Rainbow Sampler Blanket

This is the first part of the Rainbow Sampler Blanket pattern. The pattern has been divided up into 11 parts with photo tutorials, charts and written patterns. You'll find the link to the next part at the end of each post. Enjoy your Sampler journey!

Sampler parts:

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5
• Part 6
• Part 7
• Part 8
• Part 9
• Part 10
• Part 11

Crochet hook

5.0mm (US size H/8), testers worked the blanket on 4.5mm (US size 7).

Measurements

The blanket measures 195 x 190cm (75 x 77in) after blocking.

Gauge/tension

Gauge is not critical for this pattern. It’s cumbersome to match gauge for all the different stitch patterns, and since you’ll be making the blanket in one go you don’t have to worry too much about your tension changing over time. We’ll have enough yarn leftovers to allow for some flexibility. If you want to make sure your blanket measurements are similar to the sample blanket, try to match this gauge: 15 hdc and 11 rows measure 10 x 10cm (4 x 4in) with a 5.0mm hook.

Check your gauge by working a gauge square:

With Colour O, ch26.

Row 1 (RS) Starting in the second chain from hook, work 25hdc, ch1, turn. [25 hdc]

Rows 2-15 25hdc, ch1, turn.

Row 16 25hdc, cut yarn.

Notes

• Yarn amounts used this week are:
  • Colour A: 33g
  • Colour B: 29g
  • Colour C: 7g
  • Colour D: 10g
  • Colour E: 13g
  • Colour Y: 12g
• In most rows you’ll make a ch1 before turning your blanket. This is a turning chain and does not count as a stitch.
• Stitch multiples are given in the tutorials. These are for advanced crocheters adjusting measurements, simply ignore them if you’re following the instructions in this pattern.
• Rather read UK instructions? Check out my UK crochet term conversion chart.

Techniques

Colour change

If you find ‘change colour’ in the instructions, change like this: Crochet the stitch before the colour change until you’ve reached the final yarn over that would finish the stitch. In the case of a hdc, you will now have three loops on your hook. Let the thread of the old colour hang on the backside, and grab the thread of the new colour with your hook (photo 1). Pull the loop of the new colour through your stitch to finish. You have now completed your stitch in the old colour, and you have a loop of the new colour on our hook (photo 2). You can now work your next stitch as instructed.

Popcorn with colour change

Click for the tutorial about the Popcorn stitch.

Granny Clusters

Click for the tutorial for Granny Clusters.

Starting rows (Rows 1-3)

We’re going to start off easy with a few rounds to get the base of the blanket established.

With Colour A, ch242, turn.

Don’t worry if your starting chain isn’t as long as you would expect. A starting chain stretches a lot, and it will be stretched out by the volume of the stitches that you will crochet in the next rows.

Row 1 (WS) Starting in second ch from hook, 241hdc, ch1, turn. [241 hdc]

Row 2 (RS) 241hdc, ch1, turn. [241 hdc]

Row 3 (WS) Repeat Row 2. Cut yarn. [241 hdc]

Popcorn section 1 (Rows 4-9)

From now on we’ll be trying out all sorts of new stitches so you can add them to your crochet stitch repertoire. Are you ready for your first new stitch? We’re going to make popcorn stitches. Popcorns are stitches that are very visible in your work. They lay on top of your crochet, so they’re not subtle. Especially not when you crochet them in a contrasting colour, such as in this section.

Please note: if you can’t get the colour change right, there’s no shame in crocheting the popcorns in the same colour as the background. I want you to have fun while exploring different stitches, and not be frustrated with the process.

Row 4 (RS) Join Colour B with a ss in first stitch, ch1, 1hdc in same stitch, 240hdc, ch1, turn. [241 hdc]

Row 5 (WS) 241hdc, ch1, turn. [241 hdc]

In the next row, you will crochet hdc’s with Colour B over the purple strand of Colour C and change colour when you crochet a popcorn. It’s to be expected that you see the strand of Colour C through the stitches of Colour B. It’s a dark colour trapped in white stitches, you can’t hide this completely, no matter how hard you try. It will not stand out in the blanket itself, the popcorns are much more interesting!

For detailed instructions on colour changing, see the Techniques section.

Row 6 (RS) 12hdc in Colour B, change colour to C, *1 popcorn in Colour C, change colour to B, 11hdc, change colour to C; repeat from * another 17 times, 1 popcorn with Colour C, change colour to B and cut Colour C, 12hdc in Colour B, ch1, turn. [19 popcorns, 222 hdc]

Do not pull on the purple thread too tight, otherwise you’ll lose stretch in the blanket that other rows do have. This means that your row is smaller and you’ll see this in the end.

Row 7 (WS) 241hdc, ch1, turn. [241 hdc]

Row 8 (RS) 241hdc, cut yarn, turn. [241 hdc]

Row 9 (WS) Join Colour A with a ss in first stitch, ch1, 1hdc in same st, 240hdc, cut yarn, turn. [241 hdc]

Granny Cluster Section 1 (Rows 10-12)

When you learn how to crochet, Granny Squares are probably one of the first patterns you try. These are squares consisting of clusters of 3 double crochets that we call Granny Clusters, and worked in the round. However, this Granny square pattern is easy to adapt to a row-based pattern. It’s both rhythmical and easy to remember. You will work this stitch in multiple sections in this blanket, it's that lovely!

Row 10 (RS) Join Colour D with a ss in first stitch, ch3 (counts as first dc), 1dc in same stitch, *skip 2 stitches, 3dc in next stitch; repeat from * another 78 times, skip 2 stitches, 2dc in last stitch, cut yarn, turn. [79 Granny clusters with 3 dc, 2 clusters with 2 dc, 241 dc in total]

We’ll be working the granny clusters back and forth because the front of the stitch doesn’t differ much from the back. This means that your next row will be worked on the wrong side.

Row 11 (WS) Join Colour E with a ss in first stitch, ch3 (counts as first dc), *3dc in first space between clusters of previous row; repeat from * another 79 times, 1dc in third ch of begin-ch3 of previous row. Cut yarn, turn. [80 Granny clusters with 3 dc, 2 dc, 242 dc in total]

You might have noticed that we have 242 stitches in this row. We’ll fix that shortly.

Row 12 (RS) Join Colour Y with a ss in first stitch, ch3 (counts as first dc), 1dc in first space between clusters, *3dc in next space between clusters; repeat from * another 78 times, 1dc in final space, 1dc in third ch of begin-ch3 of previous row. Cut yarn, turn. [79 Granny clusters with 3 dc, 2 clusters with 2 dc, 241 dc in total]

Row 13 (WS) Join Colour A with a ss in first stitch, ch1, 1hdc in same stitch, 240hdc, cut yarn, turn. [241 hdc]

You’ll find that some stitches stretch more than others, causing your blanket to be a little bit wider than it was after the previous section. Don’t be alarmed, this will be evened out later with the border and with blocking. As long as the blanket looks and feels good, you don’t have to worry.

Continue to the Rainbow Sampler Blanket pattern part 2.

Diagram