Crochet Stitches for Blankets

In this post, I have gathered the most popular blanket stitches for baby and adult blankets. For each stitch pattern, you will find a tutorial and examples of various realizations of the pattern. I will focus on categorizing different blanket stitches, to help you find the best pattern that fits your needs, no matter if you are making a blanket for the first time, or you are looking for something special for a baby shower , airy blanket for sunny destinations or a warm lap blanket for a loving  grandfather. 

It’s not. Actually, it is one of the easiest projects you can make. What’s more, you can make a blanket from any basic stitch, such as a single crochet or half double crochet stitch. These stitches are easy to make and will give you a solid, warm texture. 

Simply make the appropriate number of stitches to get the desired length and as many rows as you need. Then add a simple border (e.g) a row, a single crochet at the edges and voila, you will have the simplest blanket ever.

Read also: Easy-Peasy Baby Blanket Free Crochet Patterns

Although you can make an easy blanket using just simple stitch e.g. SC or HDC,  there are so many other beautiful stitches it would be a crime not to try them 🙂 They will give your blanket a way more sophisticated and delicate texture.  I’m sure when you look at them, you will want to give it a try.

They are also not really complicated! As you will be working in rows, stitches will repeat themself so you will get into a flow. This is a funny state of a crocheter’s mind when your mind is resting and your hands will work the blanket without you being present. 

There are a few features to consider to answer your question:

First, set the skill level. Are you looking for something complicated or very easy? The easiest pattern will be very repeatable. Also, the bigger the stitch the faster your work will be done. And conversely, the more complicated and differentiated the stitches are, the more complicated and slower your work will be.

The easiest patterns for beginner blankets are: V-stitch, Chevron stitch and Granny stitch.

If you are looking for a challenge, here are blanket stitches for advanced crocheters: Jasmine Stitch, Puff stitch, Catherine’s Wheel Stitch, e.g.  Catherine Wheel Stitch Crochet Projects:

Next, what season is your blanket for? Are you looking for an airy summer pattern, or a dense and warm winter blanket?  Loose, mesh-like textures are perfect for warm weather. And on the opposite end, stitches with no gaps, densely packed next to each other will give a solid, warm texture.  

The best stitch for a summer blanket: V-stitch, Granny Stitch

The best stitch for a warm winter blanket: Waffle Stitch, Moss Stitch, Alpine Stitch

How colorful should your blanket be? Are you making it solid, do you plan using 2-5 colours or you want it to be a rainbow feast? 

A single coloured blanket can look extremely elegant, but it needs stitches which give it a sophisticated texture and appearance. 

Colors are great, especially when you want to underline a wavy pattern. They are also necessary whenever you want to add shapes such as flowers, cats or letters. Downsize is you have to spend more time to change colours while crocheting and wave in the ends afterwards. Potentially, it’s easier to make a a very visible mistake with colors, so you have to be more focused on the pattern, while navigating through many color changes. 

The best stitches for a multicolored blanket : C2C Stitch, Shell Stitch, Ripple Stitch.

The best stitches for a one or two color blanket:  Moss stitch, basketwave, waffle, C2C stitch in black and white.

Finally, how big will your blanket be? Is it a small baby blanket or a large king-size bedspread? 

The size will determine the number of skeins you will need and thus the total cost of the yarn… Do the math before starting a project. The yarn you choose can be discontinued at any time, so it’s a good strategy to buy the required amount of skeins in advance, with a bit of safety margin too. 

You can use any crochet blanket stitch to make a big bedspread. Moreover, there are many combinations of stitches and more complicated patterns to give it an artistic, spectacular look. 

When making a small blanket, you are much more limited by its size. For example, don’t plan big shapes because you won’t to be able to fit them in. 

Examples of the patterns for big blankets, afghans and bedspreads: V-Stitch, Granny Square

Examples of the patterns for baby blankets and lap blankets: Shell stitch, C2C Stitch; more ideas you can find in my post: 35 Free Crochet Baby Blanket Pattern Ideas:

To enhance your projects beyond the basics, it’s essential to explore eye-catching, textured stitches. Use the moss and C2C stitches to create stunning works, or amazing derivative textures in combination with basic stitches. The Ripple and Shell Stitches also introduce a unique look to your projects and will enhance the appearance of your work. Whether you’re making a baby blanket or a standard blanket pattern, incorporating these beautiful stitches will take your projects to the next level.

