Lion Brand Notebook ®
When I saw how great the Lion Organic Cotton looked in these sweet and simple stitches I couldn’t help but want to make a quick and cute version of the blanket. So if you aren’t up for a huge blanket, how about a doll or baby sized blankie?
I’m using Lion Organic Cotton and chose to assign a color to each block type: Almond for Block 1, Cypress for Block 2, and Vanilla for Block 3. The blocks themselves worked up so quickly and I was really satisfied with them. Even enjoyed weaving in the ends! Sometimes I can get into this nice little end-weaving groove and get into the task, go figure. I hoped that groove would continue into sewing things together, but no such luck. I’ve really been dragging my feet on this part. Then I realized one reason why it was so frustrating. All my blocks looked the same size, but didn’t have row counts that matched up easily. If I add another 2 rows to Block 3 (1 more row of clusters and a last one of sc), I would be able to match rows as I seamed the blocks together, so I decided to go back in and add to Block 3. This gave me a chance to throw in a quirky bit and I used the Bark color way for these last two rows. It adds a cool, unique stripe into the mix and I rather like it.
Using a 6.5 mm K hook on each block:
Block 1: (make 3)
1 skein (82 yards) of Lion Organic Cotton in Almond
Ch 19
Work in pattern with 18 stitches in each row for 22 rows total.
Gauge: 3 1/2 sc and 3 rows of sc = 1″
finished block is 5 1/2″ wide x 6 ” tall
Block 2: (make 3)
1 skein (82 yards) of Lion Organic Cotton in Cypress
Ch 18
Work in pattern with 17 stitches (1 turning chain and 16 dc in dc rows) in each row for 15 rows total.
Gauge: 3 dc and 2 rows (1 row of dc and 1 row of sc) = 1″
finished block is 5 1/2″ wide x 6 1/4″ tall
Block 3: (make 3)
1 skein (82 yards) of Lion Organic Cotton in Vanilla and 1 skein of Bark
Ch 18
Work in pattern with 17 stitches (1 turning chain and 8 clusters and 1 dc in cluster rows) in each row for 15 rows total.
Gauge: 3 clusters = 3″, 2 rows (1 row of cluster and 1 row of sc) = 2″
finished block is 5 1/2″ wide x 6 ” tall
Notes:
The finished blocks aren’t exactly the same size, but stretch to match each other and having matchable row counts makes it so much easier in my opinion!
Joining the sides of the blocks, working through the sides of the stitches on the edge of each block:
Block 1 to Block 2: match sc rows to sc rows and 2 sc rows to each dc row.
Block 1 to Block 3: match sc rows to sc rows and 2 sc rows to each cluster row.
Block 2 to Block 3: match sc rows to sc rows and 1 dc row to each cluster row.
Yes, I am seaming these blocks together! For my full size blanket (now nicknamed “the Purple Monster”) I will be using a single crochet border and slip stitch to join, more on that in the near future…
For this doll sized number I’m using 9 blocks total. If you wish to make a baby size simply work with these smaller blocks, but make enough to make the size you’d like! You can also make a smaller blanket with the larger blocks by using fewer blocks.
I don’t have the border planned out yet, will keep ya posted! TO BE CONTINUED….
Next Post: Stepping through each of the 3 blocks…
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Jess
I love the colors of organic cotton. They go so well together! Great tips. I may have to try a baby sized one next.
lavon
I will have to try the baby sized one. I have not started on the full size one at all. This may be the best way for me to get started.
thanks !
Jane Z
I did a similar thing. I started the crochet along, but since I’ve been knitting and crocheting so long, I found it a little boring. So, I did the CAL blocks and found 4 others I liked and have decided to complete the CAL in organic cotton in four different colors. (I love how soft it is!) I’m planning on crocheting the blocks together with yet another color and put on an edging with that color also. I get about a block a day done. It will be larger than the CAL afghan, but that’s what I was going for. So far, it’s very fun.
Roni W
The blanket looks beautiful and I really like the yarn….I just have 1 question, (forgive me if it sounds stupid), but in reading your article, I didn’t see the information on what the “pattern” is for the blocks. I can tell what it is from the pictures, but it’s not in the instructions that I see…could you provide that or did I miss something?
