Rose Ripple: Crochet Baby Blanket in the Round

There's nothing more precious to most of us than babies. Each new life is something to be treasured, kept safe and warm and loved.

For those of us who won't be having (any more!) babies, being able to offer up something to others' children is special. I have many reasons for the crochet work I do, but this is definitely one of them. Knowing that my little labor of love is helping to keep a little one warm and safe keeps me going.

Being able to do all that in a beautiful little package is even more fun.

Because I do so much charity crochet work, the patterns I create are quick and easy. There's no way the average crocheter is going to spend more than a week at the very most on something that they're going to give away ... it makes the act of giving feel much more like work than anything else. So this baby blanket follows that simple guideline: it works up very quickly and doesn't include a bunch of difficult stitches.

The finished product is about 31 inches in baby or fingering weight yarn, and closer to 35 inches in worsted weight yarn. For a larger blanket, use a size larger crochet needle.

Rose Ripple Crochet Blanket

This blanket is worked completely in the round - do not turn at the end of a round, just keep going in a counter-clockwise direction.

Materials: Approximately 24 ounces Main Color (MC), and 6 ounces Contrast Color (CC). Size I Crochet Hook, tapestry needle.

Blanket

With CC - Chain 4, join with a slip stitch to form a ring.

Round 1: Ch 3, 2 double crochet in same stitch as joining, 3 double crochet in each stitch around. Join with slip stitch to top of beginning chain 3.

Round 2: Ch 3, 2 double crochet in same stitch as joining, 2 double crochet in each double crochet around. Join with slip stitch to top of beginning chain 3.

Round 3: Ch 4, 2 triple crochet in same stitch as joining, 2 triple crochet in each double crochet around. Join with slip stitch to top of beginning chain 3. Finish off, leaving tail for working under next round.

Round 4: Attach MC with slip stitch to last slip stitch made. Ch 2, half-double crochet in same stitch as joining and in each stitch around. Join with slip stitch to top of beginning chain 2. Finish off, leaving tail for working under next round.

Round 5: Attach CC with slip stitch to last slip stitch made. Ch 3, double crochet in same stitch as joining and in each stitch around. Join with slip stitch to top beginning chain 3. Finish off, leaving tail for working under next round.

Round 6: Attach MC with slip stitch to last slip stitch made. Ch 2, half-double crochet in same stitch as joining, 2 half-double crochet in each stitch around. Join with slip stitch to top of beginning chain 2.

Round 7: Ch 3, double crochet in same stitch as joining. *1 double crochet in each of next 3 double crochet, 2 double crochet in next double crochet*. Repeat * around. Join with slip stitch to top of beginning chain 3. (You should notice a definite ripple starting by now).

Round 8: Chain 2, half-double crochet in same stitch as joining and in each double crochet around. Join with slip stitch to top of beginning chain 2.

Round 9: *Ch 5, skip next stitch, slip stitch in next stitch*. Repeat * around, ending with slip stitch in same stitch as beginning chain 5.

Round 10: Do not chain. 3 slip stitches to the center of first chain 5. *Ch 5, slip stitch in next ch 5 space*. Repeat * around, ending with slip stitch in first chain 5 space of previous round.

Round 11: Do not chain. 3 slip stitches to center of first chain 5. *Ch 5, slip stitch in next ch 5 space*. Repeat * around, ending with slip stitch in first chain 5 space of previous round.

Round 12: Do not chain. *5 single crochet in ch 5 space, 1 single crochet in same stitch as slip stitch*. Repeat * around. Join with slip stitch to first single crochet.

Rounds 13-15: Ch 3, double crochet in same stitch as joining and in each stitch around. Join with slip stitch to top of beginning chain 3.

Rounds 16-18: Ch 4, triple crochet in same stitch as joining and in each stitch around. Join with slip stitch to top of beginning chain 4.

Round 19: Ch 3, double crochet in same stitch as joining and in each stitch around. Join with slip stitch to top of beginning chain 3.

Round 20: Ch 2, half-double crochet in same stitch as joining and in each stitch around. Join with slip stitch to top of beginning chain 2.

Round 21: *Ch 5, skip next stitch, slip stitch in next stitch*. Repeat * around, ending with slip stitch in same stitch as beginning chain 5.

Rounds 22-23: Do not chain. 3 slip stitches to center of first chain 5. *Ch 5, slip stitch in next ch 5 space*. Repeat * around, ending with slip stitch in first chain 5 space of previous round. Finish off at end of round 23, leaving tail to work under the next round.

Round 24: Join CC with slip stitch to same stitch as last slip stitch made. Do not chain. *5 single crochet in ch 5 space, 1 single crochet in same stitch as slip stitch, 7 single crochet in ch 5 space, 1 single crochet in same stitch as slip stitch*. Repeat * around. Join with slip stitch to first single crochet.

Round 25: Finish off, working a slip stitch in each stitch around.

3D Crocheted Rose

I used this very easy crochet pattern for the rose in the center of the blanket - http://megan.cc/StripMethodRose/ - and left long tails at the beginning and end for drawing through the blanket and tying tightly on the reverse side.