Gemma 
🎄☃️✨ Welcome to Day 10 of Blogmas At Home! It’s 15 days until Christmas and Santa (baby) will soon be hurrying down the chimney… ✨☃️🎄
Today’s post is a SUPER exciting one- it’s my first ever original crochet pattern here on the blog! I have been crocheting since I was very young and I have always loved creating patterns of my very own. I’ve never properly written any down before, though, and I’ve definitely never published any online, but Christmas is a time for being brave so, today, I bring you my…
✨🎄SANTA BABY BLANKET🎄✨
The Santa Baby Blanket is a red blanket with a fluffy white edging- a nod to Father Christmas’ iconic suit. The main blanket is worked in suzette stitch, which gives the (otherwise pretty simple) blanket a really lovely, interesting texture. I’ve used Stylecraft Special DK in the shade Claret for the blanket pictured, but you could use any DK weight yarn. The edging is worked around the blanket, using rows of double crochet and a fleece-style, cream-coloured yarn, which makes the blanket extra soft and special. I used Sirdar Snuggly Snowflake DK in the shade Cream for this blanket, but I think it’s actually been discontinued now- I’m heartbroken! Any DK weight, fleece-style yarn will work fine here- you could, of course, use a non-fleece yarn (though I am partial to the fluffy effect the fleece yarn gives).
In terms of difficulty, this blanket is actually very straightforward to make- as long as you know some basic techniques (starting chain, double crochet, treble crochet), you’ll be fine! If you’re a beginner, do be aware that fluffy yarns like the Sirdar Snuggly Snowflake can be a little trickier to work with than plain yarns, because you cannot see the individual stitches and must rely largely on ‘feeling’ where the hook needs to go. It’s worth the learning curve though- I really do think that the fluffy yarn makes the blanket so much cuter.
To go to the Ravelry pattern page for this design, click here.
As I mentioned, this is my first time writing a pattern, so please do let me know if there are any ambiguities/instructions that do not quite make sense! I’m always happy to answer any questions you might have.
Table of Contents
Concept
I’d been dreaming of this blanket for a good while before I actually sat down and tried to find a pattern. There are a couple of similar ones out there, but I just wasn’t crazy about the stitch texture of them- I think I had a very specific picture in my mind, so I decided to just bite the bullet and work it out myself.
In the end, I opted to use suzette stitch. This is one of my favourite stitches- I love the appearance and texture of it, but I also really enjoy the process of working it up. Suzette stitch is just a combination of double and treble crochets- it’s such a straightforward, repetitive stitch that it really makes the whole project such a mindless and stress-free experience.
Materials and Tools
- 370g (1,093 m [1,191 yds]) Stylecraft Special DK in Claret (100g = 295 m [322 yds]).
- 40g (136 metres [147 yards]) Sirdar Snuggly Snowflake DK in Cream (25g = 85 m [92 yds]).
- 4mm crochet hook
- Darning needle
- Scissors
Pattern Notes
- This pattern uses UK crochet terminology.
- Gauge: 19 sts x 17 rows = 10cm
Working at this gauge is not essential for this project- if your gauge is different, your blanket will just be a slightly different size. Do be aware, though, that you may need to purchase more wool if your gauge is significantly looser than mine.
- Worked at the above gauge, the finished blanket will measure approximately 68x90cm. If you wish to make a different size, you can change the number of stitches (to any multiple of 2), and/or the number of rows to achieve your desired size. Please be aware that you will need to purchase more wool if you increase the size of the blanket significantly.
- The main blanket is worked back and forth, in suzette stitch.
- The edging is worked in the round, using only double crochet.
Abbreviations
- MC = Main colour: Stylecraft Special DK in Claret.
- CC = Contrast colour: Sirdar Snuggly Snowflake DK in Cream.
- ch = Chain: yarn over and pull through.
- dc = UK double crochet: insert hook into stitch, yarn over and pull through. You will now have two loops on your hook. Yarn over and pull through both loops.
- tr = UK treble crochet: Yarn over, insert hook into stitch, yarn over again and pull through. You will now have three loops on your hook. Yarn over and pull through two of the loops, then yarn over again and pull through the remaining two loops.
Pattern
For the blanket:
Using MC, ch 120.
Row 1: Dc in 2nd chain from hook, tr in same stitch. *Skip next ch, then (dc, tr) in next stitch* to last 2 stitches. Skip next stitch, then dc in last stitch.
Row 2: Ch 1 (does not count as a stitch) and turn work. *(dc, tr) into first stitch, then skip next stitch* until one stitch remains. Dc in last stitch.
Rows 3-143: Repeat Row 2.
Fasten off yarn and weave in all ends.
For the edging:
Using CC, join yarn about 10cm before a corner. Work in continuous rounds.
Round 1: Dc around the whole blanket (work 1 dc into the end of each row on the sides, and 1 dc into each ch/stitch on the top/bottom), working (dc, ch 1, dc) into each corner.
Rounds 2-6: Repeat Round 1.
Fasten off yarn and weave in all ends.
Final Thoughts
And there you have it- my Santa Baby Blanket! Honestly, I loved the process of making this blanket almost as much as I love the finished product- it is so comfortingly repetitive. As much as I love making intricate toys and super detailed things, I really don’t think you can beat a mindless crochet project like this one- especially this time of year, when life can be so hectic!
I hope you’ve enjoyed my first ever crochet pattern! As I mentioned earlier, you can also find this pattern on Ravelry. I’d love to hear if you give it a try- let me know in the comments below!
Gemma
xxx
