From my kitchen window I can see a long stretch of the Green Mountains, and between May and October that ridge goes through more greens than I can name, from the pale new leaves of spring to the almost black spruce of November. This granny square blanket borrows those shades. Each square mixes forest, sage and pale sage with a warm mushroom taupe, and every one ends in a round of cream, so the whole bed reads like an old quilt with cream sashing.
It’s made of 49 bulky squares, each about 12 in (30.5 cm) across, joined in a 7 × 7 grid and edged in forest green. The finished blanket is about 87 × 87 in (221 × 221 cm), enough for the top of a queen bed. Don’t let 49 scare you: once your hands know the rounds, one square fits inside a slow morning coffee. Smaller sizes are below, down to a nine-square baby blanket.
Can a beginner make this granny square blanket?
Yes, if you’re comfortable with a chain and a double crochet. The squares use nothing else. The cream seams are worked in single crochet, and the border adds two rounds of half double crochet. Each round closes with a slip stitch: insert the hook, yarn over, and pull through the stitch and the loop on your hook.
I’ve marked it Easy rather than Beginner because of the color changes and the assembly. A granny square grows in rounds from a small ring. Each round is made of clusters, groups of 3 double crochets worked into the same space, with a chain 1 between clusters along the sides and a chain 2 at each corner. Every corner gets two clusters, which is what keeps the square growing outward. Round 1 has 1 cluster per side, Round 2 has 2, and a finished square has 8 along each edge. Counting clusters is much faster than counting stitches.
Bulky yarn for 49 squares: weight, fiber and how much to buy
Look for the number 5 on the label, the bulky symbol. I use a 6.5 mm (K-10.5) hook, at the small end of the bulky range, because a snug hook keeps the clusters plump and the gaps between them small. If your squares feel floppy, go down half a size.
A plied acrylic or a wool and acrylic blend works best. Acrylic is kinder to your budget, which counts when the queen needs about 3,450 yd (3,155 m), and it handles the washing machine. A wool blend is warmer and makes rounder clusters, but it’s heavy at this size. Skip chenille and very fuzzy yarns: the ch-1 spaces vanish into the fuzz.
Buy each color from a single dye lot. It matters most for the cream, the last round of every square and every seam, where a lot change would show as a slightly different frame on part of the bed. Forest comes next, since the border runs all the way around.
To substitute, compare yardage per skein, never skein counts. Then make one full square before buying everything: it should measure 12 in (30.5 cm) after Round 8. A square of 11 1/2 in makes the queen about 3 1/2 in (9 cm) smaller each way, and it’s better to know that at square one than at square forty.
How the five Green Mountain colors share the work
Cream is the frame: Round 8 of every square and all the seams. It pulls 49 different-looking squares together, and it’s your biggest yarn order.
Forest gives depth. It’s the center of half the squares, appears twice in each one, and wraps the outside as the border.
Sage and pale sage are the middle tones that keep the squares soft instead of striped.
Mushroom, a soft taupe, stops all that green from feeling cold. One round per square is plenty.
Square A has a cream center and Square B a forest center. Laid out like a checkerboard, they give that scrappy look without any real randomness. The same balance (a frame color, one dark, two middle tones and a warm neutral) works in other palettes:
Lake Champlain: navy, denim, pale blue and sand, with white frames.
Mud Season: charcoal, slate, heather gray and taupe, with ivory frames.
Fiddlehead: olive, moss, celery and camel, with cream frames.
My tip: buy one skein of each color, make one Square A and one Square B, and lay them on the bed they’re meant for. Bedroom light shifts colors more than you’d think. If you like squares but want something more graphic, the cabin-style plaid made from joined worsted squares uses a single square and a contrast seam color.
Green Mountain sizes, from a nine-square baby blanket to a king bed
Every size uses the same 12 in (30.5 cm) square, cream seams and three-round border, which adds about 1 1/2 in (4 cm) per side. Start odd rows with Square A and even rows with Square B. The pattern card is written for the queen. Yardage is an estimate with about 15% extra, rounded up to 50 yd, listed as cream / forest / sage / mushroom / pale sage.
Baby, about 39 × 39 in (99 × 99 cm): 3 × 3 squares, 9 in all (5 A, 4 B); border 400, 408, 416 sts; 250 / 250 / 150 / 100 / 50 yd (800 yd, 732 m).
Throw, about 51 × 63 in (130 × 160 cm): 4 squares across and 5 down, 20 in all (10 A, 10 B); border 598, 606, 614 sts; 500 / 450 / 250 / 150 / 150 yd (1,500 yd, 1,372 m).
Twin, about 63 × 87 in (160 × 221 cm): 5 across and 7 down, 35 squares (18 A, 17 B); border 796, 804, 812 sts; 900 / 700 / 450 / 300 / 200 yd (2,550 yd, 2,332 m).
Queen, about 87 × 87 in (221 × 221 cm): 7 × 7, 49 squares (25 A, 24 B); border 928, 936, 944 sts; 1,250 / 950 / 600 / 400 / 250 yd (3,450 yd, 3,155 m). This is the size in the pattern.
King, about 111 × 87 in (282 × 221 cm): 9 across and 7 down, 63 squares (32 A, 31 B); border 1,060, 1,068, 1,076 sts; 1,600 / 1,150 / 800 / 500 / 350 yd (4,400 yd, 4,023 m).
For any grid, each seam takes 33 sc per square it runs along, and border Round 1 has 66 times (squares across + squares down), plus 4. The next two rounds add 8 each. The king gets heavy on your lap, so work its border at a table.
