As parents everywhere can attest: children are wonderful and exhausting. After my son goes to sleep at night, I find myself with a scant hour or two before heading off to bed myself and my brain, more often than not, prefers not to think during this time. Hence, this pattern has come around. Cute, mid-weight, and easy to work up without thinking very much, this pattern creates a little gingham style blanket.
Q: What do I need to make this project?
A: To make this blanket, you will need:
Yarn of your choice - see notes below on yarn choice and amount, this can be a great stash buster!
In the example shown, I used Caron Simply Soft, 1 skein each of pagoda, pistachio, autumn maize, persimmon, and pumpkin (total approximately 1575 yds / 1440 m)
4.50mm crochet hook OR whatever size is needed to meet the gauge OR whatever size is appropriate for the yarn you've selected
Tapestry needle
Snips
Q: How long does it take to make?
A: The blanket shown in the photos took 21.5 hours in total, including time to frog a few good chunks after losing yarn chicken. Of course, the amount of time to make your blanket will depend on how quickly you stitch as well as the size you decide to make.
Q: How difficult is this pattern?
A: This pattern is pretty easy and a good one for beginners looking to make something with a little more visual interest. You only need to be able to chain and double crochet to make this blanket (and it has a built-in border, so no need to add that later!). The trickiest part is getting the pattern established at the beginning. Once you're past the first filet section, you'll hit your groove!
Q: How big a blanket will this make?
A: That decision is up to you! Make a gauge swatch to measure how big your stitches are, then do a little bit of math to find the right starting chain. If your gauge is close enough to mine, you can use the chart I've included below to get a standard blanket size.
Tips, Notes, & Learnings
(Yarn & Hook)
To make this pattern, I wanted the stitches to be a little close together for the solid portions in order to make the negative spaces of the filet squares pop a bit more. This also makes the border more pronounced. If you look at the yarn I used (Caron Simply Soft), the label recommends an H hook (5mm). I went down a size and decided I liked the closeness of the stitches on a 4.5mm hook instead. Whatever you choose, I recommend doing a small gauge swatch in pattern (chain 31 to start) to make sure you like the closeness of the stitches before starting your full-size project.
(Sizes)
Using the gauge 13 sts = 4 inches in double crochet, the following chart can be used to figure out your starting chain based off of the final size of the blanket.
Blanket Size | Finished Width (inches, rounded) | Starting chain |
Baby | 42 | 132 + 7 = 139 |
Couch | 50 | 156 + 7 = 163 |
Twin & Twin XL | 72 | 228 + 7 = 235 |
Full / Double | 83 | 264 + 7 = 271 |
Queen | 98 | 288 + 7 = 295 |
King | 114 | 336 + 7 = 343 |
(Borders)
The way I've written this pattern, a border is included all the way around as a solid band of double crochets. Of course, you are welcome to add an additional border at the end by working in the round. I would recommend a plain border of single and/or double crochets, putting 3 stitches in each corner to turn it cleanly.
(Non-blanket applications)
Because I've provided the pattern below with base numbers for the starting chain (multiple of 12 + 7 stitches), you can use this pattern to make a fabric in any size you'd like! This would make a fun lighter-weight scarf for mild weather or a great beach cover up for the summer (make 1 rectangle for the back, 2 smaller for the front, 2 for the sleeves, then stitch them all together!).
Gingham Squares Filet Crochet Blanket Pattern
Abbreviations (US Terms)
ch - chain
dc - double crochet
sk - skip
st - stitch
Gauge
13 sts = 4 inches across in double crochet
**I recommend doing a gauge swatch in pattern (chain 31 to begin) to make sure you like the closeness of the stitches before starting your full-size project.
Pattern
NOTE: The turning ch does NOT count as a dc throughout.
Ch a multiple of 12 sts, then 7 more (multiple of 12 + 7).
R1: Starting in the 3rd ch from hook, 1 dc in each ch across, ch 2, turn.
R2 & R3: 1 dc in each dc across, ch 2, turn.
R4, R5, & R6: 1 dc in each of the next 6 sts, [1 dc in each of next 6 sts, (ch 1, sk 1 st, 1 dc in next st) 3 times] across to last 12 sts, 1 dc in each of last 12 sts, ch 2, turn.
R7, R8, & R9: 1 dc in each of the next 6 sts, [(ch 1, sk 1 st, 1 dc in next st) 3 times, (1 dc in ch sp, 1 dc in next dc) 3 times] across to last 12 sts, (ch 1, sk 1 st, 1 dc in next st) 3 times, 1 dc in each of next 6 sts, ch 2, turn.
Repeat R4 - R9 to desired size, then R2 3 times to create final border*.
*If you want a really symmetric blanket, end after a R6 before doing the final border.
Short & Sweet Pattern
Ch a multiple of 12 + 7 sts.
At the end of each row, ch 2 and turn. Turning chain does NOT count as a dc.
R1 - R3: dc across.
R4 - R6: 6 dc, [6 dc, 3 ch spaces] across, 12 dc at the end.
R7 - R9: 6 dc, [3 ch spaces, 6 dc] across, 6 dc at the end.
Repeat R4 - R9 to desired size, then R1 - R3 to create final border*.
*If you want a really symmetric blanket, end after a R6 before doing the final border.
Helpful counting notes:
For R4 - R6, it's a "double square" of solid at both ends of the rows. You should have 12 dc from the end to the closest chain space.
For R7 - R9, you should have 6 dc from the end to the closest chain space.
For ALL rows with chain spaces in them, there are 7 stitches TOTAL between the chain space squares (6 dc written in the pattern PLUS the one that "created" the chain space).
You'll switch from "double square" to "single square" blocks at the ends every 3 rows, so you really only have to pay attention to what you're doing when you switch over. The rest of the time, "copy" the row below!
When you switch from one chunk to the next chunk, the square holes "shift," but the dcs that make up the edges make one long line to the top of the blanket.
That's all for now! I hope you enjoy this pattern and will go on to share photos of what you create! If you do, be sure to tag me @craftematics on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook - I love to see what you make!
Remember you can always follow me here on the blog by filling out the form at the bottom of the page and be sure to follow me on you favorite social media (linked above) for more crafting content between posts.
Fun fact: the photo here is my son's first experience with fresh out of the dryer blankets and the pattern for the rainbow blanket is available here for free!
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