Sunset Shore Baby Blanket Pattern

Looking for a quick and easy baby shower gift? This blanket is great for curling up on the couch, binging your favorite tv show, and letting yourself relax for the weekend whilst still coming out of it with a beautiful creation. Though more complex projects are fun, sometimes you just need an easy, mindless crochet activity to take you away from your troubles for a little bit. So, grab that ombre yarn you’ve been eyeing at the craft store and let’s get going!

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The Story

My great grandmother loved to crochet and as such I had a beautiful crochet blanket made by her that sat on my bed throughout most of my childhood. It was a simple shell stitch blanket that alternated between a row of white and a row of some kind of multi-colored yarn. I always thought it looked like a piece of stained glass laying on my bed, so simple but so beautiful.

Recently, I had a surprising realization. Even after eight years of crocheting, I still had never made a shell stitch blanket myself. I was shocked. After this, I began putting a little bit of shell stitch on some of my blanket borders, and even made some shell stitch squares for my crochet club’s first group baby blanket, but it still didn’t feel like the homage to my great grandmother’s work that I was hoping for.

Finally, over my last class break, my mother and I saw this beautiful Caron Jumbo Ombre Yarn at Joann’s and instantly fell head over heels for it. I knew this was my excuse to try out the shell stitch. I had just finished My Secret Garden Afghan and was in desperate need for a simple crochet project to get me back int0 my crochet groove, or “crojo” (crochet mojo). Plus, my sister was looking for people to donate baby blankets for her National Honor Society project anyway; how perfect was that?

Of course, as the competitive person I am, I had to race my mother and see who could get their blanket done faster. But now, I can confidently say that with a good tv show, maybe some caffeine, and a little bit of determination, you can definitely get through this blanket over a weekend.

Though I love my big complex projects most of the time, after finally completing one (or even in the middle of one), there is some serious burnout that can happen. I find the best solution for myself is sometimes to just move over to an easier project that will offer some quick satisfaction and a nice rest for the brain.

This blanket brought me so much joy, not only to see the colors change and create such a beautiful sunset landscape, but also because it made me feel closer to my great grandmother. Though I never got to know her very personally, my mother always spoke kindly of her and about how she taught her to crochet. Now, I am able to write about this blanket to you because of her. Without her knowledge and teaching of crochet to my mother, where would I be? I like to take time to appreciate the blessings I’ve been given to those around me, and to do my best to give back as well. So, are you ready to use your wonderful gift of crochet to make something beautiful? Let’s dive in!

The Blanket

Materials

• Caron Jumbo Ombre Yarn. 1200 yds of Blossom. 
• H/8 5.0mm Crochet Hook 
• Tapestry Needle for weaving in ends

Size

Finished blanket is approximately 30” x 30”

Pattern

This blanket is worked back and forth in rows.

R1:   Ch 120. Sc in 2nd ch from hook. *Skip 2 st, 5dc in next st. Skip 2 st, sc in next st.* Repeat from * to * until end of row.

R2:   Ch 3 (counts as dc here and throughout) and 2dc in same st. *Skip 2 st, sc in next st. Skip 2 st, 5dc in next st.* Repeat from * to * until last st. 3dc in last st.

R3:   Ch1 (does NOT count as sc here or throughout) and sc in same st. *Skip 2 st, 5dc in next st. Skip 2 st, sc in next st.* Repeat from * to * until end of row.

R4-74:   Repeat R2 and R3

R75:   Ch 1 and sl st in same st. 1sc, 1hdc, 1sc. *Sl st in next 3 st. 1sc, 1hdc, 1sc.* Repeat from * to * until last st. Sl st in last st. Fasten off.

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed going through this crochet journey with me! If you are interested in making your very own Sunset Shore Baby Afghan, be sure to check out the pattern on my Etsy and Ravelry shops. If you are looking for some crochet hooks for your next project, my favorite is Clover Amour! Not sure if they are for you? You can check my Clover Amour review post to decide for yourself and find some cheap alternatives!

Who taught you to crochet? Do you get crochet burnout sometimes too? Comment below!

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