Flat squares, tidy color changes and 784 ends to tame
Fix cupping or ruffling early. My first granny squares curled up like little bowls. If yours do, the corners are too tight: loosen the ch 2 or go up half a hook size. If the edges wave, look for an extra cluster.
Check every finished square. You want 8 clusters per side with 7 ch-1 spaces between them. Fix a missing cluster now, not after seaming.
Spread out your joins. Join each new color in a different corner so the small join bumps don’t pile up in one spot.
Crochet over your tails. Every round gets its own color, so each square leaves 16 tails, which is 784 for the queen. Lay the two tails from each join along the tops of the stitches and work your clusters over them for a few inches. Weave in the rest every few squares, not all at the end.
Block before you join. Mist or wet each square, pin it to 12 × 12 in (30.5 × 30.5 cm) on a towel or foam mat, and let it dry. Matching squares give straight seams.
Lay out the whole grid first. Spread all 49 squares on the bed and take a photo. Swapping two now takes a second.
Keep the seams soft. If your sc seams pucker, use a hook half a size larger just for joining.
US crochet terms
The pattern
Materials
Yarn: bulky weight (#5) acrylic or wool-acrylic blend, about 3,450 yd (3,155 m) in total, each color from a single dye lot
Cream: about 1,250 yd (1,143 m)
Forest (dark green): about 950 yd (869 m)
Sage (medium green): about 600 yd (549 m)
Mushroom (taupe): about 400 yd (366 m)
Pale Sage (light green): about 250 yd (229 m)
For example, with skeins of about 150 yd (137 m): 9 Cream, 7 Forest, 4 Sage, 3 Mushroom, 2 Pale Sage
Hook: 6.5 mm (US K-10.5)
Optional: a hook half a size larger (7 mm) for the seams
Yarn needle, scissors, measuring tape, rustproof pins, and a towel or foam mat for blocking
Gauge
Rounds 1–3 of the square = about 5 1/2 in (14 cm) across
One finished square (8 rounds) = 12 in (30.5 cm) square, after blocking
Make one full square to check. If it’s larger than 12 in, try a smaller hook; if it’s smaller, try a larger one.
Finished size
About 87 × 87 in (221 × 221 cm) with the border, with squares blocked to 12 in (30.5 cm)
Joined squares before the border: about 84 × 84 in (213 × 213 cm)
Abbreviations
ch chain
dc double crochet
hdc half double crochet
sc single crochet
sl st slip stitch
sp(s) space(s)
st(s) stitch(es)
rep repeat
Notes
A cluster is 3 dc worked in the same sp.
On the square, the ch 3 at the start of each round counts as 1 dc. On the border, the ch 1 at the start of each round does not count as a st.
Fasten off at the end of every square round and join the next color in a ch-2 corner sp. Using a different corner each time spreads out the joins.
Round 1 has 1 cluster per side, Round 2 has 2, and so on: Round 8 has 8 clusters per side (32 clusters, 96 dc).
Square colors, Rounds 1 to 8:
Square A (make 25): Cream, Pale Sage, Mushroom, Forest, Cream, Sage, Forest, Cream
Square B (make 24): Forest, Sage, Cream, Pale Sage, Forest, Mushroom, Sage, Cream
To join with sc: place a slip knot on your hook, insert the hook where indicated and work a sc.
Work over the tails of each new join as you go to save weaving time.
Any grid of 12 in squares works. Each seam has 33 sc per square it runs along. Border Round 1 has 66 × (squares across + squares down) + 4 sc; Rounds 2 and 3 each add 8 hdc.
Instructions
Square (make 25 Square A and 24 Square B)
Round 1: With the Round 1 color, ch 4, sl st in first ch to form a ring. Ch 3 (counts as dc), 2 dc in ring, ch 2, [3 dc in ring, ch 2] 3 times. Join with sl st to top of ch-3. Fasten off. (4 clusters: 12 dc, 4 ch-2 sps)
Round 2: Join the next color with sl st in any ch-2 corner sp. Ch 3, (2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in same sp, *ch 1, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next ch-2 sp; rep from * 2 more times, ch 1. Join with sl st to top of ch-3. Fasten off. (8 clusters: 24 dc, 4 ch-1 sps)
Round 3: Join the next color with sl st in any ch-2 corner sp. Ch 3, (2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in same sp, *ch 1, 3 dc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next ch-2 sp; rep from * 2 more times, ch 1, 3 dc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1. Join with sl st to top of ch-3. Fasten off. (12 clusters: 36 dc, 8 ch-1 sps)
Rounds 4–8: Join the next color with sl st in any ch-2 corner sp. Ch 3, (2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in same sp, *[ch 1, 3 dc in next ch-1 sp] across to next corner, ch 1, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next ch-2 sp; rep from * 2 more times, [ch 1, 3 dc in next ch-1 sp] across to end, ch 1. Join with sl st to top of ch-3. Fasten off. (Round 4: 16 clusters, 48 dc. Round 5: 20 clusters, 60 dc. Round 6: 24 clusters, 72 dc. Round 7: 28 clusters, 84 dc. Round 8: 32 clusters, 96 dc, 28 ch-1 sps)
Blocking: Wet or mist each square, pin it to 12 × 12 in (30.5 × 30.5 cm) and let it dry. Weave in any remaining ends.
Layout
Grid: Lay out the squares in 7 rows of 7, like a checkerboard. Rows 1, 3, 5 and 7: A, B, A, B, A, B, A. Rows 2, 4 and 6: B, A, B, A, B, A, B.
