Crocheted-Edge Blanket Tutorial
Because I've had a number of people ask me how I make the baby blankets with the crocheted edging, I decided to post a tutorial-of-sorts here. I am not going to show how to crochet, but will tell how I make my blankets. If you don't know a few basic crochet techniques, you can learn from a library book, other book, or online.
Supplies:
1 yard of flannel
size 10 crochet thread (available at craft stores or Wal-mart)
size 8 steel crochet hook
optional: serger
Instructions:
- Start by squaring off the yard of fabric into a 36" x 36" piece.
- Fold the fabric so that all four corners are together, one on top of another.
- Use a small plate as a template to draw rounded corners. Cut along the traced line through all four layers. (I used my rotary cutter to cut directly through all 4 layers of the fabric).
- You may stitch a narrow hem, or just serge around the fabric like I did.
- Poke the crochet hook through the edge of the fabric and begin crocheting a single-crochet stitch around the blanket. If you serged the edge, narrowly turn it to the back one time as you crochet, encasing the serged edge. If you stitched a narrow hem around the blanket, just encase that hem as you crochet.
- Continue crocheting around, using any edging pattern you desire. For most of my blankets, I use a simple 2-round, picot stitch edging, as follows:
- Round 1: single-crochet, chain 2, single-crochet, chain 2. Repeat until you are all the way around the blanket.
- Round 2: Slip stitch into the beginning single-crochet. Chain 4, slip stitch into the same single-crochet (picot formed). Slip stitch two times into the chain-2 loop. Slip stitch into the next single-crochet. Make picot. Repeat all the way around. Fasten off.
Round 1: single-crochet, chain 2
Round 2: picot stitch You don't see the serging because it was turned to the back as I crocheted along.
That's it! If you make any of these blankets, I'd love to see pictures!
blessings,
Ruth
p.s. I like to make a matching burp cloth with the scrap piece of flannel that I cut off when squaring up the blanket. I listed this finished set in my Etsy store.
27 comments:
I want to thank you for posting this tutorial. When my daughter was born we received several blankets with crocheted edges. Unfortunately one unraveled and it's been over 14 years and I didn't know how to fix it. The
giver has passed and now I hope to be able to do this. First I need to learn to crochet LOL.
Ruth,
Thank you for sharing that. I have a pattern that I use and it has you put a certain amount of stitches in and it can be very frustrating and time consuming!! I can't wait to try your method! I hope you all are well!
Love, Heather
I wrote to you a few months back and you very graciously tried to help me, but I just couldn't make it do right!!! Thanks for the tutorial. I'm going to figure this out if its the last thing I do.
The blankets are gorgeous! Thanks for sharing how you created the edging.
Ruth,
Thanks! I used your ideas to crochet an edging on a sachet I made my Mom for her birthday. (See it on my blog at www.ttextiles.blogspot.com) It was time-consuming as I had to use a sharp tapestry needle to make a hole through the layers of fabric for the crochet needle - but worth it!
BTW, I know your sister, Theresa; she's a great cook and a good friend.
Tami
The Blanket are beautifull. I love what your passion is making you create.
www.besthobbiesforliving.com
http://hobbiesforbetterliving.blogspot.com
-Please leave a comment when you visit
I just stumbled upon your blog and have to say that everything you and Jessica create is beautiful! Having just started with this blogging thing, I am very jealous of you having Katie to help with the technical stuff!
Jenny
Thank you! Your blanket and burp pad are so cute! I've been wanting to try this, but just haven't given it a try yet. Your tutorial is great and now I will definitely make one.
Ruth,
I have often wondered how you did the crochet edging on these sweet blankets. Your tutorial is great.
You asked how I was doing a short time ago. I am having a good summer and staying busy with the family and my crafts. Plus I've been thinking about our homeschooling ideas for this year. Hope all is well with you!!!
Blessings,
Cindy
Oo, this is neat! Going to be bookmarking your blog for sure :) Now I just need to learn more about crochet. I learned a little from my grandma when I was little but don't know anything official :)
They are sweet and beautiful. Thank you for the tutorial. I will definately use it. I have been looking for projects for teens to do. We make quilts and items for charity. I'll post photos. Look at our photo blog.
www.missionphotos.blogspot.com.
