Crochet Textured Lines Baby Blanket

I like the way pale blue changes when you fold it: the raised stitches catch the light while the plain rows fall into soft little shadows. This crochet Textured Lines baby blanket brings those details together in one blue fabric, with a target size of about 30 × 36 in (76 × 91 cm), border included. Check the washed swatch before settling on that size.

The rhythm is easy to remember once the first band is in your hands. A line of little bobbles, a narrow ridge, then a quiet patch of single crochet. I keep the edging plain so your eye stays on those lines. The whole blanket grows from one chain, with the border worked straight onto its edges.

At a glance
Finished size	target about 30 × 36 in (76 × 91 cm), including the border; check the washed swatch
Yarn	smooth light blue DK #3 nylon/acrylic; about 1,400 yd as a working estimate
Hook	4 mm (G/6) to start
Pieces	1, with the border attached as you crochet
Time	several evenings, depending on your pace
Skill	easy: sc, back loops and a three-dc bobble

Soft blue yarn for the Textured Lines blanket

I like a smooth strand here: the little ridges catch the light. I would choose a soft baby blue, with enough twist to keep the hook from splitting the yarn when it goes back into a bobble. Keep the same color for the body and edging.

• Yarn: DK #3 in light blue. Paintbox Yarns Baby DK is one option: 55% nylon and 45% acrylic, 183 yd (167 m) per 50 g, in Baby Blue or a similar shade. Those are the manufacturer's listed specifications. Allow about 1,400 yd as a working estimate and check it against your textured swatch. Eight 50 g balls provide about 1,464 yd; a spare from the same dye lot is useful if your swatch uses more yarn.
• Hook: 4 mm (G/6) for the body and border to start.
• Small things: scissors, a tapestry needle, a tape measure and 7 removable stitch markers: two for the row ends, one for the raised face and four for the border corners.

Tension. Use 4 sc per inch, or 16 sc across 4 in (10 cm), as the plain-single-crochet reference for DK blanket fabric. Measure the mixed-texture swatch separately, both across and up the rows. A bobble row and a back-loop row can change the height and the way the fabric relaxes after washing.

The written body has 116 stitches across and 144 rows. The size goal is roughly 29 × 35 in (74 × 89 cm) before the border. Use the washed swatch to see where your yarn lands. Keep the written counts if you like that size; changing the width or number of rows also changes the edge counts below.

Getting the three textures ready

Stitches, in US terms: chain (ch), single crochet (sc), double crochet (dc), three-dc bobble (bobble), back loop only (BLO), slip stitch (sl st), yarn over (YO) and stitch (st). Each bobble counts as one stitch. The number in parentheses is the stitch count at the end of a row or round.

Work the body back and forth. Before each row after Row 1, ch 1 and turn; that chain stays outside the stitch count. Work into the first stitch immediately and finish in the last stitch before the turning chain. Work through both loops unless the row says BLO. The border uses joined rounds with the raised face toward you.

A small three-dc bobble

The bobble is a little cluster worked into one stitch. Here it is slowly:

1. YO, insert the hook into the next stitch, YO and pull up a loop. YO and pull through 2 loops. 2 loops remain.
2. Into that same stitch, work another partial dc the same way. 3 loops remain.
3. Work a third partial dc into the same stitch. 4 loops remain.
4. YO and pull through all 4 loops. One active loop remains. Work the following sc into the next stitch.

Keep the three partial dc together in their shared stitch. The closure leaves one top for the next row. The bobbles push away from you as you make them. After the first bobble row, turn the blanket and put a marker on that raised face; keep it there throughout the blanket.

Tip. If the following row feels tight at a bobble, loosen the final pull-through slightly. Find its single top before inserting the hook. Working into a gap beside it can quietly add a stitch.

A narrow ridge in the back loops

Look at the V along the top of a stitch. The back loop is the strand farther from you. Insert under that strand and work a sc as usual. The loops you leave behind make a little line across the side facing you. Work the following row through both loops again.

Swatching the whole stripe

Ch 29 and work 28 sc across. Follow the twelve-row sequence below on those 28 stitches, then work a second twelve-row sequence. On each bobble row, use sc 3, (bobble, sc 3) × 6, sc. The sample has 24 rows, two bobble lines and two back-loop ridge rows.