Joining
Horizontal seams: With Cream, hold the first square of Row 1 and the first square of Row 2 with wrong sides together and edges matching. Working through both layers, join with sc in the corner ch-2 sps, sc in each dc and ch-1 sp across (31 sc), sc in the next corner ch-2 sps. *Hold the next pair of squares in the same 2 rows together, sc in their corner ch-2 sps, sc in each dc and ch-1 sp across, sc in the next corner ch-2 sps; rep from * across. Fasten off. (231 sc: 33 sc per pair of squares) Join Row 2 to Row 3 the same way, and continue until all 6 horizontal seams are done.
Vertical seams: Fold the blanket along the line between the first and second columns of squares, wrong sides together, and join the same way along the full length, working 33 sc per pair of squares and crossing the horizontal seams as you go. Fasten off. (231 sc) Rep for the remaining 5 vertical seams.
Border
Round 1: With right side facing (the side with the raised seams), join Forest with sl st in the ch-2 sp at any outer corner of the blanket. Ch 1, 3 sc in same sp (corner). *Sc in each dc and ch-1 sp across the first square (31 sc), [sc in corner ch-2 sp of same square, sc in corner ch-2 sp of next square, sc in each dc and ch-1 sp across (31 sc)] 6 times, 3 sc in outer corner ch-2 sp (corner); rep from * 3 more times, omitting the last corner. Join with sl st to first sc. (928 sc: 229 sc between corner groups on each side)
Round 2: Ch 1, do not turn. Hdc in same st as join, 3 hdc in next sc (corner), *hdc in each sc to center sc of next corner, 3 hdc in center sc; rep from * 2 more times, hdc in each remaining sc. Join with sl st to first hdc. (936 hdc)
Round 3: Ch 1, do not turn. Hdc in same st as join and in next hdc, 3 hdc in next hdc (corner), *hdc in each hdc to center hdc of next corner, 3 hdc in center hdc; rep from * 2 more times, hdc in each remaining hdc. Join with sl st to first hdc. (944 hdc)
Finishing: Fasten off and weave in all ends.
Washing a queen-size bulky granny with cream seams
Follow the yarn labels, and go by the most delicate one if you mixed brands. Most bulky acrylics can be machine washed cold on a gentle cycle, but a bulky queen blanket is a big load: a front-loader or a large laundromat washer is safer than a small top-loader, whose agitator tugs at the seams. A wool blend wants a cool hand wash in the bathtub. Squeeze the water out in sections, never wring.
Watch the first wash. Forest sits right next to cream in every square, and a dark dye that bleeds will tint the seams, so use cold water and a color-catcher sheet the first time or two. Dry acrylic on low heat or flat over a clean sheet; dry wool flat, turning it once so the center dries.
Dab spills on the cream with cool water and a drop of mild soap. After washing, weave back any tail that has worked loose.
Green Mountain questions from first-time granny square makers
How many squares do I need for a granny square blanket on a queen bed?
This pattern uses 49 squares of 12 in (30.5 cm), which gives about 87 × 87 in (221 × 221 cm) with the border. On a standard queen mattress, it covers the top with roughly a foot of drop on each side. For a longer drop, go to 8 × 8 (64 squares).
Why does my square twist into a slight spiral?
Granny squares lean slightly in the direction you work, and joins stacked in one corner make it worse. Moving each join helps, and blocking to a true 12 in square straightens the rest.
Can I make the squares in worsted yarn instead?
You can, but the squares come out smaller, probably around 8 to 9 in after eight rounds with a 5 mm hook. Make one square, measure it, and divide the width you want by your square size to find how many squares go in each row.
Do I really have to fasten off after every round?
In this colorway, yes, since every round changes color. If you ever plan two rounds of one color in a row, slip stitch over to the next corner space instead of cutting.
Can I join the squares as I go instead of seaming them?
You can join as you go on Round 8, linking each new square to its neighbors through the spaces. It’s flatter, but you lose the raised cream seams that give this blanket its quilted look, and seaming afterward is more forgiving on a first granny blanket.
Quick recap
Make one trial square with a 6.5 mm (K-10.5) hook and check that it measures 12 in (30.5 cm).
Make 25 Square A and 24 Square B, 8 rounds each, always ending with a cream round.
Block the squares and lay them out in a 7 × 7 checkerboard.
Join them with 6 horizontal and 6 vertical cream sc seams of 231 sc each.
Work 3 rounds of Forest border (928 sc, 936 hdc, 944 hdc) and weave in the ends.
I hope this granny square blanket ends up on a bed you love climbing into once the leaves turn. If a cluster count stops adding up, or you’d like a size I haven’t listed, send me a note and we’ll sort it out together.
Oat Milk Ripple Blanket
Most mornings my coffee gets a splash of oat milk, and there’s a moment before I stir it when the cup is all soft browns and cream. That’s where this blanket got its colors and its name. The Oat Milk Ripple Blanket is a crochet ripple blanket in three quiet shades, taupe, oat and cream, worked in bulky yarn so the zigzags grow fast and the finished throw has real weight on your lap.
The whole thing is double crochet. Each row climbs to a peak and dips into a valley, and after four rows you switch to the next color. The pattern is written for a throw of about 50 × 58 in (127 × 148 cm), with a baby size, a lap size and an oversized version below.
Is this crochet ripple blanket a good next step after your first one?
It is, if you’ve already made one plain blanket and feel at home with a chain and a double crochet. The edging is one round of single crochet, closed with a slip stitch: insert your hook, yarn over, and pull the loop through the stitch and the loop on your hook in one motion.
