Berry Blossom Crochet Baby Blanket

I love a blanket that looks interesting in one quiet color. Fold back a corner and the texture does all the work. Berry Blossom is a rose-mauve crochet baby blanket with little raised berries and a scalloped edge, sized toward about 26 × 28 in (66 × 71 cm). The washed stitch swatch is the place to check that size before committing to the whole blanket.

The berries sit in straight columns, with a plain row between each textured row. That plain row gives your hands a rest and makes the next berry easy to find. I keep the border in the same color, so the scallops look like a soft frame around the little bumps.

At a glance
Finished size	target about 26 × 28 in (66 × 71 cm), border included; check the washed swatch
Yarn	DK #3 nylon/acrylic in rose-mauve; about 1,150 yd, subject to the stitch swatch
Hook	4 mm (G/6), adjusted after swatching if needed
Pieces	1, with the border worked directly onto it
Time	several evenings, depending on your pace
Skill	easy once the berry stitch feels familiar

Berry Blossom size, yarn and hook

I would start with a smooth baby DK rather than a fluffy yarn. Smooth strands make it easier to find the top of each berry, especially along the first few rows. A dusty lilac or muted pink keeps the texture close to the rose-mauve look of the reference.

• Yarn: one shade of DK #3. An option is Paintbox Yarns Baby DK, 55% nylon and 45% acrylic, 183 yd (167 m) per 50 g, in Dusty Lilac or a similar rose-mauve. These specifications are listed by Paintbox Yarns on LoveCrafts. Allow about 1,150 yd for the blanket, then check your swatch consumption. Seven 50 g balls provide about 1,281 yd; keep them from the same dye lot.
• Hook: 4 mm (G/6) to start. Keep the same hook for the body and border unless the border pulls or ripples.
• Small things: a tapestry needle, scissors, tape measure and 6 removable stitch markers.

Tension. The single-crochet reference is 4 sc per inch, or 16 sc across 4 in (10 cm), within the DK blanket range. Measure the berry fabric separately: its height and yarn use differ from plain single crochet. Make the washed swatch below before starting the full width. Measure it flat, without stretching the bumps.

The body is 95 stitches wide and 104 rows long. For the intended proportions, the body should be roughly 24 × 26 in (61 × 66 cm) before the border. Compare your swatch with those measurements. If it points to a different size, decide whether you like that size before starting; changing the stitch count also changes the border instructions.

Getting the berry texture right

Stitches, in US terms: chain (ch), single crochet (sc), double crochet (dc), slip stitch (sl st), stitch (st), yarn over (YO) and berry stitch (berry). A berry uses one stitch of the previous row and leaves one stitch at its top. Counts in parentheses are the stitches made, with each berry counted as one.

The body is worked back and forth. Ch 1 and turn before every row after Row 1. That chain never counts as a stitch. Work into the first stitch straight away and finish in the last stitch, before the turning chain. The border is worked in joined rounds with the berry face toward you.

Making one berry

Here is the berry slowly:

1. YO and insert the hook into the next stitch. YO and pull up a loop: 3 loops on the hook.
2. YO and pull through just the first loop: 3 loops remain.
3. YO and insert the hook into the same stitch. YO and pull up a loop: 5 loops on the hook.
4. YO and pull through all 5 loops. The stitch is finished.

Work the next sc into the next stitch. The little bump usually pushes away from you as you work. After turning, that bumpy face looks toward you; mark it as the right side once the first textured row is finished. The following plain row goes into every stitch top, including the top of each berry.

Tip. If a berry seems to have vanished, look on the other side before undoing it. Push it gently toward the marked face with a fingertip. Keep the closing loop relaxed enough for the hook to enter it on the following row.

A small swatch before the blanket

With your chosen yarn and hook, ch 24. Work 23 sc across, then alternate a textured row of sc, (berry, sc) × 11 with a plain row of 23 sc. Work the textured/plain pair 9 times after the first plain row, then add one more plain row: 20 rows altogether. Wash and dry it as you will the blanket.

Measure the middle of the fabric across several stitches and several complete two-row repeats. Record stitches per inch and rows per inch separately. Also record the yarn used: weigh the dry swatch and use the ball label to convert grams to yards. I would tuck the little sample into the gift bag as a color reference.

The pattern — Making the berry blanket body

Blanket body (rose-mauve, 4 mm hook, Make 1). Leave a 6 in (15 cm) starting tail and ch 96. The chain becomes the lower short edge. Row 104 becomes the upper short edge.

• Row 1: sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across. (95)
• Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 3: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)

Place a marker on the bumpy face. The first and last stitches of every row are sc; move a marker into each of those edge stitches as you go. When the blanket gathers in your lap, those markers help you find the last stitch.

