Sara Bead Baby Blanket Crochet Pattern (Guest Designer)

I began playing around with creating my own designs in the last year, and since everyone around me was expecting this year, naturally the first patterns I wanted to try my hand on were baby blankets!  After some trial and error, and much frogging, I finally had something that I wanted to write up into a pattern, and make available to makers everywhere, and with that I launched TKnitsandCrochets on Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/TKnitsandCrochets?ref=shop_sugg), and made my patterns live.  I continued creating new makes and patterns, experimenting with different ideas, and gifting out the finished products as quickly as I could come up with them.  I try to create new and modern pattern designs that are workable for both beginner and expert makers alike. All patterns are truly inspired by the happenings in my life and the people (and babies) that surround me!  The Sara Bead Baby Blanket Crochet Pattern, a true labor of love, was created for my own little girl that I’m getting ready to meet in a few weeks, and I could not be more excited to share it with her and with all the makers out there.

The idea for the Sara Bead Baby Blanket really came around from the time of year that my little girl was due.  Being a Spring baby, due in June, I wanted something light, airy, delicate, but still textured for her to come home in and use.  I wanted a very soft and lightweight yarn that was breathable but still offered some protection, and after much deliberation and indecisiveness finally settled on Lion Brand Truboo.  The design for the pattern itself was another series of trial and error, some frogging while I decided, and changed my mind on colors, and then finally worked up a series of stitches I was happy with that gave the blanket the soft, textured look that I was going for.

With each new blanket I create I try to use a stitch that I haven’t used before, and finally settled on the Bead Stitch as one of the main stitch repeats in the pattern to give the blanket a textured, distinct look.  I also added in a treble crochet repeat to give the blanket a lighter feel, and of course the double crochet and half double crochet stitches because what baby blanket would be complete without them!  While I used Lion Brand Truboo to give the blanket a soft, wispy feel, there are plenty of other yarns that would work as wonderful substitutions.  Some other options that were very strong contenders for this project, and I actually purchased and am going to use on future blankets, were Lion Brand Coboo, Bernat Softee Baby Cotton, and Bernat Softee Baby, but really any Lightweight-3 yarn would be a fantastic option and could be used.

The Sara Bead Baby Blanket

Materials
Lion Brand® Truboo™ (3.5 oz/100g; 241yds/220 m)
Color A Coral 2 Balls
Color B White 2 Balls
Color C Aqua 2 Balls
(or substitute any Light-3 weight yarn)
Size G/6 (4 mm) crochet hook, or size needed for gauge
Yarn needle or large-eyed tapestry needle

Stitches Used
SL ST – slip stitch
CH – chain stitch
HDC – half double crochet
DC – double crochet
TR – treble crochet
CRISS CROSS – *using TR ST* Skip first ST after your first starting TR and place TR into next ST, then working back, TR into your first skipped ST, repeat across. Should look like an “X” or “V” pattern across the row.
BST – bead stitch – *yarn over, insert the hook behind the previous double crochet from front to back, yarn over and pull up a loop. Repeat from * twice more (3 times total = 7 loops on the hook). Yarn over and pull through all loops on the hook. Skip your next ST, DC into the following stitch.

Pattern Notes:

Size: 34.5″ x 35″

Gauge: 4” = 19 sts x 11 rows in stitch pattern

Bead stitch pattern is worked in clusters of 3 stitches, so if you would like to increase or decrease the width of your blanket, simply add or remove stitches in clusters of 3. So a larger blanket could be worked with 180 stitches in your starting chain, plus 3 (for your starting post and your starting chain 3 stitches).

Starting CH of 1 or 2 does NOT count as your first ST. You will always work a HDC, DC, or TR into the same ST.

Tip: While working the BST stitch try to keep your starting chain loose, it makes it a bit easier to pull through with your final yarn over.

Instructions:

starting with Color A

Chain 150+3

Row 1: DC into 4th chain from hook, DC across starting chain (150 DC)

Row 2: CH 1, turn, TR into same stitch, then CRISS CROSS across the row using TR STS. Final ST is a straight TR into DC from the row below.

