American Baby Crochet Blanket Pattern + Tutorial

This 36" square crochet baby blanket is a straightforward pattern. Of course, it's coloured to look like the American Flag. Crocheters are welcome to embellish the blanket with stars or whatever else they have in mind.

The yarn used was Caron United. A new yarn line that has 17 colours was developed to offer 15 cents of every ball to purchase scholarships for the Children of Fallen Patriots® Foundation.

What is the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation? It is an organization where that provides college scholarships and educational counselling to US military children who have lost a parent in the line of duty. They cover all branches of the armed forces.

My purpose for this afghan is to give you a way to purchase a scholarship for another child, whom you may never meet. While the baby using this afghan is just starting out in life and well-loved, another child somewhere in the USA is grieving over their parent being a casualty of war who will never return.

More Crochet Patterns to Consider

1. Crochet Dog Blanket Pattern
2. Crochet Woven Plaid Blanket Pattern
3. Crochet Chevron One Big Cake Bag
4. Crochet C2C Hugs & Kisses Blanket Pattern
5. Crochet Fall Poncho + Tutorial

Humans are connected in one way or another. This Caron United Yarn gives you an opportunity to help others while crocheting and knitting with yarn that automatically gives back to society to benefit others.

Learn More in this Emotional Video

This video made me cry. It makes me want to make a difference.

How Yarnspirations, You and I Can Make A Difference

I can use my crochet skills to provide education and awareness.

In this afghan, I used 6 yarn balls. This means 90 cents of this afghan has gone into a scholarship fund. It doesn't sound like much, but your purchases + my purchases are significant when all of the 15 cents are pooled together.

American Baby Flag Blanket

This baby blanket is made up of two major techniques. You will complete a solid granny square in blue to start. Then the stripes are applied in a mitered crochet effect where you just crochet along two sides of the blue square. To top it off, you will do a beautiful border.

Materials Used

• 2 - Balls Caron United - Red
• 2 - Balls Caron United - Blue
• 1 - Balls Caron United - White
• 1 - Balls Caron United - Dark Grey Heather
• Size 5 mm or H Crochet Hook
• Tapestry Needle
• Gauge: 13 sc and 14 rows - 5 mm (U.S. H/8) crochet hook

Step 1 - Solid Granny Square

1. Chain 4, join with sl st to form a ring.
2. Ch 3, 2 dc in ring, ch2, * 3 dc in ring, ch 2. Repeat * twice more, join with sl st to the top of beg ch-3
3. Ch 3, 1 DC into the same corner. 1 dc in each dc to next corner, *( 2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in corner stitch, 1 dc in each st to next corner. Repeat from * three times more. 2 dc in beg sp. Ch 1. Join with sl st to top of beg ch-3
4. Repeat step 3, until you can count 9 rounds in the square. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Step 2 - Mitered Stripes

You will begin to do a mitered square by choosing 2 sides of the Solid Granny Square. For those unaware, mitre means we are working on the afghan on two sides of a square.

There are 11 stripes on this baby blanket. You will start with red. Each stripe consists of 3 rows.

1. Fasten on Red to 1 corner of the Solid Granny Square with the right side facing up. When you were working on the granny square, you went in a continuous revolution. The side you were looking at while crocheting that square is the right side.
2. Ch 3, 1 DC into the same corner. Dc into each dc to the next corner. 2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc into the corner. Then dc into each dc across. The final corner space is 2 dc. Turn.
3. Ch 1, 1 dc into the next stitch and into each dc across to next corner. In corner 2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc, then 1 dc into each across. Turn.
4. Repeat Step 3 again and then fasten off red.
5. Fasten on white, then repeat step 3 for 3 rows. Fasten off.
6. Fasten on Red, then repeat step 3 for 3 rows. Fasten off.
7. Keep repeating until you have 11 stripes completed.

Step 3 - The Border

The border has 4 rounds. Starting with Dark Heather Grey to separate the colours to better define the interior of the blanket.

Establishing the first round is key. If you don't have the right stitch count. Don't frog it, fake it by placing an extra sc, ch 2 close to the corner so it stays in balance. See picture directly below as I faked 1 of the corners.

I ended up not having 2 stitches left at the end of the row. I just placed an extra SC directly before the corner, followed by a ch 2... then did my corner as usual.

On the sides where you have the sides of the posts instead of stitches. Place sc around the sides of the post of a row, ch 2, sc into the next side of the post of the next row. See the picture above to see.

1. Fasten on Dark Heather Grey to a corner, Ch 1, sc into same space, ch 2 and sc into same space (corner made). ch 2, * skip next stitch, sc, ch 2. Repeat across. In corners, sc, ch 2, sc into the corners. Then continue repeat * pattern. Join with a slip stitch to beginning sc. (see pictures above if your stitches aren't balancing. Fasten off at the end of the round.
2. Join White, ch 3, 4 dc, into the same corner. * 2 dc into each ch 2 gaps of the round below to the next corner. In corners, 5 dc. Repeat * around. Join with a slip stitch to the top of the ch 3. Fasten off.
3. Join Blue in the middle stitch of the 5 dc corner, ch 3, 4 dc, into the same stitch. * 2 dc into each ch 2 gaps of the round below to the next corner. In corners, 5 dc into the middle stitch of the 5 dc corners. Repeat * around. Join with a slip stitch to the top of the ch 3. Fasten off.
4. Join Red in the middle stitch of the 5 dc corner, ch 3, 4 dc, into the same stitch. * 2 dc into each ch 2 gaps of the round below to the next corner. In corners, 5 dc into the middle stitch of the 5 dc corners. Repeat * around. Join with a slip stitch to the top of the ch 3. Fasten off.

Enjoy your new baby blanket.