When I was in my craft closet pulling the colors together for Elemeno the Elephant, I noticed that this beautiful Caron One Pound in Green Meadows Ombre went so well with the RHSS in Pale Plum that I used for the ears on Elemeno. I also felt that the gray would be a good border/join color for a unisex baby blanket since Elemeno is a unisex animal.
I had purchased two of these rolls a while back when Caron One Pound was deeply discounted at my local Joann’s- so, I have blanket design in the making. I am not going to reinvent the square here – I’ll just be making some fun squares in different textures and showing you how to put them together. (update at the end: I used almost entirely BOTH of these skeins of yarn so when purchasing your materials plan on using at least 2 of the One Pound size of yarns.)
I’m planning on making 10” squares and using multiple stitches and having a lot of texture in this blanket – so, I’ll be posting it as a CAL (Crochet-a-long) right here on my blog for any of my crochet friends that want to join. This will be a great learning new stitches project.
For my blanket, I plan on using the gray and plum in small amounts as an accent and join color. I will probably use the gray to join all my squares together – so, each of my squares will probably get the gray as a border.
I’m planning to work it using some stitch patterns that I have never used and also maybe throw in a fun granny square.
I’m not exactly sure how many squares I will do at this point, but if you want to get started follow along on my blog post and make this one up with me as I go. (update: I have chosen 12 squares at 11″ per square and it is the perfect baby blanket size)
I’ll be supporting some other bloggers that already have fabulous tutorials on the stitches that I am choosing. So, I will make sure the stitches I use have a great tutorial to follow.
I’m planning on selecting a lot of different patterns, so, if you don’t like one of them or find it too difficult just skip that one. I’m sure at the end you will have plenty more to use.
You can also repeat some squares and make a larger Afghan if a baby blanket isn’t what you need right now. Heck, mine may end up larger as well if I cant stop making fun squares.
You can make it up in mostly one color as I am doing or use this as a stash project and do multiple fun colors. I have no idea what the finished project will look like but I feel this one is going to be Ahhh-mazing!!!
So, pin this to your board or bookmark it and come back to it. I’m planning on making a new square every Monday until I’m finished.
Follow along for some Make-It MONDAY Fun.
Monday, August 19:
I selected this fun stitch pattern called the Cabbage Patch stitch. It’s very quick and easy to work up. I may have missed it in the written portion, but you just repeat row 2 and 3 until you get the height you want.
For my square, I chained 43 to start and used my H hook. My square before bordering was 9.5″ around. After bordering once in hdc in my primary color, then in gray with sc, and then lightly steam blocking it, my square ended up being 11″ so that is what I’ll shoot for to make the rest.
Here is the tutorial I used for my first square:
https://theunraveledmitten.com/2017/03/31/cabbage-patch-stitch/
Monday, August 26:
For my second square in this blanket I chose this Twisted Stitch by Desert Blossom Crafts. I’ve always thought of this as an X Stitch, but either way it works up quick and makes a great texture. For my blanket square, I used my H hook and started with a chain of 39. The tutorial is very good. My square width was 10.5 with this starting chain and I finished with the same height that for me was 19 rows. After bordering in gray and with a single crochet it was the size of my first square – 11″ – and before finishing off I slip stitched to my first square and then weaved in al my ends – weave in those ends – if you do them a few at a time it won’t be so overwhelming.
Find the tutorial for this square below the photo.
http://desertblossomcrafts.com/2019/06/01/how-to-crochet-the-twisted-stitch-free-crochet-pattern/
Stay tuned each Monday for a new square and make a blanket along with me.
Tuesday, September 3:
With the Labor Day Holiday yesterday, I did not get to my third square until today.
I love this Blueberry stitch square!
To keep with my size of squares – about 11″ – I used my I hook and chained 34 to start. I worked 20 rows and then did a half double crochet border in my purple color and then a double crochet row in my gray color.
Find this fun pattern here:
Stay tuned next week for square #4!
Thursday, September 12:
I have no idea where my head was this week. Yesterday morning I realized that I completely forgot my square on Monday. I worked this fun square up last night and it went really quick! I’ve used the Lemon Peel stitch before on kitchen wash cloths, but not a blanket – and it’s a great blanket square!
For my size squares, I used my H hook and chained 37. I worked in rows until the square measured 11″ and just did a single crochet border in gray.
