Rainbow Spirit Blanket: Free Crochet Pattern

The Rainbow Spirit Blanket is a colourful blanket that can easily be adjusted to any size. It is worked double stranded with two yarns that perhaps you wouldn't think to use together. The result is a lovely tweedy effect and a wonderfully soft fabric. Ideal for baby blankets.

Klik hier voor de Nederlandse vertaling van dit patroon

For the DUTCH translation of this pattern click here

MATERIALS

Scheepjes Spirit, 56% cotton, 44% acrylic, 50g/210m:

3 x 50g balls of Eagle 303

Scheepjes Catona, 100% mercerized cotton, 25g/62.5m:

1 x 25g ball of each colour

Blanket

Strip 1: Royal Orange 189

Strip 2: Yellow Gold 208

Strip 3: Green Yellow 245

Strip 4: Apple Green 389

Strip 5: Cyan 397

Strip 6: Powder Blue 384

Strip 7: Delphinium 113

Strip 8: Colonial Rose 398

Strip 9: Shocking Pink 114

Strip 10: Light Coral 264

Edging

Lemon Chiffon 100

5mm & 5.5mm crochet hooks

Tapestry needle

Blocking material

WHERE TO BUY Catona and Spirit yarn or a complete KIT with all the yarn you need *

Deramores Designer Shop

I have my own designer shop with Deramores. You can buy a complete kit for the baby blanket as depicted in the photos here.

Scheepjes Catona

UK: WoolWarehouse (international shipping)

CANADA: Knotty House

Scheepjes Spirit
UK: WoolWarehouse (international shipping)
CANADA: Knotty House


MEASUREMENTS

Blanket: 73 x 81cm / 29.2 x 32.4in, but you can of course make the blanket as wide and as long as you desire. My blanket has 8 blocks across and 10 different colour strips.
Strip: 8 x 69.5cm / 3.2 x 27.8in

Crochet Terms used in this pattern: US

Stitches used in this pattern:

US Crochet Terms		UK Crochet Terms
ch	chain	ch	chain
dc	double crochet	tr	treble crochet
picot 3	picot chain 3	picot 3	picot chain 3
rep	repeat	rep	repeat
RS	right side	RS	right side
sc	single crochet	dc	double crochet
slst	slip stitch	ss	slip stitch
trc	triple crochet	dtr	double treble crochet
WS	wrong side	WS	right side

PATTERN NOTES

You use the yarn double-stranded throughout: one strand of Catona and one strand of Spirit.

The picots are worked as follows: ch3, slst in third ch from hook.
Each new strip (consisting of 7 rows) is started on the right-hand side of your work.
You can easily adjust the size of the blanket:
Length: simply repeat Rows 1-7 as often as needed.
Width: add a multiple of 12 stitches to the foundation chain.

GAUGE/TENSION

It is critical to get the right gauge/tension otherwise you may not have enough yarn.

One strip is 8 x 69.5cm / 3.2 x 27.8in and one block motif as shown below measures 8cm in height and is 10cm wide.

I used a 5mm hook but I crochet rather tightly. I advice you to make a little swatch to see if gauge/tension are the same as listed here. If not, go down a hook size.

The picture above shows one complete 'block' motif.

INSTRUCTIONS

Blanket

Use a 5 mm hook

Ch103

Row 1

1dc in fourth ch from hook (counts as first dc) and 1dc in each ch across. [101 dc]

Turn.

Row 2

Ch2 (counts as first dc here and throughout; I found that ch3 made the sides a bit too loose), 1dc in each of the next 3 dc, *ch3, skip next dc, (1trc in next dc, skip next dc) 3 times, 1trc in next dc, ch3, skip next dc, 1dc in each of the next 3 dc; rep from * 7 more times (or as many times as you require for the width you have in mind), end with 1dc in third ch, turn.

Row 3

Ch2, 1dc in each of the next 3 dc, *ch3, 1sc in each of the next 4 trc, ch3, 1dc in each of the next 3 dc; rep from * 7 more times, end with 1dc in second ch, turn.

Rows 4 -5

As Row 3

Row 6

Ch2, 1dc in each of the next 3 dc, *ch3, (1trc in sc, ch1) 3 times, 1trc in last sc, ch3, 1dc in each of the next 3 dc; rep from * 7 more times, end with 1dc in second ch, turn.

Row 7

Ch2, 1dc in each of the next 3 dc, *1 dc in ch-3 space, (1dc in trc, 1dc in ch-1 space) 3 times, 1dc in last trc, 1dc in ch-3 space, 1dc in each of the next 3 dc, rep from * 7 more times, end with 1dc in second ch. [101 dc]

Do not turn.

Rows 1-7 complete the first strip. Rep Rows 1-7 as often as desired.

You start the second strip on the right-hand side again.

Crochet 9 more strips, or as many as you require for the length you have in mind.

Edging

Use a 5 mm hook
Round 1: 

First crochet sc all around:

Start with 3sc (the corner stitches) in the final dc of the final row. Work down the side of the blanket. Divide 111 sc evenly down this side.

3sc in corner. Work along the bottom of the blanket. Work 1sc in each dc = a total of 99 sc, not counting the 3 corner stitches on either end.

3sc in corner. Work up the side. Divide 111 sc evenly up this side.

3sc in corner. Work along the top of the blanket. Work 1sc in each dc = a total of 99 sc, not counting the 3 corner stitches on either end.

Round 2: Use a 5.5 mm hook

Start with (1sc, picot 3, 1sc) in any middle corner sc, picot 3, *1sc in next sc, picot 3, skip 1 sc, 1sc in next sc, picot 3; rep from * until the next corner, (1sc, picot 3, 1sc) in middle corner sc.

Repeat all around.

Weave in all ends and block.

*Thanks to Scheepjes, who supplied the yarn for me to use. As always, any opinions expressed are my own. The affiliate links in this post support giveaways, free patterns, discounts and the running of this blog. By purchasing yarn through these links, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  Thank you!