In light of our post last week on ‘A New Winter Hobby’– with the tutorials for learning how to crochet and knit– I thought I would post a pattern for you all to try out.
The pattern is for an adorable baby blanket which I made for a friend who recently gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. It starts with making a bunch of special, little granny square mandalas which you eventually assemble together to make a colorful blanket.
The website from where I originally got the pattern has well-written instructions and pictures to go with it, so if you have questions or would like to see step-by-step pictures look here.
Here is the pattern for the Granny Square Mandala:
1) Chain 2, 1 dc into ring. (Counts as 1 dc2tog).
To do dc2tog: yarn over, insert hook into stitch, yarn over, pull loop through, yarn over, pull loop through two loops on hook, yarn over, insert hook into same stitch, pull loop through stitch, yarn over, pull loop through two loops on hook, yarn over, pull loop through all remaining loops on hook.
2) *ch1, dc2tog* repeat four more times, until you have 6 dc2tog in total.
3) Now ch1 and join with a slst to 2nd ch of original 2ch.
4) Change color. Bring new color up between the dc2togs and into the same space, ch 2, 1dc (counts as 1 dc2tg), ch1, dc2tog.
5) Ch1, into next space, dc2tog, ch1, dc2tog, ch1. Repeat around the circle until each of the spaces from round 1 are filled with *dc2tog, ch1, dc2tog* and you have 12 1ch spaces between dc2tog.
6) Next round, change colour and bring new colour up in one of the 1ch spaces. Ch3, (counts as 1dc) 2dc into same space. Ch1, 3dc into next 1ch space. Continue around the circle until each of the 12 spaces are filled, ch1 and join with a slt into 3rd ch of original 3ch.
And there you have your mandala! Now it’s time to make it into a square. We’re going to need trebles (tr) and half trebles (htr) here, so if you’ve never done these before, here’s a quick how-to.
Half trebles: Yarn around hook twice, insert hook into stitch, pull a loop through, yarn over, pull loop through 2 loops on hook (3 left on hook) yarn over, pull loop through all three stitches on hook.
Trebles: Yarn over hook twice, insert hook into stitch, pull loop through, yarn over, pull loop through two loops on hook, yarn over, pull loop through two loops on hook, yarn over, pull loop through all remaining loops on hook.
7) Bring the new color up in one of the 1ch spaces and ch3 (counts as 1dc), 2dc into same space. Ch 1, now we’re creating a corner, so into next 1ch space, 2htr, 1tr, ch3, 1tr, 2htr, ch1.
The circle needed that extra space in the corner so we use the trebles.
3dc into next 1ch space, ch1, 3dc into next 1ch space, ch1 then repeat corner sequence.
Now, continue around the circle in the same fashion as you would a granny square, just using the tr and htr in the corners!
Voila! Your first granny square mandala is complete!
Now you should make 47 more (for a total of 48 squares) if you want to make your blanket look like mine.
Once you’ve made all of your squares you can lay them out on the floor and assemble them in whatever pattern you desire.
Now it’s time for the edging.
Take the MC (main color) and join with a slst to a stitch just after one of the corners of the blanket. Ch1 and sc into each stitch along the edge, making a hdc into each of the stitches where the joined squares meet.
If you have a look you will notice that there are little dips where the squares are joined and by making a hdc into these dips you will straighten out the edge nicely.
When you reach the corners, make 2sc, ch2, 2sc into the corner space and carry on around. When you reach the end ouf the round, join with a slst to the original ch1. Now ch2 and into each stitch in the round, make 1hdc. When you reach the corner spaces make 2hdc, ch2, 2hdc and continue 1hdc into each stitch. At the end of the round, slst into the 2nd ch of original 2ch. Fasten off.