Worked diagonally, it creates a textured, block-like pattern. 

The name of the stitch comes from the specific technique of how this stitch is made. The Corner to corner stitch starts on the edge of the blanket and is worked diagonally throughout a blanket until its ending point – the opposite corner.  

Using the C2C technique, you can easily create a blanket pattern of your own design. Each design can be converted into a pixel graph. While making a C2C blanket, each small square of the pattern corresponds to one pixel of the graph.

This creates a zigzag pattern which is a very popular blanket design and never out of date.  Although it looks complicated, the stitch is based on the single crochet which is then enriched by increasing and decreasing. 

The shell stitch is made of shell-looking semi circles or arches which differentiates it form other stitches for blanket and afghans. These shell-like elements of a blanket create an intriguing texture even in a monochromatic blanket as well as a nice combination of wavy lines and shapes when using a few colors.

Due to its elegant looking texture,  this is a very popular baby blanket stitch. The stitch creates a beautiful, cozy blanket. Additionally is often used as a blanket border.

The V-stitch is easy to make and very quick due to its repeatable pattern. It’s a one row repeat! Additionally, the stitch is based on a combination of chains and double crochets. More precisely, the V-stitch is achieved by dc, ch1, dc into the same space.  It’s a great pattern to choose, when you are working on a big project like an afghan or bedspread. 

The Granny Stitch represents a whole family of crochet blankets. Granny square blankets come in various styles and designs, each offering a unique aesthetic appeal.

Using clusters of double crochets, and working in rounds we create a characteristic traditional looking granny square. We can stop after a few rounds and make numerous squares of the same size to join them together in one blanket.

We can also extend the central square, to make a blanket consisting of a single square only.

Used in the classic granny square, it consists of clusters of double crochets.

The Moss Stitch alternates every other row.  A woven texture is achieved by alternating single crochet and chain stitch. The moss stitch creates a flat and reversible texture, which makes it perfect for scarves, shawls, cowls or blankets.

The Basketweave stitch creates a solid and characteristic texture. The effect of discrete squares is achieved by alternately working groups of front and back raised double crochet. It gives the illusion that some of the stitches are worked vertically and others – horizontaly. 

The Basketweave stitch is a decent, solid texture that makes this stitch suitable for bags, pillows, or bedspreads. As it is more stiff than other stitches, it’s rather less popular for wearable items.

The Waffle stitch offers a lacy, textured fabric ideal for scarves, cardigans and larger projects like blankets and throws. 

The Larksfoot stitch features an elongated stitch – a double crochet spike stitch that connects the current row with spaces in the previous row. This creates a colorful, geometric pattern. It is easy to work and can be worked in multiple colours or monochromatic. The Larksfoot stitch creates a very attractive texture perfect for blankets or bedspreads.

The Ripple Stitch is an easy pattern which can be used by beginners as well. By using increases and decreases of double or treble crochet stitches we get the shape of peaks and valleys similar to a chevron stitch, but with gentle, less defined points.

The Solid Granny Square Blanket is a very popular type of blanket made of squares joined together. In this type of the pattern, we multiply a solid granny square in the amount needed for the whole blanket. When making squares in different colors, we can treat them as pixels and create a design inside the blanket. 

To make this type of a blanket, first start with a simple solid granny square:

If you are an absolute beginner, or want to make your blanket simple, choose the single crochet stitch. It will be quick to make and give a pretty dense texture. The single crochet blanket uses only chain and single crochet stitches where single crochet stitches are repeated to achieve the desired length and width. The pattern can be finished with any type of border or a ribbon weaved around the edges. 

To make it as simple and as quick as possible, use only one color of yarn. An amazing and intriguing look can be achieved using  an ombre or multicolor yarn.

The next equally easy stitch to use for a blanket is HDC (half double crochet). HDC stitches are well packed together giving a dense texture, appropriate for a winter blanket. 

The half double crochet blanket uses only chain and HDC stitches where half double crochets are repeated to achieve the desired length and width. 

The pattern can be finished with any type of border or a ribbon weaved around the edges.

A Granny Stripe Stitch is a simple and easy stitch created by making clusters of 3 double crochets in the spaces in preceding rows. This easy pattern gives a lightweight but warm texture perfect for summer blankets or cardigans. 

While working with a granny stripe blanket, yarn colors are often alternated for an appealing,  striped look.