Fleece Crochet-Edged Receiving Blanket

Greetings!

It's been pretty frigid here in the Midwest for Valentine's day, and I have an adorable project I've been drafted into (happily, of course), so I went on a little shopping spree. To be honest, I'm amazed I ventured out of the house, but we were running low on staples (carbs and Coke), so I bundled and granny-drove to the stores.

If you're not a crafter, I have to tell you, they are doing some amazing things in fabric and craft supplies nowadays (you Sonny Jim! in my best ol' crone voice). I happened to wander away from the yarn for a minute and stumbled upon some pretty dang cute fleece for a heckuva deal! We're talking 60% off, people!

It was like kismet, finding that stuff; I pinned a cute idea from a blog I found in the not-too-distant past, and it's been in the back of my mind. Seeing this fleece was like striking craft gold! I knew I had to try it out.

[Blizzard Fleece Fabric]

If you're interested in trying this yourself (and well, why not?!), here's the supplies I used:

• Fleece of choice: my blankets are about 36" x 46" before the added edging. You'll probably need to trim down the fleece to make straight edges and size it correctly (most fleeces come in about 59" widths).
• Pen, pencil, or marker: this is to mark where you'd like your holes to be on the edge of your fleece for the crocheted edge.
• Seam Ripper (or other tool for making holes): again, to reference the lovely folks at Little Yellow House blog, a seam ripper works wonders to poke the small holes you need for the edging. Believe me, I've tried cutting scissor slits - it doesn't make for a pretty, finished look :/
• Scissors: Of course, to trim the fabric and cut the yarn, but I also had to use them a bit for my holes. I know, I'm contradicting myself here, but I'll clarify later.
• Hand/Darning Needle: if you're a regular crocheter, you know what I mean. For everyone else, they're the large needles that are blunt-ish and have a bigger eye for threading (as a side note, if you're new to crochet, you might want to reference a few videos, although the stitches I used for this are pretty beginner).
• Yarn: of course! This is essential for this project! The beauty of this project is that any weight or style of yarn will do. Just be warned: the bulkier the yarn, the more effort its gonna take to lay down that foundation row (see my notes below). For this one, I've had some super bulky baby yarn I've been trying to find a good project for:

[Bernat Baby Blanket Yarn]

This stuff is fluffy and soft and ITSSOFLUFFYIMGONNADIE!

You don't need much for this project; I think I only used about a 1/4 of the skein. But, really, this stuff is adorable for hats, slippers, blankets... the possibilities are endless.

• Crochet hook: again, another essential for the project. Check the label of your yarn to see what size hook they suggest. But here I go, contradicting myself again - Even though they suggest an US K hook (6.5 mm) for this yarn, I used an US I (5.5 mm) for the foundation row and an US J (6.0 mm) for the second row (I'll explain later).

To make the blanket:

1. Trim the fleece. Although I commend the ladies at the cutting counter for being quick and friendly, they don't always get a straight edge on the fabric. Make sure you check your edges for diagonals, and straighten up as needed.

You can make your blanket any size you need (other sources I've checked recommend receiving blanket dimensions be 38" x 38"), but again, mine is 36" x 46" (to me, it was easier to buy a yard and trim the width).

2.  Mark your holes. To be honest, I eyeballed the distance from the edge at about 1.5 cm, and used a ruler to make the holes 1 cm apart. For my second blanket, I marked at about 1.5 cm apart - the first ones seemed a bit too close for my liking and the gauge of my yarn. Leave this part to your preference, just be conscious of how you'll space your stitches while doing single crochets.

3.  'Cut' your holes. I'm using my proverbial air quotes here because at first, I used my trusty seam ripper to poke the holes through the fleece. But here's my disclaimer about that: my super bulky yarn + my biggish hook = super-difficulty-bordering-frustration. 

Because of this, I used my thread scissors to cut tiny snips on my hole marks parallel to the edge of the blanket. I think it worked fine; I don't see any big gaps where my yarn meets the fleece, which is more of a concern (I think) when you're using a smaller gauge of yarn.

Now, the fun begins! Crochet (parades and ticker tape abound)!

The stitches/abbreviations I used for this edging (and you'll need to know):

• Single crochet - sc
• (US) Double crochet - dc (UK Treble)
• Slip stitch - ss
• Stitch - st

To start (foundation/first row):

- Choose one corner as your starting point; ss into the first stitch. Sc three into first stitch. Sc in each st, while crocheting three sc in each corner. Ss to join in the corner you started in.

2nd row:

- Chain 1. Sc in same st, Dc in next st, sc in next st. Ss in next 3 st. *Sc, Dc 2 in next st, sc, ss in next 3 st.* 

- Repeat from * to * on all sides/corners. Ss to join in first st of 2nd row.

- Cut yarn and weave in ends.

That's it! Really!

I only did two rows for this yarn/pattern because I opted for the super bulky yarn. A worsted weight or lighter might look better with another row or a nice finishing single crochet for row three. The great part is that it's all up to you!

Questions? Comments? Unabashed compliments? I'd love to hear them!

Until next time,

Jess

Update!

Here's pictures of both of the finished blankets. I can't wait to make a few more!