Crochet Braided Loops Blanket with a Knit Look Background
You can work this gorgeous braided loops crochet blanket in around 6-1/2 hours. How cool is that?
I absolutely love quick projects and something that looks as complicated as this twisting braids crochet blanket is just the icing on the cake. The blanket is a generous size too.
This braided blanket is not complicated like a braided cable blanket. Yet, you get the same look with minimal effort and hardly any confusing post stitches.
It is far easier than working a regular Jacob’s ladder stitch and I also modified the background stitches to give it a knit look. You can call this my faux crochet Jacob’s ladder blanket.
The braids are given a twist before you link them which makes them pop out more against the flat knit look fabric. This free braided crochet blanket is every beginner crocheters dream. I hope you enjoy working on this blanket.
Braided Loops Crochet Blanket
Materials
- Bernat Baby Blanket yarn in colors Vanilla and Orange Flamingo, and Bernat Blanket yarn in color Pale Gray was used for making this crochet blanket. It is a size 6 Super Bulky weight yarn.
- An N/P (10mm) hook
- Tapestry needle to weave in the ends.
Finished Size of Braided Crochet Loops Blanket
36 inches wide and 45 inches long
Yardage for Crochet Braided Blanket Pattern
1-1/4 skein of the cream and orange color and 1-3/4 skein of the gray color. Each skein included 220 yards. So you will need around 275 yards of cream and orange and 390 yards of the gray color.
Stitch Abbreviations
The pattern is written in US terms.
ch- chain
st- stitch
sk- skip
sc- single crochet
dc- double crochet
tr- triple crochet
YO- yarn over
esc-extended single crochet
Stitch Explanations
esc (Extended single Crochet): Insert your hook into the next st and pull up a loop, YO pull through one loop, YO pull through the remaining 2 loops on the hook.
tr (Triple Crochet): YO twice, insert your hook into the next st and pull up a loop, *(YO and pull through 2 loops), repeat from * 2 more times to complete a tr.
Gauge
The distance from the middle of one chain loop to the middle of the next ch loop is 4-1/4 inches.
Related Crochet Blanket Patterns
Twinkling Stars Crochet Blanket
5 Hour Free Crochet Baby Blanket Pattern
Crochet Baby Boy Blanket Pattern
3 Hour Free Crochet Blanket Pattern
Crochet Braided Blanket Pattern
Pattern Notes
1. I recommend you keep the chains loose. That will make your braids more pronounced. If you tend to chain tight, then go up a hook size.
2. I highly recommend you make a gauge swatch (a small piece in the stitch pattern) as each person tends to chain with different degrees of tightness.
If you chain tight and don’t switch to a bigger hook, you might have to add 1 or 2 extra chains to get the same height for your chain loop. Make a small gauge swatch as given below and figure this out rather than getting stumped after you have completed your full blanket with loops.
3. To make a gauge swatch, ch 17, and follow Rows 1 to 4 of the blanket pattern below. You will get 2 ch loops at the end of Rows 1 & 3 and 17 sts at the end of Rows 2 and 4 respectively. Repeat Rows 3 and 4 two more times. You do not have to change colors when making your gauge swatch.
4. At this point, follow the instructions for ‘Linking the Chain Loops’ highlighted in yellow color below, and braid your chains. If the braids look too tight, you can add one or two extra chains to the chain loops, if they look loose, you can reduce one or two chains in each loop.
With Gray yarn, Chain 53. You can chain any multiple of 6+5 to start.
Row 1: 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook (first skipped ch counts as first sc), 1 sc in next 3 chs, *(ch 9 loosely, sk next ch, 1 sc in next 5 chs), repeat from * to end, turn. ——-8 ch-9 loops
Note: When working esc st into the st right before the ch-10 loop, take care to go under both the loops of the st and not just one loop. You can look behind to find the back loop or feel and lift it with your fingers.
Row 2: Ch 2 (counts as first esc), 1 esc in next 4 sts, *(keeping the ch-9 loop to the back, 1 dc in the skipped ch of the foundation ch, 1 esc in the st right after the ch loop, 1 esc in next 4 sts), repeat from * across to end until you work your last esc on top of beginning ch-1 of the previous row, turn. ———53 sts
Note: At the end of Rows 3 and 4, you work your last esc on top of beginning ch-1 and not ch-2. Insert your hook into beginning ch-1, pull up a loop, and then complete your esc. This will give your blanket a cleaner edge.
Row 3: Ch 2 (counts as an esc here and throughout), 1 esc in next 4 sts, *(ch 10 loosely, sk next st, 1 esc in next 5 sts), repeat from * across to end until you work your last esc on top of beginning ch-1, turn.——8 ch-10 loops
Notes
1. When working esc st into the st right before the ch-10 loop, take care to go under both the loops of the st and not just one loop. You can look behind to find the back loop or just feel it with your fingers.
