This lovely little baby blanket is bouncy and lacy with just a bit of reinforcement built into it and along the side edges. The lacy bands are alternating single crochet and chain stitches. The solid lines are single crochet stitches. The side edges (along the end of the rows) are slip stitches. Might be an achievable challenge for a practiced beginner.
The Story Behind the Project:
I made this with the last skein of a batch of Bernat Softee Chunky (5) yarn in Natural I got from a friend.
It really was down to the wire with this one. Near the end, I tried to get one more set of pattern rows and made it through almost all four rows, only to come up short with about 6 inches left in the project. Hurt to unravel it, but doing that left me enough to reinforce the sides with slip stitches (I didn't have enough to reinforce the top and bottom, too).
Still, I think that's one of the things I enjoy about crafting without a pattern using dubiously minimal amounts of leftover yarn. It forces you to be creative and to make choices. In this project, I used a lot of open work to use less yarn, but it was springy and nice. I also used a huge hook (N) to make it even bigger. The slip stitches on the edges weren't my first choice, but I would have run out with single crochets. I also prefer my finishing borders to go all around a project, but I didn't have enough for that.
Now, you might say, "Why didn't you just run on down to the store to buy some more yarn?" I did about halfway through the last ball I had (when I saw the writing on the wall), and then I went online. You know what? I found the color. I found the brand. I found the Softee Chunky. What I didn't find was all these things in a 5 weight yarn with only a two strand twist. Nope, looks to me like Bernat reclassified the Softee Chunky as a 6 weight and it now has three strands. It still looks lovely, and I want some of it to work with, but as you probably know, switching weights would have been rather noticeable in the final product.
Anyhow, I worked up the rest of the yarn and maybe a half an ounce of it from the previous skein and had just enough for a decently proportioned, if a bit small, baby blanket. It will likely be more of a snuggle blanket than a keep warm one, but I like it.
Slip Stitch (ss)
Chain (ch)
Single Crochet (sc)
Both Loops = normal crochet stitch through both of the loops that make up the top of the stitch in the row below
Front Loop Only = just the loop in the front of the two loops that make up the top of the stitch in the row below
Scaling:
Starting chain = 42 (or any even number of stitches to gain width)
Pattern rows = The pattern rows are 1 closed, 3 open, 1 closed. Scale up the length 4 rows at a time. A 1, 3, 1 pattern could be made more open by changing to a 1, 5, 1 pattern, or more closed with a 2, 3, 2 pattern. The key is in keeping an odd number of open rows so each set of pattern rows and the project as a whole, ends up facing forward on the last row.
I used Bulky (5) yarn with a size N Hook for the blanket. For the swatch in the illustrations, I used 4 weight yarn and a size J Hook. Use whichever you like. The bulkier yarn and larger hook make a springier fabric. The smaller one results in something a bit more flat with more obvious open work.
Ideas:
Lacy scarfs
Baby blankets
Wraps
Continue on to the Pattern
Pattern:
Starting Chain: ch 42, turn.
Row 1: working into the bottom bumps of the ch stitches, sc across to end of starting chain (41 sc), ch 1, turn.
Row 2: sc in both loops of first sc; in front loops only, *sc in next sc, ch 1, skip one, and sc in next sc;* repeat * to * to the last 2 stitches; sc in front loop only of next sc; sc in both loops of last sc in row (41 stitches), ch 1, turn.
Row 3: sc in both loops of first sc; in front loops only, *ch 1, skip one, and sc in next ch;* repeat * to * to the last 2 stitches; ch 1, skip one, and sc in both loops of last sc in row (41 stitches), ch 1, turn.
Row 4: sc in both loops of first sc; in front loops only, *sc in next ch, ch 1, skip one, and sc in next ch;* repeat * to * to the last 2 stitches; sc in front loop only of next ch; sc in both loops of last sc in row (41 stitches), ch 1, turn.
Row 5: sc in both loops of each stitch across to the final stitch, sc in final stitch (41 sc), ch 1, turn.
Rows 6 to finish: repeat rows 2-5 until you've reached the desired length of your project, ending on a sc row facing forward.
Finishing: turn the work clockwise and work ss along the edge of the work. Take care to work each slip in between loops at the end of the rows, one ch per row, loose tension so the work doesn't bunch up. Bind off at bottom. Turn the work clockwise so the other row end is facing up. Work ss up along the row ends in the same manner until the top corner is reached. Bind off at top. Hide all the loose ends.
(If you aren't running out of yarn like I was, you could alternatively work ss or sc around the entire perimeter of your work.)
NOTES: In Row 1, where it says to work into the bottom bumps of the chain, doing so will give the illusion that the bottom edge is the top of the work, so even if you don't work sc around the edges, it will still look finished.
In Row 5, when you are working sc into the chain stitches, be careful to work through only the two top loops of the ch (leaving the little bump underneath). If you take up the entire chain, it will create holes in the work that won't quite fit in with the pattern.
~~~End of Pattern~~~
Illustrative Figures:
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| Row 1: Work into bottom bumps of the chain. |
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| End of Row 1. Confirm odd number of stitches. |
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| Row 2: Work sc into both loops of first sc. |
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| Row 2: Ch, skip one sc, sc into front loop only of next sc. |
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| Row 3: Work sc into both loops of first sc, ch one, skip one, sc into front loop only of next ch. |
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| End of Row 3: 2nd stitch from end should be same as 2nd stitch from beginning. |
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| End of Row 3: Close up of 2nd stitch from end, the sc into front loop only of ch. |
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| Row 5: Work sc through both loops of all the Row 4 stitches, including the ch. |
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| End of Row 4: 3rd stitch from end is the sc worked into both loops of the chain. Note the bump below it. |
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| Finishing: Turning to work slip stitches down left row edge. |
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| Finishing: Slip Stitches complete on left and right row end edges. All four edges should show loops facing up. |
~~~
That's it folks! Try this project out with your favorite colors and then tell me how it went in the comments. I'd love to hear from you!
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