Two moves make the waves. A peak is 3 double crochet worked into one stitch. A valley is a double crochet three together (dc3tog): you start a double crochet in each of the next 3 stitches, stopping each one with 2 loops left on the hook, then pull through all 4 loops at once, so three stitches become one. Between them sit 9 plain double crochet. The row grows by 2 at every peak and shrinks by 2 at every valley, so the count stays at 155 from bottom to top.
That’s why I’d call it easy rather than beginner. Nothing is hard, but you do need to count to 9 and notice where you are. Patterns mark the start of the repeat with an asterisk and close it with rep from *. If that shorthand still trips you up, the Beginner Guide shows you how to read a crochet pattern, and Row 2 will make sense after that.
Bulky yarn for ripples with crisp points
Look for the number 5 on the label. Bulky yarn with a 6.5 mm (US K-10.5) hook gives a double crochet fabric that’s thick enough to keep you warm but still bends over the arm of a sofa. Ripples need that drape. A stiff fabric makes the points stick out like little cardboard corners.
Smooth, plied yarn works best. Acrylic is affordable and washable, an acrylic and wool blend feels warmer, and superwash wool is lovely if you don’t mind the price for 1,600 yards. I’d stay away from plush or velvet yarns here. Their pile hides the stitches, and a dc3tog you can’t see is a dc3tog you’ll miscount.
Choose all three colors from the same yarn line. Different brands can have different thicknesses even with the same number on the label, and a slightly thinner cream would make every third stripe narrower. Buy each color in one dye lot, because two lots of oat side by side can show up as two different stripes.
Bulky skeins range a lot in length, so compare yards, not skeins. Then make the swatch from the pattern card before you chain 157. If you get 12 stitches over 4 in instead of 11, each wave shrinks and the throw comes out about 3 in narrower. If you’d rather practice with bulky yarn on something with no counting at all, my one-color throw in moss stitch uses the same yarn weight.
Taupe, oat and cream: stripe order is the whole trick
The three colors go in a fixed order: taupe (A), oat (B), cream (C), then back to taupe. Taupe is the darkest, so it outlines the blanket: it opens the first stripe, closes the last one and makes the border. Oat sits in the middle, and cream gives the light band that makes each chevron pop. Because the order always goes dark, middle, light, your eye reads the waves as one long gradient that resets every 12 rows.
A few other trios that would work the same way:
Oat Milk: taupe, oat and cream, as in the photo.
Maple sugar: cinnamon, honey and ivory, for a warmer fall throw.
Lake morning: slate blue, misty blue and white.
Sage and stone: deep sage, pale gray and cream.
Cocoa rose: cocoa brown, dusty pink and natural.
Here’s the practical part. Lay your three skeins side by side and take a black and white photo with your phone. If the middle and light colors turn into the same gray, the ripple will look muddy from across the room. Swap one of them for a shade that’s clearly lighter or darker.
Oat Milk sizes, from a baby blanket to an oversized throw
Every size uses the same gauge, the same 22-stitch wave and the same 4-row stripes. The chain is always 22 × the number of waves + 3, and the number of stripes is always one more than a multiple of 3, so the blanket starts and ends with taupe. The pattern card is written for the throw. Yardage is an estimate with a small margin, rounded up to the next 50 yd.
Baby, about 36 × 40 in (91 × 102 cm): ch 113, 111 sts (5 waves), 52 rows (13 stripes); border 436 sc; about 350 yd (320 m) taupe, 250 yd (229 m) oat and 250 yd (229 m) cream.
Lap, about 43 × 49 in (109 × 125 cm): ch 135, 133 sts (6 waves), 64 rows (16 stripes); border 528 sc; about 450 yd (411 m) taupe, 350 yd (320 m) oat and 350 yd (320 m) cream.
Throw, about 50 × 58 in (127 × 148 cm): ch 157, 155 sts (7 waves), 76 rows (19 stripes); border 620 sc; about 600 yd (549 m) taupe, 500 yd (457 m) oat and 500 yd (457 m) cream.
Oversized, about 64 × 77 in (162 × 195 cm): ch 201, 199 sts (9 waves), 100 rows (25 stripes); border 804 sc; about 1,000 yd (914 m) taupe, 850 yd (777 m) oat and 850 yd (777 m) cream.
The oversized one covers the top of a twin bed with a little to spare. The baby size is for stroller rides and supervised floor time; babies under 12 months shouldn’t sleep with a loose blanket. If you want a smaller baby gift without any shaping, my peach and cream striped baby blanket in plain single crochet is a gentler place to start.
Keeping 7 valleys and 6 peaks lined up, row after row
Chain loosely. Row 1 pulls the chain into zigzags, and a tight chain makes the bottom edge pucker. If your chains run small, make them with an 8 mm (US L-11) hook.
Mark the first peak. Clip a stitch marker into the center dc of the first peak on Row 1 and move it up every row or two. If your next peak doesn’t land right above it, stop and count back to the last valley.
Count in nines. Every stretch between a peak and a valley is 9 dc. Counting to 9 over and over is much easier than counting to 155.
Find the valley by its middle. The middle leg of each dc3tog goes into the top of the dc3tog below it, which looks like a small knot where three stitches meet.
Ignore the ch 2. It doesn’t count, so never work into it. Your first 2 dc go into the very first stitch, right at the base of the chain.
Change colors on the same side. Every stripe is 4 rows, so each new color starts at the same edge, and all your tails end up on one side.
Measure after 8 rows. One wave should be about 7 in (18 cm) from peak to peak. That’s your best early warning if your gauge has drifted.
