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This pattern is available as an inexpensive ad-free PDF in my Etsy and Ravelry shops!

I’ve said it before, but so much of the reason I love making baby blankets is because I love trying to incorporate the nursery theme, backstory, and family’s personality into the project.

A very good friend of mine just had a beautiful baby girl. (Well to be clear, his wife did. I’m not giving him credit there.) Anyway I love him to death and he’s totally a millennial SoCal hipster. I wanted to make something that was clean, basic and functional.

I didn’t come up with the idea and colors until I was at Joann’s looking for a peachy pink for another project. I’m not into pink, and I was aiming for a muted reddish pink to be a little more edgy and less fluffy girly girl. I found the perfect skein, and next to it saw this beautiful rich pink that complimented it so well. I immediately started looking for another color to complete a 3 or 4 color fade, and I picked up a white and a cream.

I’ve been loving using half double crochet between the posts lately, since it kind of blurs those horizontal lines that crocheting into the top of the stitch creates. I think this makes a more streamlined and modern look. So that’s the stitch I went with!

I started with the beautiful deep pink and was so happy with it. When I transitioned to my second pink I could totally see my vision coming to life.

Let me just stop here and tell you that I completely frogged this thing at this point. I was chaining 2 for my turning chain after each row, but my edges were wavy and I couldn’t take it. I spent some time convincing myself that it was fine (which is why I got so far before frogging! ugh), but once I finished my second color I laid it down and just cringed. I undid the whole. entire. thing. My second time around I chained 1 at the end of each row, and it made SUCH a difference. To be honest I usually end up chaining one less than what is “standard” (I ch 2 for a double crochet). I’m not sure if it’s just my tension or what, but it’s always worked out better for me.

Anyways going along redoing 80 rows and I got to the cream color. Loved it. Just set such a nice tone with those peachy pinks. THEN came the white. As I started the first row of white I did not get excited. Something was off and I couldn’t tell what. After consulting with my much smarter artist friends, I decided to scrap the white all together. It didn’t contrast enough with my off-white and was very “cool” in my sea of warm pinks. This is what the artists told me 🙂

Luckily this is a baby blanket and doesn’t need to be big! So using 3 colors worked out perfectly. Since it’s such a simple blanket, I wanted to add some detailing without it looking too intricate. I liked the edges the way they looked raw, so I didn’t want to border it. I decided to do a fringe on each end of the blanket that would be the same color as the adjacent color block. This gives it something to adorn it but it blends seamlessly and doesn’t take away from the simplicity. My tassels ended up being 3.5 inches long. I used Fox in Socks because it was on my living room floor (#momlife), but ended up trimming it a little bc babies don’t need long things to get their fingers trapped in.

I ran it through the washer/dryer and then fringed it. I always wash my baby blankets before handing them over (except for my token heirloom blanket) because 1. Babies are sensitive creatures and who knows how many people sneezed and then picked up that skein in the store and then changed their mind. Or dropped it on the floor or whatever. And 2. I need to make sure it will be able to stand the test of baby-hood. Let’s face it I’m sure there will be some kind of baby grossness on that blanket at some point and it’s gonna need to be cleaned. And new parents aren’t keen on extra work. At least I wasn’t.

So, you will be using 3 colors. My colors A, B and C were, respectively, Bernat Softee Baby in Soft Red, Soft Peach, and Antique White. To get the same ombre/color block effect simply choose dark and light variations of your main color, and then a coordinating white. I choose a cream color for my “white” since my pinks were warm and peachy. Stick with bright whites for cool colors (blues & purples) and off white for warmer colors (reds & yellows). For those in between colors see what works the best!

The pattern is simple. You are only using one stitch so counting isn’t necessary beyond the first row. It’s the perfect Netflix and chill project.

Below is the free pattern! You can also find an inexpensive PDF version in my Etsy and Ravelry shops.

SoCal Sunset Color Block Baby Blanket

Materials

• 3 skeins of category 3 yarn; 1 of each color (I used Bernat Softee Baby in Soft Red, Soft Peach, and Antique White)
• 5 mm crochet hook
• Tapestry needle
• 3 inch piece of cardboard
• Scissors

Abbreviations

This pattern is written using US abbreviations.

• ch = chain
• hdc = half double crochet
• sp = space
• st = stitch

Gauge

15 rows x 16 stitches per 4 x 4 inch square

Pattern

Chain 102 using color A.

Row 1: Hdc into the 3rd ch from hook. Hdc across the row. (Will be 100 stitches.) Ch 1 and turn.

Row 2: Hdc into the space between the previous row’s first and second hdc (between the posts). Hdc between the posts to the end of the row. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 3-40: Repeat Row 2. At the end of row 40, change to color B.

Row 41-80: Repeat Row 2. At the end of row 80, change to color C.

Row 81-120: Repeat row 2.

Tie off your yarn and cut. Weave in ends.

Adding the fringe

You will use colors A and C to create the fringe, and attach on the short ends of the blanket.

Using a 3-4 inch piece of cardboard or similar as a template (I used a small board book at one point), place the end of your yarn at the base of the template and wrap your yarn around 3 times. Cut the yarn off at the bottom of the template, then insert your scissors between the wrapped yarn and the template and cut the bottom loop. Repeat this 48 more times. This will create 147 strands of yarn, and you will be using 3 strands for each tassel.

If you’d prefer to make it all in one batch, wind your yarn around 147 times to create all the strands at once, as in the picture below.

Fold 3 strands in half and insert the loop into the space between hdcs in your first and final rows. Start in the second stitch, and attach a tassel into every other stitch until you reach the end. Repeat for the other side.

That’s it! Hopefully that was easy enough and your color block/ombre look amazing.

Be sure to tag me on Instagram, I’d love to see your version!

Don’t forget I have this pattern available in my Etsy and Ravelry shops.

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