Crochet Songbird in Oval Frame C2C Blanket Free Pattern
Crochet Songbird in Oval Frame C2C Blanket Free Pattern
Introduction
This corner-to-corner blanket was designed for anyone who has admired a pretty picture blanket but felt the colorwork looked too complicated to try. It is worked in simple double crochet blocks, one diagonal square at a time, so the whole blanket grows from a single corner and never asks you to carry more than one color at once. The finished piece is a soft, cream worsted weight throw with a gentle diagonal grid texture and a tidy double crochet border, measuring about 24 by 33.5 inches, a lovely size for a crib, a lap, or a chair back. The design calls for a dusty blue and antique gold songbird perched inside an oval frame on the cream background, a quiet Victorian touch that makes it feel like a keepsake rather than a quick make.
Materials Needed
- Yarn: Worsted weight (4) acrylic yarn. Cream (MC): 1200 yards. Dusty Blue (A): 400 yards. Antique Gold (B): 200 yards.
- Hook: 4.0 mm (G/6) crochet hook.
- Notions: Tapestry needle for weaving in ends, scissors, stitch markers (optional, for marking corners), and a copy of the color chart for the oval frame and songbird motif.
- Finished size: 24 inches by 33.5 inches.
Abbreviations
- ch — chain: yarn over and pull through the loop on your hook.
- dc — double crochet: yarn over, insert hook in stitch, pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through two loops, yarn over and pull through the last two loops.
- sl st — slip stitch: insert hook in stitch, yarn over, pull through both the stitch and the loop on your hook.
- sp — space: the chain space or gap you work into.
- inc — increase: work one new block at the beginning or end of a row (ch 4, 3 dc in the same space).
- dec — decrease: skip the first or last block of the row and slip stitch across to begin or end the row one block shorter.
- MC — main color (cream).
- A — dusty blue.
- B — antique gold.
- block — one C2C square: ch 3, 3 dc in the same space.
Gauge
4 C2C squares = 2 inches, and 4 rows of squares = 2 inches. To check, crochet a small swatch of about 8 blocks and measure across the diagonal grid; if your blocks are larger than 1/2 inch each, go down a hook size, and if smaller, go up.
Tips Before You Start
- Always turn your work at the end of every row. C2C rows are worked diagonally, so the beginning of each row alternates between the bottom edge and the top edge of the blanket.
- Keep your ch-3 spaces loose and even. Tight chain spaces make the blocks pull in and distort the diagonal grid.
- Read the whole row before you start it. The increase rows begin and end with an increase, the even rows in the middle section are plain, and the decrease rows begin and end with a decrease.
- If you plan to add the songbird motif, print the chart and highlight one row at a time so you never lose your place in the color changes.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Blanket Body (Corner-to-Corner)
Each block is worked as ch 3, 3 dc in the same space. Worked in MC unless the chart tells you otherwise.
R1: Ch 4, 3 dc in 4th ch from hook (1 block).
R2: Ch 4, 3 dc in same sp, sl st in ch-3 sp, ch 3, 3 dc in same sp (2 blocks).
R3: Inc, 1 block, inc (3 blocks).
R4: Inc, 2 blocks, inc (4 blocks).
R5: Inc, 3 blocks, inc (5 blocks).
R6: Inc, 4 blocks, inc (6 blocks).
R7: Inc, 5 blocks, inc (7 blocks).
R8: Inc, 6 blocks, inc (8 blocks).
R9: Inc, 7 blocks, inc (9 blocks).
R10: Inc, 8 blocks, inc (10 blocks).
R11: Inc, 9 blocks, inc (11 blocks).
R12: Inc, 10 blocks, inc (12 blocks).
R13: Inc, 11 blocks, inc (13 blocks).
R14: Inc, 12 blocks, inc (14 blocks).
R15: Inc, 13 blocks, inc (15 blocks).
R16: Inc, 14 blocks, inc (16 blocks).
R17: Inc, 15 blocks, inc (17 blocks).
R18: Inc, 16 blocks, inc (18 blocks).
R19: Inc, 17 blocks, inc (19 blocks).
R20: Inc, 18 blocks, inc (20 blocks).
R21: Inc, 19 blocks, inc (21 blocks).
R22: Inc, 20 blocks, inc (22 blocks).
R23: Inc, 21 blocks, inc (23 blocks).
R24: Inc, 22 blocks, inc (24 blocks).
Rows 25–48: Work even, 24 blocks per row, following the chart for the oval frame and songbird color changes. Each row has 24 blocks.
R49: Dec, 22 blocks, dec (23 blocks).
R50: Dec, 21 blocks, dec (22 blocks).
R51: Dec, 20 blocks, dec (21 blocks).
R52: Dec, 19 blocks, dec (20 blocks).
R53: Dec, 18 blocks, dec (19 blocks).
R54: Dec, 17 blocks, dec (18 blocks).
R55: Dec, 16 blocks, dec (17 blocks).
R56: Dec, 15 blocks, dec (16 blocks).
R57: Dec, 14 blocks, dec (15 blocks).
R58: Dec, 13 blocks, dec (14 blocks).
R59: Dec, 12 blocks, dec (13 blocks).
R60: Dec, 11 blocks, dec (12 blocks).
R61: Dec, 10 blocks, dec (11 blocks).
R62: Dec, 9 blocks, dec (10 blocks).
R63: Dec, 8 blocks, dec (9 blocks).
R64: Dec, 7 blocks, dec (8 blocks).
R65: Dec, 6 blocks, dec (7 blocks).
R66: Dec, 5 blocks, dec (6 blocks).
R67: Dec, 4 blocks, dec (5 blocks).
R68: Dec, 3 blocks, dec (4 blocks).
R69: Dec, 2 blocks, dec (3 blocks).
R70: Dec, 1 block, dec (2 blocks).
R71: Dec, dec (1 block).
R72: Dec (0 blocks). Fasten off.
Border
Rnd 1: With MC, join to any corner. Work 1 round of dc evenly around the entire blanket, working 3 dc in each corner. Fasten off.
Assembly and Finishing
This blanket is worked in one piece, so there are no seams to sew. Weave in all ends on the wrong side, threading each tail through several stitches in two directions so it will not work loose in the wash. Block the blanket by misting it lightly and pinning it to the finished measurements of 24 by 33.5 inches on a towel or blocking mat, then let it dry completely before removing the pins. A gentle block opens up the diagonal grid and makes the border lie flat.
Pro Tips and Variations
- Change colors in the last dc of the block before the new color so the join sits inside the block and the edge stays clean.
- For a larger throw, keep increasing past 24 blocks before working the even section, then mirror the same number of decrease rows at the end.
- Swap the dusty blue and antique gold for a soft sage and rose to give the songbird a completely different mood while keeping the same chart.
