Baby Blanket #2

I started working on my second baby blanket (See Baby Blanket #1 Post) when I got bored on a different project. I found this pattern on Lion's Brand a long time ago and thought it would be a good one to try. I LOVE the colors they use in the photos online, but I wanted to use up some that I had left over from making the triplet's hats. Turns out, I had to go buy more yarn anyway so I still have some left over. Oh well - they are great colors and very soft yarn. These are from Caron's Simply Soft Collection (Watermelon, Off White & Lavender Blue). There is nothing fancy about the yarns other than they can be found at Walmart, which is somewhere I go every week anyway. I'm at a standstill with the other blanket I'm working on because I got the yarn at JoAnn's which is a 20 minute drive away. Who knows when I'll make it down there...

I digress. 

Essentially, it's one of the easiest patterns ever and is very rhythmic. This is a great one to work on while watching TV or riding in the car because all you have to do is double crochet in groups of three with some chain stitches in there too. (Again, this should be contrasted with the other blanket I'm working on that is taking forever because it's an involved pattern that changes each round.) I finished this in no time flat - we're talking only a few hours. 

I made two changes to the pattern. First, I only did 22 rounds. It seems plenty big enough for a baby blanket. I haven't measure it, but it really does seem fine. I wonder if I used a slightly bigger hook than they did in the sample. The pattern didn't specify hook size - I used a J/10. It appears to be about three feet square. Second, I did two rounds (after the 22) in a single crochet for a border. I think I did two or three single crochets in each corner to keep it square. 

I took a few pictures throughout, but honestly, they're not worth loading. In fact, these aren't great either because I took them at night on my phone. I had time to type this up tonight and didn't want to wait until tomorrow to get good photos. Plus, I wanted to wash it up tonight because I'm giving it away tomorrow. It's in the washer right now and I've got my fingers and toes crossed that it comes out of the washer unscathed. 

Here is a close up of the border. I like it. 

See how even the pattern is? I'm telling you, it's a great pattern for a beginner. And, since it's all one stitch (two if you count the chains), you'll get really good at a double crochet by the end!