crochet Starlight Baby Blanket Pattern
Materials and Finished Size
For this blanket, I used Stylecraft Special DK yarn in the following colors:
- Cream
- Lemon
- Apricot
- Clematis
- Sherbet
- Spring Green
The sample was crocheted with a 4.0 mm (G/6) hook and measures approximately 85 × 70 cm (33.5 × 27.5 inches).
This pattern is fully adjustable, making it easy to create a blanket in any size you prefer. Feel free to use your favorite yarn and an appropriate hook size while following the same stitch pattern.
Pattern Notes & Special Stitches
This pattern is written using US crochet terminology.
Basic Stitches
- ch – Chain
- sl st – Slip Stitch
- dc – Double Crochet
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Special Stitches
Star Stitch
Instructions for the Star Stitch are included within the pattern where needed.
dc2tog (Double Crochet 2 Together)
Yarn over, insert hook into the first indicated stitch and complete a partial double crochet (stop before the final yarn over). Yarn over, insert hook into the next indicated stitch and complete another partial double crochet. Yarn over and pull through all remaining loops on the hook.
dc3tog (Double Crochet 3 Together)
Work three partial double crochets into the indicated stitches, leaving the final loop of each stitch on the hook. Yarn over and pull through all remaining loops to complete the decrease.
Crossed Double Crochet (Crossed dc)
Instructions are provided in the pattern.
Double Single Crochet (dsc) / Mini Bean Stitch
Insert hook into the indicated stitch or space, yarn over and pull up a loop. Yarn over, insert the hook into the same stitch or space again, yarn over and pull up another loop. Yarn over and pull through all loops on the hook to complete the stitch.
Color Changes
The sample blanket was worked using Cream as the main color.
- The first two rows, every Star Stitch row, and the final row were worked in Cream.
- Every Double Crochet row (except the last one) was worked in a different accent color.
You can easily reverse this color arrangement by working the Star Stitch rows in multiple colors and keeping the Double Crochet rows in the main color.
When changing colors:
- At the end of a Star Stitch row, complete the final pull-through with the new color and work the turning chain using the new color.
- At the end of a Double Crochet row, complete the last yarn-over and pull-through with the new color.
After changing colors, cut the previous yarn and leave a tail. These yarn tails can be neatly hidden while crocheting the border. For extra security, you may tie neighboring tails together before working over them.
Note:
Although the pattern is pretty easy to do, I had some troubles explaining it in words (especially the border), so I made an extra swatch and took pictures of the progress to help you with my instructions. You can click on the pictures to enlarge them.
Pattern:
Row 1
Ch-131 (or any odd number of chains as needed for desired width), dc in 5th ch from hook, *ch-1, skip 1 ch, dc in the next ch*, repeat from * across, working the last dc into the first ch from beginning, ch-2 and turn.
Row 2
Note: the expression “pull up loop (pull up lp)” means: insert your hook into indicated stitch or space, yarn over (yo), and pull through the stitch/space.
Pull up lp in second ch from hook, pull up lp in first dc, pull up loop in first ch-1 space, pull up loop in next dc, yarn over (yo) and pull through all 5 loops on hook, ch-1 (The chain is often referred to as the “eye of the star”). *Pull up lp in the ch just made, pull up lp in the same dc, pull up lp in the next ch-1 space, pull up lp in the next dc, yo and pull through all 5 lps on hook, ch-1 (star-stitch made)*, repeat from * across, working your last star-stitch like this: pull up lp in the ch just made, pull up lp in the same dc (that’s the last regular dc in the row), pull up lp under the next ch (= turning chains from the start of the last row), pull up lp in the next ch (that’s the next of the turning chains, see picture), yo with a new color and pull through all 5 lps on hook, ch-1 to close the star stitch, ch-3 and turn.
Row 3
Dc into the eye of the next star-stitch, *ch-1, dc into the eye of the next star-stitch*, repeat from * across, working your last dc into the turning chain (the one, where you’ve already pulled up a loop in the previous row, see picture). Finish the last dc (i.e. pull through 2 lps) with the main color, ch-2, and turn
ow 4 – end:
Repeat rows 2 and 3 until your blanket has the desired height. For the last repetition of row 3, use your main color.
A word about turning chains: experienced crocheters might wonder, why I started row 1 with a dc in the 5th chain from the hook instead of the 6th, and why I use 3 turning chains instead of 4 at the end of row 2. Actually, you would expect 4 turning chains, to count as the dc and ch-1 we need, and the original pattern for the Fantasy Shawl does indeed suggest 4 turning chains. However, I’ve tried it like this, and found that after a few rows the edges started to widen and make a bend. Working with 3 turning chains like I do here, we end up with nice, straight edges. I guess you just have to trust me here 🙂
Border:
Before we start with the border, you might want to pick your favorite side of the blanket. The sides look a bit different, so you start the border with your favorite side facing you. I’ve picked the side with the right side of the star-stitches facing (right picture)
Rnd 1:
The first row of the border is a round of dc with 3 dc into the corner-stitches. Make it like this:
Top Edge:
Continue with (or attach) your main color in the right corner, ch-3 (counts as dc) and 2 more dc into the same stitch (that’s your first corner), then make a dc in every ch-1 space and in every dc across. For the next round to work out, it’s important that we have an even number of dc on the edges (not counting the 3 corner dc on both ends), so you have two options: either you squeeze in an additional dc somewhere, or you work a dc-2-tog over a ch-1 space and the following dc (that is what I did, see picture). Make 3 dc into the corner-stitch.
