Crocheted Scallop Border on Lollipop Oddball Blanket

The Lollipop Oddball Blanket is now complete and on its way back to the person who will deliver it to some lucky little baby in a Connecticut hospital.

After knitting the loose basketweave section in red, I crocheted a pretty scallop in yellow to finish it off. Here it is...


The is the exact same scallop pattern I used on the Tutti Frutti Oddball Blanket back in January, except that I worked a slip stitch between each 5 dc scallop instead of a single crochet. I also only worked 2 rounds of single crochet around the blanket before working the scallop border instead of 3. I find that the worsted weight blankets only require 2 rounds before the decorative border because the yarn is so much bigger than the sport weight used in the preemie blankets.


These bright colors will provide good visual stimulation for some new little baby, along with all the love and warmth that was knit and crocheted into this Lollipop blanket.

Happy Stitching!

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Here Comes The Sun - Another Oddball Baby Blanket

Here's another Oddball Baby Blanket all finished and ready to go. The five knitted sections were done in a variety of stitches by knitters in Connecticut, New York, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. I crocheted the border right here in Massachusetts.


The scallop border I crocheted on this blanket is the same one I did on the Tutti Frutti blanket a while ago. If you would like the border pattern and a video showing how to do it, you can find it by clicking HERE. It's really quite simple and produces a sturdy but pretty border for a tiny little preemie blanket like this, or even for a big full size afghan.

I have received my swap partner information for Sheri Howard's Think Spring Swap, and she is practically a next door neighbor! Isn't that funny? When I signed up for the Stitcher's Angel Swap last year, my partner was from all the way across the globe in Australia. And this time I got someone right in the next town from me! I think I'll hand deliver my package and make a new friend! You just never know what will happen when you sign up for a swap, but so far, I have had a good experience with each one. I'll show you a picture of my swap gift before I deliver it, and of course whatever goodies I receive in the mail from whoever got my name!

Happy Stitching!

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Cotton Candy Points Crocheted Border

I love a pretty crocheted border, as you probably have figured out by now! Here's the border I crocheted for the Cotton Candy Oddball blanket...


Scallops can be done in so many different ways. This time I made them a little more pointed than the scallops on the Tutti Frutti blanket. This effect was achieved by using a variety of stitches for each scallop instead of just using many of the same stitch.


This is the completed blanket. Doesn't it just look good enough to eat? The purple section at the top was my knitted contribution, done in Farrow Rib stitch in soft lilac.

Here's how I worked the border...

Cotton Candy Points Crocheted Border

Work 3 rounds of single crochet stitches all around the blanket, then begin working the decorative border as follows:

* Sc in next stitch,(hdc, dc, tc, dc, hdc) in next stitch, sc in next st, sl st in next stitch *

Continue from * to * around the blanket and join with a slip stitch at the base of the first scallop. Cut yarn, draw through last loop on hook to secure, and weave in ends.

This border pattern uses many stitches of different heights which is what gives the scallop a more pointed shape. You can make use of the heights of different stitches to create all kinds of fun effects in your crocheting. Mixing them together as in this border pattern, or using all the same stitch in each row can produce some interesting patterns and textures. This illustration of stitch height comparison might come in handy if you are trying to decide what stitches to use for a project.

Happy Stitching!

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Learn to Crochet - Cherry Berry Bobble Stitch Border Video Tutorial

These oddball baby blankets can become addictive! I have been the last knitter and also the border crocheter on several in the past few weeks and I've been having lots of fun with new patterns and stitches and pretty yarns. When I shared the pattern for the Hurdle Stitch recently, I had been working on the blanket called Cherry Berry which is a preemie blanket and worked in sport weight yarn in pinks and reds.

The border I worked on Cherry Berry is one that I made up for this blanket, although I am sure there are many similar to it out there. There was just a little touch of red in one of the yarns, so I chose for the border the red yarn I had left over from Jersey Devil and a garter stitch rainbow blanket I started with the same needles. And since it is called Cherry Berry, I felt it necessary to make something in the border look like a cherry or a berry. This is what I came up with...


It's a scalloped border with a bobble right in the middle of each scallop. Bobble Stitch is fun to do and can be found in both knitting and crochet. It is used in afghans, sweaters, hats, anywhere you would want a 3-dimensional effect.


Before I worked the last row of Bobble Stitch scallops, I first crocheted around the blanket two times in single crochet. On the second round and the scallop round, I worked my stitches into the back loop only which is what forms the pretty parallel lines of red along the border.


