A lot of people get knitting and crocheting mixed up, but these are two very different things. Both of these activities are wonderful skills to learn, and in a lot of cases you can use them interchangeably to make different things.
For example, previously you might have only heard of people knitting blankets. But you can also crochet a blanket too.
There is much debate about whether crocheting or knitting is more difficult, but if you are a beginner at either, they could both be considered hard.
After all, these are skills, and they are something that you must develop. But, if you want to learn to crochet, then a blanket is a good place to begin.
In this guide, we’ll be telling you absolutely everything that you need to know about crocheting a blanket. So, if you want to find out how to do this, then keep reading.
What is Crocheting?
As we have said, a lot of people get crocheting and knitting mixed up. So, it only seems right that we kick this off by establishing exactly what crocheting is.
Both crocheting and knitting use wool to create things, but they differ because of the tools that are used to produce these items. Knitting requires you to use two needles.
Whereas, crocheting requires you to use a single piece of equipment known as a crocheting hook. This hook is very small, and when you first look at it, it can be difficult to understand exactly what you are supposed to do with it.
But once you get started with crocheting, you will realize that it actually isn’t that hard. As soon as you master the art of using the crocheting hook, then it will become fairly easy, and you will be surprised at how quickly you can make progress with it.
A lot of people think that knitting is easier than crocheting, but it actually isn’t. Once you master the art of crocheting, you will realize just how easy it is, and the best way to master crocheting is to make a blanket.
So, let’s take a look at what you need to gather in order to do this.
What You Need
In order to crochet a blanket, you will need to gather some materials. It is best to do this before you begin in order to make the process as stress-free as possible.
Thankfully, the list of equipment that you need to crochet a blanket is very small.
To do this, you will need:
- A crocheting hook
- Yarn/wool
- A measuring tape
Once you have gathered everything that you need, you are almost ready to get started on crocheting a blanket. But first, you will need to decide which type of stitch you want to use.
If you are fairly new to crocheting, then we would recommend using a ‘chain’ stitch, as this is one of the easiest stitches to start off with. Once you progress, you can then move onto more difficult stitches.
Now, let’s take a look at how to crochet your blanket.
How to Crochet a Blanket
When you have selected your stitch, and all the materials that you need, then you are ready to begin crocheting your blanket. But first, you will need to decide on the final size that you want your blanket to measure.
It is important that you decide what you want your final blanket to look like before you get started, because the first stitches are very important in ensuring that your blanket reaches the size that you want it to.
To help you decide which size blanket to make, here are some basic measurements for blankets to help you:
- Infant receiving blanket – 36 × 36 inches
- Child’s afghan blanket – 36 × 42 inches
- Lap blanket – 36 × 48 inches.
Once you have decided on the size of your blanket, you are then good to start crocheting. As we said earlier, we would always recommend a chain stitch, especially if you have very little experience with crocheting.
But no matter what type of stitch you opt for, you should then stitch the width of the blanket that you are making. The width will be the smaller measurement out of the measurements that we gave you earlier.
When using a chain stitch, we would recommend keeping the stitch as loose as possible. This will ensure that you have plenty of room to crochet inside the stitches later, and will make the whole process a lot easier.
Another great tip to consider is the fact that you should keep the number of stitches on the width of the blanket to a number that can be divided by 5 or 10.
This might seem a little strange, but it will make it a lot easier to keep track of your stitches as you go along, and ensure that you haven’t lost any.
Once you have reached your desired width for the blanket, you should then flip it around and get started on the second row.
By ‘flip it’, we mean that you should turn your work around so that you will now be crocheting from right to left instead of left to right.
If you want a single crochet, use your hook in the second loop from the needle, and if you want a double stitch use the third loop.
You should then continue to repeat this process until you reach your desired length.
Remember to continuously count your stitches throughout to ensure that you do not lose any, as this could affect the overall look of your blanket.
When you have done this, simply tie the end of your yarn and cut off the excess. Once this is done, your blanket is complete.
Summary
In short, this has been a complete guide to crocheting a blanket. So, whether you are new to crocheting and fancy a challenge, or are experienced but have yet to make a blanket before, you are in the right place.
Follow all the steps in this guide, and crocheting your blanket will be as simple and stress-free as possible.
