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How to Crochet a Blanket (Crystal Waves Gingham)

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This tutorial will teach you how to crochet a blanket using the Crystal Waves stitch but in a gorgeous gingham design. I think this stitch looks terrific in a gingham pattern.

 

Crochet Gingham Blanket in shades of purple and cream

 

 

Closeup of Textured Gingham Crochet Blanket

 

 

Crochet Gingham Blanket displayed in a basket

I had originally made this blanket for someone else but I just couldn’t part with it. Every time my daughter saw me working on it, she couldn’t resist saying how beautiful it was. I am hoping you will love this design as much as we do.

 

 

Crochet Gingham Blanket hung from a basket

 

 

 

Stitch closeup view with bumpy texture

 

 

 

 

Materials

1. Worsted weight(size 4) yarn in 2 shades of the same color and cream color. Lion Brand Wool-Ease worsted weight yarn in colors Dark Rose Heather, Rose Heather, and Fisherman were used for the sample afghan.

2. Two Baskets with holes to hold your 7 skeins of yarn without tangling. I used a mesh basket and a laundry basket.

3. Size H(5mm) hook.

4.  Tapestry needle to weave in the ends.

5. One locking stitch marker to mark the wrong side of your blanket.

 

 

Finished Size

40-1/2 inches wide and 44 inches long

 

 

Gauge

5 pattern repeats= 5 1/2 inches

 

 

Yardage

Each skein of Lion Brand Wool-Ease has 197 yards or 85 g of yarn.

Rose Heather– 6 skeins

Dark Rose Heather– 4 skeins

Fisherman– 3 skeins

 

 

Stitch Abbreviations

The pattern is written in US crochet terms.

ch- chain

sc- single crochet

hdc- half double crochet

dc- double crochet

sl st- slip stitch

 

 

Picking Your Colors for a Gingham Blanket

For your gingham blanket, you should have 2 close shades of the same color and one cream or white.

 

 

Pattern Notes

Once you prepare for your color changes you will be able to crochet your blanket without tangling your yarn. So read the steps below carefully before starting your project.

 

 

1. Managing Your Yarn During Color Changes

Unlike normal gingham crochet patterns, you don’t work over the previous color in this crochet blanket. Why? Because the contrasting color yarn will show through due to the nature of the Crystal Waves stitch.

 

 

I will be showing you how to crochet this blanket with 7 skeins of yarn at a time. You will just drop the previous color and pick them up when needed again. I have included a video at the end of this blog post to show you how to effortlessly manage your yarn without tangling. Full video coming soon!

 

 

 

 

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1. Yarn is arranged in this order for first stripe and any odd-numbered stripe.

 

I used a mesh basket to hold 3 skeins and a laundry basket to hold the remaining 4 skeins. You can use any basket around your house that has holes in it.

 

2.  Center Pull Balls

You have to pull the yarn from the center and not outside for this project. If you try pulling the yarn from the center of Lion Brand Wool-Ease yarn, most often than not, you will have a big chunk come out. Cut that off and keep it aside to wind into center-pull balls later. You can now work directly from the middle of your skein once you get the middle chunk out of the way.

 

3. Arranging Your Yarn to Start

In the first stripe, you will have 7 squares alternating in colors dark rose and light rose. So arrange the 7 skeins in the 2 baskets in that order starting and ending with dark pink. Pull the working yarn out through the holes in the baskets (See Pic 1 above).

 

 

Crochet Gingham Blanket Pattern

With dark rose yarn, Ch 148.  The initial chain is a multiple of 20+8.

 

 

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2. To Join the next color, complete your dc by pulling the new color through the last 2 loops.

 

 

Notes

1. To join the new color, pull through the new color when you are working your last dc and you have 2 loops left on your hook, see pic above. You can watch a video on changing colors here.

 

 

2. When switching colors, just drop the previous color behind your work and DO NOT work over it.

 

 

Stripe 1 of Crochet Blanket

Row 1: 2 dc in the 4th ch from hook, *[sk 3 chs, (1sc, ch 3, 3dc)all into the next ch], repeat from * 4 more times and join the light rose color yarn while working the last double crochet, repeat from * in light rose color a total of 5 times and join dark rose from your third skein.

 

 

Keep repeating from * switching between dark and light rose after every 5 repeats. Continue until you have 4 chs left, sk 3 ch, 1 sc in last ch, carefully turn your work clockwise holding both ends(watch the video at end of the blog post), switch the basket on the left to the right and then the one on the right to your left.—-36 projections or dc groups

 

 

Your yarn strands will be crossing one another now but they won’t tangle as they are emerging from separate holes.

