Bank Holiday Crochet: Beach Blanket

You will need:

1. A 5mm crochet hook
2. Lovely vibrant yarn.  I used Drops Paris Yarn which I purchased from the Wool Warehouse.  It's a lovely cotton yarn which you can wash easily which is perfect for a beach blanket.  I decided to use 7 different colours and so needed 250 grams of each colour.   I am going to do a border around the edge so I have an extra 50g ball of denim blue which is going to be my border colour
3. Scissors
4. Tapestry needle for sewing in all the ends. 

Pattern:

1. Make a slip knot then chain 145 stitches in your starting colour.
2. 1st Row: Work two double crochet stitches in the fifth chain stitch from the hook.  Miss out three chain stitches then work three double crochet stitches in the next chain stitch.  Miss out three chain stitches and work three double crochet stitches in the next chain stitch.  Repeat to the end of the row.
3. 2nd Row: Turn the piece.  Work four chain stitches.  Now make three double crochet stitches into the gap between the first two groups of double crochet stitches you made in Row 1.  Repeat, making three double crochet stitches in each gap to the end of the row.
4. Turn the work.  Change colour (leaving a tail of around 7cm yarn so you can sew it in easily at the end).  Repeat the instructions for the 2nd row twice. 
5. Change colour again and repeat the instructions for the second row twice again.  Continue until you have used up your wool! 
6. Using the tapestry needle sew in loose ends
7. Border: Starting at the short end of the blanket (where you first began), *work 1 double crochet in every chain stitch.  When you reach the corner work three double crochet, chain two and then three double crochet.  Along the long side work one double crochet group in every 4th chain**.  At the corner work three double crochet, chain two and then three double crochet. Repeat from * to **. Join with a sling stitch to the first double crochet.  Repeat all of this, going round the blanket again.  Fasten off.

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Bank Holiday Crochet Project: The stitches

Ugh outside it is cold and dark and raining.  I feel like snuggling up on the sofa with a big mug of tea and a hot water bottle.  This is not how summer bank holiday weekends should be!  To cheer myself up I think a spot of colourful crochet is in order.  I'm in the middle of making a striped beach blanket, and working the rows of colour is definitely cheering me up.

It's a brilliant pattern for a beginner, it's very simple - you just need to know two stitches and because it uses a nice chunky hook it works up very quickly.  Also I think it's great to get your teeth stuck into a nice juicy project! 

So if you are an absolute beginner these are the stitches you will need to know to complete the project:

Chain Stitch

1. Make a slip knot (take your yarn, make a big loop around the four fingers of your left hand leaving a decent length of 'end yarn'.   At the point where the 'end yarn' and the 'ball yarn' crosses over pinch a loop of 'end yarn' through the big loop around your fingers and pull this loop through. Put your crochet hook into the little loop and then pull the 'end yarn' to close the loop around your hook.  This is the starting point for your crochet!
2. Now for the chain stitch! Holding the hook in your right hand and the 'ball yarn' in your left hand, twist the hook backwards and use the hook to pick up the yarn.  Twist the hook back to the front and pull the yarn on your hook through the slip stitch which is on your hook.                  
   
   Repeat as many times as needed, this time pulling the yarn through the slip stitch on your hook.  Try and keep a good tension - not too tight and not too loose!!

Double Crochet

1. Wrap the yarn over the hook. 
2. Insert the hook into and through the stitch. (you should have 3 loops on your hook)
3. Wrap the yarn over the hook and pull it through the first two stitches on the hook (2 stitches on hook)
4. Wrap the yarn over the hook and pull it through the remaining two stitches on the hook (1 stitch on hook)

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