Free Pattern: Simple Lacy Baby Blanket

Description:
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.

Stitches used:
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

Experimentation...Open Work in Tunisian Crochet

Since my last post, I've been experimenting with Tunisian crochet, trying to figure our how to work in a little open work. Also, working out ways to use the stitch without it curling up so much.

Here are some of my results.

Love this one. Turned into a long, wide scarf with tight work and a lovely square looking pattern. Alternates between a regular row and a row where it skips every stitch, alternating whether it starts with the third or fourth stitch being the first skip. This leaves a two stitch border on each end.

Such a clean pattern. Very soothing and regular. Would be great for a satchel, too, I think.

The back looks just like knitting.

And this one, without the stabilizing normal row, same alternating skipped stitch rows. Ended up looking like chainmail. It's a bit stretchy and seems like it could deform, but it's a nice bouncy result. I took some shots of my attempt to do it again, having forgotten to write it down the first time. 



Came out with a nice border row, didn't curl a lot, but the weight of the project (a long scarf) helped. Didn't turn out well with the springy grey yarn. Hence this is what I chose to use. 

Work as so to draw up loops over open spots.

 Where you insert the hook to draw up and from what direction you insert has vastly different effects.



Reverse pass, you create the spaces over the skipped stitches by adding an extra ch between.  Each row, you swap 3rd and 4th stitch as the first skipped stitch. Basically working up loops only from previous row's open.

And then I went fuzzy, and made two scarves using variations of these.  Here's the first, a slight variation of the grey one. Patterns aren't as noticeable with the fuzzy stuff, so I didn't alternate the start of the skipped stitches.

 

Made some nice vertical lines on this.

The second, which I'm still working on, uses dc on the open work rows to create wider open work. I draw the loops on that one by inserting the hook under the 2 ch as for normal crochet. Instead of one normalizing regular row, I did 3 between each open row. As a scarf, I thought having too much openwork might be detrimental to the point of having a scarf.

Big holes, and the Boucle yarn is so fuzzy and bouncy. Tried it with alternating opens, but it looked funky with the bigger openings. So, they are all lined up.

Well, that's what I've been up to. I've made a dent in my yarn stash, but there's plenty more. I still want to start a blanket, but it's a wee bit hot out to do that just yet.

Happy crocheting!