Crochet blanket help

My crochet blanket patterns say 120 chains
Just now I am doing Granny Square throws with left over yarn and it’s to be 48 inches square , it’s soothing to do and warm on my legs !

I've never made one lengthways like that and have either started with a magic circle and worked an ever-increasing square or made small squares and joined them using the continuous join as you go method. I followed Hooked by Robin on YouTube for that method of joining the squares.

I do them length ways all the time , usually from a pattern , but trebles or double crochet would be ok

Start with a granny square and then work your rounds in dc or treble increasing at the corners. Then you can make it as big or small as you please.

I love to crochet, and I have dozens of blankets to prove it, but I just can’t seem to get the hang of that, I’ve tried many times, and never seen to end up with the right amount of stitches.

I would measure the width you want and then make a chain of that length. I made a blanket to cover my legs when sitting on the sofa, using oddments of yarn. All made in treble stitches. I didn't weave in the ends, instead I just knotted the joins together and cut them to the same length. This is it.

That’s just what I’m thinking minimoon, thankyou

It will depend on your hook size and tension. With most acrylic DKs and a 4mm hook, you should need around 60 chains per 30 cm or 12 inches.

If the beds are three feet wide and you want the blankets to overhang a foot either side, for a blanket five feet wide then you’ll need 300 chains.

I make a lot of blankets this way in a UK herringbone half treble stitch.

Make the long starting chain plus one extra chain to turn. In your chosen stitch, work back along the chain into the back bumps. That gives a nice chained edge to work a border round later if you want. That’s your foundation row.

I only ever work one chain to turn and work my first stitch of the next row in the top of the last stitch from the previous row. This also gives a nice firm straight edge to work border stitches later. In other words, I never do three chains counts as first treble or two chains count as first half treble etc which many patterns call for.

To work a herringbone half treble. Yarn over, insert hook into stitch. Yarn over, pull up a loop and pull it through the yarn over on the hook. Yarn over again and pull through two loops. This won’t work up as quickly as a UK treble but gives a nice firmish and not too open texture.

Try a tension square to start and practice the stitch with say 30 chains + one chain to turn to see if you get a 15cm/six inch square.

I am in the process of making a c2c lap blanket using random scraps of dk wool. I’m joining the new colour whenever I run out so mainly in the middle of a row - got a lot of weaving in to do soon! Some balls have done three or four rows, others less than one row as they get longer in the middle of a c2c blanket.

I’m loving the effect and I’m sure that it will be appreciated by the person who receives it. I give most of my blankets to the care home who looked after mum or to the local hospital Frailty Ward who give every patient a blanket on admission which they then take home.

I do crochet blankets in rows especially if it is a new pattern I want to try but like a c2c or from the middle one every now and again. My next one is going to me a mosaic pattern I think, probably pram size as it looks a rather difficult pattern!

If doing a free hand one in rows, I just chain until it looks long enough ie drapes over my legs for a lap blanket or hangs over a single bed. For children I’d go lap size as they tend to use them to snuggle on the sofa and long ones can get in the way.

I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong, but I seem to lose a stitch at the end each time.
I’ve done lots of practices, but always seem to end up with the same problem.

If you want a good sized single I use between 180 to 200 stitches. Also, and this is me, not you, check the videos on You Tube for keeping the edges straight. Bella Coco has a lovely video where she shows you how to get a neat edge using trebles. Also, I tend to check out either temperature blankets, keeping all the colours of a similar hue together i.e. all the yellows together, all the reds and running them into each other or a colour wash which goes from very light to dark. Sorry, to ramble on but blankets are my passion. Good luck with the rainbow one. It sounds wonderful and one thing about basic double or treble is that you can pick it up anytime without having to worry about the pattern.

My current throw is 200 stitches wide (DK acrylic 4mm hook) and just over a metre wide. The swatch 21 sts x 17 rows, measured approx 11 cm x 9 cm (4.3” x 3.5”)

When making a blanket out of odds and ends, please only use one type of yarn (eg DK acrylic) otherwise the different stripes will wash differently.

Sarah1954

You are probably missing the very last stitch of each row.

Try a practice piece starting with ten chains plus one turning chain. In your chosen stitch, work along into the bumps at the back of the chain (miss the one nearest the hook as that’s the back bump from the turning chain. You should now have ten stitches. Put a marker into the tenth. Chain one, turn. Work the first stitch of the new row into the marked stitch. Work nine more. Put a marker into the tenth stitch, Chain one, turn. Repeat.

In the photo, the arrow marks the last stitch still to be worked.

The stitch I am working is the herringbone half treble described above. Each "band" is two rows.

I hope this helps.

Go to Attic24 for ideas and tutorials.
Barbarax

I love Lucy's blogs at Attic24. Clear instructions. She has a good eye for colour too. I've hooked a couple of her stripey blankets. The coastal ripple is a special favourite.

Yes, Attic24 is brilliant. Lucy has some great patterns and most are simple but effective .

I think that's why I enjoyed crochet after knitting for years - I didn't have to always do it in rows

Attic24 ‘cosy stripe’ pattern, free online via the Attic24 web page (small donation invited) is DK, a simple repeat, and will give you tension & starting chain info. I followed it for my first crochet blanket, using up leftover yarn. Well received!

MarleneOnThe Wall
Thankyou so much for taking the time and trouble to explain.
I shall try again and report back.

You could also check out crochet granny rectangle. I can't remember the online tutorial I used but it gave starting stitch numbers depending on the blanket size required.

Have a look on youtube .
Americans call throws and granny squares Afghans .

I struggle with crochet .
My knitting is better - I taught myself from youtube .
My next project is learning to crochet .

BellaCoco has good tutorials on YouTube:

bellacococrochet.com/

Beware any American tutorials as their stitch definitions are different to UK ones although they use the same stitch names.
You would need to stick to either American or UK terms.

Ps you don't have to subscribe to the channel for basic tutorials on YouTube