Find a good tutorial here:
https://theunraveledmitten.com/2018/04/21/lemon-peel-stitch-crochet-tutorial/
After making this square and doing my border, I went ahead and attached it to the sides of two more squares before finishing off my gray. (This means less ends to weave in)
Stay tuned next week for square #5. I think I’ll change to the solid pale plum color for next weeks square.
Monday, September 16:
For today’s square I chose this beautifully textured stitch called the Alpine Stitch and this tutorial is very good!
https://www.windingroadcrochet.com/alpine-stitch-crochet-tutorial/amp/
I followed the directions for the 12″ square, but chose my H hook and it worked out perfectly at 11″ for me. Check your size to make sure it is matching the size of your other squares – and a note regarding this as well:
When bordering your squares you want to make sure you have close to the same number of stitches around the sides. When you are stitching the squares together it is important to have – not necessarily the same number between the squares – but close. I’m trying to make sure my squares have 36-40 stitches across the sides. Sometimes it doesn’t work perfectly, but you can even up the seams with the small difference easily enough. I’ll do a video tutorial on this part soon.
I used my pale plum color and chose to do this in one solid color to really see the stitches and joined it in two sides to my other squares.
Stay tuned next week for my next blanket square ….
Monday, September 23:
For today’s square, I chose the Blanket Stitch. For my size square – 11″ – I used my I hook and started with a chain of 36. The width of my square was 9″ so I worked in rows until I reached 9″ and then added a hdc border in my main color and then did a double crochet in the gray color to reach 11″ and then slipped stitches to two sides on two of my finished squares before I ended my gray. It helps to do this and have less ends to weave in.
*Tip: plan your attachment of your square border color so that when you end you main border you can then go into automatically stitching your squares together – this means look at your square and where you want it to go and start your border round so that when you end it you will be at the starting place where you want to start attaching your square. For me this is always in a corner.
Find a great tutorial on this Blanket Stitch here:
https://www.mamainastitch.com/crochet-blanket-stitch/
Tuesday, October 1:
I chose this fun, puff stitch granny square for today’s pattern. I used my H size crochet hook. When my square was about 9.5″, I added a dc border in my colored yarn and then a hdc in the gray. It’s so beautiful! You can find the pattern here:
https://craftycc.com/2018/03/10/rainbow-puff-square/
Monday, October 7:
It’s baseball season for us and my son has to be at the games one hour early, so I’m sitting here working on my square for today but am about to run out of good light – so, I wanted to go ahead and photo and get this up. This square is so much fun! I’m using my H hook and will do this square until it’s about 11″ and then do just a simple sc border in gray. I’m loving the Elemeno blanket so far! Come back each week to get a new square and see it all finished.
For today’s square, I chose this richly textured waffle square.
You can find the pattern here:
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/raised-squared-waffle
Tuesday, October 15:
Happy National Grouch day! No grouching here as I worked up this square today.
Yesterday was a holiday and I spent it mostly running around with my husband, so – the next square didn’t get done until today.
I chose the simple C2C square for this square and this is the best tutorial I have found on this:
https://makeanddocrew.com/how-to-corner-to-corner-crochet-c2c-for-beginners/
For my square, I used my H size hook and my solid pale plum yarn. The C2C is so easy to do and measure for size. I worked it until it was right at 11″ on the sides and then started my decrease – then I did a simple sc gray border. But, this is a great pattern to do a huge scrap blanket all on its own.
I am loving the Elemeno blanket so far!
Stay tuned next week for the pattern coming next.
Monday, October 21:
I chose this beautiful Paris Stitch for my square today. I’ve done this stitch before for dish rags, but never knew that is a name for it. I love this stitch for dish rags because it works up super fast, is easy to remember, requires almost no concentration and needs no border. But, that said, for my blanket square I will border it. I took my photo as I was running out the door to baseball- so the border isn’t done just yet.
To do this square, I chose my H hook and a starting chain of 37 (36+1) and that gave me almost 10″. After a few rows I was at 10.5″ (your starting chain will always get longer after you put some stitches into it) – so, I worked rows until my square was 10.5″. I will border this one in hdc and gray yarn.
Here is a great tutorial on this stitch.