Side Edge 1:
While working down the sides, work your stitches over the tails of the color changes. Place your stitches into the spaces of the dc-rows and into the side of the star-stitches. This is either the eye of the star, or the first turning chain that marked the beginning of the star-stitch row, depending on which side you’re working down first. It will be the other way round, when you’re working the second side.
Work 2 dc into the first gap, then a dc-3-tog over the same gap, the next star stitch-row and the next gap. *2 dc into the same gap, dc-3-tog over the same gap, the star stitch, and the next gap*, repeat from * across, until the last gap and make your 2 dc in there. Now count your stitches (without the 3 corner dc): if you’ve got an odd number of stitches, make one more dc into the same gap and finish the edge with 3dc into the corner stitch. If you’ve got an even number of stitches, you can work your 3 corner dc right away. (note: with an even number of star-stitch rows, the stitch-count should work out without adjustments: in my example I had four star-stitch rows and an even number of stitches on the edge, see picture)
Work 2 dc into the first gap, then crochet a dc3tog over the same gap, the next Star Stitch, and the following gap.
Repeat the following sequence across the edge:
- Work 2 dc into the current gap.
- Crochet a dc3tog over the same gap, the next Star Stitch, and the following gap.
Continue until you reach the last gap, then work 2 dc into that final gap.
Before finishing the edge, count your stitches (do not include the 3 dc worked into each corner):
- If the stitch count is odd, work 1 additional dc into the last gap, then finish the corner with 3 dc in the corner stitch.
- If the stitch count is even, simply work 3 dc into the corner stitch.
Note: When your blanket has an even number of Star Stitch rows, the stitch count should naturally be even, so no extra adjustment is needed. In the sample blanket, four Star Stitch rows resulted in an even stitch count, allowing the edge to be completed without adding an extra double crochet.
Bottom Edge:
Make a dc in every ch-1 space and in every dc across (actually you’re working your stitches not into the dc, but into the chain where you’ve made your first-row dc of course). Adjust your stitch-count like you did for the top edge (i.e. by working a dc-increase or a dc-2-tog), and work your 3 dc into the corner stitch.
Side Edge 2:
Same as Side Edge 1, close the round with a slip stitch to beginning ch-3 of the first corner. Don’t turn.
(In case you wonder, why I’m working all those dc-3-togs along the sides: I wanted to make a nice dense edge to cover the loose tails completely, but without increasing the stitch count. Alternatively, you could just make 2 dc into each gap and 1 dc into the side of the star-stitch row, if it doesn’t bother you that the tails might be showing.)
Rnd 2:
The second border round is worked with crossed dc. If you’ve followed the pattern exactly as described so far, you should be at the ch-3 that counted as your first of 3 corner dc, so we can start with the new corner right away:
Ch-4 (counts as dc and ch-1), and – working behind these turning chains – make a dc into the dc before. That’s your first crossed dc. Dc into the next “free” dc (=the second corner dc), ch-1, crossed dc – working behind the stitch just made – into the the stitch before (=first corner stitch =top of 3 turning chains). Dc into the next free dc (=the third corner dc), ch-1, crossed dc into the stitch before (=second corner dc). Dc into next free dc (= first dc of the top edge), ch-1, crossed dc into the stitch before (=third corner dc). Now that we’ve made our first corner with 2 dc (regular or crossed) coming out of each corner dc of the previous round (see picture), we can go on with the edge: *skip the next free dc, dc into the next dc, ch-1, crossed dc into the skipped dc*, repeat across until you reach the next corner, then continue as described for the first corner, i.e. not skipping stitches between the dc, but working two dc (regular or crossed) into each of the 3 corner dc. Then go on with the crossed dc along the straight edge again. Continue this way until the end of the round and join with a sl st to third ch of turning chains. Do not turn.
Maybe this sketch can help, too:
rnd 3:
We’re almost there! Sl st into next ch-1-space, ch-1 (doesn’t count as a stitch), dsc into same space, ch-1. For the dsc – or “mini-bean-stitch” – see pattern notes above. (Dsc, ch-1) into the next space, (dsc, ch-2, dsc) into the next space – this is your corner, see the following sketch:
Unfortunately the sketch looks pretty crooked (sorry, I’m not that good at drawing graphic patterns), but in reality the corner ch-1-space (marked light green in the sketch), is right in the corner, right above the middle corner dc of the first border round, you can see it better in the next picture:
Continue with (dsc, ch-1) in every ch-1 space around, with (dsc, ch-2, dsc) in the according spaces of the remaining corners. Join with a sl st to first dc, fasten off, and weave in all the ends. And that’s it! 🙂
