Intro and a Free Pattern

· categorized in Crochet Patterns,

This blog has been in the ponderings for a while. Yes, I made that up. It’s my blog. 🙂 I’m excited to start documenting the creative things inspiring me, and hopefully you’ll catch some inspiration too. Whether I am crocheting or sewing, working on some project, or taken with a particularly exciting idea… I’d like to share with you.

So to get on with it. Last year about this time I was full of ideas for Christmas, as I am now, and wanted to crochet something for my little girl. She inspires me a lot these days as she gets every bit as excited as I do over creative things. I couldn’t find the pattern for what I wanted anywhere, so I made it up. And was Christmas day ever fun! So, I’m going to share the pattern because maybe you know a little girl that loves all things colorful with hearts on it and made with love.

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Rainbows and Hearts Blanket

pattern

(Updated 9/21/2013 This pattern has now been completely redone. The math was always off a little but now all the hearts should be centered and it should be correct and easier to work. Thanks to all for the constructive criticism. Please keep it coming if you see something else that could use improving. Please also accept my apology for how long it took me to address your concerns. I imagine that is frustrating when wanting to work a project! The evens, odds, sets, extras, and other mathematical factors were cloudy but have now cleared.)

I used Red Heart Super Saver yarn but any yarn would work. Gauge is also not as important. I used a G size crochet hook. My finished blanket is 46 inches x 64 inches long.

When changing colors:
–Changing color after a sc: Insert hook into stitch below, grab yarn with your hook and pull through the stitch, grab the new color yarn with your hook and pull through the 2 loops on your hook to finish the sc.
–Changing color after a dc/shell: On the last dc of the shell y/o, insert hook into the stitch below, grab yarn with your hook and pull through the stitch, grab yarn with your hook and pull through 2 of the loops on the hook, grab your new color yarn with your hook and pull it through the last 2 loops to finish the dc.

Chain a multiple of 12, plus 2 more (I chained 146 for a blanket 46 inches wide.) For each multiple of 12, your finished product will have one heart across. I had 12 hearts across, 12×12=144+2=146.

Row 1: sc in 2nd chain from hook, *skip 1, 3dc in next (these 3dc are a shell), skip 1, sc*  repeat between *s to end of the row, chain 3, turn.
Row 2: 2dc in sc below *sc in middle dc of shell below, shell in top of sc below* repeat between *s to the end, chain 1, turn
Repeat rows 1 and 2 respectively for all rows after.

Color Pattern:
*2 rows of light pink
3 rows each of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple in that order
2 rows of light pink
6 rows of dark pink with light pink hearts (see below for how make the hearts)
2 rows of light pink
3 rows each of purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, red in that order
2 row light pink
6 rows dark pink with light pink hearts*
Repeat between *s until reach the length you desire. (I did 3 sets to make a blanket 64 inches long)

To Make the Hearts: You continue the same stitch pattern as above when working the hearts. There are several tricks though to make the hearts look right and make your blanket look good on both sides. If you change colors as described above and work through how to hide the strings from the color changes, it is not hard. So bear with me while I explain in detail.

To hide color change strings:
I cut my light pink strings for each heart but I just stitch over the dark pink ones to hide them…
–To sc or shell over the dark pink strings. When you insert your hook into the stitch below to make a sc or dc, pull the string you want to hide alongside the stitch and insert your hook under it too. YO and continue to make your shell/sc as usual. This will secure the thread above or below the heart, where you will not notice it later.

Steps to make the hearts:
1) On the third row of dark pink (It should be a repeat of row 1) work: sc, shell, sc, in dark pink.
2) After that 2nd sc switch to light pink.
3) Make 1 shell in light pink, working it over the dark pink strand to hide it. At the end of this shell, switch back to dark pink. This light pink shell is the point of the heart, the bottom half. (Do not carry along the light pink to the next heart. It will show if you do. Trim it leaving a very long tail and you should be able to complete the top of the heart with it on the next row.)
4) In dark pink work sc, shell, sc, shell, sc. Then follow directions above in steps 2-3 to make another bottom half of a heart.
Repeat steps 2-4 to the end of the row. You’ll end the row with dark pink: sc, shell, sc, ch 3, turn.
5) On the next/4th row of dark pink work: shell, sc in dark pink, switch to light pink at the end of the 2nd sc
6) Work shell, sc, shell in light pink. Switch back to dark pink at the end of the 2nd shell, but leave some slack in the dark pink yarn strand. (When doing the next row you will work the shells and scs over this strand to hide it.)
7) Work *sc, shell, sc in dark pink then switch back to using light pink, shell, sc, shell* repeat between *s to the end of the row, end with dark pink: sc, shell, ch 3, turn.
8) On the 5th row (next row) of dark pink be sure to work all shells and scs over the hearts over the dark pink threads to hide them.

