Over the Rainbow Crochet Baby Blanket Pattern
Each square of this crochet baby blanket pattern felt like a piece of stained glass that together formed this beautiful mosaic art piece! It also gives me the feeling of “home sweet home” that comes from its patchwork-style quality. Let’s dive in!
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The Story
Currently, I am attending my senior year at a small university in California… and I mean very, very small. Around 300 people. Yeah, I know. I found that when I was applying to larger universities around the country, it was easy to feel like just a number or get lost in the crowd. I’m also very “directionally-challenged” so I would quite literally get lost in the crowd. Besides the smaller campus, I just felt that having a tight-knit Catholic community would be more beneficial to me than a big public college.
One of the pros of being at a small school is everyone knows you. A con of being at a small school is EVERYONE KNOWS YOU. It didn’t take long for word to spread of my love and passion for crochet. Our school was running low on club leadership and participation, and as an RA (residential assistant), people were very persistent to “encourage” me to start a crochet club. Eventually, they wore me down, mostly with their offer of a yarn budget!
I was so excited to teach people how to crochet, help them with projects, and just sit around a bunch of fellow crocheters and enjoy time away from homework. One idea I was very eager to implement was making squares to put together into crochet baby blankets for donations! I’ve seen many church crochet groups in the past request a specified size of squares and then another person puts everyone’s squares together into a beautiful crochet baby blanket! They usually don’t have the perfect color scheme or the most consistent gauge, but it was beautiful in its imperfection. Those crochet baby blankets were always a labor of love, and I wanted to bring that into my crochet club.
Our first crochet baby blanket pattern was given to a wonderful baby boy of two alumni from our school. During that time, safety guidelines were constantly changing, making us worry that we may not successfully finish in time. However, we all banded together to work separately on the crochet baby blanket and managed to finish it just in time!
After this, we were so excited to make another… and here it is!
The Blanket
This crochet baby blanket pattern was so much fun to design. And just like all of those donated crochet baby blankets before it, this little guy had a little bit of everything, from pink heart bobbles to blue diamond stitches.
Materials
- Craft Smart Value Yarn. 350 yards of White; 300 yards of Light Coral; 250 yards of Pink; 200 yards of Butter; 200 yards of Light Blue; 200 yards of Mint
- G/6 4mm Crochet Hook
- Tapestry Needle for weaving in ends
Size
Finished blanket is approximately 33” x 33”
Special stitches
Bead Stitch: Into the next stitch, work a dc. Working around that dc, *yarn over, pull up a loop,* repeat from *to* until there are 7 loops on the hook. Yarn over and pull through all 7 loops. Bead stitch made.
Bobble Stitch: Working into the same stitch, yarn over, insert the hook into the stitch and pull up a loop. Yarn over and pull through 2 loops. 2 loops are left on the hook (and one incomplete double crochet is made). Repeat these steps 4 more times. There are now 6 loops on the hook (5 incomplete double crochets). Yarn over and pull through all strands on the hook. Bobble stitch made.
Square color/pattern/number
Orange: C2C squares (8 squares)
Pink: Bobble heart squares (5 squares)
Yellow: Star squares (4 squares)
Blue: Diamond stitch squares (4 squares)
Green: Bead stitch squares (4 squares)
C2C Squares
Not only is corner to corner super fast and easy, I just loved how it gave an almost basket-weave effect to this fun orange color!
R1: Ch 6. Dc into 4th ch from hook. Dc into next 2 st.
R2: Turn work and ch 6. Dc into 4th ch from hook. Dc into next 2 st. Sl st into top of ch to join. Ch 3. 3dc into ch3 from previous row.
R3-7: Repeat R2.
R8: Turn work and sl st across last 3dc and ch. *Ch 3. 3dc in ch 3 from previous row.* Repeat *to* until end of row. Sl st into top of ch to join.
R9-13: Repeat R8. Fasten off at the end of row 13.
