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This pattern is available as an ad-free PDF in my Etsy and Ravelry shops!
Nautical themes are so timeless. Stripes, neutral colors…you really can’t go wrong. I love pieces that can carry through the years, seasons of life (especially when being gifted to a kiddo) and, of course, are functional. I LOVE FUNCTIONAL.
If you don’t already know, I’m a little bit of a hippie. I was a meteorologist in my past life and I have a masters degree in earth science. I totally love the earth. When my mom passed away last year I expanded my crunchiness into natural and holistic remedies, and avoiding synthetic crap like fragrances and chemicals in skincare and household cleaners. Food is the hardest thing for me to clean up bc I love me some bagels, but it’s a work in progress!
ANYWAYS, I love to make baby blankets. It’s my favorite thing to make since they can be so meaningful. I’ve always used synthetic fibers in my blankets because of their washability. Let’s be serious, parents of new babies aren’t taking their blankets to the dry cleaner every time said baby poops on it. It’s important to me that the majority of baby blankets I make are actually useable in real life.
I’ve been wanting to transition into making my baby blankets with natural fibers. They are sustainable and aren’t made out of the plastic that I hate was even invented. However most of the soft and cozy natural yarns I see in craft stores are wool, and I’m concerned that it would be too irritating for an infant’s delicate skin. Cotton was the obvious next choice. I did a lot of researching for soft and cozy cotton (not dishcloth status), and decided to try Paintbox! 
I chose Paintbox Cotton Aran yarn because of all the color choices they had (despite this particular blanket being mostly neutrals, lol). It’s intimidating because the skeins are so tiny, but I really love the texture it creates! The fabric feels substantial without being too warm. It was perfect as a summer crochet project. I used half double crochet and eyelets for this blanket (surprise surprise – most of my designs this year have used hdc!). I thought the hdc stitches almost looked like little knots, which added to my nautical theme. The stitch definition using Paintbox Cotton Aran was beautiful. 
It took a few swatch attempts to get the eyelets right – doing it the same way as double crochet eyelets made it a little zig-zaggy. It turns out that to create eyelets using hdc you need to crochet into the chain 1 on subsequent rows (instead of chaining over the chain from the previous row). I suggest using a stitch marker to identify your ch 1 so when you get to it on your next row, you know which stitch to insert your hook.
I attached a ribbed border to the top and bottom, to add to the preppy feel. I used the method of attaching-as-you-go I learned from Daisy Farm Crafts and TL Yarn Crafts. tutorials. I totally LOVE this method, and I think the final result looks so much cleaner than creating a ribbed strip and seaming it on. You’ll see the method written out in the pattern below, but a visual might be helpful if this is your first time using it, so check out those tutorial links! 
Below is the free pattern! If you’d prefer a printable PDF, I have an inexpensive download in my Etsy and Ravelry shops.
Nantucket Baby Blanket Crochet Pattern
MATERIALS
- 2000 yards of worsted/aran weight yarn in white or off white (the sample uses Paintbox Cotton Aran in Light Champagne)
- 200 yards of worsted/aran weight yarn in navy blue/accent color of your choice (the sample uses Paintbox Cotton Aran in Midnight Blue)
- 5 mm (H) crochet hook
- Scissors
- Tapestry needle
SIZE
- 30 x 38.5 inches
ABBREVIATIONS
- ch = chain
- hdc = half double crochet
- scblo = single crochet, back loop only
- sl st = slip stitch
GAUGE
- 15 stitches x 13 rows per 4 inch square
NOTES
For this pattern, your turning chain will NOT count as your first stitch for the next row. After each row you will ch 1 and turn, then hdc into the very first stitch from the previous row.
Pattern
Using white, ch 109.
Row 1: Hdc into the 3rd ch from hook. Hdc 16. *Ch 1, sk next st, hdc 17.* Repeat * 4 more times. You will have 107 st including ch spaces. Ch 1 and turn.
Row 2: Hdc 16. Ch 1, sk next st. *Hdc 17, ch 1, sk next st.* Repeat * 3 more times. Hdc 18. Ch 1 and turn.
Row 3: Hdc 17. *Ch 1, sk next st, hdc 17.* Repeat * 4 more times . You will have 99 st including ch spaces. Ch 1 and turn.
Row 4: Repeat Row 2.
Row 5: Repeat Row 3.
Row 6: Repeat Row 2.
Row 7: Repeat Row 3.
Row 8: Repeat Row 2.
Row 9: Repeat Row 3.
Row 10: Repeat Row 2.
Row 11: Repeat Row 3.
Row 12: Repeat Row 2.
Row 13: Repeat Row 3.
Row 14: Repeat Row 2.
Row 15: Repeat Row 3.
Row 16: Repeat Row 2.
Row 17: Change to blue/accent color. Repeat Row 3.
Row 18: Repeat Row 2.
You might also like:
Row 19-34: Repeat Rows 3-16. Then continue alternating repeats of Rows 3 and 2 until you reach Row 34.
Rows 35-36: Repeat Rows 17 & 18.
Rows 37-52: Repeat Rows 19-34.
Rows 53-54 Repeat Rows 17&18.
Rows 55-70: Repeat Rows 19-34.
Rows 71-72: Repeat Rows 17 & 18.
Rows 73-88: Repeat Rows 19-34.
Rows 89-90: Repeat Rows 17 & 18.
Rows 91-106: Repeat Rows 19-34. Do not cut and tie off your yarn.
BORDER
Row 1: Immediately after row 106, ch 9. Sc into the 2nd ch from hook. Sc 7. Sl st into the top of the last st from Row 106. Sl st into the next st. Turn your work.
Row 2: Scblo 8. Ch 1 and turn.
Row 3: Scblo 8. Sl st into the top of the next st from Row 106. Sl st into the next st. Turn your work.
NOTE: I found it useful to count the chain spaces on the last row as 2 stitches. In other words, when making your ribbing for the border, slip stitch into the chain space twice. (Sl st to start the row from the edge of the blanket, then sl st into the same ch sp when you return to attach the next row to the edge.) Doing this made it so the ribbing didn’t “pull” the ends of the blanket in too much. You could also go up half a hook size to create a looser tension to help mitigate this as well.
Repeat rows 2 and 3 until you reach the other end of the blanket. Tie off and cut your yarn.
Attach the yarn on the opposite end of the blanket and repeat the instructions above. You may start at either corner, but to get the same “right side,” start on the corner opposite the one you started on the first side.
That’s it! I hope you love your sustainably-made blanket. Be sure to tag me on Instagram, I’d love to see your version!
And don’t forget you can get an inexpensive ad-free PDF of this pattern in my Etsy and Ravelry shops.
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This is a beautiful blanket but how can I make it a lapghan or small Throw size?
Thank you! I haven’t done the math on adjusting this blanket for different sizes (but I think I’ll put it on my list!). But you can increase the number of times you do the * repeat until you get the width you want, and then keep crocheting following the same stripe pattern until you reach the length you want. I would suggest keeping the total number of blue stripes to an odd number to create the same look and symmetry. Hope that helps! Feel free to email me too if needed 🙂