Every Bit a Blanket {Free Pattern}

I have always loved a rainbow. When I was a kid my bedroom was actually decorated in a rainbow with bold rainbow bedding and blue carpeting. In my wedding, every bridesmaid wore a different bright color accent. And you should see my house now!! It's been bombed with color. (I figure if you use ALL of the colors, nothing has to match, right?) So that's what I did with my latest blanket design. MUST. USE. ALL. THE. COLORS.

Last week I teased you with some photos of my newest blanket pattern here made with Scheepjes Cahlista Colour Pack* that I shared about here. Today is the day I share the free crochet pattern with you.


I used 84 of the 109 colors from the 15g Cahlista balls. I won't detail the colors I chose, but I essentially set aside the neutrals for another project I have in mind. Then I arranged them in a way that seemed to please--ROY G. BIV style. (Remember, I was going for a bit of a "scrappy" looking blanket.)

And since I used almost every bit of each, I named it Every Bit a Blanket. If you want fewer colors or can't get your hook into a colour pack, you can buy larger 50g balls of Scheepjes Cahlista in your color choices here*. All in all, I used approximately 2089yds/1,910m of aran/worsted cotton yarn with my 4.5mm (#7) hook. Since gauge might matter a bit so you have enough to finish the squares for each end, you should get 7 rows x 15 dc (US terms) in pattern for 4in/10cm. The squares measure 3.5in/8.9cm each side.

My finished blanket's dimensions are 42in x 52in (107cm x 132cm) which is a nice size to drape and snuggle under, I think.

I wrote this pattern in US terms:
BPdc = Back Post double crochet (see below)
ch = chain
CL= cluster (see below)
dc = double crochet
rep = repeat
Rnd = Round
RS = Right Side
sc = single crochet
sp = space
sl st = slip stitch
st(s) = stitch(es)

Here's how I worked some of the special stitches:
Stacked sc (counts as dc): complete sc in designated st or sp, insert hook through left leg of sc just made, yarn over and draw up a loop, yarn over and draw through both loops on hook
Cluster (CL): (yarn over, insert hook from front to back to front around post of next dc, yarn over and draw up a loop, yarn over and draw through first 2 loops on hook) 3 times; yarn over and draw through all 4 loops on hook
Back Post double crochet (BPdc): yarn over, insert hook from back to front to back around post of next dc, yarn over and draw up a loop, (yarn over and draw through 2 loops) twice

A few notes about the blanket:
~~The blanket body is worked in rows, turning and changing colors at the end of each row. Then the motifs are worked leaving long tails on Rnd 4 that are then used to whipstitch the motifs to the blanket's top and bottom edges.
~~I use my favorite method for replacing the first dc of a row--and hence "minding the gap" that often comes with a ch-3 start--by using my "stacked sc" that counts as a dc. You can see how I do it here (option #3) and read the description above.
~~The motifs are made with right side facing throughout, joining with a slip stitch at the end of each round.
~~The blanket stitch pattern is worked in multiples of 5 + 2. If you want to adjust the dimensions of your blanket, make your foundation chain a multiple of 5 to your desired width and then add 2 more chains. Work your repeat rows to the desired height.
~~Changing colors occurs on the final stitch of each row by drawing through the new color on the final yarn over and draw through and cutting the old color.

Blanket:
Ch 147 (5 x 29 repeats +2)
Row 1: Dc in third ch from hook and each ch across, change to next color in sequence, turn. (144 dc + turning ch which counts as dc)
Row 2: Stacked sc, dc in same dc, *CL over next 3 dc, 2 dc in each of next 2 dc; rep from * across to last 4 sts, CL over next 3 dc, 2 dc in last dc, turn. (29 Cl, 145 sts)
Row 3 (RS): Stacked sc, dc in next st and each st across, turn. (145 dc)

Rep rows 2-3 ending on Row 2 rep with last color in sequence, fasten off, weave in ends. 

Make note that the Row 2 repeats will use more yarn because of the clusters than the Row 3 repeats. When making your motifs, I used the first four colors for the first motif, the next four for the next motif, etc. But I used the colors from the cluster rows for the first two rounds since there was less yarn available and the colors from the regular dc rows for the last two rounds of the motif. You'll have to double a few bits, since in this way the motifs worked up this way would require 88 colors, so some of the bits were used twice. It all worked out really well, though--and helped me use up almost "every bit". I like that.

Motif: (Make 22)
Rnd 1: With center color, make magic ring (or ch 3, sl st in first ch to form ring), stacked sc, dc in ring, ch 2, *2 dc in ring, ch 2; rep from * 2 more times, pull tail to close ring, join to first st, fasten off. (2 dc each side, 4 ch-2 corner sps)
Rnd 2: With new color, join with stacked sc in any ch-2 corner sp, dc in same sp, ch 2, 2 dc in same sp, BPdc around next 2, *(2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in ch-2 corner sp, BPdc around next 2; rep from * 2 more times, join to first st, fasten off. (6 sts each side, 4 ch-2 corner sps)
Rnd 3: With new color, join with stacked sc in any ch-2 corner sp, dc in same sp, ch 2, 2 dc in same sp, BPdc around next 6, *(2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in ch-2 corner sp, BPdc around next 6; rep from * 2 more times, join to first st, fasten off. (10 sts each side, 4 ch-2 corner sps)
Rnd 4: With new color, join with stacked sc in any ch-2 corner sp, ch 1, dc in same sp, BPdc around next 10, *(dc, ch 1, dc) in ch-2 corner sp, BPdc around next 10; rep from * 2 more times, join to first st, fasten off leaving 12in/30cm tail for whipstitching to blanket edges (12 sts each side, 4 ch-1 corner sps)

Assembly and Finishing:
Using the long tails and either a hook or yarn needle, whipstitch the motifs to the blankets edge in a similar color sequence as worked on the row repeats of the blanket. Weave in those ends and block if you desire.

I hope you enjoy the pattern! It has not gone through testing, so if you find errors or have any questions, please feel free to contact me via Ravelry or Facebook messages. 

It's super snowy here in Utah today, so I'm heading out to brave the cold and try to clear a way out of the driveway. Then it will be back inside by the cozy fire to crochet. Now that sounds nice. I hope you have some time to crochet, too.

I've got several more colorful crochet creations on my hook right now (never just one wip, right?).  You can find me as Felted Button everywhere--Instagram (@FeltedButton), Facebook, Pinterest, Etsy, and LoveCrochet.

| On the Board | -- What’s my style is not your style, and I don’t see how you can define it. It’s something that expresses who you are in your own way.       ~~Iris Apfel

*This post contains affiliate links. If you choose to use them it costs you no more but provides me a very small commission that helps me continue to provide more free patterns. Thanks!