Pakucho Spring Baby Blanket

By Yazmina-Michele de Gaye
Intermediate Crochet

24 squares = 80cms x 125 cms A subtly colored blanket, worked in several individual squares of Pakucho 100% Organic Cotton. The blanket is made of several fan-squares. Go ahead and make as many squares, to make it as wide as you wish! Materials: Every available shade of Pakucho. Be brave and experiment with the changing of shades for more effect too. I have used: Dark Green V100, Forest V050, Chocolate Cafe C050, Sage V010. EDGE: 1 of 50 g, 4 ply Semco Milford knitting crochet cotton in a variegated (creme/yellow/brown) shade 9860. Hook: 4mm hook for those of you with loose tension or 5 mm for those with tight tension.

The making of Fan-Squares

Step 1: With a 4mm hook chain 3, slip stitch into a circle. Into circle work 16 trebles. Change color. With new color work 2 tr in the space between 2 tr of circle. Skip 2 tr work (1 treble-2 chains-1 treble) as the first corner. Work around the circle until you have made it into a square and the inner circle looks like 8 petals. At this point you may change color or not. Step 2: Into each corner space work (2 tr-2 ch-2 tr)._On one side between 2 tr, work 4 trebles. Next row: In centre of 4 tr space work 6 tr. In each corner space work (3 tr-2 ch-3 tr)

Step 3: The fan effect: work 8 tr in centre of 6 tr of previous row. If you change color now and make it the same as the second row of centre petals, the effect is more stunning. In the corner space (4 tr-2ch-4 tr), or 1 ch if you want to tighten the square. Change color now to match rows 2-4 perhaps, or not. Step4: Now work to rectify the wavyness of the edges: in the corner space work *(1 treble-1chain-1 treble), continue with one treble into each treble until you reach the 8 tr of the fan effect. Into each previous 8 trebles work 1 htr. Then 1 tr to the next corner* repeat between * I suggest you even make hdc when you feel its necessary, to make a straight line. Continue around until you have an almost perfect square. Step 5: Next row, work in trebles all around, with the usual (1 tr-1ch-1tr) for each corner. You can choose to omit the chain space at anytime it suits you, to keep the work compact. On the other hand the corner spaces when aligned make a beautiful symmetrical pattern, in the final arrangement of the blanket. By now you should have a beautifully perfect square with equal amount of trebles on each side to make the joining with the squares relatively easy. Blanket assembly: With 2 squares back to back work a row of dc, joining the two squares on one edge. Before joining, align the squares on a flat surface to mix and match the shades. Join 2 squares at a time, into one long strip, then join the strips together with a unifying shade or a variegated alternative yarn of your choice. Join the squares together with dc stitch on the right side of the blanket. It gives it that raised orrelief look. OPTIONAL: Work a row of shells to complete the Blanket.

SHELLS: Pick up anywhere along the edge of the blanket, (3 ch, then start a tr, hook thru first 2 loops on hook and work 2 more tr, keeping the last loops on the hook, then finally work thru all remaining loops on hook, 1 ch, skip 1 tr from the edge of the square, then dc into the next tr) (1 shell), repeat this and continue all around until you have created a beautiful edge to finish off the blanket. Copyright Ecoyarns 2006.