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A baby blanket is always a gift of love - whether a client ordered it or you are making it as a gift. It shows that the baby has someone who has lovingly blessed each stitch as it is woven into this beautiful soft cuddly bundle that keeps the baby warm and secure. The beauty of today's pattern is that it is totally reversible and has the same pattern on both sides. There are small pockets of softness created in the diagonals that will lock in warmth and make this blanket very soft. So, come along and join me as we make this adorable creation.
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This is the yarn I used - a lovely soft 4-ply cotton yarn with a 3.75mm crochet hook.
I got this Namaskar Tri-Soft cotton yarn from Manmohan Cottage Industries, Ahmedabad, India. If you are in India and interested in this yarn, contact Anish Sharma on 878073882 or follow him on Instagram for his latest products
Here is the video tutorial for working the diagonal basket stitch and I suggest you work a swatch first.
The designer asks us to start with 118 sts, and with her yarn she has managed a 35" x 45" blanket.
However, this did not work for me (I mean 118 sts was not 35"), so I worked in multiples of 6 + 2 foundation double crochet (fdc) for the length I wanted for my first row. You could work this pattern starting along the length or breadth.
The other thing I did was that I started my first row with fdc or foundation double crochet. This meant that I started with my 1st dc on the 1st fdc.
Foundation double crochet (fdc) : This is a unique way of starting a project directly with a row of double crochet stitches. Here is an easy video tutorial https://youtu.be/hjNUYVvyU9k
The other stitches you need to know are double crochet and treble crochet.
Here are videos for all of those stitches
Double Crochet : dc :yo, insert hk into st ; yo (3 lps on hk);
Chainless start for Double Crochet : I dislike the ch-2 / ch – 3 start, and this is what I do to start my row of dc. Check out the video at https://youtu.be/wskv3iTjRx0
Triple Crochet : trc :wrap yarn twice around hook, insert hk into st ; yo (4 lps on hk); [yo, draw through 2 lps] three times. One trc made.
I started with fdc and this is how the first few rows go
as it grows, you can appreciate the diagonal effect more and more
Finishing :
We started the blanket with a fdc row so it makes sense to end it similarly with a dc row. You can end on either of the rows of your repeat.
When you reach the length / width you want for your blanket, work 1 dc in each st all the way across. Now you can end like this as well - with both start and end rows being a row of dc ; OR
You can work a dc on all four sides. If you are working all around, remember to work 3 dc in each corner st. When you reach the corner and have finished your 3 dc there, you will continue down the sides. Remember to work 2 dc in each horizontal bar of the dc st all along this side and the opposite side.
You can finish with just this row of dc all around or you can work a really simple shelled border. I suggest simple as I think that the beauty of the blanket should be the main issue and not the border - but that's me !
If you decide to work this simple shell border, ensure you have stitches in multiples of 6 on each side all around. This means that you will count from the centre dc of the 3-dc st in each corner to the centre dc stitch in the next corner and ensure you have a multiple of 6 on each side.
To start the border : Slip stitch to the 3rd st from the centre st (of the 3-dc st in the corner).
This means that the centre dc st is st 1, and you sk the next 2 sts. OK?
Sc in the next st ; *(sk next 2 sts and 5 dc in the next st) ;
rep (to) till the 1st corner ;
7 dc in the corner st*
rep *to* all around and join with a sl-st to the 1st st.
I think this is a cute simple border - but if you want just a little bit more, you could add a picot stitch.
If I were doing this, I would add my picot in the centre stitch of the shell stitch in this way.
How to work a picot stitch : Traditionally for a ch-3 picot, you work (ch 3, sl-st in 3rd ch from hook). For a ch-5 picot, you will do (ch 5, sl-st in 5th ch from hook).
Work 3 dc in the st ch 3 to start the 3-ch picot st
Picot worked on the 3rd dc Work 2 more dc for the Shell st
Picot Shell st worked for border
Border with and without picot - you decide
Working a picot stitch in my shell stitch border : As before you sl-st till the 3rd st from corner, and work sc in that st ;
*(sk next 2 sts and 3 dc + picot st + 2 dc all in the next st) ;
rep (to) till the 1st corner ;
[sk next 2 sts and 4 dc + picot st + 3 dc all in the next st dc in the corner st]*
rep *to* all around and join with a sl-st to the 1st st.
So for that picot, you're working 3 dc, work the picot st on top of that 3rd dc and then work 2 more dc to finish the Shell St and then work sc after skipping 2 sts.
In each corner, you will work 4 dc and then work the picot on top of that 4th st and then work 3 more dc to finish the corner Shell stitch.
Simple enough and just adds a little bit of extra to that ending, right?
Corner Shell Stitch with picot
Now take lovely photos of this awesome baby blanket you have made this for and post it on social media.. remember to show me your work as well - I'm on FB and all my social media handles are right here at the bottom of this blog.
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