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49 responses to “Intro and a Free Pattern”

  3. What a beautiful pattern, I look forward to starting one for my little girl after the holidays. Reading through the pattern everything seems very clearly explained, thanks for such details as you include!!

  5. @Forenzicas- I don’t really know how many. Sorry. I’d guess 2 of each color? I was working with leftovers as it was and just got more as I ran out without keeping tract. This was one of my first crochet projects ever and I was clueless. I wrote the pattern when I made a baby doll blanket to match for her doll.

  6. Oh ok, I’m the exact same way so I totally know where you’re coming from! I always save the wrappers, and when I get a pile of them I throw them out thinking “gosh it’s so messy in here!” and THEN remember why I was saving them.. doh!

  7. I am so excited that I came across this pattern by accident! This project is going to be so much fun. Thank you for being one of the amazing women that share their patterns for the rest of us to use! I hope you know how appreciated you are.

  10. Hi Bethany,

    I came across this Rainbow and Hearts Blanket and I love it! I am the editor of AllFreeCrochetAfghanPatterns.com and would love to feature your tutorial on my site with full credit to you. I know my readers would just love it and in return would generate some nice traffic to your site. If you agree and would like us to feature your project, our readers will simply click the link to your blog to get your full tutorial. It’s really that simple. Your project will look similar to this project already on my site: http://www.allfreecrochetafghanpatterns.com/Baby-Blanket-Afghans/Train-Tracks-Baby-Blanket
    I look forward to hearing back from you, and please let me know if you have any questions.
    Jenny
    jbenoit@primecp.com

  11. Amazing afghan! Great colors! I just love it! Thank you for sharing with all of us crochet geeks. Well, I know I am. I have three new granddaughters that would love this afghan. By the time I finish making three afghans, the girls should be old enough to appreciate them. Thanks again!

  13. Just came over here because The Crochet Dude posted a link on his facebook page. This is absolutely darling!! After I finish up the projects currently on my hook (two little wristlets and a bag) I’ll need to start on this one!

  16. Yeah Crochet Dude!!!

    Yes, I came over because of his link and I love this. This is just perfect for my step-granddaughter’s cousin (who lives with them). I always make her something when I make my grandchildren items.

    Thank you so much for sharing.

    1. You will get there! Keep working at it. There’s a lot of info online about how to follow crochet patterns. Sorry, I’m not at a place (yet anyway) where I can do videos. Thanks for the feedback though. I hope to do them one day.

  23. Beth,
    i came across this pattern b’cuz it was featured in the newsletter from allfreecrochetpatterns, under the most colorful. I have been having the blues, and this is going to be a great pick me up. Thank you so much for sharing what great artistic talent you have. Now if I can only get motivated to start it…..

  24. thank you for sharing this beautiful pattern, it is perfect for my granddaughter, it looks perfect for a sweet little girl, and it looks perfect for making myself more cheerful as I crochet it! Eleanor

  27. Hi, Amanda! I did not carry along the pink yarn. The good thing about this pattern is that it looks the same on both sides. The bad thing is that means you really have to work in that many yarn ends! So I cut it each time. 🙂

  28. I have another question. When I get to the end of the first row, I end with a shell, then chain 3 and turn. Then do I shell into the sc that is between those first 2 shells? That is what I did and it kind of leaves a hole at the beginning of that row, just wondering if that’s right….

    1. Wow, I got out my daughter’s blanket and revamped the whole pattern. It was a little off and it was funny to look at a pattern I made so long ago. So give it a try again and let me know how it goes. Hopefully I’ve got the math and all right now. Thanks so much for leaving me the comments to help me perfect the pattern!

  32. I am currently making this blanket – am so excited – it is gorgeous. But when I did my beginning chain I did the multiples of 12 plus 5 and was short one stitch. So I actually did multiples of 12 + 6. – In your math above you have 144 + 5 = 150 Did you mean 144 + 6 = 150 Thanks

    1. Sorry, haven’t been able to sit down and test this out yet. It has been a long time since I made this. I will try to revisit it asap and get back to you both!

    1. No not yet. This has been a tricky one for me to do the math on. 🙂 Every time I sit down with it I come up with something different. I will try to apply myself to revamp it. Sorry.

  36. I don’t understand how to change the colours. There is nothing about tying off. How do you keep the tension in thr dark pink when changing colour for the hearts?

    1. Good question, Lindsay. I think, if I remember correctly, I either held the ends of the two strands together as I stitched or I knotted them together. So when I changed to light pink I’d hold onto the dark pink thread and the light pink one together. Hope that makes sense to you. 🙂

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