 

 

Notes for Row 2

1. Once you work the fpsc, your ch-3 loop will get pushed behind. So look behind the fpsc to find the ch-3 loop adjacent to it.

2. Follow the steps below to ensure you have no visible jump in colors when you join a new color from now on.

Before you join the new color by pulling through the last 2 loops on your hook, bring your hook down to the point where the yarn emerges, tighten the loop on your hook, and then pull through the new color, see pic 3 and 4 below.

 

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3. Do not join like this as it won’t make the color change invisible.

 

 

 

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4. Bring the hook down to the point where the next color yarn is emerging and then pull through.

 

 

Row 2: Continue with dark rose, ch 3, 2 dc in the same st as ch 3, *[sk 2 dc, fpsc in next dc, ch 3, 3 dc in the adjacent ch-3 space], repeat from * 4 more times and join back the light rose color while working the last dc.

 

Keep repeating from * picking up the next color after every 5 repeats, and after you have worked 3dc into the last ch-3 loop, sk the next 2 dc, fpsc around beg ch-3, carefully turn your work anti-clockwise holding both ends, switch the basket on the right to your left and then the basket on the left to your right.——–36 projections or dc groups

 

All your yarn will now be coming straight out of the baskets without crossing each other.

 

 

Notes

1. To count your rows in this stitch pattern, it will be helpful to know that if the pattern repeats slant to the left in one row, it will slant to the right in the next, see pic below.

 

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5. Each stripe is 12 rows high.

 

2. Every time you turn your work alternate between turning it clockwise and anti-clockwise and then switch your baskets. This will keep your yarn tangle-free.

 

The cue is that if your yarn strands are crossing each other at the end of your row, you will turn your work anti-clockwise. If your yarn strands are coming out straight and not crossing each other at the end of the row, you will turn your work clockwise.

 

Repeat Row 2 for 10 more rows, fasten off all the 7 skeins and weave in all the ends except the last tail as we will be using it to join the new color.

 

You should weave in all the ends on one side of your blanket. Place a marker on this side to indicate the wrong side where you will weave in all the ends. Your first stripe with 7 squares is now completed.

 

 

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6. Stripe 1 completed

 

 

Stripe 2 of Crochet Blanket

Now set up your yarn for the next stripe in the 2 baskets. You should alternate between light rose and cream color yarn and begin and end with light rose.

 

 

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7. Shows how yarn is arranged for stripe 2 and every even-numbered stripe.

 

You will join the light rose color from the very first skein on the right. Unravel the very last stitch of your first stripe and complete it by pulling through the new light rose color when you have 2 loops left on your hook.

 

 

 You can now turn your piece so that you have your working yarn on the right side right below your first skein of yarn.

 

Row 1 of Stripe 2: Ch 3 with light rose, 2 dc in the same st as ch 3, *[sk 2 dc, fpsc in next dc, ch 3, 3 dc in the adjacent ch-3 space], repeat from * 4 more times and join the cream color while working the last dc,  keep repeating from * picking up the next color after every 5 repeats, and when you have worked 3 dc into the last ch-3 loop, sk the next 2 dc, fpsc around beg ch-3, carefully turn your work clockwise holding both ends, switch the basket on the left to the right and then the one on the right to your left.——36 projections or dc groups

 

Keep repeating Row 1 for 11 more rows taking care to turn your work clockwise and anti-clockwise alternately.

 

 

Fasten off all the 7 skeins, and weave in all the ends except the last tail as we will be using it to join the new color. Make sure you are weaving in on the wrong side of your fabric where you placed the marker.

 

Stripe 3 of Crochet Blanket

Now set up your yarn for this stripe in the 2 baskets. You should alternate between dark rose and light rose color yarn and begin and end with dark rose just like your first stripe.

 

You will join the dark rose color from the very first skein on the right. Unravel the very last stitch of your second stripe and complete it by pulling through the dark rose color when you have 2 loops left on your hook.

 

 You can now turn your piece so that you have your working yarn on the right side right below your first skein of yarn.

