With two balls of Red Heart Soft Baby Steps and a bit of desire, you can create a 24" x 24" crochet baby blanket. With the centre being a corner-to-corner stitch concept. Surrounding the stitching panel with the traditional granny square stitch concept.

If you want a bigger baby blanket, you will need extra balls of the elephant colouring to continue.

You can make a matching pair of booties with this blanket for newborns.

Be careful about the tension issue of the corner-to-corner stitching; thus, there's a difference in the crochet hook from one section to another.

Please note there is tension in corner to corner that isn’t in the modern granny stitching. The hook needs to be larger for the corner-to-corner centre to help compensate for the tension. When starting the modern granny part, you must decrease the hook to align the tension. 

If you want a bigger blanket, add one or two more Elephant balls to continue the granny stitches. This pattern, as written, yields as much yarn as possible out of the balls. 

Abbreviations List

• Beg = Begin(ning) 
• Ch = Chain(s) 
• Dc = Double Crochet
• Prev = Previous
• RS = Right side 
• Sc = Single crochet 
• Sk = Skip
• Sl st = Slip Stitch

Red Heart Soft Baby Steps, 141 g/5 oz, 234 meters/256 yards

• A = Lavendar - 1 Ball
• B = Elephant - 1 Ball

Hook: 5 mm / H/8 & 5.5 mm / I/9

Gage: With 5 mm / H/8 hook,  16 sc and 16 rows = 4” [10 cm]

Size: 24” x 24”

Instructions

With a larger hook and with A, ch 6.

1st row: RS. 1 dc in 4th ch from hook and in next 2 ch. Turn. 1 block made.

2nd row: Ch 6. 1 dc in 4th ch from hook and in next 2 ch. (sl st, ch 3, 3 dc) in all ch-3 sp of prev row. Turn. 2 blocks made.

3rd row: Ch 6. 1 dc in 4th ch from hook and in next 2 ch. [(sl st, ch 3, 3 dc) in all ch-3 sp of prev row] twice. Turn. 3 blocks made.

4th row: Ch 6. 1 dc in 4th ch from hook and in next 2 ch. [(sl st, ch 3, 3 dc) in all ch-3 sp of prev row] 3 times. Turn. 4 blocks made.

5th row: Ch 6. 1 dc in 4th ch from hook and in next 2 ch. [(sl st, ch 3, 3 dc) in all ch-3 sp of prev row] 4 times. Turn. 5 blocks made.

6th row: Ch 6. 1 dc in 4th ch from hook and in next 2 ch. [(sl st, ch 3, 3 dc) in all ch-3 sp of prev row] 4 times. Turn. 6 blocks made.

7th row: Ch 6. 1 dc in 4th ch from hook and in next 2 ch. [(sl st, ch 3, 3 dc) in all ch-3 sp of prev row] 4 times. Turn. 6 blocks made.

Keep repeating the increase until 20 blocks are made. 

Let’s Reduce Both Edges to Make This Square

Remaining rows: Sl st across the dc sts, * (slip st to first ch to anchor the stitch, ch 3, 3 dc) all in next ch-3 space of the previous row; repeat from * to last ch-3 space; slip st in last space; turn, do NOT make a block in last space. Do not fasten off.

Traditional Granny Add On

TIP: For the first round, you will use the spaces between the blocks to anchor the next section of the blanket. 

1st rnd: Switch to smaller crochet hook. Sl st to the closest corner. Ch 1. 1 sc in same sp as join.  Ch 3, [1 sc between next 2 blocks. Ch 3.] Rep [ ]  to next corner *(1 sc. Ch 3. 1 sc) in next corner. Ch 3. [1 sc between next 2 blocks. Ch 3] Rep [ ] to next corner. Rep from * around. 1 sc in beg corner sp. Ch 1, join with hdc to beg sc. Break A. 

2nd rnd: With B, attach with sl st to corner sp. Ch 3 (counts as dc here and throughout), 2 dc in same corner sp. [3 dc in next ch-3 sp]. Rep [ ] to next corner. *(3 dc. Ch 3. 3 dc) in next corner ch-3 sp. [3 dc in next ch-3 sp] Rep [ ] to next corner. Rep from * around. 3 dc in beg corner sp. Join with hdc to top of beg ch-3. 

TIP: In the last round, you can see open spaces between the groups of 3 double crochet. You will use those spaces like regular granny square stitches.

3rd rnd: Ch 3. 2 dc in same corner sp. [Sk next 3 dc in space between next groups of dc]. Rep from [ ] to next corner. *(3 dc. Ch 2. 3 dc) in corner sp.  [Sk next 3 dc in space between next groups of dc]. Rep from * around. 3 dc in beg corner sp. Join with hdc to top of beg ch-3. 

4th to 8th rnds: Rep 3rd rnd. 

The tension of the corner-to-corner centre will be tighter than that of the modern granny. Slightly dampen the blanket, stretch it, and let it air dry flat to block. 

C2C Crochet Diagram

Unicorn Flower To Add to One Corner

Red Heart Bitty Stripes, 283 g/10 oz, 471 meters/515 yards

Contrast A - Unicorn Maine

Hook 5 mm / H/8 Crochet Hook or size needed to obtain gauge.

Gauge 14 sc and 15 rows = 4” [10 cm].

Measurement 4” diameter. 

Abbreviations 

• Beg = Begin(ning)
• BLO = Back loop only
• Ch(s) = Chain(s)
• Dc = Double crochet
• FLO = Front loop only
• Hdc = Half double crochet
• Join = Sl st to beg st or top of beg st.
• Rep = Repeat
• RS =  Right side
• Sc = Single crochet
• Sk = Skip
• Sl st = Slip stitch
• Sp(s) = Space(s)
• St(s) = Stitch(es)
• Standing sc = Form slip knot and insert onto the hook. Insert hook into st, yoh and pull loop through, yoh through 2 loops.

Unicorn Flowers - Make 1

TIP: Let the colours come out naturally from the balls of yarn. 

Leave long tail before slip stitch to use to attach to a project. 

1st rnd: RS. 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook. Join. 6 sc. 

2nd rnd: Ch 1. 2 sc in each sc around. Join. 12 sc.

3rd rnd: Ch 1. 1 sc in same st as join. 2 sc in next sc. *1 sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc. Rep from * around. Join the back loop only of first sc. 18 sc. 

4th rnd: Work in back loops only for this rnd. Ch 1. 1 sc in same st as join, 1 sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc, *1 sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc. Rep from * around. Join. 24 sc. 

5th rnd: Ch 1. 1 sc in same st as join. Ch 3. *Sk next sc, 1 sc in next sc, ch 3. Rep from * around. Join. 12 sc and 12 ch-3 loops. 

6th rnd: Ch 1. (1 sc, 1 hdc, 1 dc, 1 hdc, 1sc) in each ch-3 loop around; join with slip st in first sc. 12 petals. Fasten off.  

7th rnd: Join A with standing sc in any unworked front loop of 3rd rnd. *Ch 1, 2 dc in next front loop, ch 1. *1 sc in next front loop, ch 1, 2 dc in next front loop, ch 1. Rep from * around. Join. 9 petals. Fasten off. 

Sew the one flower to the corner of the blanket for simplicity. 

Tutorial

Crochet Diagram of Unicorn Flower

Try the Sister Blanket To This Design