Crochet Baby Nest Blankie & Beanie

(you KNOW I have to call it a "NEST" blankie, right?! That's kinda my thing.)

Whew! This was a tough one! Let me preface this tutorial by saying that FIRST: red yarn is NOT the color you want to be photographing! Pain in the rear-end. SECOND: it's been SO dark here for the entire week and there isn't a thing Photoshop can do about the dark pictures without messing up the colors. Sorry in advance for some of the bad ones. {winky winky}

HOWEVER...this red yarn was the only color I had that wasn't all fluffy and we all know that if you're trying to SEE stitching, you can't have fluffy fuzz. So red is the color of the moment. It's just hard to photograph.

moving on...DON'T YOU JUST LOVE THESE BLANKIES?! I see them everywhere and I've had multiple requests for instructions, so I've finally been able to do that. The way I would use this blankie is just as an outer cover of a baby wrapped in a receiving blanket. Since this is a hand-wash item, keep in mind that you want those diaper leaks to stay contained....oy....

A little something about crochet or knit blankets - THEY'RE WARM! I have no idea why, given the amount of holes in them, but they are amazing at trapping heat, so I have always used a crochet blanket to put over the top of my babies because they're hard to kick off and they keep babies warm and toasty all through the night.

FIRST THING: If you have a monster computer screen like I do, decrease this window to fit each photograph in a straight line. You'll be able to follow along much easier.

MOVING ON...First of all, if you're a beginner, try my two beginner tutorials on making your slip knot and casting your yarn on your hand. You have to know how to hold the yarn in order for you to get the right tension in order to have even stitches. My method isn't the ONLY way, but it's how I do it, so feel free to explore other methods.











SUPPLIES:
*2 skeins (packages) of soft yarn (a newborn size blanket will only require one skein)
*Appropriate sized hook - look on the yarn packaging for an idea of what size you'll need. I usually use a "J" or "K" for this weight of yarn
*Huge needle for tucking in your yarn. Look for one with an eye big enough for your yarn to fit through.
*Ribbon if you're using it. Not necessary.

THE GIST: You're making a circle and it's going to get bigger and bigger until it's as round as you want it. This method can also be used for a hat - just stop stitching when your hat is as big as you want it. I don't have any complicated guides or number of stitches - just look at what you're doing and figure out how wide you want your blanket! Every chain stitch you add in your circle, it's going to get bigger around. If you don't do it evenly, you're going to end up with a pointy hat/blanket.


So let's get started.

Chain 5; slip stitch in bottom stitch. (see photos)














































































Once you get your circle to be about 3 or 4 inches in diameter, only add one chain stitch for every 3 or 4 SC's. You'll be able to tell if you are adding too much at once if your circle gets all ruffly.


Just follow the photos and keep trying if you don't get it the first time. Crochet unpicks easily - just pull on your yarn!






































You could probably stop increasing your width as soon as you feel like it can accommodate a baby. Genius, I know. Stop CH stitching and just SC all the way around and around until you get to another section that you want to DC.



Have fun with this! It's supposed to be easy, so the more you do this, the easier it will start to feel. Isn't that the way with everything?!


Oh, and my baby hat is a bit smaller circumference than the blanket - with a DC row towards the end for a ribbon - and then 2 rows of SC to end.

ALSO...you can add an easy ruffle border to your blankie like this one I did a while back. You just single or double crochet 4 or 5 times in one stitch...all the way around the top of your blanket. So you insert your hook like normal, single crochet 4 or 5 times in that one spot, and move on to the next stitch; repeat all the way around. Join your ruffle together by slip stitching them. (that's where you go through one spot and pull your yarn through all loops at the same time.) HERE is a picture tutorial.