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!
Isn’t that always the way with yarn? We see something beautiful and a bit of joy and dreams well up inside and we simply must buy it and create!
I love that most of all
I’m also loving baby afghans these days. It’s the perfect project: simple, a small amount of inexpensive yarn and a perfect design for impressive results.
More Free Baby Crochet Patterns
If you love this Strawberry Lemon Peel Baby Blanket pattern, you might also like to check out more afghan patterns for babies. You can find all our Baby Crochet Patterns here.
I’m a huge fan of Red Heart Ombre Super Saver Yarn. 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 project show off.
I also love that this yarn is available locally and that it’s so affordable. Even when times are tough, you can still crochet something beautiful. I love making baby afghans!
Just 2 skeins of ombre 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). There are so many color choices that you can find something perfect for that new little baby!
Special Crochet Stitches
Let’s talk a little bit about the crochet stitches you’ll use in this afghan. The afghan is crocheted in the lemon peel stitch. It is so easy to learn and you’ll have it memorized in no time.
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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.
print & stitch
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I can’t wait for you to try this fun to crochet Strawberry Lemon Peel Baby Blanket!
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Strawberry Lemon Peel Baby Blanket
Here is what you will need:
- Red Heart Super Saver Ombre, size 4 worsted weight, 100% acrylic, 482 yds per 10 oz skein
- Sea Coral: 870 yards
- Red Heart Super Saver, size 4 worsted weight, 100% acrylic, 364 yds per 7 oz skein
- Flamingo: 190 Yards
- US J10/6mm crochet hook
- Stitch Markers
- 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.
Crochet Abbreviations:
- ch(s) = chain(s)
- BPHDC = back post half double crochet
- dc = double crochet
- FPHDC = front post half double crochet
- sc = single crochet
- sl st = slip stitch
- st = stitch(es)
Finished Blanket Size
Finished baby blanket is approximately 33″ x33″ square. To make afghan larger or smaller, chain an odd number of stitches to the length you desire.
Crochet Baby Blanket
Chain 101. (Note: to make afghan larger or smaller, chain an odd number of stitches to the length you desire)
Row 1. Sc in second ch from hook, dc in next, *sc in next ch, dc in next ch. Repeat from * across row. Turn. (100 st)
Row 2: Ch 1, turn, 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:
In the first round, work sc around blanket, taking care to keep edges from ruffling (indicating too many stitches) or pulling (indicating too few stitches). In general, one stitch is worked in each stitch on top and bottom edge, 3 stitches in each corner and 3 stitches for every 2 rows on the side, however stitches should be adjusted as needed to keep work laying nicely without ruffling or pulling. There should be an even number of stitches between the corner stitches.
Round 1: Attach yarn with a slip stitch 4 stitches before a corner. Ch 1 and sc into the same st as joining. *sc to corner st. Work 3 sc into the corner for the first corner (place marker in first of these 3 sts). Repeat from * around blanket. Take time to make sure you are working sc evenly (without pulling or bunching), especially when working on the sides of the afghan. After the last corner, sc in each st to beginning, then sl st to top of the starting sc.
Round 2: Ch 2 (counts as FPHDC here and throughout), BPHDC around next st, *[FPHDC around next st, BPHDC around next st] to marker, starting in marked st work (FPHDC, dc) in each of next 3 sts, move marker up in first of these sts; rep from * around, after last corner work [FPHDC, BPHDC] to beginning, sl st in top of first st.
Round 3-4: Ch 2, *BPHDC around next st, FPHDC around next st] around entire blanket, move st markers up with each round, join with sl st to first st.
Round 5: Ch 1, sc in same st as joining. *Sc to marked st, work [2 sc in next st, sc in next st] 3 times around corner; rep from * around, sc to first st, sl st to first st.
Fasten off and weave in ends.
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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.