2. To find the skipped st for working your tr, look between the legs of the ch-10 loop. Work your tr sts tight or it gets too tall.
3. To join a new color while working the last esc of a row, start your esc as usual and when you have 2 loops left on your hook, pull through the new color. The turning ch for the next row will be made in the new color joined.
4. Each color stripe is made of 6 rows.
Row 4: Ch 2 (counts as an esc here and throughout), 1 esc in next 4 sts, *(keeping the ch-10 loop to the back, 1 tight tr in the skipped st 2 rows below, 1 esc in the st right after the ch loop, 1 esc in next 4 sts), repeat from * across to end until you work your last esc on top of beginning ch-1, turn.———53 sts
Repeat Rows 3 and 4 one more time with the gray color yarn and join cream color yarn while completing the very last esc of Row 4. Fasten off the gray color yarn.
Rows 6-12: Repeat Rows 3 and 4 with cream color yarn and join the orange color yarn at the end of Row 12 while completing your last esc. Fasten off the cream color.
Rows 13 to 18: Repeat Rows 3 and 4 with orange color yarn and join gray color yarn at the end of Row 18 while completing your last esc. Fasten off the orange color.
Keep repeating Rows 3 and 4 changing colors every 6 rows in the order gray, cream, and orange until you have a total of 10 stripes and you end in a gray stripe. You do not have to fasten off but if you find it is interfering with your braiding, you can fasten off and join yarn again with a slip stitch.
Linking the Chain Loops
Note: The chain loops are twisted once to the left before you braid them. This gives a nicer shape to your braids and they pop out even more.
With the chain loops side of your blanket facing you, starting at the foundation chain side, twist the first ch loop to the left, twist the second ch loop to the left and pull it through the first, twist the third ch loop to the left and pull it through the second, continue in this way until all the ch loops in one vertical section are linked. Repeat for each vertical section.
Last Row of Braided Crochet Blanket
Notes
1. The last row is worked on the chain loop side of your fabric (RS).
2. This row will anchor your last row of ch loops to the fabric.
3. To work an esc through the ch loop and the st behind, insert your hook through the space under the ch-10 loop and the next free st behind it and pull up a loop, YO, pull through one loop, YO and pull through the remaining 2 loops on your hook to complete your esc.
Ch 2 with your working yarn (If you fastened off before braiding, sl st to the first st where you have the ending tail and then ch 2), 1 esc in next 3 sts, *(1 esc through the ch loop and the next free st behind, repeat 1 more esc through the ch loop and the next free st behind, 1 esc in next 4 sts), repeat from * until all the ch loops are anchored at the top, 1 esc in the remaining 5 sts. Your last st should be worked into beg ch-1 as usual. Fasten off.
Finishing the Twisting Braid Crochet Blanket
Weave in any tails left. Weave them into the same color as the tails. I noticed that it was hard to weave in the tails through the tightly woven esc sts, so take care to go through just a couple of sts at a time and not to pull the tail too hard.
Related Crochet Blanket Patterns
Twinkling Stars Crochet Blanket
Baby Boy Blanket Crochet Pattern
Debbie
Monday 24th of October 2022
I would like to make this blanket with just two colors in a California King size. Could you tell me how many chains I would need to start with?
Shehnaaz
Tuesday 25th of October 2022
Ch 113 to start.
Sandi McMullen
Thursday 7th of October 2021
This is a beautiful blanket & I love the texture! I am a beginner crocheter, but I think I can do this, your instructions & video are perfectly detailed for a beginner like me! Thank you so much for this great tutorial, I can’t wait to try it!
Carla
Sunday 3rd of October 2021
Hi Shehnaaz, Thank you so much for your beautiful, free patterns. The braided loops blanket is precisely the look I was after! As Bernat yarn is not readily available in Australia, I have sourced Premier Basix Chenille Yarn: a 99% match on the Yarnsub website. I can’t wait for my yarn to arrive so that I can get started. Kind regards
Shehnaaz
Sunday 3rd of October 2021
Hi Carla, I am really glad you are enjoying my patterns and found a substitute for Bernat Blanket. Thank you for visiting my blog.
Linda
Friday 24th of September 2021
This braided crochet blanket is beautiful. My question is, can I use a 4wght yarn for this pattern? I unfortunately have arthritis in my hands and using the blanket yarn does not help. Thank you for your time and all your wonderful patterns.
Deb
Tuesday 28th of September 2021
@Shehnaaz, beautiful blanket thank you
Shehnaaz
Saturday 25th of September 2021
Hi Linda, yes, you absolutely can. You might have to increase the starting chain to make your blanket the same size as mine.
Linda Hamilton
Friday 24th of September 2021
?????. If I use a different yarn like red heart would the garage be the same. It is a lovely blanket.
Shehnaaz
Tuesday 28th of September 2021
Unfortunately, no. You will have to make a small gauge swatch and recalculate for the new yarn and hook.