Enjoy crocheting a squishy-soft baby blanket sprinkled with pops of pastel colors. Worked in the round from the center to the lacy border in an easy-to-memorize stitch, this blanket makes the perfect gift for new mothers.

Skill Level: Easy

Size: 29.5” square after spray blocking.

Gauge: Rnds 1-5 = 4” [10 cm] square, unblocked.

Gauge is not crucial to this design.

Materials

Yarn: Lion Brand Baby Soft Yarn (60% Acrylic, 40% Nylon; 367 yards [335 meters]/113 grams): 293 Twinkle Print (3 balls)

Hooks: US size H/8 (5.0 mm); US size G/6 (4.25 mm)

Notions: Tapestry needle

Abbreviations

3-st group: A 3-st group is defined as either a shell or group of (dc, tr tbl, dc). On Rnd 1 of Border, when directed to work in next sp, it means the sp that was formed between each 3-st group.

Special Stitches

Beg shell (beginning shell): (Ch 3, 2 dc) in place indicated.

Open shell: (Dc, ch 2, dc, ch 2, dc) in place indicated.

Picot: (Sc, ch 3, sc) in place indicated.

Shell: 3 dc in place indicated.

V-st (V-stitch): (Dc, ch 2, dc) in place indicated.

Pattern Notes

This pattern is worked in the round from the center out to the border.

The size of the blanket is easily adjustable. To adjust, repeat Rnd 6 until desired size, ending with completion of a WS and an even number rnd before continuing to Border.

Pattern

Rnd 1 (RS): Ch 4 (last 3 ch count as first dc of next beg shell), work beg shell in 4th ch from hook, [ch 1 (counts as a ch-1 corner sp, now and throughout), shell] 3 times in 4th ch from hook, join with sc in top of beg ch-4, turn. (4 shells, 4 ch-1 corner sp)

Rnd 2 (WS): Beg shell in ch-1 corner sp, sk next shell, *(shell, ch 1, shell) in next ch-1 corner sp, sk next shell; rep from * twice more around, shell in same ch-1 corner sp as beg-shell; join with sc in top of ch-3 of beg shell, turn. (8 shells, 4 ch-1 corner sp)

Rnd 3: Beg shell in ch-1 corner sp, sk next 2 dc, dc in next dc, (keeping next st and all next tr tbl on top of work now and throughout) tr tbl in center dc of shell 2 rows below on Rnd 1, dc in next dc, *(shell, ch 1, shell) in next ch-1 corner sp, sk next 2 dc, dc in next dc, tr tbl in center dc of shell 2 rows below on Rnd 1, dc in next dc; rep from * twice more around, shell in same ch-1 corner sp as beg shell, join with sc in top of ch-3 of beg shell, turn. (8 shells, 4 ch-1 corner sp, 8 dc, 4 tr)

Rnd 4: Beg shell in ch-1 corner sp, sk next 2 sts, dc in next st, tr tbl in center dc of shell 2 rows below, dc in next st, sk next st, dc in next st, tr tbl in center dc of shell 2 rows below, dc in next st, *(shell, ch 1, shell) in next ch-1 corner sp, sk next 2 dc, dc in next st, tr tbl in center dc of shell 2 rows below, dc in next dc, sk next st, dc in next st, tr tbl in center dc of shell 2 rows below, dc in next st; rep from * twice more around, shell in same ch-1 corner sp as beg shell, join with sc in top of ch-3 of beg shell, turn. (8 shells, 4 ch-1 corner sp, 16 dc, 8 tr)

Rnd 5: Beg shell in ch-1 corner sp, sk next 2 sts, dc in next st, tr tbl in center dc of shell 2 rows below, dc in next st, sk next st, dc in next st, tr tbl in tr 2 rows below, dc in next st, sk next st, dc in next st, tr tbl in center dc of shell 2 rows below, dc in next st, *(shell, ch 1, shell) in next ch-1 corner sp, sk next 2 sts, dc in next st, tr tbl in center dc of shell 2 rows below, dc in next st, sk next st, dc in next st, tr tbl in tr 2 rows below, dc in next st, sk next st, dc in next st, tr tbl in center dc of shell 2 rows below, dc in next st; rep from * twice more around, shell in same ch-1 corner sp as beg shell, join with sc in top of ch-3 of beg shell, turn. (8 shells, 4 ch-1 corner sp, 24 dc, 12 tr)

Rnd 6: Beg shell in ch-1 corner sp, sk 2 sts, dc in next st, tr tbl in center dc of shell 2 rows below, dc in next st, (sk next st, dc in next st, tr tbl in tr 2 rows below, dc in next st) up to 5 sts before next ch-1 corner sp, sk next st, dc in next st, tr tbl in center dc of shell 2 rows below, dc in next st, sk 2 dc *(shell, ch 1, shell) in next ch-1 corner sp, sk 2 sts, dc in next st, tr tbl in center dc of shell 2 rows below, dc in next st, (sk next st, dc in next st, tr tbl in tr 2 rows below, dc in next st) up to 5 sts before next ch-1 corner sp, sk next st, dc in next st, tr tbl in center dc of shell 2 rows below, dc in next st, sk 2 dc; rep from * twice more around, shell in same ch-1 corner sp as beg shell, join with sc in top of ch-3 of beg shell, turn. (8 shells, 4 ch-1 corner sp, 32 dc, 16 tr)

Rnds 7-36: Rep Rnd 6. Do not fasten off. Cont to Border. (8 shells, 4 ch-1 corner sp, 272 dc, 136 tr after completing Rnd 36)

Border

Rnd 1 (RS): Ch 3 (counts as dc), 6 dc in ch-1 corner sp, sk 3-st group, sc in sp before next 3-st group, sk 3-st group, (5 dc in sp before next 3-st group, sk next 3-st group, sc in sp before next 3-st group, sk next 3-st group) up to next ch-1 corner sp, *7 dc in next ch-1 corner sp, sk next 3-st group, sc in next sp before next 3-st group, sk next 3-st group, (5 dc in sp before next 3-st group, sk next 3-st group, sc in sp before next 3-st group, sk next 3-st group) up to next ch-1 corner sp; rep from * twice more around, join with sl st in top of beg ch-3, turn. (4 groups of 7 dc, 72 sc, 68 groups of 5 dc)

Rnd 2 (WS): Sl st in sc, ch 3 (counts as dc), *(sk next 2 dc, open shell in next dc, sk next 2 dc, dc in next sc) up to next 7-dc group, sk next dc, V-st in next dc, sk next dc, open shell in next dc, sk next dc, V-st in next dc, sk next dc**, dc in next sc; rep from * 3 more times around, ending last rep at **, join with sl st in top of beg ch-3, turn. (72 dc, 8 V-st, 72 open shells)

Change to smaller hook.

Rnd 3 (Picot Edging): Ch 1, *(sc in next dc, 2 sc in next ch-2 sp, picot in next dc) of next V-st, (sc in next dc, 2 sc in next ch-2 sp, picot in next dc, 2 sc in next ch-2 sp, sc in next dc) of next open shell, (picot in next dc, 2 sc in next ch-2 sp, sc in next dc) of next V-st (this completes one corner), sc in next dc, [(sc in next dc, 2 sc in next ch-2 sp, picot in next dc, 2 sc in next ch-2 sp, sc in next dc) of next open shell, sc in next dc] up to next V-st; rep from * 3 more times around, join with sl st in beg sc. (528 sc, 80 picots)
Fasten off.

Finishing

Weave in all ends.

Block, if desired. Sample was spray blocked using blocking wires and pins, stretching to 30” square. After drying and taking blanket off blocking wires, piece meas 29.5” square.