Sweet Nothings Crochet: DIAGONAL BASKET WEAVE BLANKET

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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Materials used : Today I’ve used some of 800 gms some soft lovely Indian unbranded cotton 4-ply yarn with a 3.75 mm crochet hook ; a little embroidery thread ; embroidery needle ; sewing needle ; fabric glue to seal ends ; crochet stitch markers ; poly-fill stuffing ; stocking net ; headband ; safety eyes ; beads n more ; satin ribbon

For Indians : You could use Anchor , Red rose , 4-ply knitting cotton , or unbranded knitting cotton or White Rose or bamboo knitting cotton , Milk cotton ; Silk yarns as well as Vardhaman acrylic & Oswal acrylic yarn ; Baby soft acrylic yarn , Ganga Spectrum as well

General yarn info : The yarn used today is not specific to this pattern.

You can use any yarn with a suitable hook to make this project to any size.

International yarns : Among the international yarns I have used in this thickness, I’d suggest Aunt Lydia Cotton 10, Aunt Lydia Bamboo-Viscose 10, DMC Petra, Sullivans knitting cotton (Australia), Milford Soft, Hilaza Rustica Eclat , Alize cotton yarn and Alize bamboo yarn , Lily Sugar n' Cream cotton yarn, Caron Simply Soft , Bernat Softee chunky.

Stitches used :

How to hold your yarn in crochet : https://youtu.be/FwOlCbGdbqY

Starting slip knot : https://youtu.be/lJcqsVcs8cw

Starting slip knot 1 or the Sloppy Slip knot : https://youtu.be/YfC7KmGpifs

What is a chain stitch ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXx5ukBjKkY

What is a slip stitch : https://youtu.be/weB3QNbA8Iw

Whipstitch to join : https://youtu.be/wZ-9LNzftMA

Invisible join : https://youtu.be/a6XZQ6VzJFM

Single crochet to join : https://youtu.be/6FXoW_47_dI

Skill level : Advanced

Size made : ~ 48” x 45”

Sizing chart for blankets : https://in.pinterest.com/pin/470063279839582572/

Instructions : Using U.S terminology

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

This is not my pattern. I used this pattern

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);

[yo, draw through 2 lps] twice. One dc made.

Check out the video at https://youtu.be/xdnjB27zpYo

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.

Check out the video at https://youtu.be/A0y4BbgDTbs

Chainless start for Triple / Treble Crochet : I dislike the ch-2 / ch – 3 start, and this is what I do to start my row of trc.

Check out the video at https://youtu.be/f42MO0cGYC0

Start rows for the Diagonal Basket Weave Blanket

and see how beautifully the diagonals work out

I started with fdc and this is how the first few rows go

a view of a lot of the Diagonal Basket Weave Blanket complete

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).

Here’s a great video https://youtu.be/8s3zVaBcn4s

Work 3 dc in the st ch 3 to start the 3-ch picot st

work picot st on top of the 3rd dc of the Shell st

work the last 2 dc of the Shell st in the same st

Picot worked on the 3rd dc Work 2 more dc for the Shell st

sk 2 sts and sc in the next st to complete 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

The beautiful Diagonal Basket Weave Blanket all done

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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Here are some of my older creations. Have fun with these free patterns too

These motifs will be used on blankets. So here are my blanket patterns

https://shyamanivas.blogspot.com/2019/02/b-is-for-crochet-motif.html