Learn how to create a soft, cozy baby blanket edging using Caron Simply Soft yarn and fleece fabric. This easy tutorial walks you through each step to make a beautiful handmade gift.

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL

Ability to crochet around border without stretching or tightening fabric, working in rounds, corner shaping.

SUGGESTED MATERIALS

• 1 yard of soft micro fleece fabric or regular fleece fabric (cut in half for a baby blanket size). Suggestions for microfleece: Velvet Fleece (Hobby Lobby), sometimes it is called Soft Plush Printed Cuddle Fleece on Etsy.
• 1 skein of Caron Simply Soft yarn of complementary to the fleece color; 100 % acrylic, 315 yards (288 m), 6 oz (170 gram), medium weight 4.
• 2.75 mm crochet hook (only for row 1) for very soft fleece OR 1.65 – 1.75 mm steel hook if using regular fleece (thin hook will help to puncture holes as you go)
• 4 mm crochet hook (for rows 2 - 4)
• Scissors
• Tapestry needle
• Fabric softener sheet (only if you use plush fleece)

ABBREVIATIONS AND STITCHES

(U.S. terminology)

• st = stitch
• ch = chain
• sc = single crochet
• ss = slip stitch
• puff st = puff stitch: [yarn over, insert hook into designated stitch, pull up a loop] 3 times, yarn over, pull through all 6 loops on hook, chain to secure the puff
• sk 2 = skip 2 stitches in the previous round

FABRIC PREPARATION

First, you need to cut the fabric in half. This short video shows how to fold a yard of fabric correctly in order to have two good size baby blankets.

After cutting the microfleece in half (see video tutorial) and trimming the selvage from each piece, you may notice some fraying ends that create a mess. To clean them up, place the microfleece in your dryer for 10 minutes on the air cycle with a fabric softener sheet. The loose fibers will fall off, leaving you with clean edges. There’s no need to sew, hem, or punch holes in soft microfleece fabric.

If you’re using regular fleece, all you need to do is cut it in half and trim the selvage. I usually don’t pre-punch holes in regular fleece—instead, I create the holes as I crochet the first round of single crochet using a very small steel hook. It does take some effort, and you might feel a bit sore by the end of Round 1.

INSTRUCTIONS

Round 1: Using a smaller hook, start 4 inches away from a corner. Punch holes as you make a round of sc around the edge of the blanket. Place stitches about 1/5–1/4 inch (0.5–0.7 cm) apart and about the same distance from the edge. Make 3 sc in each corner hole. At the end of the round, slip stitch into 1st sc.

Round 2: Using a bigger hook, size 4 mm, ch 4 - counts as one st, (puff st in base of same st, ch 1, sk 2, sc in next st) repeat around the blanket, but make (puff st, ch 1, puff st, ch 1, sk 2) into each corner st. If your corners aren’t perfectly calculated, skip more or fewer stitches to make your corner combination work. At the end of round, ss into 4th (or top) chain of ch 4.

Round 3: ch 4 - counts as one st, (puff st in base of same st, ch 1, sc in top chain of puff st of previous round) repeat around the blanket, but make (puff st, ch 1, puff st, ch 1, sk 2) into each corner st. At the end of round, ss into 4th (or top) chain of ch 4.

Note 1: If desired, you may add more rounds to the blanket to make the edging thicker by repeating Round 3 as many times as you like.

Round 4: (ch 2, ss into top ch of puff st, ch 2, ss into sc) repeat around the blanket, but make ch 2, ss into top ch of puff st, ch 2, ss into same top ch of puff st) into each corner. At the end of round, ss into 1st st of round.

Finish off. Weave in the ends.

Note 2: If the blanket is tightened by the edging, you may try stretching it by blocking after the blanket is finished. If the blanket is bunching up on the edges like lettuce, either keep it that way because you like it, or increase the distance between sc stitches in Round 1 in your future blanket edging project.

VIDEO TUTORIAL AND PHOTOS