The color scheme in combination with the harlequin stitch pattern is glorious choice for this crochet baby blanket. It’s both a great color choice for boys blanket. But – as it’s so sophisticated-looking – it would make a stunning home décor treasure that would befit a beach cottage home decorating scheme. In which case, you’d probably want to make the full-sized afghan.
Harlequin Stitch for Crochet Baby Blanket
The yarn in this picture is Bendigo Woollen Mills ‘Luxury’ 10ply: 6x 200g balls to make a thick, heavy blanket (approx 1.2kg).
Final baby blanket measurements: 120cm x 90cm.
Someone just asked me about the colors from the Bendigo Woollen range. They are ghost, koala, lake and navy blue.
How to Crochet the Harlequin Stitch
This is the pattern Adele used for her crochet baby blanket. This sure looks complicated – but isn’t. At all. Let me break it down for you.
Free Blanket Crochet Pattern
The actual crochet pattern for this blanket is ‘Greenway’ harlequin stitch afghan.
It’s a free crochet pattern that uses US crochet terminology.
It’s for a full-sized afghan blanket, but of course, you can modify the size to suit your needs.
Yarn Needed
15 skeins (100 g) of Berroco Comfort yarn will give you a 45 x 60-inch blanket.
You’ll need much less, as a baby blanket is typically only 36 inch. Pro-rate your yarn needs accordingly. Convert the length x width: a baby blanket is 13/16 x 6/10 of the full afghan. This means that you will need 6/10 of the yarn allotted for the full afghan. Let me put that in a table for you:
| Blanket size | Full Afghan | Baby blanket |
Aunt Martha Green | 4 skeins | 3 |
Barley | 3 skeins | 2 |
Sprig | 3 skeins | 2 |
Teal | 3 skeins | 2 |
Spruce | 2 skeins | 2 |
The Berocco yarn is made with 50% superfine nylon and 50% superfine acrylic. This yarn will lead to a very fine blanket.
Meanwhile, for the afghan in blues (top picture) Adele used a pure woollen 10-ply luxury yarn from Bendigo woollen mills in Australia. This is thicker than the original pattern specified. This wool maker ships internationally, but there’s always a shipping cost with that. Which might be worth it.
However, If you are looking for a US-based supplier of the wonderful yarn specified in the pattern (and look for options of free shipping) you can find it here: Berroco Comfort Yarn
The Harlequin Crochet Stitch Explained
The Harlequin Stitch is also called the Catherine Wheel.
How does it work? In layman’s language/ in simple crochet terms: you first chain a row and then you have a set-up row. After your initial set-up row, the pattern repeats 4 rows in different colors.
It’s essentially made up of two shells that are facing each other, plus a few (skipped) stitches to make the pattern. Each shell is typically made up of an uneven number of stitches.
In this case, the Berroco pattern states (3dc, ch, 3dc) instead of 7 dc. Essentially this will make your blanket lighter and cheaper, as you’ll use less yarn than if you were to make the 7dc. I suppose after making a thousand wheels, that 1 stitch less adds up.
Free Video Tutorial Harlequin Stich Crochet Pattern
(How to make the Catherine Wheel crochet pattern)
Here is a free video tutorial to learn how to do this stitch and make this blanket. The Harlequin stitch demo and tutorial starts at 2.05 min. And you don’t need to watch the whole 19 minutes of this video. After a few minutes you will already see how the Harlequin stitch is actually forming. At that time you can switch over to your Harlequin blanket crochet pattern, and start working on your own great project! Have fun !!
PART 1:
PART 2:
Enjoy!
TIP: Crochet Yourself a Dishcloth with the Harlequin Stitch, First
If this stitch is completely new to you, I’d suggest you make a say 12 x 12 “ dishcloth which will have 4 benefits:
- 1. You’ll get to understand how the pattern works.
- 2. You’ll get to measure your gauge.
- 3. You’ll get to decide on a small project to see if you really want to make a large blanket of 45 x 60 inches using this stitch pattern.
- 4. You’ll have a new dishcloth with a beautiful pattern. Finish your square off with a round of single crochet and add a hanging loop.
Gorgeous Crochet Baby Blanket & Afghan Pattern Book
The afghan pattern can be found in this Kindle book: Comfort Knitting & Crochet: Afghans: More Than 50 Beautiful, Affordable Designs Featuring Berroco’s Comfort Yarn
More
Crochet Patterns & Crochet Stitches (almost all tutorials are free!)
