Warm Pastel Blanket

Blankets are one of my favourite things to do! It will take time and committment but at the end the result is quite rewarding. I am not an expert so if I could do it so you could as well!

This one was made for my friend's baby boy coming soon. It was supposed to be a baby blanket but it is a bit larger so that can be easily used for the future as cozy sofa trow or bed spread.

It is a patchwork of 70 simple granny squares linked together, alternating 5 different pastel colours.

I like pastel colours but really you could use all colours combinations you could imagine!

This blanket has been made using very soft acrylic yarns but you could upgrade to rich wool/wool or cotton, as you prefer.

Many people use the term "granny square" to refer to any type of crocheted square. But a true granny square is what you'll learn in this tutorial.

On the label of your yarn should be noted the type of hook, I have used a slightly smaller one - 3.5 instead of 4 - as I prefer a better close weaving.

YOU WILL NEED

- a 3.0 crochet hook

- BODY: 10 yarns of 50 g (~125 m) 100% acrylic ( 2 pale yellow, 2 pale pink, 2 lilac, 2 light blue, 2 light grey).

- CONNECTION and CONTOUR: 2 yarns of 50 g 100% acrylic (light blue)

- scissors

- patience

1) Begin with a slip knot on your crochet hook.

2) Add 6 chains.

3) Slip stitch into the top of the first ch.

4) Next, chain 3. The "chain 3" from the first step counts as the first double crochet stitch in the first cluster.

5) To complete the cluster, crochet two dc stitches into the base chain of the chain three. You should now have what looks like three dc stitches next to each other in your first group.

6) Chain 3 and then make 3 double crochet stitches. This will make the second cluster.

7) Repeat the instruction number 6 twice.

8) Add 3 chains. Then slip stitch the last chain you made within the 3rd chain of the round.

Here's a simplified version of the first round of the granny square:

3 ch; 2 dc; 3 ch; 3 dc; 3ch; 3 dc; 3 ch; 3dc; 3 ch to close round.

9) Once each round is finished, you can create the following one using chain stitches. The second round starts with 5 chain stitches: 3 ch to emulate the final double crochet of a cluster and 2 ch to link this cluster to the following one.

REMEMBER chained links between clusters follow the rule: 2 chains normal link, 3 chains corners.

10) Keep working as per following scheme:

11 - 3 dc, 3 ch, 3 dc

12 - 2ch, 3dc, 3ch, 3dc

13 - repeat point 12

14 - 2ch, 3dc, 3ch, 2dc , close round

15- 3ch, 2dc, 2ch

16 - 3dc, 3ch, 3dc

17 - 2ch, 3dc, 2ch

18 - repeat 16, 17, 16, 17, 16, 2ch to close.

19 - 5ch, 3dc, 2ch

20 - 3dc, 3ch, 3dc,

21 - 2ch, 3dc, repeat

22 - repeat 20, 21, 20, 21, 20, 2dc to close the forth round.

23 - 3ch, 2dc

24 - 3 dc, 2ch, 3dc, 3ch, 3dc

25 - repeat 21, 2ch, 3dc, 2ch

26 - 3dc, 3ch, 3dc

27 - repeat 25, 26, 25, 26, 2ch, 3dc, 2ch to close the fifth round.

28 - 1 chain to cut with scissor.

29 - Make a total of 70 granny squares. Using 5 different colours as per instructions, you will end with 14 squares for each colour, to combine as you prefer.

30 - Once all your granny squares are made, you can start to join them creating row (or column depending from your point of view).

31 - The single crochet join method is one of the most popular joints among the granny square. It leaves a ridge separating each square and gives the blanket texture and dimension on one side while the other side will remain flat.

32 - To keep things consistent arrange your squares so the last row you crocheted is facing up. This way when you join, you will have a little bit of consistency in your edge stitches. Arrange your blanket design and decide the sequence of colours you want to keep.

33 - Starting where the edges of your first two rows meet, join with blue yarn and single stich the edges together.

34 - Repeat untill all 10 columns of 7 squares are made then repeat the same to join the columns.

35 - Once all the 10 columns of 7 squares are joined together the blanket is almost done. To refine it a bit more add a continuous final round of stitches all around the blanket. With the same yarn you used to join the single squares repeat the granny square scheme: alternating a cluster of double crochet with 2 chains on the sides and 3 chains on the corners.

36 - Enjoy and stay Warm and Cozy!

SUGGESTION: if you want to make a larger blanket, make larger squares or a larger number of them. There is no limit to your creativity!