 

 

Row 1 of Stripe 3: Ch 3 with dark rose, 2 dc in the same st as ch 3, *[sk 2 dc, fpsc in next dc, ch 3, 3 dc in the adjacent ch-3 space], repeat from * 4 more times and join the light rose color while working the last dc,  keep repeating from * picking up the next color after every 5 repeats, and when you have worked 3 dc into the last ch-3 loop, sk the next 2 dc, fpsc around beg ch-3, carefully turn your work clockwise holding both ends, switch the basket on the left to the right and then the one on the right to your left.——36 projections or dc groups

 

Keep repeating Row 1 for 11 more rows taking care to turn your work clockwise and anti-clockwise alternately.

 

 

Fasten off all the 7 skeins, and weave in all the ends except the last tail as we will be using it to join the new color. Make sure you are weaving in on the wrong side of your fabric where you placed the marker.

 

Completing the Blanket

Keep repeating Stripes 2 and 3 until you have a total of 8 stripes. You will only have 2 skeins of the light rose color left to work your last couple of stripes. So wind them into 4 center-pull balls.

 

Do not fasten off your skeins after your 8th stripe, but turn and work the leveling row below.

 

Note for Leveling Row: To join a new color while completing your hdc, pull through the new color yarn when you have 3 loops left on your hook.

 

Leveling Row: Continuing with light rose yarn, ch 2, 1 hdc in the same st as ch 2, [1 hdc in next dc, 1 sc in next 2 dc, *(sk next ch-3 loop, 1 hdc in next sc(if you have trouble finding this sc, look for the st right before your next dc), 1 hdc in next dc, 1 sc in next 2 dc), repeat from * until you work a sc into the last dc st of the first square,  1 hdc in the next sc while joining the next color yarn.]

 

Repeat the part in the [ ] to the last 4 sts, 1 hdc in the next sc, 1 hdc in the next dc, 1 sc in next dc, 1 sc on top of beginning ch-3.  Fasten of all the 7 skeins of yarn and weave in all tails.

 

 

How to Crochet a Border for Your Blanket

Note: Work the border on the right side of your blanket using dark rose color yarn.

 

 

Round 1: Sl st to the top left corner of your blanket, and work along the side of your blanket, ch 1, *(2 sc under the beginning ch of the row, 1 sc at the base of the 3 dc), repeat from * to next corner, work 3 sc in corner.

 

 

Start working across the foundation chain, *(3 sc under next ch-loop, 1 sc at base of the 3 dc), repeat to the next corner, work 3 sc in the corner.

 

 

Work across the side of the blanket, *(2 sc under the beginning ch of the row, 1 sc at the base of the 3 dc), repeat from * to next corner, work 3 sc in corner.

 

 

Work 1 sc into each of the sts on the top of your blanket, 3 sc in last corner, sl st to the first sc. Do not turn. 

 

 

Round 2: Ch 2, 1 hdc in each st around placing 3 hdc in each corner, sl st to the first hdc. Do not turn. 

 

 

Round 3: Ch 1, 1 sc in each st around placing 3 sc in each corner, sl st to the first sc. Fasten off.

 

 

Finishing the Crochet Blanket

Weave in all the tails left. Enjoy your gorgeous gingham blanket!

 

 

You might also like my Sweet Dreams Crochet Blanket for Baby and my Falling Petals Crochet Blanket. 

You can find more such patterns on Allfreecrochetafghans.com and Allfreecrochet.com. 

 

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Share the Love!

Teresona Boone

Wednesday 6th of January 2021

I love this pattern. I would love to know if I can make this in all one color? Would like it that way for making a bedspread. I love your colors you've chosen.

Shehnaaz

Friday 15th of January 2021

Absolutely!

Brenda Webster

Sunday 22nd of November 2020

Love this blanket!!! Would you please tell me what "sk" means? Thank you1

Shehnaaz

Monday 23rd of November 2020

Skip.

Judy

Monday 11th of May 2020

You are brilliant! So logical and simple. Thank you so much for both the pattern and the clever way of dealing with all the skeins of yarn. I can't wait to try them both.

Raymond

Wednesday 15th of April 2020

I have been wanting to make a gingham blanket but gave up after trying the method of working over the previous color.. I stumbled across your site and tried it with some scraps and OMG what a huge difference..I just followed your easy instructions and before I knew it my swatch had easily grown. Thank you so much for your beautifully written instructions. Now I’m off to the yarn store to by myself some yarn..

Jasmine

Monday 27th of January 2020

Very pretty! FYI though ... it's counter clockwise, not anti-clockwise.

Shehnaaz

Tuesday 28th of January 2020

I am glad you like it and wanted to clarify that anti-clockwise is British English.