Wash the sample and let it dry flat. Measure across the central stitches and vertically across both repeats, keeping the fabric relaxed. Record the stitch and row measurements separately. Weigh the dry swatch if you can; its yarn use is a better guide than the weight of a plain-sc square.

The pattern — Building the Textured Lines blanket

Blanket body — light blue, 4 mm hook. Make 1. Leave an 8 in (20 cm) starting tail and ch 117. The chain becomes the lower short edge. Row 144 becomes the upper short edge.

The following instructions write out all 12 stripe repeats. A bobble row always has 28 bobbles, and the body stays 116 stitches wide. Move the row-end markers into the first and last stitches as you work. Start with the first repeat:

• Row 1: sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across. (116)
• Rows 2–5: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 4 rows.
• Row 6: ch 1, turn, sc 3, (bobble, sc 3) × 28, sc. (116)

After Row 6, turn and mark the bumpy face before starting Row 7. Keep that face marker in place when you move the row-end markers. The back-loop rows are worked with the raised face toward you, so their little unused-loop lines sit on that same face.

• Rows 7–8: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 2 rows.
• Row 9: ch 1, turn, in BLO, sc across. (116)
• Rows 10–12: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 3 rows.

Stripe repeat 2.

• Rows 13–17: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 5 rows.
• Row 18: ch 1, turn, sc 3, (bobble, sc 3) × 28, sc. (116)
• Rows 19–20: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 2 rows.
• Row 21: ch 1, turn, in BLO, sc across. (116)
• Rows 22–24: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 3 rows.

Stripe repeat 3.

• Rows 25–29: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 5 rows.
• Row 30: ch 1, turn, sc 3, (bobble, sc 3) × 28, sc. (116)
• Rows 31–32: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 2 rows.
• Row 33: ch 1, turn, in BLO, sc across. (116)
• Rows 34–36: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 3 rows.

Stripe repeat 4.

• Rows 37–41: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 5 rows.
• Row 42: ch 1, turn, sc 3, (bobble, sc 3) × 28, sc. (116)
• Rows 43–44: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 2 rows.
• Row 45: ch 1, turn, in BLO, sc across. (116)
• Rows 46–48: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 3 rows.

Stripe repeat 5.

• Rows 49–53: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 5 rows.
• Row 54: ch 1, turn, sc 3, (bobble, sc 3) × 28, sc. (116)
• Rows 55–56: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 2 rows.
• Row 57: ch 1, turn, in BLO, sc across. (116)
• Rows 58–60: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 3 rows.

Stripe repeat 6.

• Rows 61–65: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 5 rows.
• Row 66: ch 1, turn, sc 3, (bobble, sc 3) × 28, sc. (116)
• Rows 67–68: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 2 rows.
• Row 69: ch 1, turn, in BLO, sc across. (116)
• Rows 70–72: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 3 rows.

Stripe repeat 7.

• Rows 73–77: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 5 rows.
• Row 78: ch 1, turn, sc 3, (bobble, sc 3) × 28, sc. (116)
• Rows 79–80: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 2 rows.
• Row 81: ch 1, turn, in BLO, sc across. (116)
• Rows 82–84: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 3 rows.

Stripe repeat 8.

• Rows 85–89: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 5 rows.
• Row 90: ch 1, turn, sc 3, (bobble, sc 3) × 28, sc. (116)
• Rows 91–92: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 2 rows.
• Row 93: ch 1, turn, in BLO, sc across. (116)
• Rows 94–96: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 3 rows.

Stripe repeat 9.

• Rows 97–101: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 5 rows.
• Row 102: ch 1, turn, sc 3, (bobble, sc 3) × 28, sc. (116)
• Rows 103–104: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 2 rows.
• Row 105: ch 1, turn, in BLO, sc across. (116)
• Rows 106–108: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 3 rows.

Stripe repeat 10.

• Rows 109–113: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 5 rows.
• Row 114: ch 1, turn, sc 3, (bobble, sc 3) × 28, sc. (116)
• Rows 115–116: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 2 rows.
• Row 117: ch 1, turn, in BLO, sc across. (116)
• Rows 118–120: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 3 rows.

Stripe repeat 11.

• Rows 121–125: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 5 rows.
• Row 126: ch 1, turn, sc 3, (bobble, sc 3) × 28, sc. (116)
• Rows 127–128: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 2 rows.
• Row 129: ch 1, turn, in BLO, sc across. (116)
• Rows 130–132: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 3 rows.

