Intermediate ✦✦✦✧✧
Here is a free baby blanket crochet pattern for the mom who wants color, vibrancy, and rainbows in their child's early life.
I wanted my little boy to have a super colorful blanket for his stroller and in the car so I created this rainbow sunburst blanket.
For this blanket, I didn't want a traditional rainbow but I still wanted it to be super colorful. Originally, I was inspired by Knit Pick's Hue Shift afghan (see the knit version for a better picture), but did not want to make something too similar to it. After a lot of trial and error on the computer (and a little color theory help from my husband) I came up with this design that sort of radiates a rainbow without being over the top.
This square shaped blanket is made using a mitered linen or moss stitch square of two colors. Since I hate sewing together individual squares, the blanket is designed to "join as you go". The squares are stitched in quadrants of 4x4 squares with the outer colored yarn continuous in each row of 4 squares to minimize ends to weave in.
This pattern uses a 6mm hook, light worsted weight yarn (I used Knit Picks Mighty Stitch), and measures 26 inches on a side before the border, 28 inches square with the border. You will need one skein each of 8 colors (see color plan below) plus a skein of black for the border.
Color Plan:
Outer Colors:
A: purple
B: royal blue
C: maroon
D: navy blue
Inner Colors: W: orange X: yellow Y: green Z: teal
Pattern:
In color A, purple: Ch 31.
Row 1: Starting in the 2nd ch from the hook and working in the back bumps of the chain: sc 14, skip 2 sts, sc 14. Turn.
Row 2: ch, sc, [skip 1 st, ch, sc] repeat 6 times, skip 2 sts, ch, sc, [skip 1 st, ch, sc] repeat 6 times, ch 2 pulling the last loop large. Do not turn.
In color W, orange: Join on the side where the previous row began
Row 3: ch, sc, sc in the ch-space, [skip 1 st, ch, sc in the ch-space] repeat 5 times, skip (sc, ch, sc), ch, sc in the next ch-space, [skip 1 st, ch, sc in the ch-space] repeat 5 times, sc in the last st. Ignore the 2 chains of the last color. Turn.
Row 4: ch, sc, [skip 1 st, ch, sc in the ch-space] repeat 5 times, skip (sc, ch, sc), ch, sc in the ch-space, [skip 1 st, ch, sc in the ch-space] repeat 4 times, skip 1 st, ch, sc in the last st, ch 2. Do not turn.
In color A, purple:
Row 5: ch, sc, sc in the ch-space, [skip 1 st, ch, sc in the ch-space] repeat 4 times, skip (sc, ch, sc), ch, sc in the ch-space, [skip 1 st, ch, sc in the ch-space] repeat 4 times, sc in the last st. Turn.
Row 6: ch, sc, [skip 1 st, ch, sc in the ch-space] repeat 4 times, skip (sc, ch, sc), ch, sc in the ch-space, [skip 1 st, ch, sc in the ch-space] repeat 3 times, skip 1 st, ch, sc in the last st, ch 2. Do not turn.
In color W, orange:
Row 7: ch, sc, sc in the ch-space, [skip 1 st, ch, sc in the ch-space] repeat 3 times, skip (sc, ch, sc), ch, sc in the ch-space, [skip 1 st, ch, sc in the ch-space] repeat 3 times, sc in the last st. Turn.
Row 8: ch, sc, [skip 1 st, ch, sc in the ch-space] repeat 3 times, skip (sc, ch, sc), ch, sc in the ch-space, [skip 1 st, ch, sc in the ch-space] twice, skip 1 st, ch, sc in the last st, ch 2. Do not turn.
In color A, purple:
Row 9: ch, sc, sc in the ch-space, [skip 1 st, ch, sc in the ch-space] twice, skip (sc, ch, sc), ch, sc in the ch-space, [skip 1 st, ch, sc in the ch-space] twice, sc in the last st. Turn.
Row 10: ch, sc, [skip 1 st, ch, sc in the ch-space] twice, skip (sc, ch, sc), ch, sc in the ch-space, skip 1 st, ch, sc in the ch-space, skip 1 st, ch, sc in the last st, ch 2. Do not turn.
In color W, orange:
Row 11: ch, sc, sc in the ch-space, skip 1 st, ch, sc in the ch-space, skip (sc, ch, sc), ch, sc in the ch-space, skip 1 st, ch, sc in the ch-space, sc in the last st. Turn.
Row 12: ch, sc, skip 1 st, ch, sc in the ch-space, skip (sc, ch, sc), ch, sc in the ch-space, skip 1 st, ch, sc in the last st. Tie off. Do not turn.
In color A, purple:
Row 13: ch, sc, sc in the ch-space, ch, skip (sc, ch, sc), sc in the ch-space, sc in the last st. Turn.
Row 14: ch, sc, ch, skip (sc, ch, sc), sc. Turn.
Row 15: ch, pull a loop through the 1st sc, pull a loop through the 2nd sc and pull that same loop through the 2 loops on the hook.
Do not tie off.
Continue with the next square.
Make the second square in Color A (purple) without cutting the yarn:
Starting along the side of the rows just made, in Color A: ch, sc 15, ch 15. Turn.
Continue with the instructions from the first square starting from Row 1, using Color X (yellow) instead of W (orange).
Continue making the first four squares with the same outer color A (purple). Cut the string and tie off after the 4th square. Then proceed with the row of squares above with the second outer color B (royal blue).
To make the first square with Color B: (royal blue)
Chain 15, sc 15 along the top of the first square in Colors A (purple) and W (orange), making sure to sc over the chains and into the end of each row.
Continue with the instructions from the first square starting from Row 1, using Color B (royal blue) instead of A (purple).
Make the second square in Color B (royal blue) without cutting the yarn:
Starting along the side of the rows just made, in Color B: ch, sc 15 down the side of the first square (in Colors B (royal blue) and W (orange)), skip what appears to be a stitch but really isn’t, sc 15 along top of the second square below (Colors A (purple) and X (orange)). Again, make sure to sc over the chains and into the end of each row. Turn.
Continue with the instructions from the first square starting from Row 1, using Color X (yellow) instead of W (orange).
Continue in this manner until you have made the first quadrant of 16 squares.
One completed quadrant, outlined in black.
Now, make the second quadrant:
At the end of each row, slip stitch into the end of the corresponding row from the first quadrant and slip stitch in the end of the next row instead of the first ch to rise to the proper height to join-as-you-go. Make sure to slip stitch around the ch-2 row-risers as needed.
Make the third quadrant: This begins just like the first quadrant. When you get to the last row of squares, in Color D (navy blue), you will slip stitch into the first quadrant at the top of each square to connect them (as described in the "make the second quadrant").
The fourth quadrant is made in the same manner as described for the second and third quadrants. You will have to slip stitch to join at both the sides and the top of the last row of squares. The final square will be a bit difficult since the space to join gets smaller as you complete the square, but do not fret. The navy yarn is dark enough that you cannot see the detail in the last 3 rows and so any mistakes are hidden.
Finish with a border in black of 3 rows of sc around with (sc, ch, sc) in the corner stitch (and in the corner ch-space for each row after the first).
