Easy Single Crochet Baby Blanket Pattern
A beginner pattern worked entirely in single crochet, with the chain count derived from the gauge, row-by-row instructions and a simple method for keeping both edges straight.
Tutorial at a glance
Materials
- Worsted weight (#4 medium) yarn, about 1,000-1,200 yd (estimate)
- US H-8 (5 mm) crochet hook
- Locking stitch marker
- Blunt yarn needle
- Scissors
- Tape measure
Single crochet is the shortest of the basic stitches and the first one most people learn. A single crochet baby blanket repeats that one stitch in every row, which makes it a good place to practice even tension, clean turns and accurate counting.
The trade-off is pace. Because each stitch is short, the rows are short too, and the blanket takes more rows and more yarn per inch than one made with taller stitches. In return you get a dense, firm fabric with very small gaps and a tidy, even surface. This pattern uses US crochet terms.
Materials
- Worsted weight (#4 medium) yarn, about 1,000-1,200 yd
- US H-8 (5 mm) crochet hook
- Locking stitch marker
- Blunt yarn needle
- Scissors and a tape measure
The yarn amount is an estimate. It depends on your gauge and on whether you add a border, so buy a little extra from the same dye lot. The guide to estimating yarn for a baby blanket shows how to work out a closer figure from your own swatch.
Finished Size
About 30 x 34 in (76 x 86 cm) before the border. A two-round single crochet border adds roughly 1 in (2.5 cm) to each measurement.
Gauge
Target gauge: 14 sc and 16 rows = 4 in (10 cm).
Matching this gauge matters for both the finished size and the amount of yarn you use. To check it, chain 22 and work about 24 rows of single crochet on 21 stitches, which gives a swatch close to 6 in (15 cm) square. Measure 4 in across the middle, away from the edges. The guide to crochet gauge for blankets explains how to adjust your hook size if your numbers differ.
The stitch count follows from the gauge:
- 14 sc over 4 in = 3.5 sc per inch
- 3.5 x 30 in = 105 sc
- 105 sc + 1 turning chain = 106 chains
- 16 rows over 4 in = 4 rows per inch, and 4 x 34 in = 136 rows
For a different width, multiply the width in inches by your own stitches per inch, round to a whole number and add 1 chain.
Abbreviations
- ch = chain
- sc = single crochet
- st(s) = stitch(es)
- yo = yarn over (wrap the yarn over the hook)
Pattern Notes
- The ch 1 at the start of each row is a turning chain only. It does not count as a stitch, and you never work into it.
- Every row has 105 sc.
- Insert the hook under both top loops of each stitch, the two strands that form a sideways V.
- To make a single crochet: insert the hook in the stitch, yo and pull up a loop (2 loops on the hook), yo and pull through both loops.
Instructions
Foundation: Ch 106, keeping the chains loose.
Row 1: Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across. Count your stitches: 105 sc.
Row 2: Ch 1, turn. Sc in the first st, which is the stitch directly below the chain you just made. Sc in each st across, ending with a sc in the last sc of the row below. 105 sc.
Rows 3-136: Repeat Row 2, or continue until the blanket measures 34 in (86 cm) from the foundation chain.
Row gauge varies more than stitch gauge, so trust the tape measure over the row number. If you reach 34 in at row 130 or row 140, stop there.
Finding the First and Last Stitch
Nearly every uneven edge in single crochet starts at the two ends of the row. After you chain 1 and turn, the first stitch sits right at the base of that chain. It can look like part of the edge, so beginners often skip it and start in the second stitch. The row loses one stitch each time that happens.
The last stitch causes the opposite problem. It tends to lean sideways and hide under the turning chain of the row below. If you stop one stitch early, the row is short again. If you work into the turning chain as well, the row gains a stitch.
A stitch marker removes the guesswork. Clip it into the first sc of the row as soon as you finish that stitch. When you work back, the marked stitch is your last one. Make your sc into it, then move the marker to the first stitch of the new row.
Tip
Count the full row every four or five rows. It takes a minute and catches a lost stitch while there are only a few short rows to pull back.
Watch out
If your count reads 104 or 106, do not add or skip a stitch in the next row to make up for it. The edge will show a small step. Pull back to the row where the number changed and rework it.
Finishing
After the last stitch of the final row, cut the yarn and leave a tail of about 6 in (15 cm). Pull the tail through the loop on the hook and tighten it. Thread each tail onto the yarn needle and work it through the back of the stitches in more than one direction before trimming. The guide to weaving in ends shows the path to follow so the tails stay put through repeated washing.
A border is optional, but it gives the dense fabric a clean frame. Work 1 sc in each stitch along the top and bottom, 1 sc in the end of each row along the sides, and 3 sc in each corner. Full spacing guidance is in the tutorial for a simple baby blanket border.
Wash and dry the blanket as the yarn label directs, then check once more for any tail that has worked loose.
What to Expect From Single Crochet Fabric
This blanket has 136 rows of 105 stitches, which is 14,280 stitches before the border. That is the cost of a short stitch. The same yarn worked in a taller stitch reaches 34 in in far fewer rows.
What you get for the extra work is thickness and structure. Single crochet fabric is firmer and less drapey than half double or double crochet, and it holds its shape well at the edges. If you would like a softer fabric that grows faster, the half double crochet baby blanket uses the same counting habits with a slightly taller stitch.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my single crochet blanket stiff?
Single crochet is a dense stitch, and tight tension makes it firmer still. If the fabric feels board-like in your swatch, try a hook one size larger, such as US I-9 (5.5 mm), and swatch again. A looser gauge changes the finished size, so recalculate the starting chain from the new stitches per inch.
Can I make this blanket wider or narrower?
Yes. Single crochet has no stitch multiple, so any number of stitches works. Decide on the width in inches, multiply it by the stitches per inch from your swatch, round to a whole number and add one chain for turning. A wider blanket needs more yarn, so adjust your purchase before you start.
Does the chain 1 at the start of a row count as a stitch?
Not in this pattern. The chain 1 only lifts the yarn to the height of the new row. You work the first single crochet into the very first stitch and never crochet into the chain itself. Treating it this way keeps the stitch count at 105 in every row.
