Easy and Beautiful Crochet Charity Blanket

The idea to crochet this Charity Blanket came from an awesome initiative of the Italian organization “Le nostre mani scaldano I bimbi”, which translates into something like “Our hands keep children warm”.

The aim of this organization is to realize 1000 crocheted or knitted blankets of 1 m by 1 m, make a huge display in the city center of Rome around the end of this year (2019), and sell each blanket for 20 €. The money will then be used to support hospitals and pediatric structures for the care of children with difficulties.

You can find more info about this project here or on the Facebook group. Both are in Italian though…

When I first read about their project, I immediately decided I would contribute. I mean, I spend so much time crocheting that it actually feels right if it is for helping children! However, I had no clue what kind of pattern I was going to use.

So, I grabbed my crochet books and magazines and made an original pattern myself. The pattern is actually not that complicated and it is very easy to memorize already after the first couple of rows. As a result, this crochet pattern is a true anti-stress! You can literally disconnect from everything and just work it up row after row.

About the Stitch Pattern

I wanted the central part of the blanket to be warm and thick. For this reason, I worked it in a full stitch pattern with some extra texture given by the front/back post double crochet stitches.

On the sides, I thought of adding a lace shell pattern, which, I think, adds an elegant touch to it.

To match the shells of the blankets, I also chose a shell motif for the border, and voilà! The blanket is warm and ready!

Find more crochet blanket ideas here on the blog…

• Solid Hexagons Throw Blanket
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Pin the free crochet pattern of the Charity Blanket to your favorite crochet board on Pinterest, or add it to your Ravelry queue here!

Materials

• 4.5-mm (G/7 US, 7 UK) Crochet Hook
• DK Yarn

Crochet Abbreviations (US Terms)

Ch – Chain
Ch-Less Dc – Chainless Starting Double Crochet
BPdc – Back Post Double Crochet
Dc – Double Crochet
FPdc – Front Post Double Crochet
Sc – Single Crochet
Sk– Skip
Sl St – Slip Stitch
St –Stitch
Yo – Yarn Over

Special Stitches

Chainless Starting Double Crochet (Ch-less Dc)
Find a step-by-step tutorial on how to crochet the chainless starting double crochet here.

Front/Back Post Double Crochet Stitches (FPdc, BPdc)
For a step-by-step tutorial, you can check out this post on how to crochet front and back post crochet stitches.

Shell
(Dc 2, 1 ch, dc 2) all in the same indicated st.

Size

40″ (1 m) by 40″ (1 m).

Gauge

15 dc for 9 rows in 4″ (10 cm).

Crochet Charity Blanket – Free Pattern

Ch 153.

Row 1. Dc in the third ch from your hook, dc 3, sk 2 sts, shell in the next st, ch 3, sk 3 sts and sc in the next st, ch 3, sk 3 sts and shell in the next st, sk 2. Dc 117. Sk 2 sts, shell, ch 3, sk 3, and sc in the next st. Ch 3, sk 3 sts, shell in the next st. Sk 2 sts, dc 4. (150 sts)

Row 2. Ch-less dc (counts as your first st here and in all the rest of the pattern). Dc 2, BPdc 1, sc 2 into the first 2 dc of the shell, sc 1 in the ch-1 spacing, sc 2 on the last 2 dc of the shell (5 sc per shell). Ch 3, dc into next sc, ch 3, sc 5 on the next shell, BPdc 1 around the next dc. (Dc 3, BPdc 1) 29 times. Sc 5 over the next shell, ch 3, dc 1 in the next sc, ch 3, sc 5 on the next shell, BPdc 1, dc 3.

Row 3. Ch-less dc, dc 2, [FPdc 1, shell in the third sc (middle sc over the shell two rows below), ch 3, sc into the next dc, ch 3, shell in the third sc (middle sc of the shell), FPdc 1]. Dc 115. Repeat the instructions between […]. Dc 3.

Row 4. Ch-less dc, dc 2, BPdc 1, sc 5 over the shell, ch 3, dc 1 into next sc, ch 3, sc 5 on the next shell, BPdc 1, dc 1, BPdc 1, (dc 3, BPdc 1) 28 times, dc 1, BPdc 1. Sc 5 over the next shell, ch 3, dc 1 in the next sc, ch 3, sc 5 on the next shell, BPdc 1, dc 3.

Row 5. Repeat row 3.
Row 6-93. Repeat rows 2-5.
Row 94-96. Repeat rows 2-4.

Tie off. Weave in ends.

Border

Single Crochet Rounds

With the right side facing, join yarn at any point. Ch 1, sc all around.
Along the blanket width, sc 1 in each st (including the sc on top of the shells), and make 2 sc in each 3-ch spacing.

When you are crocheting on the height of the blanket, sc homogeneously so that the blanket does not wrinkle. At the corners, make 3 sc.
Sl st into the first sc, ch1 and sc all around once more, making 3 sc in each corner st. Join by sl st and fasten off.

Shells and Picots

With the right side facing, join yarn at the right top corner st, ch 1, sc in the first st, (ch 1, sk two sts, shell into next st, ch 1, sc in next st) repeat for 26 times. Add an extra sc into the last st of the row. Ch 3, turn.
Sk the very first sc and dc into the next one. Ch 5, sl st into the third ch from hook (one closed picot), ch 2, dc into the same st as previous dc, ch 1, sc in the middle space of the next shell.
*Ch 1, (1 dc, ch 2, one closed picot, ch 2, 1 dc) all into next sc, ch 1, sc in the middle space of the next shell* repeat until end.

Tie off. Weave in ends.

Your crochet Charity Blanket is ready!

I hope you liked this pattern and I’d love to see your version of it! Please, share it on Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag #raffamusadesigns

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