US crochet terms
The pattern
Materials
Yarn: bulky weight (#5) yarn in acrylic, an acrylic-wool blend or superwash wool, about 1,600 yd (1,463 m) in total
Color A, taupe: about 600 yd (549 m), one dye lot (for example, 5 skeins of about 150 yd / 137 m each)
Color B, oat: about 500 yd (457 m), one dye lot (for example, 4 skeins of about 150 yd / 137 m each)
Color C, cream: about 500 yd (457 m), one dye lot (for example, 4 skeins of about 150 yd / 137 m each)
Hook: 6.5 mm (US K-10.5)
Optional: 8 mm (US L-11) hook for the foundation chain
Swatch: ch 15. Dc in 3rd ch from hook and in each ch across (13 dc). Ch 2 (does not count), turn, dc in each st across. Work 8 rows in all and measure 4 in (10 cm) across the middle.
In the ripple: one 22-st wave measures about 7 in (18 cm) from peak to peak, and 4 rows measure about 3 in (7.5 cm) straight up.
Too many sts per 4 in: try a larger hook. Too few: try a smaller one.
Finished size
About 50 × 58 in (127 × 148 cm) with the border, before blocking, length measured straight up the blanket
Body before the border: about 49¼ × 57¾ in (125 × 147 cm)
Abbreviations
ch chain
dc double crochet
dc3tog double crochet 3 together
sc single crochet
sc3tog single crochet 3 together
sl st slip stitch
st(s) stitch(es)
yo yarn over
rep repeat
Notes
dc3tog: [yo, insert hook in next st, yo, pull up a loop, yo, draw through 2 loops] 3 times, yo, draw through all 4 loops on hook. Counts as 1 st.
sc3tog: [insert hook in next st or loop, yo, pull up a loop] 3 times, yo, draw through all 4 loops on hook. Counts as 1 st.
The ch 2 at the start of each row does not count as a st. Never work into it.
Every row has 155 sts: 7 valleys (dc3tog) and 6 peaks (3 dc in one st), with 9 dc between each peak and valley, and 2 dc in the first and last st.
Peaks sit above peaks: work the 3 dc into the center dc of the peak below. Valleys sit above valleys: the middle leg of each dc3tog goes into the dc3tog below.
Stripes: 4 rows of each color in the order A, B, C. You’ll work 7 stripes in A and 6 each in B and C.
To change color, work the last dc of the row until 2 loops remain on the hook, drop the old color, yo with the new color and pull through. Cut the old color, leaving a 6 in (15 cm) tail. All color changes fall on the same side edge.
The border uses 3 sc at the top corners, which come to a point, and 2 sc at the bottom corners, which are shallow.
To change the size, chain 22 × the number of waves + 3, and work 4 × (a multiple of 3, plus 1) rows. The border then has 22 × waves + 3 sc across the top, 22 × waves + 5 sc across the bottom, and 2 sc per row on each side.
Instructions
Body
Foundation: With A, loosely ch 157.
Row 1: 2 dc in 3rd ch from hook, *dc in next 9 ch, dc3tog over next 3 ch, dc in next 9 ch, 3 dc in next ch; rep from * 5 more times, dc in next 9 ch, dc3tog over next 3 ch, dc in next 9 ch, 2 dc in last ch. (155 sts: 7 valleys and 6 peaks)
Row 2: Ch 2 (does not count as a st), turn. 2 dc in first st, *dc in next 9 sts, dc3tog over next 3 sts, dc in next 9 sts, 3 dc in next st; rep from * 5 more times, dc in next 9 sts, dc3tog over next 3 sts, dc in next 9 sts, 2 dc in last st. (155 sts)
Rows 3–4: Rep Row 2. At the end of Row 4, change to B. (155 sts)
Rows 5–76: Rep Row 2, working 4 rows of each color in this order: B, C, A. Change color at the end of every 4th row. Work this 12-row sequence 6 times in all, ending with 4 rows of A. Do not fasten off. (76 rows, 155 sts)
Border
Round 1: With A, ch 1, turn. Working across Row 76: 3 sc in first st (corner), sc in next 9 sts, sc3tog over next 3 sts, *sc in next 9 sts, 3 sc in next st, sc in next 9 sts, sc3tog over next 3 sts; rep from * 5 more times, sc in next 9 sts, 3 sc in last st (corner). (157 sc across the top) Working down the side: 2 sc in the side of each row (152 sc). Working in the free loops of the foundation chain: 2 sc in the first loop, which holds the last 2 dc of Row 1 (corner), sc in next 10 loops, 3 sc in next loop, *sc in next 9 loops, sc3tog over next 3 loops, sc in next 9 loops, 3 sc in next loop; rep from * 5 more times, sc in next 10 loops, 2 sc in next loop (corner). Leave the 2 skipped ch beside it empty. (159 sc across the bottom) Working up the other side: 2 sc in the side of each row (152 sc). Join with sl st to first sc. (620 sc)
Finishing: Fasten off and weave in all ends, going back and forth at least twice.
Washing a bulky ripple with a cream stripe
Follow the yarn label, since care depends on the fiber. Most bulky acrylics and blends can go in the machine on a gentle, cool cycle; superwash wool usually wants the wool setting. A front-loader is kinder than a top-loader with an agitator, which can stretch a heavy blanket out of shape.
For the first wash, add a color catcher sheet and use cold water. Taupe rarely bleeds much, but cream stripes sit right next to it in every wave, and a faint tint wouldn’t wash back out.
A wet bulky blanket is heavy, so don’t hang it over a line or a door. The weight pulls the rows long and flattens your points. Dry it flat on towels, gently pushing each peak and valley back into shape with your fingers, or tumble on low if the label allows. Store it folded on a shelf rather than hanging, for the same reason.
