Crocheting a Beautiful Baby Blanket and Hood in Soft Sage Color

You’ll Need:

2 balls of Caron One Pound, 454g/16 oz, 742 m/812 yds in Soft Sage color;

Crochet hook 3.

Size Options:

Option 1: Baby Blanket

The baby blanket measures 36” x 36”. It features a beautifully textured design with a simple single crochet border.

Option 2: Blanket with Middle Side Hood

The baby blanket is also 36” x 36”.

To change the size of the blanket, the quantity of stitches is a multiple of 2.

Special Stitches

Clusters

Yarn over, insert hook into assigned stitch, yarn over and pull through stitch, yarn over and pull through 2 loops, holding remaining loops on the hook. *Yarn over, go into the same assigned stitch, yarn over and pull through stitch, yarn over and pull through 2 loops, holding remaining loops on the hook. Repeat from * twice more. There will be 5 loops on the hook. Yarn over, pull through all 5 loops.

Instructions

Option 1 – Baby Blanket

Ch 110 or in multiples of 2.

1st row: (RS) 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook and 1 sc in the next ch. *Skip next ch, ch 1, 1 sc in next ch. Repeat from * across to the last 3 chs. Ch 1, skip next ch, 1 sc in the last 2 ch. Turn.

2nd row: (WS) Ch 4 (counts as 1 dc and ch 1 sp). *1 cluster in next ch 1 sp, ch 1. Repeat from * across. 1 dc in last st. Turn. 53 clusters.

3rd row: Ch 4, *1 cluster in next cluster, ch 1. Repeat from * across. 1 dc in last st. Turn. 53 clusters.

4th row: Ch 1, 1 sc in the first st, 1 sc in ch 1 sp before the next cluster. *1 sc in next cluster, 1 sc in next ch 1 sp. Repeat from * across. 1 sc in the 3rd chain of the turning chain. Turn. 109 sts.

5th row: Ch 1, 1 sc in each st across. Turn. 109 sts.

Houndstooth Section Begins

6th row: Ch 1, 1 sc in the first st, *1 dc in next st, 1 sc in next st. Repeat from * across. Turn. 109 sc.

7th row: Ch 3 (counts as dc here and throughout), *1 sc in next st, 1 dc in next st. Repeat from * across. Turn. 109 sts.

8th row: Ch 1, 1 sc in the first st, *1 dc in next st, 1 sc in next st. Repeat from * across. Turn. 109 sc.

9th row: Ch 3 (counts as dc here and throughout), *1 sc in next st, 1 dc in next st. Repeat from * across. Turn. 109 sts.

10th – 11th rows: Repeat rows 4 and 5.

12th row: Ch 4 (counts as 1 dc and ch 1 sp). *Skip next st, 1 cluster in next st, ch 1. Repeat from * across. 1 dc in last st. Turn. 53 clusters.

Repeat rows 3 – 12 (7 more times). Then row 3 once. Fasten off.

The main baby blanket is complete. If you prefer no hood, proceed to the blanket border next. If you prefer a hood, do the hood first.

Blanket Border

Proceed directly to the border for the regular baby blanket or corner hood style.

Rnd 1: With RS facing up, join to a corner. Ch 1, 3 sc in corner st. Evenly space sc across the top and sides of the blanket, placing 3 sc in each corner. Join with sl st to beg sc. Fasten off.

Middle Hood Version

The hood will already be attached to the blanket. You will do the sc evenly spaced around the blanket with 3 sc in each corner. Include the hood when going around the blanket.

Option 2 – Middle Hood

The middle hood is built up as a rectangle directly on the blanket. We have to maintain the stitch look. At the end, we will fold the top of the new rectangle in half and sew shut to form the hood.

Locate the center of the side.

Fold the blanket in half and place a stitch marker on the closest cluster to the center point.

Starting with the next cluster, count 10 clusters over and mark the ch 1 space after it. Then go back to the center stitch marker and count 10 clusters over and mark the ch 1 space after it.

You should have 21 clusters between the two outside stitch markers in approximately the center of the blanket. This is where the hood will appear.

The first row that you will start with must have the single crochets correctly placed. It looks just like row 4 but with the first and last spaces having 2 sc each.

1st row: (RS) With RS facing up, join with sl st to the 1st stitch marker ch 1 sp. Ch 1, 2 sc in the first ch 1 sp. 1 sc in next cluster, *1 sc in next ch 1 sp, 1 sc in next cluster. Repeat from * across. 2 sc in last ch 1 sp where the stitch marker is. You should have an odd number of stitch count.

2nd – 9th rows: Repeat rows 5 – 12 from the main blanket.

10th – 18th rows: Repeat rows 3 – 11 from the main blanket.

Fasten off and proceed to the final border.