Till soon,
Rose
Note: Three Beans in a Pod* blog no longer exists.
I watch and crocheted along with you the Harlequin stitch, but I can’t fine the part 2 video that show you how to add the third color. If you can send that to me I would really appreciate it.
Hi Vanessa,
I’ve updated the article to link directly to the second video as well, for easy reference.
Cheers,
Astrid
I would like the pattern for this lanket.
Is there a printable pattern for this afghan?
Can u email me the typed out pattern for the catherine wheel or harlequin crochet pattern. I have watched your videos but need the pattern so i know how many chains to start the afghan with.
How can i get a copy of the harlequin wheel pattern emailed to me?
Done!
Yes, there is a free printable pattern for this gorgeous afghan. It’s linked in the blog already.
As er above.
Your patterns are beautiful.
Thank you, Anita. I don’t take full credit for them, though. I am merely featuring many of the great work by others, in many cases. But I do spend a lot of time on research and finding the best works out there. And then, some patterns are my own. :-)
Is there a way to get the colors on Adele’s afghan.
How many chains do you start out with? I’m sorry I don’t see it.
Hi Lynn
I looked up the colors for you and put them in the article itself, so that everyone can read them. Hope this helps you.
Cheers, Rose
Hi Lynn,
The patterns is basically a multiple of 8 sts + 1; and a 4-row repeat.
Click the link of the pattern as all the details are in there.
Hope this helps.
Rose
Hi there, I have just been watching your video of the harlequin stitch and would love to have a copy of the full blanket/afghan pattern to make my own. My email address is xxxxxxxx. Would really appreciate if you could email me a copy. Thank you
Hi Charmaine, the link to the full pattern is on the main page.
PS. I will remove your email address from your message, to retain your privacy. ;-)
It seems like you have to follow either the Berroco pdf or Harlequinn video. They aren’t the same,an i correct?
You can do both, really.
Hi Fawn
The link for this blanket pattern with the harlequin stitch is in the article. Hope you can find it.
Rose
Hi Judi, you are right. They are slightly different, but essentially the same though. How they treat the middle stitch of each shell is different. That’s all.
New to crochet, and watching video 2 looks like you are working left to right, instead of right to left as in Video 1. Please advise if there is some sort of way of doing this or is it a video flip.
Hi Helen,
Catherine has 2 sets of videos of this pattern, one for left handed folks and one for right handed ones. I had only posted video 1 of 2 so then youtube probably brought you to the wrong part 2!!
So, to make it easier, I have now posted both videos, both for right-handed people. I hope this makes it easier for you.
Show us a peek of your project, will ya, once finished?
Cheers,
Rose
Love the design and worked about four rows after watching your videos. I tried the design out, I was wondering if one could do this for a bag, ( without sewing side seams) I would appreciate your suggestions.
Of course, you can make a bag with this pattern.
How to:
step 1: Figure out the height and width of the bag you’d like.
step 2: Decide if you want to work in the round or later put the two seams together on the sides.
step 3: Finish your work and do the sides.
Step 4: Now that you look at the actual size it turned out to be, and which color you ended with on top, decided on the handles you’d like to add. Their size and sturdiness has to match the size, style and purpose of the bag.
Good luck and send in a photo!
Thank you for the detailed video instructions. I attempted a kindle cover in this stitch. I’d like to know( when using this stitch) if we can make a seamless joint in pouches with zip.
As per my email to you. We need more info to be able to help you, but in crochet you can do pretty much ‘anything’.
I have checked Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury 10 ply and can find no colour there called Lake. Could you advise what colour in this colour range to use instead.
Many Thanks
I am looking for the colours for Bendigo Woollen Millls Luxury 10 ply. The color Lake does not exist.
Hi Tara, it exist… -ed, at least. I guess you can write to the Mills and ask them what color name they replaced it with. Color names and yarn come and go, but blue is forever. ;-) Happy New Year – Hope you get it sorted out.
Hi Tara,
I looked at the Bendigo Woollen Mills for you, and think that ‘Shade328 Moonflower’ is probably your best color match for a 4-color-balance.
What if using super bulky 6 yarn. Using an 8mm hook
7Sc x 8R = 4×4.
How do you adjust that pattern for thicker yarns?
Hi Jessica, you simply need to do the math. Easy enough. Start with making a swatch to get your gauge and then prorate accordingly. :-)