Oat Milk ripple questions from new crocheters
Can I make this crochet ripple blanket in worsted yarn?
Yes, but it comes out smaller. At a worsted gauge of about 14 dc and 8 rows over 4 in, one wave measures about 5½ in, so the throw numbers give you roughly 38 in across. Use the oversized numbers instead (ch 201, 100 rows) to land near 49 × 58 in. Make a swatch first, and plan on more yardage than the bulky version.
My row has 153 stitches instead of 155. Where did two go?
Look at the edges first. The most common slip is working 1 dc instead of 2 into the last stitch, or skipping the first stitch because it sits so close to the ch 2. If both edges have their 2 dc, count the 9s: a dc3tog started one stitch early steals from the next stretch.
Do I have to cut the yarn at every stripe?
Yes, for this one. Each color comes back every 12 rows, about 9 in up the side, and a strand carried that far would show and catch fingers. The good news is that every change lands on the same edge, so you can weave all the tails into that side, where the border covers them.
Should I block a ripple blanket?
A light blocking helps the points look sharp. Lay the blanket flat, mist it with water, and pin the first and last rows at each peak and valley. Let it dry completely. Keep steam and irons away from acrylic, which goes limp and shiny with heat.
Quick recap
Swatch to 11 sts and 6 rows over 4 in in dc with a 6.5 mm (US K-10.5) hook.
With taupe, loosely ch 157 and work Row 1: 7 valleys and 6 peaks (155 sts).
Rep Row 2, changing color every 4 rows in the order taupe, oat, cream, until you have 76 rows ending in taupe.
Without fastening off, work 1 round of sc around the blanket, following the waves (620 sc).
Weave in the ends and wash the blanket as the yarn label says.
I hope this crochet ripple blanket ends up on your couch the way mine did, with a cup of something warm nearby. If your peaks start wandering, or you’d like a size I didn’t list, write to me and we’ll figure it out together.
Cabin Plaid Blanket
Picture a log cabin in the Vermont woods in late October, a flannel shirt hanging by the door, and a blanket on the bed in the same colors. That’s the idea behind this crochet plaid blanket: deep forest green, a soft heathered sage and bright cream checks, crossed by thin rust lines like the overcheck on a well-worn flannel.
It looks woven, but it’s really 56 small squares, each one a single color, worked in moss stitch with nothing harder than chains and single crochet. The rust lines are the seams: joining the squares with slip stitches on the front draws the plaid. I love a project that fits in a tote bag, and one square fits nicely into a long coffee break.
Is this crochet plaid blanket the right step after your first blanket?
Yes, if one blanket is already behind you and you’re happy to repeat a small square many times. Nothing here is harder than single crochet. What’s new is keeping 56 squares the same size and joining them in the right order. You’ll use three stitches. Each square starts with chains, the moss stitch and the border are all single crochet, and the seams are slip stitches: insert the hook, yarn over, and pull the loop straight through the fabric and the loop on your hook, without adding any height.
Moss stitch isn’t in the Stitch Library yet, so here’s how it works. You make a single crochet, chain 1, skip the next stitch, and single crochet again. On the next row, each new single crochet goes into the little ch-1 space below it, and you chain over the single crochets. Every row shifts by one stitch, so the bumps sit in a brick pattern, a lot like woven cloth. You may also see it called linen stitch or granite stitch.
The counting trips most people up at first: each single crochet counts as one stitch, and so does each ch-1 space, for 29 stitches per row. Odd rows have 15 sc and 14 spaces. Even rows have 16 sc and 13 spaces, because they start and end with two single crochets side by side, and those doubled edge stitches are what keep the sides of each square straight. If abbreviations like sk and ch-1 sp still slow you down, the Beginner Guide shows how to read a crochet pattern one line at a time.
The one new technique is the slip stitch join. You fold two squares with their wrong sides together and slip stitch through both edges, which leaves a small raised chain on the right side.
Worsted weight #4 for 56 squares that line up
Look for the number 4 on the label, often with “worsted” or “medium.” A 5.5 mm hook, a little bigger than most worsted labels suggest, opens the moss stitch just enough for the throw to drape.
A soft acrylic or acrylic and wool blend is the easy choice: warm, machine washable, and easy to find in a heathered sage. Those flecks of gray and cream make the middle squares look like the spot where a dark stripe and a light stripe cross.
The biggest trap with this pattern is mixing brands. Two worsted yarns with the same label number can differ in thickness, and a cream square in a thinner yarn comes out smaller than its forest green neighbor. Across eight rows of squares, the grid stops lining up. Buy all four colors from the same yarn line, and buy each color in one go so the skeins share a dye lot, the batch number printed on the label.
Your first square is your gauge swatch. Make it, then measure: it should be about 7 1/4 in (18.5 cm) on each side. If it’s bigger, switch to a smaller hook; if it’s smaller, go up a size. A DK yarn would give squares closer to 6 in with the same counts, so don’t substitute a lighter weight without redoing the math.
Forest, sage, cream and rust: what each shade does in the plaid
Forest green fills 16 dark squares and the border, so it frames the throw. Sage is the busy one: 28 squares, exactly half the blanket, between every dark and light square. Cream gives you 12 bright squares, the light checks of the flannel. Rust never makes a square, but it runs through every row and column of seams, and that’s what turns a checkerboard into plaid.
A few combinations that keep the same balance:
Cabin Plaid: forest green, sage heather and cream, with rust seams.
Harbor Fog: navy, gray heather and white, with mustard seams.
Cranberry Bog: burgundy, oatmeal heather and ivory, with forest green seams.
