Ned's Polka Dot Blanket Recipe

Hello friends!

Recently I finished making a blanket for my little friend Ned who was born at the start of the year, (yes, it took me a while to finally finish it!! Ned was very patient though :-)

I made it using a technique called Tapestry Crochet. You can find lots of great tutorials on how to do Tapestry Crochet on youtube (This is a particularly good video, I used the first method she describes for my Polka Dot blanket :-). I highly recommend taking the time to look it up and learning this skill because it's so much fun and you really can do some amazing things with it :-)

It's a little bit like Fair Isle knitting, but it's completely reversible, with no exposed yarn carried along the back of your work. Yay!

I didn't use a pattern to make Ned's blanket, I just got out some graph paper and did a few calculations and came up with this polka dot design (with Ned's name in the corner :-)

I have had a lot of people asking for a pattern so they can make their own Polka Dot Blanket, I haven't written a pattern, as such, for this blanket, but if you have a little bit of crochet experience & a knowledge of tapestry crochet, you may find the following notes (or Blanket Recipe) useful to make your own Polka Dot blanket (without Ned's name in the corner, hehe). Referring to the photographs will also help :-)
You can find this blanket recipe on RAVELRY :-)

My blanket measured approximately 100cm x 100cm. I used a 4.5mm hook & Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury 8 ply (DK) in the shades Lake and Oceanic. (Unfortunately it seems that Oceanic is now a discontinued colour, which is a real shame, as it is a gorgeous colour :-( ) I used approximately 2.7 200g balls (1080m or 1180yds) of Oceanic (Main Colour) and .7 of a 200g ball (280m or 306yds) of Lake (Contrast Colour).

Please note: I will use British/Australian crochet terms in this blanket recipe. U.S. crochet terms are different, so if they are the terms you like to use you may need to look up a conversion chart on the net :-)

Abbreviations:

ch = chain

st or sts = stitch or stitches

dc = double crochet

Using Main Colour make 137 chain, 

Row 1: Using Main Colour, 1dc in 2nd chain from hook, 1dc in each chain to end, 136sts in total. 
Row 2-4: Using Main Colour, 1ch (counts as 1dc), 1dc in each st to end. Turn.

Row 5: Using Main Colour, 1ch (counts as 1dc), 1dc in each of next 5 sts, using Contrast Colour, 1dc in each of next 4 sts, **using Main Colour, 1dc in each of next 20sts, using Contrast Colour, 1dc in each of next 4 sts. Repeat from ** to last 6 sts, using Main Colour, 1 dc in each st to end. Turn.

Row 6: Using Main Colour, 1ch (to count as 1dc), 1 dc in each of next 4 sts, using Contrast Colour, 1dc in each of next 6 sts, **using Main Colour, 1 dc in each of next 18 sts, using Contrast Colour, 1dc in each of next 6 sts. Repeat from ** to last 5 sts, using Main Colour 1dc in each st to end. Turn.

Rows 7-10: Using Main Colour, 1ch (to count as 1dc), 1dc in each of next 3 sts, using Contrast Colour, 1dc in each of next 8 sts, **using Main Colour, 1dc in of next 16 sts, using Contrast Colour, 1dc in each of next 8 sts. repeat from ** to last 4 sts, using Main Colour, 1 dc in each st to end. Turn.

Row 11: As Row 6.

Row 12: As Row 5.

Rows 13-16: Using Main Colour, 1ch (counts as 1dc), 1dc in each st to end. Turn. 

Row 17: Using Main Colour, 1ch (counts as 1dc), 1dc in each of next 17 sts, using Contrast Colour, 1dc in each of next 4 sts, **using Main Colour, 1dc in each of next 20sts, using Contrast Colour, 1dc in each of next 4 sts. Repeat from ** to last 18 sts, using Main Colour, 1 dc in each st to end. Turn.

Row 18: Using Main Colour, 1ch (to count as 1dc), 1 dc in each of next 16 sts, using Contrast Colour, 1dc in each of next 6 sts, **using Main Colour, 1 dc in each of next 18 sts, using Contrast Colour, 1dc in each of next 6 sts. Repeat from ** to last 17 sts, using Main Colour 1dc in each st to end. Turn.

Rows 19-22: Using Main Colour, 1ch (to count as 1dc), 1dc in each of next 15 sts, using Contrast Colour, 1dc in each of next 8 sts, **using Main Colour, 1dc in of next 16 sts, using Contrast Colour, 1dc in each of next 8 sts. repeat from ** to last 16 sts, using Main Colour, 1 dc in each st to end. Turn.

Row 23: As Row 18.

Row 24: As Row 17.

Rows 25-28: Using Main Colour, 1ch (counts as 1dc), 1dc in each st to end. Turn.

Rows 5 - 28 make up the polka dot pattern. Continue working in this pattern repeat until your blanket reaches the desired length. 

I then did 2 rounds of dc around the entire edge of the blanket as a small border. Don't forget to do 3 stitches in each corner so the border doesn't curl up :-)

I hope you have fun with this blanket recipe :-)

© Copyright Shara Lambeth Designs. Copyright remains that of the author at all times. The pattern is for personal use only. Reproduction of this pattern in anyway (electronic, email, photocopying, transcribing etc) is strictly prohibited, except with the explicit permission of the author. Please do not sell the pattern or the finished product that is made using this pattern without permission of the author, as this is a direct infringement of the copyright laws protecting this pattern. Also please be aware that copyright laws vary from country to country (sometimes even from state to state), I am Australian, in Australia, therefore my patterns are protected by Australian copyright laws. This copyright protection still stands no matter what country the item is made in or who makes it. Thank you!!

If you do want to sell the blankets you make using this pattern at a market, craft fair or in your online store please do ask, as in most cases I will give permission :-)

And please feel free to make as many blankets as you like for yourself, your friends and your family. You might also like to make some to donate to your local charities :-)