How to Crochet a Blanket From Start to Finish
The first step in making a blanket is to select a pattern. If you don't have a pattern for a particular blanket design, you can make your own by choosing a knit stitch pattern, like a V-stitch, shell or chevron. The advantage to selecting your own stitch pattern, instead of working with an exact afghan or blanket design, is that you can make it any size you want. Once you've got a pattern selected, determine how big you want the blanket to be. This will determine how many chains to make as your base.
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Instructions
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Chain the requisite number of stitches for the stitch pattern. Most stitch patterns will specify a certain number of stitches for the motif plus a few more for the turning chain. For example, a V-stitch pattern uses a multiple of three, plus two for the turning chain. To make a simple V-stitch blanket that is 4 feet wide, chain 146.
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Make your first row of stitches. To make a V-stitch row, double crochet into the third chain from the hook. To do this, yarn over, insert your hook into the third chain from the hook and pull up a loop. Yarn over and pull through two loops. Yarn over and pull through two loops again. Chain one. Make a second double crochet stitch into the the same chain. Skip the next two chain stitches. Continue to make V-stitches, with a skipped chain between each one, until you reach the end of the row. Make one double crochet stitch into the last stitch.
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Make your second row of stitches into the first row. To make a second row of V-stitches, turn and chain two. Make a V-stitch around the chain space between the double crochet stitches in the row below. To do this, insert your needle into the space between the two double crochet stitches in the wide part of the V and make your double crochet stitches with a chain stitch between them, as usual. Do not insert your hook into the chain stitch itself. Continue to make a V-stitch around each chain space in row one. Make one double crochet stitch into the turning chain from row one.
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Make the rest of your rows. With a V-stitch pattern, turn and chain two at the beginning of every row. Continue to make V-stitches into the chain space of the V-stitches in row two. Make one double crochet stitch into the turning chain from the row below. Continue to make rows in this way until your blanket reaches the desired length.
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Tie off the end by chaining one and pulling the loop out so that it is several inches long. Cut the center of the loop and pull the yarn end that is connected to your yarn ball or skein. Pull on the other free end to tighten the knot.
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Make a border. To make a single crochet border around the entire blanket, join your yarn at any corner. To do this, make a slip knot with the new yarn around your hook and then remove it without pulling out the knot. Insert your hook into the desired stitch. Replace the slip knot around your hook. Pull the hook with the slip knot through the stitch. Yarn over and pull the hook through the slip knot that's on your hook. Make single crochet stitches into every stitch around, including the chain stitches between Vs. When you get to the end of the row, make two single crochet stitches into the last stitch. This will create some give in the corners. Make your next stitch around the turning chain or the double crochet stitch. Continue to make single crochet stitches into the side of each stitch. Make two single crochet stitches around the last stitch. You may need to add a few single crochet stitches here and there if the blanket starts to gather. Continue to make single crochet stitches all the way around. At this point, you can join the row, chain one and make another row of single crochet stitches or tie off.
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Weave in all the loose ends. To do this, thread the yarn tail onto a tapestry needle and pull it through several stitches, trying to keep it hidden among the strands of the other stitches. Pull the yarn to gather the blanket a bit, cut the tail and then stretch the blanket back out to bury the tail.
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Join a new yarn ball. To join a ball of the same color, make a knot with the old yarn tail and the new one right next to the hook. Continue to crochet as usual. To add a new color, do the first two steps of the double crochet stitch with the old color. With a double crochet stitch, you would yarn over, insert your hook, pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through two loops. Drape the new yarn over the hook and pull it through both remaining loops. This makes a seamless color change.
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