A striped crochet blanket that’s perfect to use all that leftover yarn you’ve got!
That’s not the pattern I had in mind to release this June. Not at all. I planned to make this year what I had in my plans for last year’s June.
And guess what? It didn’t happen last June, and it’s not happening this year, either. And I am here thinking, maybe I am not supposed to do that.
Pin now, make later…;-)
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I am supposed to release this series of patterns. Yes, it was going to be seven of them. Seven small square dishcloths.
My inspiration, though, was non-existent. Really, nothing. No ideas at all.
But this time, I was more prepared than last time. I had already bought the yarn a couple of months earlier.
And when I saw all this yarn, I felt guilty. It felt like such a waste of money and resources. It was nine 50-gram balls of beautifully colored cotton yarn.
They were too small to make other individual projects, and I don’t use cotton or color that much.
Thankfully, they were all chosen to go well together and an idea formed in my head. A striped crochet blanket. Or simply put a scrap blanket.
I went and found 3 other balls of the same yarn that I already had on hand from other projects and went to the drawing board to see if I had enough for a striped blanket.
I used my super-fancy blanket calculator to check if I would have enough yarn for a baby blanket. I knew it wasn’t much but I should had enough for a scrap baby blanket.
And, it turns out I had just the right amount! My calculations stated that I was cutting it a bit close, and the yarn was going to barely just cover the size, but I had a couple of extra skeins of the mustard and the dark grey and thought that they would be sufficient for a simple border.
I calculated the stitches and rows I would need for a 30”x36” (76×92 cm) blanket, divided how much yarn I had, and ended up with these:
– My striped blanket would be 96 stitches wide and 72 rows in length.
– I would use each color for 2 rows, three times each, but not in the same order.
– I would make a simple single crochet blanket border of 1 cm per side, with the two colors I had extra of.
If all these seem strange to you and want to know how you can make all these calculations and make yourself a scrap (or any other) blanket, I go deep on this in my mini-course “Crochet Blankets Made Easy”.
It’s a step-by-step method that will get you from choosing your yarn to making the calculation for one or all of the common 16 blanket sizes offered in the course.
In “Crochet Blankets Made Easy” I offer you the same calculator I used to know exactly how many stitches, rows, AND yarn you are going to need BEFORE starting your project.
But, let’s get to understand some things about scrap yarn projects.
More crochet blankets you may like:
From left to right: Granny stripe blanket, Lacy blanket, Benson baby blanket.
What is the best yarn to use for a scrap blanket?
It’s best to use yarn you are comfortable caring for and feeling on your skin. I would advise you to use leftover yarn of the same weight category and the same fiber since it’s something you are going to have to wash frequently.
Acrylic in DK weight or worsted is always a good bet to make blankets with. If you have lots of it, go for it.
How many colors should I use in a striped crochet blanket?
There’s obviously no correct answer in this one but I can give you some guidelines. If you want a more cohesive and organized look, go for a 3 color or even 2 color blanket.
If you want a crazy and fun crochet blanket, then go wild. It will be a great way to use up all your leftover yarn for a true scrap yarn project.
You can have a theme in your colors, like woodland, or pastel, or use only bright vivid colors. Or you can go rogue and see where the journey (and your stash) will take you.
A scrap blanket (or scrapghan as it’s also called) doesn’t even have to be so organized as the one I made here. You can always change colors in the middle of the row, even tie all your leftover yarn in one giant ball and start crocheting.
What is the best stitch for a crochet blanket with stripes?
Since you will be adding color to your blanket, the simpler the stitches the better. A double crochet blanket is always great practice, easy for everyone, and wouldn’t steal away from your color choices.
What border should I use for my scrap yarn blanket?
Again, if you are going full-on color like I did, I would suggest a really simple crochet edging. A single crochet border with one or two colors will do the trick.
If on the other hand, you are only using 2-3 colors, you could try something bolder, like a bobble edging.
How to get this striped crochet blanket pattern
There are multiple ways for you to enjoy this crochet pattern.
- If you are interested in the free version, scroll down below.
- You can sign up for my exclusive Members Area where you can get the entire Malloo pattern library for one small yearly fee. Enjoy crocheting from the comfort of your couch and never have to worry about paying full price for every premium pdf pattern. Click the image below to be pleasantly surprised.
Materials
Worsted weight yarn. I used Drops Paris.
US I/5.50 mm crochet hook
yarn needle
scissors
Colors
Color A: Mustard – 41
Color B: Petrol – 48
Color C: Powder pink -58
Color D: Almond – 68
Color E: Sage green – 62
Color F: Dark beige – 26
Color G: Dark grey – 24
Color H: Off white -17
Color I: Old pink – 59
Color J: Jeans blue – 30
Color K: Rust – 65
Color L: Brown – 44
Notes
– All my patterns are written in Standard US terms.
– This is meant to be a scrap blanket, meaning you can use the colors you have. I chose 12 colors as listed below, but you can make this striped blanket with as many colors as you like. Just keep changing colors every two rows.
– At the end of every row you can ch 2 and turn as usual or follow the Chainless double crochet method as described, here.
– I have mixed the colors throughout the blanket to keep things interesting.
– If you would like to make a baby blanket as described below, you must the gauge I provide. If on the other hand, you want to make a blanket of any size, using any yarn you should definitely check out my mini-course “Crochet Blankets Made Easy”.
Abbreviations
Fdc: foundation double crochet
R: row
RS: right side
WS: wrong side
FO: fasten off
ch: chain
dc: double crochet
st: stitch
Free striped crochet blanket pattern
R1 (RS): Fdc 96, ch 2, turn (96)
R2 (WS): dc in each st across, ch 2, turn (96)
Change to the next color
R3-72: repeat R2 and change colors every 2 rows.
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Edging
In the last row, do not cut yarn if you would like to work the first round of the edging with the same color as your top and bottom. In this case, it’s color A.
Turn, ch 1, and work sc evenly around the whole blanket. Work 3 sc in every corner of the blanket. Sl st to join in the round. Join a new color and make one more sc round with 3 sc in every corner.
FO and weave in all ends. Well, what do you think? Did you manage to tame your wild stash?
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