Bobble Heart Squares
You already know I love me some cute bobble heart squares! They are always a fun addition to a baby blanket and the Over the Rainbow baby afghan is no exception!
Work squares back and forth in rows.
Ch 22.
R1: Sc into the 2nd ch from hook, sc into the next 20 st. (21 st)
R2: Ch 1 (does NOT count as a stitch here or throughout), sc across. (21 st)
R3: Repeat row 2
R4: Ch 1, sc in next 10 st, bobble into next st, sc into the next 10 st. (21 st)
R5: Ch 1, sc across. (21 st)
R6: Ch 1, sc in next 8 st, bobble into next st, sc in next 3 st, bobble into next st, sc in next 8 st. (21 st)
R7: Ch 1, sc across. (21 st)
R8: Ch 1, sc in next 6 st, bobble into next st, sc in next 7 st, bobble into next st, sc into the next 6 st. (21 st)
R9: Ch 1, sc across. (21 st)
R10: Ch 1, sc in next 4 st, bobble into next st, sc in next 11 st, bobble into next st, sc in next 4 st. (21 st)
R11: Ch 1, sc across. (21 st)
R12: Ch 1, sc in next 2 st, bobble in next st, sc in next 15 st, bobble in next st, sc in next 2 st. (21 st)
R13: Ch 1, sc across. (21 st)
R14: Repeat row 12
R15: Ch 1, sc across. (21 st)
R16: Ch 1, sc in next 2 st, bobble in next st, sc in next 7 st, bobble in next st, sc in next 7 st, bobble in next st, sc in next 2 st. (21 st)
R17: Ch 1, sc across. (21 st)
R18: Ch 1, sc in next 3 st, bobble into next st, sc in next 4 st, bobble in next st, sc in next 3 st, bobble in next st, sc in next 4 st, bobble in next st, sc in the next 3 st. (21 st)
R19: Ch 1, sc across. (21 st)
R20: Ch 1, sc in next 4 st, bobble in next st, sc in next st, bobble in next st, sc in next 7 st, bobble in next st, sc in next st, bobble in next st, sc in the next 4 st. (21 st)
R21-23: Ch 1, sc across. (21 st) Fasten off at the end of row 23.
Star Squares
I love the subtlety of these little “stars” for the yellow squares. While our first club baby blanket had literal bobble star squares, this one is a little more abstract and super fun to make!
Work squares back and forth in rows.
Ch 22.
R1: Dec into 2nd and 3rd ch, *ch1, sc3tog over previous ch and next 2 ch,* repeat from *to* until last ch. Ch1, dec over previous ch and last ch.
R2: Ch1, dec over first dec and ch space. *ch1, sc3tog over (previous ch space, next sc3tog, and next ch space)* repeat from *to* until last dec. Ch1, dec over previous ch space and last dec.
R3-15: Repeat R2. Fasten off at end of row 15.
Diamond Stitch Squares
I’m sure you’ve heard of the waffle stitch, which I love by the way. BUT, have you heard of the diamond stitch? Well, it’s similar to the waffle, but WAY COOLER!
Work squares back and forth in rows.
Ch 19.
R1: Sc in 2nd ch, sc across (18 st)
R2: Ch3 (counts as first dc here and throughout), dc across (18 st)
R3: Ch1, fptc in third sc from the first row. *Skipping the next st (one fptc would have worked into), 3sc, fptc2tog into same sc as the first fptc and in the fourth st.* Repeat from *to* until last 2 st. Fptc into same sc as previous fptc2tog, sc into last st.
R4: Ch3, dc across (18 st)
R5: Ch1, 2sc, *fptc2tog working under first fptc and fptc2tog from previous odd row. Skipping next st (one fptc would have worked into), 3sc.* Repeat from *to* until last 4 st. Skipping next st (one fptc would have worked into), 3sc.
R6: Ch3, dc across (18 st)
R7: Ch1, fptc around fptc2tog from previous odd row. *Skipping next st (one fptc would have worked into), 3sc. Fptc2tog under first and second fptc2tog from previous odd row.* Repeat from *to* until last 2 st. Fptc into same previous fptc2tog, sc into last st.