Row 3: CH 1, turn, DC into same stitch, then DC across the row.

Row 4: CH 1, turn, DC into same stitch, then 2 DC, BST, skip next ST, then *3 DC, BST, skip next ST*. Repeat from * across the row, ending with two DC into last two STS.

Row 5: CH 1, turn, DC into same stitch, then DC across the row.

Row 6: CH 1, turn, TR into same stitch, then CRISS CROSS across the row using TR STS. Final ST is a straight TR into DC from the row below.

Row 7: CH 1, turn, DC into same stitch, then DC across the row.

change to Color B

Row 8: CH 1, turn, DC into same stitch, then DC across the row.

Row 9: CH 1, turn, HDC into same stitch, then HDC across the row.

Row 10: CH 1, turn, DC into same stitch, then DC across the row.

Row 11: CH 1, turn, HDC into same stitch, then HDC across the row.

Row 12: CH 1, turn, DC into same stitch, then DC across the row.

change to Color C

Row 13: CH 1, turn, DC into same stitch, then DC across the row.

Row 14: CH 1, turn, TR into same stitch, then CRISS CROSS across the row using TR STS. Final ST is a straight TR into DC from the row below.

Row 15: CH 1, turn, DC into same stitch, then DC across the row.

Row 16: CH 1, turn, DC into same stitch, then 2 DC, BST, skip next ST, then *3 DC, BST, skip next ST*. Repeat from * across the row, ending with two DC into last two STS.

Row 17: CH 1, turn, DC into same stitch, then DC across the row.

Row 18: CH 1, turn, TR into same stitch, then CRISS CROSS across the row using TR STS. Final ST is a straight TR into DC from the row below.

Row 19: CH 1, turn, DC into same stitch, then DC across the row.

change to Color B

Row 20: CH 1, turn, DC into same stitch, then DC across the row.

Row 21: CH 1, turn, HDC into same stitch, then HDC across the row.

Row 22: CH 1, turn, DC into same stitch, then DC across the row.

Row 23: CH 1, turn, HDC into same stitch, then HDC across the row.

Row 24: CH 1, turn, DC into same stitch, then DC across the row.

change to Color A, then follow directions below.

Repeat Rows 1-24 twice more (but for each repeat of Row 1, follow directions for Row 3), and then repeat Rows 1-19 once (ending with Color C) or continue until you reach your desired length.

BORDER:

continuing with Color C, start in the same stitch as your last DC from final row.

Row 1: CH 1, HDC into same stitch. Beginning along the left unfinished edge, HDC across, keeping HDC STS evenly spaced. Place 3 HDC STS into your first corner space. Then continue to HDC acround, placing 3 HDC into each corner space. SL ST to your first HDC.

change to Color B

Row 2: CH 1, turn, DC into same stitch, then 2 DC, BST, skip next ST, then *3 DC, BST, skip next ST*. Repeat from * across the row. For

each corner space, place 3 DC into the center HDC of the corner space from the previous row.

change to Color A

Row 3: CH 1, HDC into same stitch. Beginning along the left unfinished edge, HDC a                               cross, keeping HDC STS evenly spaced. Place 3 HDC STS into your first corner space. Then continue to HDC acround, placing 3 HDC into each corner space. SL ST to your first HDC.

Fasten off, weave in ends, and fini!

If you’re looking for a lightweight, textured, quick, and modern baby blanket as a gift for someone in your life or for yourself the Sara Bead Baby Blanket would be perfect for you!  I hope you enjoy working up this piece as much as I’ve enjoyed creating it!

More from TKnitsandCrochets:

The Bibbity Bobble Baby Blanket: https://www.etsy.com/listing/970607557/the-bibbity-bobble-baby-blanket-crochet?ref=shop_home_active_3&crt=1

The Starry Dreams Baby Headband: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1002457955/the-starry-dreams-baby-headband-crochet?ref=shop_home_feat_4