• Row 4: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 5: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 6: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 7: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 8: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 9: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 10: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 11: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 12: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 13: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 14: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 15: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 16: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 17: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 18: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 19: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 20: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 21: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 22: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 23: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 24: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 25: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 26: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 27: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 28: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 29: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 30: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 31: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 32: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 33: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 34: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 35: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 36: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 37: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 38: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 39: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 40: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 41: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 42: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 43: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 44: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 45: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 46: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 47: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 48: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 49: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 50: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 51: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 52: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 53: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 54: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 55: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 56: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 57: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 58: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 59: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 60: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 61: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 62: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 63: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 64: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 65: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 66: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 67: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 68: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 69: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 70: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 71: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 72: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 73: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 74: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 75: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 76: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 77: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 78: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 79: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 80: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 81: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 82: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 83: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 84: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 85: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 86: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 87: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 88: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 89: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 90: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 91: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 92: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 93: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 94: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 95: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 96: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 97: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 98: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 99: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 100: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 101: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 102: ch 1, turn, sc, (berry, sc) × 47. (95)
• Row 103: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)
• Row 104: ch 1, turn, sc across. (95)

Fasten off, leaving a 6 in (15 cm) tail at the upper corner. Lay the blanket with the marked berry face up and smooth it gently with your palms. You should see 47 berries across each textured row, stacked in 51 bumpy rows.

Tip. Count the row when you reach an edge: it should always have 95 stitches. An extra stitch most often comes from working into the turning chain. A missing stitch often hides beside that chain on the return row.

A scalloped border around Berry Blossom

Keep the berry face toward you throughout the border. The four corners each get 3 sc in the first round. Put a marker in the middle stitch of each corner group; those markers show where the larger corner shells go.

Round 1: a plain frame

Find the upper-right corner with the berry face toward you. Join the yarn in that corner stitch and ch 1. Work across the upper short edge first, then down the left side, across the lower short edge and up the right side.

• R1: 3 sc in the upper-right corner stitch, sc in each of the next 93 stitches, 3 sc in the upper-left corner stitch, sc in 99 row-end spaces down the left side, 3 sc in the lower-left corner chain, sc in each of the next 93 unused foundation chains, 3 sc in the lower-right corner chain, sc in 99 row-end spaces up the right side. (396)

For each long side, the corner spaces are the row ends of Rows 1 and 104. Between them are the ends of Rows 2–103. Work one sc in each of those row ends except Rows 26, 52 and 78, which you skip. That gives 99 sc between the corner groups on each long side. Insert under two strands at each row end so the edge stays tidy.

Sl st into the first sc. Do not turn. The corner markers sit in stitches 2, 98, 200 and 296 of this round, counted from its first sc.

Tip. Spread the blanket out before adding the shells. If the plain frame pulls, try a hook 0.5 mm larger for the border. If it ripples, try one 0.5 mm smaller. Keep the stitch placements and counts the same, and check the result flat again.

Round 2: shells and rounded corners

Sl st into the next stitch, the marked middle stitch of the upper-right corner. Ch 3; this counts as the first dc of the corner shell. Work 6 dc into that same marked stitch, so the first corner shell contains 7 dc.

• R2: work a 7-dc shell in each marked corner and 5-dc shells along the sides, with 1 sc between neighboring shells, following the side instructions below. (404)

From that first corner shell:

1. Upper short side: (skip 2 sts, sc in the next st, skip 2 sts, 5 dc in the next st) × 15. Then skip 2 sts, sc in the next st, skip 2 sts and work 7 dc in the next marked corner.
2. Left long side: (skip 2 sts, sc in the next st, skip 2 sts, 5 dc in the next st) × 16. Then skip 2 sts, sc in the next st, skip 2 sts and work 7 dc in the next marked corner.
3. Lower short side: work the upper-short-side instructions again, ending with 7 dc in the next marked corner.
4. Right long side: (skip 2 sts, sc in the next st, skip 2 sts, 5 dc in the next st) × 16. Then skip 2 sts, sc in the next st and skip the last 2 sts. Sl st into the top of the starting ch 3.

There are 66 shells around the blanket: 62 small shells and 4 corner shells, with 66 sc between them. The starting ch 3 counts within the first 7-dc shell; the joining slip stitch is outside the count.

Fasten off with a 6 in (15 cm) tail at that first corner. Thread each tail through the backs of several stitches, reverse direction and run it through several more. Trim close after washing and drying. Take out the markers.

Washing and blocking the berry blanket

Wash the swatch first and follow the yarn label. For the suggested Baby DK, the manufacturer's care listing allows a 40°C machine wash and specifies drying flat. Use a gentle cycle and a laundry bag for the finished blanket; support its weight when lifting it wet.

Lay it on a towel with the berry face up. Straighten the sides with your palms, then open each scallop gently with your fingers. Let it dry flat. Keep an iron away from the acrylic blend; heat can flatten the berries and change the fabric permanently.

Safety. I would give this textured blanket for supervised cuddles while the baby is awake. For sleep, follow current local safer-sleep guidance. The Lullaby Trust's bedding guidance calls for lightweight bedding and warns against soft or bulky bedding and loose covers.

UK terms: US sc = UK dc; US dc = UK tr. The berry stitch follows the loop instructions above.

Folding Berry Blossom for a baby gift

I like a wide fold that leaves a row of scallops showing along the front. Fold the lower third upward, bring the upper third down over it, then fold the sides inward. Turn back one corner so the little berries catch the light.

Tuck a care card into the wrapping with the yarn name, fiber blend and washing instructions. Keep any ribbon on the outer gift wrapping and remove it before the blanket is used. A quiet mauve blanket looks lovely beside a plain cream cardigan; the texture supplies all the decoration it needs.

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Made your own Berry Blossom? Tag #wavodecrochet on Pinterest so I can see your color.