Stripe repeat 12.

• Rows 133–137: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 5 rows.
• Row 138: ch 1, turn, sc 3, (bobble, sc 3) × 28, sc. (116)
• Rows 139–140: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 2 rows.
• Row 141: ch 1, turn, in BLO, sc across. (116)
• Rows 142–144: ch 1, turn, sc across. (116) 3 rows.

After Row 144, fasten off, leaving an 8 in (20 cm) tail at the upper corner. Lay the body with its marked face up. You should see twelve lines of little bobbles, with a narrow ridge above each line and plain rows between the textured sections.

Tip. Count after a bobble row and again after its plain return row. Each should have 116 stitches. Along the bobble line, each raised bump has its own single top, with three sc between neighboring bumps.

A simple border for the textured blue stripes

Keep the marked raised face toward you. Lay the chain edge nearest you and Row 144 farthest away. Start at the upper-right corner and work across the top toward the upper-left corner. The border stays light blue, like the body.

First round around the blue body

Join yarn in the upper-right corner stitch and ch 1. The corner stitch is the last stitch of Row 144 when viewed from this face; use its physical position to find it. Mark the middle sc of each group of 3 sc as you go.

• R1: 3 sc in the upper-right corner stitch, sc in each of the next 114 stitches, 3 sc in the upper-left corner stitch, sc in each of the 142 row ends down the left side, 3 sc in the lower-left foundation chain, sc in each of the next 114 foundation chains, 3 sc in the lower-right foundation chain, sc in each of the 142 row ends up the right side. (524)

On each long side, use the ends of Rows 2–143, one sc in each row end. The two corner positions cover the ends of Rows 1 and 144. Along the lower edge, work into the unused underside of each foundation chain. Keep the starting tail out of the way.

Sl st into the first sc. Do not turn. The four corner markers are now in stitches 2, 119, 264 and 381 of R1.

Tip. Lay the blanket flat before adding the next round. If the edge pulls, try a hook 0.5 mm larger for the border; if it ripples, try one 0.5 mm smaller. Keep the counts unchanged and check the edge flat again. Let the fabric lie naturally instead of stretching it into place.

Second round to finish the frame

Sl st into the next sc, the marked middle of the upper-right corner. Ch 1 and begin there. Work through both loops throughout this round. Move each corner marker into the middle stitch of its new group of 3 sc.

• R2: 3 sc in the marked upper-right corner, sc in each of the next 116 stitches, 3 sc in the marked upper-left corner, sc in each of the next 144 stitches, 3 sc in the marked lower-left corner, sc in each of the next 116 stitches, 3 sc in the marked lower-right corner, sc in each of the next 144 stitches. (532)

Sl st into the first sc and fasten off, leaving an 8 in (20 cm) tail at the upper-right corner. Thread each tail through several stitch backs, turn and weave back through several more. Remove the markers. Trim the ends after the blanket has been washed and dried.

Washing and shaping the finished blanket

Check the care label before washing. The suggested Paintbox Baby DK is listed for a 40°C machine wash and flat drying. A gentle cycle and a roomy mesh laundry bag help keep the blanket from catching on other clothes. Slide both hands under the wet blanket before lifting it.

Spread a clean towel on the table and lay the blanket on top, raised face up. Smooth each side with your palms. Let the little bobbles stay rounded while you straighten the plain border. Leave it flat until completely dry; keep irons and direct heat away from the acrylic blend.

Safety. I would keep this blanket for supervised cuddles while the baby is awake. For sleep, the American Academy of Pediatrics advises keeping blankets and other loose bedding out of the baby's sleep space.

UK terms: US sc = UK dc; US dc = UK tr; US sl st = UK ss. Follow the three-dc bobble instructions as written.

Folding Textured Lines for a baby gift

I like to fold this one across the stripes, leaving a bobble line along the front of the stack. Bring the lower third up, fold the upper third over it, then tuck the sides inward. Turn back one corner so the ridge catches the light.

Add a small care card with the yarn name, fiber blend and washing instructions. Put a washed stitch swatch in the bag too, if you kept it: the recipient can see the color and feel the fabric without opening all the folds. A plain cream gift bag lets the blue do the talking.

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Made your own Textured Lines blanket? Tag #wavodecrochet on Pinterest so I can see your blue stripes.