Woodstove: charcoal, light gray heather and cream, with red seams.
Before you buy, photograph the three square colors side by side in black and white mode on your phone. You should see three clearly different grays; if two match, the plaid flattens out. The seam color needs to stand out against all three, or the lines vanish on the squares that match it.
Cabin Plaid square counts, from baby to queen
Every size uses the same square: ch 30, 33 rows, about 7 1/4 in. Only the grid changes, with dark rows (forest, sage, forest…) alternating with light rows (sage, cream, sage…). The pattern is written for the throw.
Baby, about 38 × 39 in (97 × 98 cm): 5 × 5 squares, 25 in all (9 forest, 12 sage, 4 cream), 4 horizontal and 4 vertical seams. Border Round 1: 600 sc, 147 along each edge between the corners. Yarn: about 600 yd forest, 600 yd sage, 200 yd cream and 100 yd rust (1,370 m in all).
Throw, about 53 × 61 in (134 × 154 cm): 7 squares across and 8 down, 56 in all (16 forest, 28 sage, 12 cream), 7 horizontal and 6 vertical seams. Border Round 1: 900 sc, 207 along the top and bottom and 237 along each side. Yarn: about 1,000 yd forest, 1,400 yd sage, 600 yd cream and 150 yd rust (2,880 m in all).
Twin, about 67 × 90 in (171 × 229 cm): 9 across and 12 down, 108 in all (30 forest, 54 sage, 24 cream), 11 horizontal and 8 vertical seams. Border Round 1: 1,260 sc, 267 along the top and bottom and 357 along each side. Yarn: about 1,800 yd forest, 2,700 yd sage, 1,200 yd cream and 300 yd rust (5,490 m in all).
Queen, about 89 × 90 in (226 × 229 cm): 12 across and 12 down, 144 in all (36 forest, 72 sage, 36 cream), 11 seams each way. Border Round 1: 1,440 sc, 357 along each edge. Yarn: about 2,150 yd forest, 3,600 yd sage, 1,800 yd cream and 450 yd rust (7,320 m in all).
For the border, every square edge takes 29 sc and every seam 1, and the corner stitches move into the 3-sc groups: each edge gets 30 sc per square, minus 3.
The yardage is an estimate: about 45 yd per square, the border added to the forest, about 1 1/2 in of rust per seam slip stitch, then 10% extra (15% for rust), rounded up to the nearest 50 yd.
The baby size works for the stroller, floor play or a toddler’s nap. Babies under 12 months should sleep with no loose blankets. If you’d rather make a baby blanket in one piece, Maple Lane’s single crochet stripes are worked in bulky yarn.
Keeping 56 squares the same size and the rust ridges flat
Read the edges, not every stitch. Even rows begin and end with two sc side by side, odd rows with sc, ch 1. A wrong edge usually means a skipped first ch-1 space or a forgotten last sc.
Mark the right side. Keep the foundation tail at the bottom left when Row 1 faces you (bottom right if you’re left-handed), so you know which way up each square goes.
Measure every fifth square. Tension drifts in front of a movie. Redo any square more than 1/4 in off your first one.
Block the squares in batches. Pin a few to 7 1/4 in on a towel, mist them, and let them dry. Moss stitch corners like to curl, and matching squares make the seams far easier.
Weave in tails as you go. The throw has 112 square tails, and a whole weekend of them at the end is no fun.
Loosen up for the seams. Tight slip stitches make the seams shorter than the squares, and the throw puckers. The 6 mm hook keeps each ridge as long as the edge it joins.
Lay everything out first. Arrange all 56 squares on the floor, take a photo, and keep it beside you while you join.
US crochet terms
The pattern
Materials
Worsted weight yarn (weight 4), a soft, washable acrylic or acrylic and wool blend, all four colors from the same yarn line: about 3,150 yd (2,880 m) in total.
A, forest green: about 1,000 yd (914 m)
B, sage heather: about 1,400 yd (1,280 m)
C, cream: about 600 yd (549 m)
D, rust: about 150 yd (137 m)
Yardage is an estimate with about 10% extra. With 200 yd (183 m) skeins: 5 of A, 7 of B, 3 of C and 1 of D.
5.5 mm (I-9) crochet hook, for the squares and border
6 mm (J-10) crochet hook, for the seams
Yarn needle
Scissors
Stitch markers or scraps of yarn
Gauge
16 sts and 18 rows = 4 in (10 cm) in moss stitch, counting each sc and each ch-1 sp as 1 st.
One square (29 sts and 33 rows) measures about 7 1/4 in (18.5 cm) wide and 7 1/3 in (18.5 cm) tall. Make one square and measure it before you go on: if it’s bigger, try a smaller hook; if it’s smaller, try a bigger hook.
Finished size
About 53 × 61 in (134 × 154 cm) including the border, after light blocking: 7 squares across and 8 squares down.
Abbreviations
ch chain
ch-1 sp chain-1 space
rep repeat
RS right side
sc single crochet
sk skip
sl st slip stitch
sp(s) space(s)
st(s) stitch(es)
WS wrong side
Notes
Moss stitch: each sc and each ch-1 sp counts as 1 st. Every row of a square has 29 sts.
The ch 1 at the beginning of each row does not count as a stitch.
Odd rows begin and end with 1 sc (15 sc and 14 ch-1 sps). Even rows begin and end with 2 sc side by side (16 sc and 13 ch-1 sps).
Row 1 is the RS. Keep the foundation tail at the bottom left when the RS faces you (bottom right if you crochet left-handed).
Leave 6 in (15 cm) tails and weave each one into a square of its own color.