Thanks again.
This is an adorable blanket! Thanks for the how-to!
I'm drooling over these blankets. Thanks for the tutorial. I'm going down to my sewing room right now to see what cute flannel might be hiding in there!
Gayle
That is such an adorable blanket!!! (I came here through Randi @ i have to say) :)
I love to crochet around baby blankets and burp clothes also. I found that I can make the holes in the fabric with my sewing machine using a "wing tipped needle" and the "daisy stitch". Works out perfect.
I love to crochet around baby blankets and burp clothes also. I found that using a "Wing Tipped Needle" on my sewing machine and what I call the daisy stitch makes perfect holes. If you don't have a daisy stitch on your machine there are others that will work also making the holes.
Thank you for this tutorial. My local quilt shop (Las Vegas) wants to charge for patterns or classes using this technique and I admire your time and generosity.
Cathy
I linked over here from Dawn at 4:53. I have made several edged blankets over the years but I have been using some hospital blankets that I bought at a fabric warehouse instead of making my own. These are really cute.
Thank you so much for this tutorial! I have been asked to do this for a friend, and this is the best instructions I could find that didn't require scissors, hole punch, or serger. Thank you!
I found your blog from google -- I'm wanting to make these, but last time I did them I had a lady hem-stitch the edges for me. Now, I've moved and no one I know has a machine to do that. How do you poke the crochet hook through the fabric?
Hilary,
I just use my crochet hook to poke through the fabric. Your hook should poke "between" the fibers, not breaking any fabric threads. It's not hard.
Hi Ruth,
I love the tutorial, but i do have a question since I do not crochet much. How far apart are the holes and have you used bigger thread to do these? When I looked at the size 10 thread it looked mighty fine. Thank you again for the tutorial and I hope to try one of these pretty soon. My friend is having a baby and I thought this would be cute.
Dee
Dee,
My stitches are approximately 1/4 inch apart, maybe slightly less. I don't measure but just eyeball it the best I can as I go around. If you look closely, the stitches are not exactly the same distance apart. Yes, I have made these with other yarns. I once used a yarn called "Senso" or something like that, and I've used a cotton yarn called "Peaches and Cream." I've also used regular sports-yarn, but it doesn't look as pretty after numerous washings.
If you use a bigger yarn, you will still need to poke your holes with the smaller crochet hook and then use a bigger hook to crochet the bigger yarn. I hope this makes sense. You can't poke the holes with a big hook, but you need the bigger hook to crochet the bigger yarn. I can do the small thread/small hook quicker than I can used a small hook to poke the holes and then switch to a bigger hook to crochet the thicker yarn. Of course, if you do a foundation round of single crochet this way, then the second round will go much faster. Oh, "Knit-CroSheen" is a nice yarn that is bigger than the #10 thread, but you can still use the small hook to crochet it.
I hope this helps. If you make a blanket, send me a picture. :-)
Ruth
I was surfing the net today and found your blog. WOW. What a great resource.
I have a site where I provide baby blanket gift ideas. I thought it might be mutually beneficial if we swapped blogroll links.
Please take a look at my site and see if it's something you might be interested in. http://babyblanketgiftguide.com If you are at all interested please shoot me an email and let me know the text you want me to use in your link. I'll get it up right away and then send you the text for my link.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Jackie
For those who are struggling. Essentially when you go around again stop every few stitches and chain 3 then slip stitch it in the same stitch.
http://www.crochetcabana.com/stitches/stitches-picot.htm
If you just poke the needle through the fabric, how do you make sure it's spaced correctly? Also, do you double the fabric with both right sides out so you don't see a wrong side? Thanks.
This is BEAUTIFUL!!! Perfect for what I needed it for!!! Thank you for sharing - I could not find anyone that could help me... My grandmother used to do this and I did not sit down and learn it from her. I was "too busy"... and now I regret it! Thank you again!!!
I'm hoping that I can follow the instructions as I don't really know how to crochet. I'm hoping to crochet around a hooded bath towel that I have serged for a baby gift.
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