Rainbow Baby Blanket

Hello there! 

I'm a bit excited to show you this Rainbow Baby Blanket. Do you recognize the square I've used? Yes! It is the Simple Square. I fell in love with this square in rainbow colours, and wanted to make something pretty with it. And dare I say I succeeded?

Well, let's get into the details, shall we? If you would like to make one of your own.

Yarn, size and hook

I used a Swedish yarn called Järbo Nova. It's a sport weight cotton yarn with a yardage of 186 yards (170 m) per 50 g, but you can use any yarn you like really. 

I wanted my baby blanket to end up about 75 x 75 cm in size, and since my squares landed on almost 15 cm each, I made 25 squares for this blanket. 13 in rainbow colours with coral last round, and 12 in reversed rainbow colours with lilac last round. I placed the squares as you can see in the picture below, alternating coral and lilac squares with coral squares in the corners and in the center.

The colours I used was coral, light orange, light yellow, light green, light aqua, light blue, lilac and white. I used one ball of each, except the coral and white where I needed two 50 g balls. I didn't use much of the second coral ball though, I only needed it because of the 13th coral square.

I used a 3,5 mm hook. Rather go up than down in size of the hook. A blanket shouldn't be stiff but have some drape and softness to it, don't you think?

Squares

So, let's get to the pattern. To make a simple square, follow the link to the Simple Square above and you will find the written pattern, a chart, and detailed photos. 

Please note that I've made one more round than I did in the square pattern. The eighth round is made in white. I made this round for joining, and is used for joining as you go. 

In other words, make all your rainbow squares, but wait with the white round until you are ready to join your squares. 

Joining

On the first square you make a white round according to the pattern. Cut the yarn and weave in ends, unless you want to save that for later.

On your second square, start the white round according to pattern and crochet on three sides of your square. You will use the fourth side for the join.

Make the first two chains of the corner. Release the hook from the loop. Then stick the hook through the corner of your first square, from above, and catch the loop again. 

Pull the loop up through the corner of the first square, and ch 1.

Continue with a dc in the corner space of your second square.

Make a chain.

Release the hook from the loop and stick the hook through the next ch-1 space on your first square. Catch the loop again, and pull it through the space.

Make a dc in the next dc on the second square. Ch 1, release hook, insert hook in next ch-1 space, catch loop and pull through.

Continue like this all the way up on the fourth side. You make each dc according to the pattern, and stick the hook through the first square after each ch.

When you have made the last dc of the round in the corner space, ch 2, release hook, insert hook through the corner on the first square, catch loop and pull it through the chain space. Ch 1 and join with a sl st to the third ch in the beginning of the round.

Now you have your first square to the right and a second square on its left side. The third square is joined on the left side of the second square. Keep adding squares on the left side of the row until you have made the short side of the blanket as wide as you want it. In this case, that was 5 squares long.

Now it's time for row two on your blanket. As with the first row, you crochet the white round on the first three sides on your square, and use the fourth for the joining. You make the join exactly like the former joins, but this time you join your square to the top of the very first square.

The second square on row two goes on the left side of the first square on the row, which also means it needs to be joined to the top of the second square of row one. The rest of the squares on this row will be joined on two sides.

Take your next square, and make the white round on two sides. Use two sides for the joining.

Now, start joining your square on top of the first row. On the picture above, that would be on top of the coral square.

Don't be confused by the colours. We started with a coral square in the right corner of row one. On the picture you can actually see row two and three, since I had already worked a bit on the joining before I started taking pictures for this post.

Make the join like before, until you reach the corner.

Make the dc in the corner of the square you are joining as usual, then ch 1. Release the hook and stick it through the corner of the square on the finished row below your current square.

Pull loop through the corner and ch 1. Now, release the hook again and stick it through the corner on the square to the right of the square you are joining.

 

Pull the loop through the corner and ch 1. Make a dc in the corner of the square you are joining and keep going as usual.

Keep adding squares to your rows, and rows to your blanket until all squares are joined to each other. Fasten your ends if you haven't already, and get ready to make the border.

Border

I chose to make a simple border, inspired by little clouds to go with the rainbow theme. 

Join the yarn for the border with a sl st around the ch-1 before the third dc before the corner space on any side of your blanket. 

Skip the next dc and ch-1 space, make 6 dc's in the next dc.

Skip the next ch-1 space and make a sl st in the next dc. This should be the dc in the corner of the square.

Make 4 dc's in the second ch in the corner. Note that we make the stitches IN the chain, not around it.

Sl st in the next dc. Skip the next ch-1 space and make 6 dc's in the next dc. Skip the next ch-1 space and dc, and sl st in the next ch-1 space.

This is your first corner made. You will make the rest of the corners just like this.

Now, on the sides you will always skip two stitches. A dc and a ch-1 space, or a ch-1 space and a dc, like this:

Skip the next dc and ch-1 space, and make 6 dc's in the next dc.

*Skip the next ch-1 space and dc, and make a sl st in the next ch-1 space. Skip the next dc and ch-1 space, and make 6 dc's in the next dc.*

Repeat from * to * until there are only 3 dc's left on the side, then make a corner as described above. Repeat for all sides and corners.

When you reach the first corner you made, join with a sl st to the first sl st made.

If you want to, you can block the finished blanket.  I have to admit that I don't block my blankets unless I feel I really have to. Apparently, I didn't feel I had to in this case, as you can see it's not entirely straight. But it looks alright to me. Everything doesn't have to be perfect, and a blanket is made to be used and stretched out, not for lying in a perfect square shape on the floor.

And tadah! Here is the finished blanket! Weave in those last ends and it's all done and ready to be wrapped around a gorgeous baby.

An upgrade to this blanket would be to figure out a continuous join. I did not enjoy fastening 50 more ends. If I come up with one, I promise to share it with you. I blame the current heat wave here in Sweden for not being able to think clearly enough to figure it out.

I hope you enjoy the pattern. If you find any mistakes or if you have a question, please feel welcome to contact me! I would sincerely appreciate it.

With love,
Nilla K