Here you can see the section of blanket that I worked in Hurdle Stitch with the border already on it. When I was first working up the pattern for this border, I tried putting the bobbles in all different arrangements. First I tried doing a bobble in every stitch, but that was just too much bobble in too little space. Then I tried spacing them out by working one or two double crochets between each bobble, but that was not very attractive. Then I thought how nice it would be to have a bobble in the middle of a scallop. I love scallop borders on afghans and baby blankets, just like the one I did on Tutti Frutti. Plain and simple, but elegant at the same time.

So here is a little video showing how to do this Bobble Stitch Border just like I used on Cherry Berry. Actually, I must be honest, the video is not very little! It is longer than any of my others, but when I was editing it, I tried to think of what information I should cut out. I decided that sometimes more is better, so I hope you can forgive me for being so long winded and find some useful information here.




Here is the pattern written out for you:

Bobble Stitch Scallop

*Single crochet, half double crochet, bobble, half double crochet, single crochet, slip stitch.* Repeat from * to * around the blanket. End with slip stitch near first scallop.

Bobble: (yo, insert hook into stitch, yo and draw loop through stitch, yo and draw through two loops on hook) 7 times. Yo and draw loop through all 8 loops on hook. Chain stitch.

Happy Stitching!

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Learn to Crochet - Scallop Border Video Tutorial

When I crochet or knit a baby blanket, I love to finish it off with a nice border. Some patterns have the border sort of built in to the design, such as a knitted blanket with a garter stitch border. But some, such as the oddball baby blanket I recently showed you called Tutti Frutti or the Jersey Devil and Forest Greens blankets I also worked on, have a garter stitch border built in as the foundation for a crocheted border which is added after all the knitting is complete.

After knitting the last section on Tutti Frutti using the Diagonal Seed Stitch in a pink and white Bernat Softee Baby yarn, I chose another Bernat yarn to crochet the border. This blanket already had so many soft yummy colors that I just had to pick a color that would be just as soft and yummy for the special little person who would be getting it. Soft Lilac was my pick for this, and I worked the border in a simple scallop.

What do you think of the finished blanket?



In this picture, you can see the five different sections, all knit by five different people using five different stitches and five different yarns. What a happy and cheerful blanket all these differences make!


Here's a close-up of the scallop border crocheted in purple around the whole blanket. First notice the rows of knitting just before the purple begins. These last rows were worked in garter stitch, which is just knitting every row. The blanket was begun in the same way, several rows of garter stitch. Also the beginning and end of each row throughout the blanket are worked with 3 knit stitches which makes a garter stitch border around the entire piece.

Starting with the purple, I crocheted 3 rows of single crochet around the whole blanket before beginning my scallop border. Then I worked the scallops by skipping one stitch, working 5 double crochets into the next stitch, skipping the next stitch and working a single crochet into the next stitch. That is how easy this pretty border is to crochet.

Here's a little video showing how to do this border:




In this video, you can get a few glimpses of the other sections of the blanket that I did not knit. Some of the stitches the other knitters used were so interesting that I asked for the instructions for the stitches and will be using them myself in future blankets. Right now I have another one in progress called Cherry Berry and I am using the same stitch as in the pink section you see in the Tutti Frutti blanket. I will share that with you soon.

The KnittingHelp.com Charity knitting forum has so many talented and generous knitters from all different parts of the country, but they could always use more willing hands. This is a great way to work on a little project which is not a huge commitment of time or money, but will benefit someone in such a wonderful way. Even if you are a new knitter, what better way to master the skill than to practice it!

Happy Stitching!

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Crocheted Border -- Small and Big Scallops Video Tutorial

The Northeast US Oddball Baby Blanket on-line charity knitting group in which I have begun to participate is going great guns on so many beautiful baby blankets. Pictures of blankets in progress can be seen by clicking HERE, and pictures of completed blankets can be seen by clicking HERE.

The first blanket I worked on was the all-red Jersey Devil blanket which I have already shown you. At the end of that post, I promised videos showing how to do the border that I made up for that blanket. I have already shown you how to work a single crochet border around a knitted piece. But I also promised a video on how to work the decorative border I used for that blanket.

Finally here it is...




The written pattern can be found in the original post on the Jersey Devil blanket if you would like to give it a try.

I am now in the process of knitting the last section of the Forest Greens baby blanket and then I will crochet the border on that one too before mailing it to the person who will deliver it along with other completed blankets to the hospital to be given to the babies.

If you are looking for a nice group of people to get to know, and a quick project to do every once in a while, check out the Knittinghelp.com Charity Knitting forum and sign up for a section of an oddball blanket in your part of the country. It will definitely put a smile on your face!

Happy Stitching!

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