Free Cotton Bloom Stripes Blanket Pattern

Materials

• Caron All Day Cotton (100% mercerized cotton, 100 g/3.5 oz, 158 m/173 yds)
• 4 skeins White Shirt
• 1 skein Grass Green
• 1 skein Cherry
• 1 skein Grape Popsicle
• 1 skein Golden
• Size H/5.00 mm crochet hook
• Tapestry needle
• Scissors

Size

Finished Size: 28 in x 28 in

Gauge: 4 in = 15 stitches and 15 rows of pattern

Stitches

Herringbone Half Double Crochet (HHDC): Yarn over (YO), insert your hook, YO, pull up a loop and pull directly through the first loop on hook. YO and pull through the remaining two loops.

Half Double Slip Stitch (HDSS): YO, insert your hook, YO, pull up a loop and pull directly through two loops on hook.

Single Crochet (SC): Insert your hook, YO and pull up a loop, YO and pull through two loops on hook.

Slip Stitch (SL ST): Insert your hook, YO, pull up a loop and pull directly through loop on hook.

Pattern

Chain 90, or any number, with White yarn.

Row 1

Starting in the 2nd chain from the hook, work 1 HHDC in each chain. CH 1 and turn.

Rows 2–3

Work 1 HHDC in each stitch across the row. On the last stitch of Row 3, pull through with Grape Popsicle on the last step of the stitch. CH 1 and turn.

At this point, you can either carry the White yarn across the row by laying it across the top of your work and crocheting over it as you work the next color row, or you can cut the White yarn and leave a long tail to weave in later. I chose to carry the White yarn through each color row to cut down on the number of ends to weave in, but whichever way you choose is fine!

Row 4

With Grape Popsicle yarn, work 1 row of HDSS across the row. On the last stitch, pull through with White. CH 1 and turn.

Row 5

With White, work 1 HHDC in each stitch across the row, inserting your hook into the front bottom loop of each stitch.

Rows 6–7

With White, work 1 HHDC in each stitch across the row. CH 1 and turn.

Repeat Rows 4–7 for the remainder of the blanket, alternating the color rows between Grape Popsicle, Golden, Cherry, and Grass Green. Repeat each color five times before finishing the blanket.

When finished, you can either tie off and weave in your ends before beginning the border, or CH 1 and start working the border down the side of the blanket.

Border

Round 1

Work 1 round of SC around the blanket, working 3 SC into each corner. Work 1 SC per row along the sides and 1 SC per stitch along the remaining edges.

When you reach the starting corner, slip stitch into the starting stitch and CH 6.

Round 2

Starting in the 2nd chain from the hook, work HDSS in each of the 5 chains back toward the edge of the blanket.

Repeat across each side: Slip stitch into the next stitch and then into the following stitch. Turn and work HDSS in the back loops of each of the 5 HDSS you just made. CH 1 and turn. Work back down the HDSS in the back loops only.

From this point onward, always work in the back loop of each HDSS.

Corners

When you reach a corner space, slip stitch only once before turning and working HDSS back up to the top of the border.

Return and slip stitch once into the corner space. Repeat this process two more times, then resume slip stitching into each of the next two stitches and continue working across the side.

If your corner is not looking rounded enough, you can slip stitch an additional time into the corner and work up and down one extra time with HDSS. If the border is beginning to ripple, slip stitch into the corner only two times instead of three.

Finishing

When you reach the starting corner, work the corner in the same way as the previous corners.

Stop when you reach the top of the border and tie off. Use a tapestry needle to sew the corners together.

Weave in all remaining ends and enjoy your finished Cotton Bloom Stripes Blanket!