So here it is, in all its finished glory: Ezra's easy baby blanket.
This soft, warm blanket is one big ruffle, formed by adding two double crochet (dc) stitches at each end of each row (sixteen stitches added per round). It’s easy to make, works up quickly, and by adding or subtracting rounds, it can be made larger or smaller.
It’s a great pattern for mixing and matching colors, solid and variegated. By making each round a different color, it could be made with scrap yarn or in a ripple from one dark color through consecutively lighter shades to a new lighter color and through that one to its darkest shade. You could also add fringe or a decorative edging, which I chose not to do.
The pattern described below uses one color for the main body, worked in dc, and another for trim, which is worked in single crochet (sc) with a 20% increase in each row and round. If you’re making the pattern with scrap yarn or in a color pattern, you might choose to omit the sc rounds and simply continue with the dc to achieve your desired effect. But if you do that, you’ll need to work the 20% increase into four rows to get the same ruffling effect. (For beginning crocheters, that means fitting five stitches into four places in each increase row.)
6 ounces of worsted weight for trim (I used Red Heart Super Saver baby yellow)
size J crochet hook
With main color, chain (ch) 6, join with slip stitch (sl st) into a ring.
Ch 3 (counts as first stitch, now and throughout), dc twice into ring, forming a cluster of three dc stitches. Ch 2, dc 3 times into ring, ch 2, dc 3, ch 2, dc 3, ch 2, join to starting ch with sl st. You should have four clusters of three dc stitches each, forming the sides to the square, separated with chain stitches. Do not turn.
Ch 3. Dc in each dc stitch to the end of the row. Into the corner ch 2, work dc 2, ch 2, dc 2 (corner turned). Continue around the square, turning corners with dc 2, ch 2, dc 2 into each, until you reach your starting point. Dc up to (but not into) the starting ch, then join with sl st. Do not turn. (PATTERN ROW)
Continue in pattern until the blanket is as large as you want it without the trim (the blanket’s main body). Ezra’s blanket has 28 rows of dc.
As you work, the starting point of each round moves further to the center of the row, as dc stitches are added before and behind it. This is normal. Two dc stitches are added at each corner, at both the start and end of each row, so 16 stitches are added each round.
When the main body is finished, cut the main color and join the trim color. Ch 1, sc in first three dc stitches, then sc twice in the next dc st. The pattern is sc in three dc stitches, then sc twice in the next (this gives the 20% increase). In the corner, sc 1, ch 2, sc 1 (one sc rather than two in the corners keeps them from becoming too pointy). Continue around to the starting point and join with sl st. Do not turn. (TRIM ROW)
Repeat trim row. Cut trim color and rejoin main color.
Ch 3 and resume dc (main body) pattern. Dc in each sc to the row’s end, then turn the corner with dc 2, ch 2, dc 2. Continue around to the end and join to starting ch with sl st. Do not turn.
Repeat the dc main body pattern twice more. Cut main color and rejoin trim color.
Work two rows of the sc trim pattern, with the increases every fourth st. Cut trim color and rejoin main color.
Work one row of the dc main body pattern. Cut yarn and work in ends.