Monday, October 28:
Here is the pattern that I am currently working on while at the doctors office with one of my kids. Life happens but that is why we crochet, right? So, here is the great tutorial and pattern. I’m following the pattern with my H size hook so it’ll be 11″ when I am done. I’m also using my solid pale plum yarn. I will photo to share tomorrow <3
https://theunraveledmitten.com/2019/01/29/cal-block-2-diagonal-trip-crochet-stitch/
November 4, 2019:
I can’t believe it’s already November! It seems like for us we went from summer tank tops to me wearing slippers now because my toes are so cold, but I got my square done early for today.
I chose the Trinity Stitch for my square today. It has a very nice texture. It does require a bit more concentration to get your stitches in the right place, but it’s well worth it. It is also a very dense stitch so for my #4 yarn I used my 7.00mm hook so that it would be soft enough for a blanket square. I started with a chain of 32 to get a 10.5″ square and then I bordered with one round of hdc.
Here is the tutorial that I have used:
https://theunraveledmitten.com/2018/03/15/trinity-crochet-stitch-tutorial/
I took off for Veteran’s Day and am currently doing a 12-days of Christmas blog post so I will be back to my blanket after my 12-days makes are complete.
Monday, January 6, 2020:
I’m back at it!! It was a pretty crazy holiday season over here. I took a break for a big 12 Days of Christmas blog event here on my blog with 12 free patterns. Check that out if you have not. It’s a lot of fun! I’ll link you to the first day and the other links follow in that post.
After that I got swamped with other seasonal orders and events, but think I have only 3 square to go after today on this fun baby blanket.
For today, I have chose this tutorial:
https://daisyfarmcrafts.com/polka-dot-blanke/
I chose my size I hook and started with a chain of 36+1. The tutorial is very good for adjusting the size and helping with the stitches.
Monday, January 13:
I’m traveling today and one if the great things about crochet is that it’s portable! I worked up my square today on two different flights. It’s dark where I am now so I’ll post my photo tomorrow, but this is the tutorial I used.
https://www.highlandhickorydesigns.com/alternate-puff-stitch-photo-tutorial/
Doesn’t this square have the best texture? I love texture for baby items.
For the above square, I used my H size hook and for my 11″ square I started with a chain of 38. After it measured about 10″ square (my squares are all around 11″ total), I did a half double crochet border. When I return home I will do a single crochet border in gray and attach.
Only a few more squares to go!!
Monday, January 20, 2020:
We are coming down to it! To the end!!! I have only one more square left to complete the Elemeno Blanket …one more to go and I’ve already completed it! When I found the pattern I knew it would make the perfect end! So, stay tuned for next Monday for the final blanket square. I’ll also be working up the border.
For the square that I am posting today, I picked this sweet tipped heart square. You can find this pattern here:
https://forum.crochetville.com/topic/118632-slanted-heart-square-12hx12w-2-images/#entry2124899
I followed the pattern with my H hook and pale plum yarn and then switched my colors at the end. I am almost entirely out of this multi colored yarn that I started with – the Caron One Pound in Green Meadows Ombre – but, I felt that this square would be best in a solid color. I used my H hook for this square.
Don’t worry if your squares are not “square” when you finish them – you will be blocking your blanket after you join them all and do your border.
Only one to go…..
I couldn’t wait to finish this fun blanket up – so, before I post the next block here is my blanket drying after getting washed and blocked.
This is it! The very last square and the big finish! I couldn’t wait until tomorrow so here it is – the last one!
Here is the tutorial that I followed for this last square:
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/elephant-bobble-chart
Okay, now for a few notes. I have two video tutorials on my YouTube channel – one will help you join the squares together if they are not perfectly the same number of stitches all the way around. I made my squares about 11″ around, but the stitch count when I did my crochet border did vary a little, so I did a quick tutorial to show you how to fix this if you also did an even crochet around your square, but got a different number of stitches. You can view that here:
Also, this is the border that I was planning on using on this blanket all the way up until the end, but when I actually viewed the tutorial, I noticed many things that just were not going to work for this project and I fully explain all of these in my video. This second video talks about not only the reason for my modification, but also gives you the pattern that I used for the border to the Elemeno blanket. See the little crochet elephants?
And here is the full, completed blanket.
Elemeno looks very chill as he relaxes on his new blanket. You can find my Elemeno Elephant crochet pattern HERE.
Thank you for joining me. I would love to connect with you over on IG. Find me @theburgundybasket
XOXO, Kristi
