and chenille wash well and forgive uneven tension, which is why most first blankets use them. Cotton is heavier and cooler, good for summer throws, but it shows every wobble. Bulky yarn is the speed trick. Chenille sheds a little and its stitches are hard to see, so count by feel and go slow when ripping back. Buy every skein at once and check the dye lot number on the label.
Keeping the edges straight
Count your stitches at the end of every row. The usual culprit is the turning chain: miss the stitch into its top and the blanket narrows, work into its base as well and it widens. A stitch marker in the first and last stitch of each row makes them easy to find.
Adding a border
One round of single crochet all the way around hides the bumpy row ends. Work three stitches into each corner so it lies flat. For more, see how to add edging to crochet.
Troubleshooting
- Getting wider or narrower: recount and rip back to the last good row.
- Wavy sides: tension changed between rows, or the turning chain is too tight.
- Ran out mid-stripe: finish the stripe in a new dye lot and repeat that shade elsewhere so it looks planned.
Where to go next
For cleaner stripes see changing colors in crochet. Want more texture? Try the granny stripe blanket or a shell stitch. Prefer needles? Here is how to knit a blanket.
