The Perfect Crochet Baby Blanket

Next month there's a baby shower at our church and I was so happy to finally get to crochet a baby blanket. I received two, one when each of my kids were born. I still have both of them, even 25 plus years later. I cherish them because they were handmade by a relative. All the little outfits and toys that I got at my showers are all gone, but the handmade blankets remain in the cedar chest in my closet.

I'm not sure that this blanket will have quite the same effect on the girl I'm giving this to, but it was really fun to finally make one of my own. When all my friends were having babies, I didn't crochet, so this is an exciting first for me.

However, it was a little more difficult to find just the right pattern. First of all, I'm not too good at back and forth crocheting without having something to count because I lose count and my edges get uneven. I love making corner-to-corner designs because it's so easy to keep track of the stitches. But for a baby, I was worried about the holes being too big and that the baby's fingers would get caught. 

I thought these were perfect colors for a
neutral-ish boy blanket. At 267 yards each,
four skeins was perfect.

I tried several patterns and finally hit the jackpot with this one. You can find the pattern HERE on Maisie and Ruth's YouTube Channel. It's also available in the print pattern, but for me it's priceless being able to follow along with a video tutorial.

The only thing I had difficulty with was the number of stitches in the foundation row. I ended up with an extra stitch, but was able to tuck that to the side.

I also have to mention how much I liked this baby yarn. Most yarn is kind of fuzzy, but the one I chose for this project, Bernat Bundle Up, is so soft and smooth. The colors I used were Marshmallow, Dove, Violet Gray and Beluga for the border. I got mine from Joann and it was on sale, so the whole thing cost right around $25.00.

The subtle textures in this blanket is something that I love too. So if you're looking for easy-to-keep-track-of stitching give this one a try.

Finally, here's the baby blanket in its box and ready to be wrapped. I love using the old Stampin' Up! set called "Hand Knit" to make a tag. Inside the tag I cut the washing instructions directly from the label and glued them down.

Hopefully this blanket will have many years of being loved, just like my old ones are.