Lunar Crossings Rectangle Blanket Free Crochet Pattern

I am so in love with the incredible shading in Red Heart Super Saver Ombre yarn. Look at that yummy gradient! This pattern is designed specifically for gradient and other cake striping yarns. You will love it!

Lunar Crossings Rectangle Blanket | CrochetKim Free Crochet Pattern

Lunar Crossings Rectangle Blanket
designed by Kim Guzman © Aug. 2018
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Technique: Regular Crochet

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Downloadable Pattern Available At:

Ravelry | Etsy

Finished Size

These sizes are approximate. I was asked to do the math to make Lunar Crossings Square Blanket into a rectangle. I went through about one skein of the yarn to test the pattern. One skein got me to about 23″ x 25″ with three full lace repeat rounds. Here are the propagated measurements based on this information.

4 lace repeats measure 29″ x 34″ and require 2 skeins or 700 yds
5 lace repeats measure 35″ x 40″ and require 3 skeins or 1100 yds
6 lace repeats measure 41″ x 46″ and require 3 skeins or 1400 yds
7 lace repeats measure 47″ x 52″ and require 4 skeins or 1800 yds

Here is the math for approximate yardage should anyone want to figure it out for different sizes. .7 yards per square inch at my tension (see Gauge).


This pattern is based on my Lunar Crossings series. Click on one of the photos below to see the others.


Materials

  • Red Heart Super Saver Ombre, 100% acrylic, size 4, aran weight yarn, 482 yards per 10 oz: shown in color Jazzy (see specific amounts above)
  • Suggested hook size: J-10 [6mm]
  • Yarn needle (for weaving ends)

Thank you to Red Heart Yarns for providing yarn support for this project.

Gauge

Since this pattern is designed to work with any tension, gauge isn’t entirely crucial. Use a hook that gives you a nice fabric with the yarn of your choice. To work at my tension, with the yarn specified:

After round 3, measures 3.5″ x 5″

After round 5, measures 5.5″ x 7″

After round 11, measures 11″ x 12.5″

Special Stitches

Shell (sh): [2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc] in same ch-2 sp. When at the beginning of a round, ch 3, [dc, ch 2, 2dc] in same ch-2 sp instead (since the first ch 3 is considered the first dc).

Long Single Crochet (long sc): Insert hook under the ch-6 sp from the row below, yarn over, pull loop through, yarn over, pull through 2 loops on hook. You will be joining together the ch-6 sp and the ch-4 sp above it. You normally crochet under one chain space. In this case, you’re crocheting under two chain spaces. Don’t overthink this. Just put your hook in the ch-6 space and work a single crochet. You’ll be pulling the ch-4 sp and the ch-6 sp together.

Notes

Project can be made in any yarn type or weight, with appropriate hook. Work any number of rounds for the size desired.

At the end of some of the rounds, a stitch count is provided (after the colon). It is only a stitch count to double-check your work. It isn’t additional crochet instruction.

On double crochet rounds, the traditional ch-3 is used at the beginning. My personal preference is to use a ch-2 so feel free to use a ch-2 or ch-3, whichever is your preference.

A gradient yarn is used which means that the color changes you see are made with the yarn itself. If you prefer to substitute yarn, you can use whatever color(s) you like and change colors as you desire, or alternatively, use one solid color throughout.

The math I’ve done for the rectangle makes a nice throw size but not a huge difference between width and length. If you prefer more of a rectangle, you can add an additional 10 chains to the starting chain.

Lunar Crossings Rectangle Blanket | CrochetKim Free Crochet Pattern

Crochet Pattern Instructions

Round 1: Ch 13, sk 5 ch (counts as dc plus ch 2), [dc, ch 2, dc] in next ch, dc in each ch to last ch, [dc, ch 2, dc, ch 2, dc] in last ch, turn the piece upside down to begin working along the bottom in the unused loops of ch, dc across, sl st to third ch of beg ch 5 and into ch-2 sp: 8 dc on top and bottom, 1 dc at each end and 4 ch-2 sps.

Round 2: *Sh (see Special Stitches above), 3 dc in next dc, sh in next ch-2 sp, dc in each dc to next corner ch-2 sp, rep from * once more, sl st to top of beg ch-3, next dc and into ch-2 sp: 12 dc on each long side, 7 dc on each short side and 4 ch-2 sps.

Round 3: *Sh, dc in each dc to next corner ch-2 sp, rep from * 3 times more, sl st to top of beg ch-3, next dc and into ch-2 sp: 16 dc on each long side, 11 dc on each short side and 4 ch-2 sps.

Round 4: Ch 1, *[sc, ch 2, sc] in ch-2 sp, sc in each dc to next corner ch-2 sp, rep from * 3 times more, sl st to first sc and into ch-2 sp: 18 sc on each long side, 13 sc on each short side and 4 ch-2 sps.

Round 5: *Sh, dc in each sc to next corner ch-2 sp, rep from * 3 times more, sl st to top of beg ch-3, next dc and into ch-2 sp: 22 dc on each long side, 17 dc on each short side and 4 ch-2 sps.

Round 6: Ch 1, *[sc, ch 2, sc] in ch-2 sp, sc in next 2 dc, [ch 6, sk 3 dc, sc in next 2 dc] to corner ch-2 sp, rep from * 3 times more, sl st to first sc and into ch-2 sp: 4 ch-6 sps on each long side and 3 ch-6 sps on each short side.

Round 7: *Sh, dc in next 3 sc, [ch 4, sk ch-6 sp, dc in next 2 sc] to last ch-6 sp before corner ch-2 sp, ch 4, sk ch-6 sp, dc in 3 sc, rep from * 3 times more, sl st to beg ch-3, next dc and into ch-2 sp.

Round 8: *Sh, dc in next 5 dc, [ch 3, long sc (see Special Stitches above), ch 3, dc in next 2 dc] to last ch-4 sp before corner ch-2 sp, ch 3, long sc, ch 3, dc in 5 dc, rep from * 3 times more, sl st to beg ch-3, next dc and into ch-2 sp.

Round 9: Ch 1, *[sc, ch 2, sc] in ch-2 sp, sc in next 7 dc, [ch 3, sk 2 ch-3 sps, sc in next 2 dc] to last 2 ch-3 sps before corner ch-2 sp, ch 3, sk 2 ch-3 sps, sc in 7 dc, rep from * 3 times more, sl st to beg sc and into ch-2 sp.

Lunar Crossings Rectangle Blanket | CrochetKim Free Crochet Pattern

Round 10: *Sh, dc in next 8 sc, [3 dc in ch-3 sp, dc in next 2 sc] to last ch-3 sp before corner ch-2 sp, 3 dc in ch-3 sp, dc in 8 sc, rep from * 3 times more, sl st to beg ch-3, next dc and into ch-2 sp: 38 dc on each long side, 33 dc on each short side and 4 ch-2 sps.

Round 11: *Sh, dc in each dc to corner ch-2 sp, rep from * 3 times more, sl st to beg ch-3, next dc and into ch-2 sp: 42 dc on each long side, 37 dc on each short side and 4 ch-2 sps.

Note: Each 6-round repeat increases the stitch count by 20 dc on each side.

Rounds 12-23: Rep rounds 6-11. (Continue to repeat these 6 rounds as desired.)

Finishing

Weave in ends securely.