Place every square with its foundation chain at the bottom, so all the rows run the same way.
Border side edges: on each square, work 29 sc over its 33 row ends: (sc in next 7 row ends, sk next row end) 4 times, sc in last row end. On the corner squares, the 3-sc corner group takes the place of the sc in the corner.
Instructions
Squares
Make 56 squares: 16 in A, 28 in B and 12 in C.
Foundation: Ch 30.
Row 1 (RS): Sc in 2nd ch from hook, *ch 1, sk next ch, sc in next ch; rep from * across. (15 sc, 14 ch-1 sps: 29 sts)
Row 2: Ch 1, turn. Sc in first sc, sc in next ch-1 sp, *ch 1, sk next sc, sc in next ch-1 sp; rep from * to last sc, sc in last sc. (16 sc, 13 ch-1 sps: 29 sts)
Row 3: Ch 1, turn. Sc in first sc, *ch 1, sk next sc, sc in next ch-1 sp; rep from * to last 2 sts, ch 1, sk next sc, sc in last sc. (15 sc, 14 ch-1 sps: 29 sts)
Rows 4–33: Rep Rows 2 and 3 fifteen more times. Fasten off. (29 sts)
Layout
Lay the squares RS up in 8 rows of 7, foundation chains at the bottom. Rows of squares are numbered from the top.
Rows of squares 1, 3, 5 and 7: A, B, A, B, A, B, A.
Rows of squares 2, 4, 6 and 8: B, C, B, C, B, C, B.
Joining
All seams are worked with D and the 6 mm hook. Fold along the seam line so the two pieces are WS together and the RS faces out: each seam then forms a raised ridge on the RS. Keep your slip stitches loose.
Horizontal seams: Fold along the line between rows of squares 1 and 2. Make a slip knot on the hook. Working through both layers, sl st in each st of the first pair of squares, joining the top edge of the lower square to the foundation edge of the upper square (29 sl sts). *Ch 1, sl st in each st of the next pair of squares (29 sl sts); rep from * to the end. Fasten off. (203 sl sts and 6 ch) Rep between each pair of rows of squares, for 7 seams.
Vertical seams: Fold along the line between the first and second columns of squares. Make a slip knot on the hook. Working through both layers, sl st in each row end (33 sl sts on each square) and 1 sl st in the ch where each horizontal seam crosses. Fasten off. (271 sl sts) Rep between each pair of columns, for 6 seams.
Border
Work with A and the 5.5 mm hook, RS facing.
Round 1: Join A with a sl st in the top right corner st, ch 1 (does not count as a st), 3 sc in the same st (corner). Working across the top, sc in each st and 1 sc in each seam to the last st, 3 sc in the last st (corner). Working down the side, sc in the row ends as given in Notes, with 1 sc in each seam. Work the bottom edge into the foundation chains like the top edge, and the second side like the first, with 3 sc in each corner. Sl st in the first sc to join. (207 sc along the top and bottom and 237 sc along each side between the corner groups: 900 sc)
Rounds 2–4: Ch 1 (does not count as a st), sc in each sc around, working 3 sc in the center sc of each corner. Sl st in the first sc to join. (908 sc, then 916 sc, then 924 sc)
Finishing
Finishing: Fasten off and weave in the remaining ends. Lay the throw flat, mist it lightly with water and let it dry.
Washing a plaid where forest green sits next to cream
Dark greens and rusts bleed more easily than most colors, and here they touch cream on every side. Before you join anything, wash one forest square, one rust swatch and one cream square together in a bowl of cool water. If the cream picks up any tint, wash the throw with a color-catcher sheet every time.
Most acrylic worsted can go in the machine. Wash the throw on its own, cold and gentle, and follow the most delicate of your four labels. Tumble on low only if all four allow it, and finish it flat while still a little damp so the squares settle back into line. Lift it out of the washer with both arms rather than by one corner, and store it folded, not hung.
Questions about joining a plaid from squares
Can I make this crochet plaid blanket in one piece instead of squares?
Not with this pattern. A plaid in one piece means changing colors in the middle of every row and carrying several strands, which is a bigger step than a first blanket needs. Squares keep every piece in a single color, and the rust seams draw the plaid for you. If you’d rather skip joining altogether, a striped throw worked in one piece is a gentler start.
Why is my square a little taller than it is wide?
It’s meant to be very slightly taller: 33 rows come to about 7 1/3 in, against 7 1/4 in across, and blocking evens that out. If yours is more than 1/2 in off, change the number of rows, keeping it odd so the top edge matches Row 1. The border side counts change with it.
What do the seams look like on the back?
On the WS, each seam shows as a flat line of rust stitches instead of a ridge. The plaid still reads from the back, just more softly, so the throw isn’t fully reversible. Keep the RS up on the bed or the sofa.
Can I join the squares in sage instead of rust?
Yes. You’ll lose the overcheck lines, and the throw turns into a softer three-color check. Forest green seams give a bolder, darker grid.
Quick recap
Make 56 moss stitch squares of 29 sts and 33 rows: 16 in forest green, 28 in sage and 12 in cream.
Lay them out in 8 rows of 7, alternating dark rows and light rows, foundation edges at the bottom.
Join the 7 horizontal seams in rust slip stitch, through both layers, with the RS facing out.
Join the 6 vertical seams, with 1 sl st over each crossing.
Work 4 rounds of single crochet in forest green, then weave in the ends.
Once your crochet plaid blanket is finished, spread it over the bed like a cabin quilt and enjoy seeing all 56 squares together for the first time. If a square or a seam gives you trouble along the way, write to me through the Contact page and tell me where you’re stuck.