T'kara
So I have a new blog now… (I can’t remember if I told you guys or not…) I have it in the website line above.
I love the idea of making the doll blankie~! If I end up having a girl I’ll have to make it… I might have to make one for my one female first cousin, and a baby sized one for my niece (Chloe, the cousin, is about three or four, I can’t remember… And then Makennah, my niece about a month old~!)
Okay, update on my progress on the current baby blankie… (The one made with Red Heart Aspen Print) I am one line short of being done with ELEVEN blocks!! I don’t remember if I mentioned that I am taking out ten blocks to make it smaller or not, but that means I am a little more than halfway done with the main body of the blanket and I don’t even know the gender of the baby yet… WOOT~! (By the by, in case you were wondering, the break-down of how many blocks of of each block I have finished goes as such: Block 1 = 4, Block 2 = 3, and Block 3 = One line short of having 4 done. Keep in mind also, I haven’t sewn them together yet either…)
There you have it~!
Tanya
Please talk about options for how to join squares for the Crochet-Along. I’m so close to having all my squares done and would hate for this to become an unfinished object when I’m so near the end of the project. I’m afraid I’ll get side-tracked by my knitting and not get back to this because crochet is new to me and knitting is just so comfortable to do along with watching all the upcoming new television shows. Thanks!
Karen Kearney
thank you for the idea of doing a single crochet around the blocks. I think that would make putting the blocks together very nicely.
Sharon W
I just learned about a joining technique from the full-size afghan CAL notebook. It’s called “flat braid joining” and I googled it. One of the bloggers also sent the website to me. It’s . Has detailed photos including 11 pages of pics and instructions. I think this method would look very nice on a baby afghan. (I printed it out but haven’t tried it myself yet…)
Sharon W
Sorry the website didn’t show up. I’ll try again. http://hometown.aol.com/lffunt/flatbraid.htm
Anna Lovcy
I’ve been crocheting for over 50 years. I currently volunteer at a local museum in Tallahassee, FL and demonstrate handicrafts on the porch of an 1880s farmhouse (in costume). I also teach people the basics in knitting and crocheting. I’m currently using the crocheted sampler afghan as a project for my latest class. They’re making squares each week and we’ll put them together into blanket(s) and donate to the local women’s shelter.
Fazal
The patterns are just wonderful and beautiful. some of them are not described how to knit. I need more elaboration with the pictures.
Deanna
Well, I’ve wrapped up work on my blanket. I could only find 3, not 4 skeins of the fisherman’s wool, so my blanket’s a little smaller (5 blocks smaller), but it worked out great ! The fisherman’s wool gives it an instant classic look. I did whip-stitch the squares together. I also leave long ends to help stitch the blocks together. One new thing I did try was to lay out a fleece blanket slightly larger than the blanket I was making, and then lay my squares on top. I then sat and stitched the squares together. When I needed to pack it up, I could just roll the blanket up, so my squares stayed perfectly in position -it was a real time saver. When I was done, I added 3 rows of sc around the edge. For added durability, I finish off each sc row and then start the next from a different place, in the opposite direction.
Lorri
Your natural cotton yarn looks lovely. I hesitate making any baby or children’s items out of it because of the need to hand wash and dry flat. Parents of little people just don’t have time to care for special needs baby blankets of clothes.
Now I am crocheting a blanket for an anticipated grandchild using an acrylic yarn that can handle being laundered by washer and dryer. My other grandchildren’s acrylic blankets have all held up nicely to numerous washings.
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Jackie
This is so nifty, I do a lot of dolls and doll clothes and this is a perfect addition… My doll collection will have to include one of these, with the exception that I want to embroider the year and lionbrand crochet along in one block as a memento of this time…thank you very much…
Audrey S.
Organic Cotton is a good yarn for this project. This would also make a great preemie blanket, so I plan to add this pattern to my preemie pattern collection. I donate all my preemie items to a local NICU at one of our local hospitals.
S
I’ve worked with the organic cotton yarn only a handful of times and I really liked it. I like the idea of using this pattern as a preemie blanket, it gives me the excuse to go out and buy some and try my hand at it.