R8-13: Repeat rows 4-7. Fasten off at end of row 13.
Bead Stitch Squares
The texture of the bead stitch is so unique, and it adds a fun new style to this baby blanket that I just love!
Work squares back and forth in rows.
Ch 21.
R1: Hdc into the 3rd ch from hook, hdc into the next 18 st. (19 st)
R2: Ch3 (counts as first dc here and throughout), *skip next st, 1 bobble st in next space.* Repeat from *to* until 2 spaces are left. Skip next st, 1dc in last st. (10 st)
R3: Ch 2 (counts as first hdc here and throughout), hdc on top of each bobble st and in each space between. (19 st)
R4-9: Repeat rows 2 and 3. Fasten off at end of row 9.
Square Border
I liked keeping a white border around each square like our first club blanket. I found it helped showcase each square while also helping them each compliment each other!
Attach yarn into the top right corner stitch (right side facing) of a square. In the same space as joining, [ch 3 (counts as 1st dc), dc, ch 2, 2dc] 1st corner made.
**The spacing of the next few steps may differ depending on the style of square, but it is important to keep the same number of 2dc clusters on each side of the squares: 4 clusters on each side (excluding corners).**
Continuing across the top of the square, ch 1, *skip next 2 st, work 2dc in next st, ch 1. Repeat from * across, working 6 sets of dc until the last 2 st. Skip the next stitch, work (2dc, ch 2, 2dc) in the corner. 2nd corner made.
Rotate square, work 6 sets of (2dc, ch 1) alongside square, evenly spaced. Work (2dc, ch 2, 2dc) in the corner. 3rd corner made.
Rotate to work the bottom of the square, work 6 sets of (2dc, ch 1) alongside side of square, evenly spaced. Work (2dc, ch 2, 2dc) in the corner. 4th corner made.
Rotate to work the final side of the square. Work 6 sets of (2dc, ch 1) along side of square, evenly spaced. Join with top of 1st stitch in round. Fasten off.
Assembly
Arrange squares in a pleasing color pattern. There are 5 rows by 5 columns. Using
white color yarn, hold squares right side together and slip stitch through the back loops. Weave in all ends.
Blanket Border
I wanted this border to have a more lacey feminine touch as we were making this baby blanket for a little girl, but I also wanted something simple that make you excited to finish off this beautiful crochet baby blanket pattern!
Attach yarn in a corner.
R1: Ch3 (counts as first dc here and throughout), 1dc in same space as joining. *(ch1, 2dc) in the next space and each space across the first square across the first square, until it meets the 2 squares meet. Work (ch1, dc) into the corner space of the first square and (ch1, dc) into the corner space of the next square. Repeat from * until the end of the first side of the entire blanket. In the corner space, work (2dc, ch2, 2dc). Repeat from *to* on the remaining 3 sides, working (2dc, ch2) in the final corner, sl st into the top of starting ch.
R2: Ch3, 1dc in same space as joining. *(1dc, ch2, 1dc) in next space. Repeat until end of the first side fo the entire blanket. In the corner space, work (2dc, ch3, 2dc).* Repeat from *to* on remaining 3 sides, working (2dc, ch3) in the final corner, sl st into the top of starting ch. Fasten off and weave in ends.
Conclusion
I hope you had fun coming along with me on this crochet journey! If you are interested in making your very own Over the Rainbow Baby Afghan, be sure to check out the pattern on my Etsy and Ravelry shops. The yarn used for this crochet baby blanket pattern is Craft Smart Value Yarn from Michaels in White, Light Coral, Pink, Butter, Light Blue, and Mint. Looking for some crochet hooks? My favorite is Clover Amour, but you can check my Clover Amour review post to decide for yourself if they are right for you and see some cheap alternatives!
Have you ever made a patchwork baby blanket? Comment below!
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