Do you sometimes long for a crochet blanket pattern that you can work on when in company or watching television? A project that does not require you to count stitches, change color, remember the stitch pattern or anything else that would require you to think about what you are doing? If so, I have just the design for you! My new, free Merry-go-Round blanket pattern using double crochet stitches.
Yarn
The yarn used in the sample shown, Scheepjes Noorse Sokkenwol Colour, is no longer available. A good replacement yarn is Scheepjes Our Tribe, available in many different colors. Any variegated sock yarn will work beautifully for this blanket. The Scheepjes Our Tribe is DK weight, but also a thinner yarn like Scheepjes Downtown is a good option.
Materials
You will need at least 5 balls of yarn to get a reasonable size blanket, depending on your gauge, hook size and how large you want your blanket to be. As an indication, I obtained the following sizes using a 4mm hook:
- with 5 balls – 65cm x 95cm
- with 8 balls – 90cm x 120cm
- with 10 balls – 110cm x 140cm
I used a playful rainbow colorway, but this blanket will look lovely in any shades. Color changing yarn has this thing where it continuously drawing you in and wanting you to know which color is next. Just one more round….
Variegated yarn like Scheepjes Our Tribe and Scheepjes Downtown is available from Wool Warehouse (UK/international) and Caro’s Atelier (NL/EU).
Video tutorial
I have made a short video showing the steps involved to make my Merry-go-Round blanket. I show the first 3 rounds as well as the crab stitch edge.
Abbreviations
The pattern is in US crochet terms. If you are more comfortable with UK crochet terms, please see this conversion table for the most common terms.
- dc – double crochet
- fdc – foundation double crochet
- ch – chain
- ss – slip stitch
- st – stitch
- crab stitch – reverse single crochet
Pattern – Merry-go-round Blanket
To make this blanket you first make a rectangular center and from there it goes round, and round and round again till you run out of yarn or your blanket is big enough; which ever comes first.
Round 1 Ch4 (does not count as a stitch), 50fdc, ch2, 3dc in the bottom of last fdc worked (this makes the short side of the rectangle), ch2, 1dc in same stitch (this is in the bottom of the last fdc worked), 1dc in each of next 49 st (this is the bottom of the fdc stitches and makes the long edge of the rectangle), ch2, 3dc in ch4-space. [50 dc, 3 dc, 50 dc, 3 dc]
Round 2 (2dc, ch2, 1dc) in same ch4-space as the last 3dc’s of Round 1, 1dc in next 50 st, (2dc, ch2, 2dc) in next ch2-space, 1dc in next 3 st, (2dc, ch2, 2dc) in next ch2-space, 1dc in next 50 st, (2dc, ch2, 2dc) in next ch2-space, 1dc in next 5 st.
This makes a rectangle with the following stitch count [53dc, 7 dc, 54 dc, 7 dc]. Don’t worry that there is 1 stitch difference between the long sides of the rectangle. You won’t notice this anymore after a few rounds.
Round 3 and further *(2dc, ch2, 2dc) in the next ch2-space, 1dc in each st till the next ch2-space, repeat from * 3 more times.
Last round When your blanket is large enough or you are almost out of yarn, work your last round using crab stitches to make a nice edge.
For the final corner when repeating Round 3 do not work a full corner, but only work 1dc in the last ch2-space. Work a crab stitch in each st and 2 crab stitches in a ch2-space all the way round. When you get back to your starting point, work 1 crab stitch in the ch2-space containing the last dc worked, 1 crab stitch around the post of the last dc worked, and close with a ss in the first crab stitch.
This has been a fun and relaxing project for when I wanted something that needed very little concentration on my part. I believe this to be the perfect crochet-TV project.
#itsallinanutshell
If you are making something with one of my patterns or one of my videos, I would love to see your work. Use the hashtag #itsallinanutshell on Instagram to help me find it, share your work in my It’s all in a Nutshell Crochet Nuts group on Facebook or tag me in one of your posts.
With love,
Esther
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Love the colours of this yarn and your blanket, but a couple of the photos aren’t showing up for some reason
Whoops pictures now showing. Must be my iPad ?
no, it’s not your ipad. I reloaded them because for some reason totally unknown to me they were not posted in the text properly.
thanks for the head up 🙂
Thank you for such a lovely pattern!!! Ive lots of birthday and holiday gifts this will satisfy!!!
Always great when you can use gifts to make something relaxing
This is so so pretty Esther. Another beautiful blanket. I am ordering the yarn today.
Have a great day.
This is a very relaxing project. Enjoy working on it ?
I seemed to have missed the starting chain count?
There is no starting chain. I use foundation double crochet stitches
Good day. I would be grateful if you would tell me how many stitches to make at the beginning, for a rug of 34 x 46 cm.
Greetings,
Carmen
No, I can’t tell you exactly because it depends on your tension and the yarn and hook size you use.
Because you want a rug that is 12cm wider than it is long, the number of foundation dc stitches must be 12cm long. Then your rug will maintain this difference between the width and the length. Then continue till it is the right size.
Looks beautiful but I’m not getting the foundation dc. I hear you saying “the back of the chain”, so is it the horizontal yarn behind the chain loop?
Also, where is the link you refer to showing the fdc in slower motion?
Thanks so much.
Viki
You can also make a series of chain stitches and then dc in them. In my Crochet Fundamentals series on youtube I show the fdc
Thank you so much for your video on fdc! I know understand for the first time how to do it! My hand is recouping from an accident but as soon as I’m able to pick up a hook I’m going to try it. It’s making me nuts not to be able to crochet but I must listen to my doctor.
Happy to help you make the stitches you struggle with.
And yes, you must listen to your doctor. That’s important. And soon you will be crocheting away again 🙂
I’m on row/round 12, and so far the edges are curling a lot, especially the longer two sides. Also, the shorter two sides seem flared out, that is, if I match up the width of the short side with the middle of the piece, the ends are wider. Will this all even out as it grows? Thanks for advice.
Hi Michelle, no, this will not i think. Possibly you have more stitches on those edges than the pattern suggests?
I have the same issue. Loosened my tention and changed the dc2,ch2,dc2 to dc1,ch2,dc1. could also happen I am thinking if we are using a different yarn
Thank you for a relaxing and easy to follow video.
You are most welcome ?
Hello, Esther. Thank you for working out the crochet continuous rectangle pattern!?Ever since I encountered the crochet continuous square patterns by Dedri Uys, I’ve been struggling to figure out how to make a continuous rectangle, but wasn’t satisfied with any of my attempts. Your continuous rectangle is the pattern of my dreams.? Btw, I have had success with continuous triangle, hexagon and octagon patterns, which, like the continuous square and rectangle, are also nice for ombré or self-striping yarns.
During life in the time of coronavirus, I’m awfully glad that I can Keep Calm and Crochet On.
Stay safe,
Niamh
Thank you Esther for a genious patternI I’ve just made a small sample to get the hang of it. It’s easy yet beautiful, especially if the yarn has its own color play. I’m using a cotton yarn “Jeans Crazy” by YarnArt with 3/5 hook.
For this Corona time it’s the perfect easy crochet (to have as a rest from a challenging mandala that I’m doing).
Can you advise me how to block this blanket please. It goes in at the sides. Thank you.
In this video I show how to wet-block a blanket.
do we skip the hidden stitch every 4th row as we do on the square continuous
No, in this pattern you work every stitch. If you want to skip a stitch that is fine.