Strawberry Lemon Peel Baby Blanket
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Strawberry Lemonade. Sigh. Just the sound of those words takes me to a summer day on my front porch. My feet up on the railing and an icy glass of goodness by my side. And then this: a deliciously coral in a favorite stitch? Well, I couldn’t help myself. My friends, meet the Strawberry Lemon Peel Baby Blanket!
Let’s stop a moment to just drool over this beautiful yarn. Normally I’m not a coral/orange type person at all but this Sea Coral yarn just spoke to me… and it said ‘let me jump in your cart and come HOME with you!” And well.. it did. Along with some of its friends!
More Free Baby Crochet Patterns
If you love this Strawberry Lemon Peel Baby Blanket pattern, you might also like to check out these other patterns for babies. You can find all our Baby Crochet Patterns here.
1. Sedge Stitch Baby Afghan // 2. Bunny Lovey // 3. Fox Rattle
My friend Amanda over at Love Life Yarn got me totally hooked on the Red Heart Ombre line. Yes. Red Heart. It is just beautiful. I love the transitions from light to dark and back again. And a baby afghan is the perfect show off.
Just 2 skeins of yarn for the afghan and a coordinating solid for the border and you are off on a blissful crochet adventure. Your favorite chair. Feet up. Great beverage by your side. Maybe some people you like around you (or not because sometimes that’s pretty wonderful too). And settle for a nice, long spell.
I could drool over the Ombre yarn forever. You kind of can’t go wrong with whatever color you choose — they are all so delightful (check them all out here). You might remember I made my co-worker the Sedge Stitch Baby Blanket in the Scuba colorway and really…there are just so many beautiful options!
The lemon peel stitch is so easy to learn. You’ll have it memorized in no time. The border is done in half double crochet post stitches. You can read about post stitches here. But if that sounds way too adventurous for you, there’s plenty of yarn leftover to make a simple single crochet border.
I can’t wait for you to try this fun to crochet Strawberry Lemon Peel Baby Blanket!
Purchase an ad-free printable version of the Strawberry Lemon Peel Baby Blanket pattern here!
Strawberry Lemon Peel Baby Blanket
Here is what you will need:
- US J10/6 mm crochet hook
- 18 oz Red Heart Super Saver Ombre Worsted Weight Yarn, color shown is Sea Coral
- 3.5 oz Red Heart Super Saver Worsted Weight Yarn, color shown is Flamingo
- Tapestry needle and scissors
Resources and tutorials you may find helpful in following this pattern: Crochet Abbreviations, US to UK Crochet Conversion Chart. Find links to stitches on the “Tutorial” menu: Getting Started will show basic stitches used in many patterns and Crochet Stitch Dictionary shows our growing collection of crochet stitch tutorials.
Blanket is approximately 33″ x 33″. However if yours turns out bigger or smaller it will still be a lovely blanket!
Chain 101. (Note: to make afghan larger or smaller, chain an odd number of stitches to the length you desire)
R1. sc in 2nd ch from hook, dc in next, *sc in next ch, dc in next ch. Repeat from * across row. Turn (100 st)
R2: ch 1, sc in same stitch, dc in next st, *sc in next st, dc in next. Repeat from * across row. Turn (100 st)
Subsequent Rows: Repeat row 2 to desired length. For this baby afghan, I continued until the afghan was square. At the end of the last row, fasten off and weave in ends.
Crochet Border:
R1: Attach yarn with a slip stitch a few stitches before a corner. Ch 1 and sc into the same stitch as joining. Sc to the corner stitch. Work 3 st into the corner for the 1st corner. Single crochet across row to the next corner, 3 sc in the corner. Rotate work and continue to work sc around blanket, working 3 sc in each corner. Take time to make sure you are working sc evenly (without pulling or bunching), especially when working on the sides of the afghan. Each side (EXCLUDING the corner stitch) should have an even number of stitches. At the end of the round, slip stitch to the top of the starting sc.
The next row establishes the ribbing pattern (which is worked in front post half double crochet and back post half double crochet). It is important to keep the rib pattern across the work. When you come to the 3 corner stitches you should have just worked a BPHDC. If you do not, you should work in an extra stitch on the side, similar to how we work the corners in round two (read on to learn how).
R2: Ch 2 (counts as first FPHDC). BPHDC round next st, FPHDC in next st. Repeat in pattern until you come to the 3 stitches that make up the corner. The last stitch worked before the corner should be a BPHDC. [You will be working 2 stitches in each of the 3 corner stitches, keeping in pattern. Do this as follows: First, *FPHDC around the next stitch. THEN dc in the stitch just worked*. Repeat from * to * in the next 2 corner stitches (corner made).] Then you continue in the pattern for the next side: FPHDC around next st, BPHDC around next st across to the next 3 corner stitches. Repeat instructions from [ to ] for the next corner. Continue around work in the ribbing pattern, working increases in the 3 corner stitches as described. At the end of the round, join with the top of the starting ch.
R 3-4: ch 2 (counts as first FPHDC). *BPHDC around next st, FPHDC in next. Repeat from * around work. Join with sl stitch to top of starting ch 2.
R5: Ch1 and sc in the same st as joining. Sc around. When you come to the 6 stitches that make up the corner, work *(2sc in next st, sc in next st), repeating from * twice. At end of the round, join with a sl st to the top of the first sc.
Purchase an ad-free printable version of the Strawberry Lemon Peel Baby Blanket pattern here!
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I would love to use your exact colors, but after finding the Sea Coral Ombre on line, I could not match a solid. Would you tell me the exact color solid you used?
Oh my gosh…..I just scanned back up and see it is a Flamigo color, sorry I bothered you….and Thank You for the beautiful pattern.
Hi I am a beginner to intermediate crocheter, and I have a question about going from R1 to R2, in R1 you have at the end TURN and then starting in R2, you have chain 1, turn. Is that right? I want to make this but just want to make sure that I am reading this right.
I had the word “turn” in there twice. So you work back and forth in rows and then in between the rows you turn & ch 1 to start the next row. I corrected the instructions.
I love this ombre yarn. I’ve used it for several projects. Beautiful blanket.
During lockdown in RSA, centurion where can I order the wool for this pattern. I love the coulor
When crocheting the trim on an afghan, I’m never sure about how many stitches to do for each row going down the sides. The top and bottom are easy – it’s the sides that strain my brain! Any help would be appreciated.
It can be tricky to get those sides nice and straight in the first row. Unfortunately there’s no set rule because it changes depending upon the stitches on the side. What I usually do is to pretend that I’m working the top or bottom and push my hook in where the next stitch “seems” like it would be. Then every few inches, I examine my work to make sure it is even–not too tight and not rippling. Often you will work once or twice into the side of a stitch, but periodically skip one to achieve that look. And, of course, you need to make sure you have the same stitches on either side, particularly if you are working a more complex border after that first row.