C2C Lemon Peel Stitch Baby Blanket Free Pattern & Video Tutorial
Not only practical, crochet baby blankets are heirlooms in the making. They are comfy and cozy and become cherished keepsakes that may be loved for generations. Handmade blankets are full of love in every stitch. Who wouldn’t want the gift of a lovingly made blanket?
What is the C2C Lemon Peel Stitch?
The Lemon Peel Stitch creates a delightful dense textured fabric that resembles the pitted surface of a lemon, hence the name. When combined with the corner to corner (c2c) crochet method, this adds visual interest and versatility to the already beautiful stitch.
This tutorial will guide you through the process of learning the Lemon Peel stitch and using the c2c method. I will provide you with everything you need and a free pattern, to make a beautiful crochet baby blanket.
What is Corner to Corner Crochet?
The c2c method has become very popular and much loved in the crochet community for it's stunning diagonal patterns and its versatility. Its rise to fame originated with the c2c Block Stitch, but now more and more crochet stitches are finding their way into c2c projects.
Items made in this method grow from one corner to the opposite making this type crochet not only beautiful but also very adaptable.
.png "Limoncello PDF")
For those that prefer a PDF pattern, free of ads and fluff, you can get that here…
|
|
|
|
Free C2C Lemon Peel Stitch Baby Blanket Pattern
Whether you are an experienced crocheter or just starting out, you will benefit from this crochet tutorial. I will guide you through the process of learning the Lemon Peel stitch combined with the c2c method and making a beautiful textured baby blanket.
We will begin by discussing the essential materials needed, for this heirloom in the making and introduce you to the stitches and techniques, to crochet the Lemon Peel stitch and the Spider Stitch border. I will also cover troubleshooting tips and tricks to help you perfect your project.
Is This Pattern Suitable For Beginners?
A beginner that is comfortable with the basic stitches and is ready to try something a little more challenging, can easily master the Lemon Peel stitch and the c2c technique, as it uses only simple straightforward stitches. The baby blanket pattern provides you with a great opportunity to practise and perfect these stitches whilst making something unique and truly beautiful.
If you are a beginner I recommend making a practice swatch first. My C2C Lemon Peel stitch dishcloth pattern would make a great project to practise this stitch first, before diving into the blanket pattern.
Looking for more easy baby blanket patterns?
This post contains affiliate links, if you make a purchase through one of my links I will get a small commission from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you…
Equipment
Let’s start by getting everything we need ready. Just like most baby blanket patterns, we’ll only need a few crochet supplies -
- Yarn: I recommend a worsted (Aran) in soft cotton or acrylic to make your baby blanket with.
- Crochet hook: An ergonomic hook that is comfortable to hold, go for the size recommended on your yarn ball band or your pattern.
- Scissors: Any small sharp scissors will do.
- Darning Needle: One with a large eye suitable for yarn
Choosing Your Yarn
I crocheted the Limoncello blanket in Caron Simply Soft. It comes in a gorgeous variety of colours and is incredibly soft as the name implies. This is a great option for baby blankets. Consider using yarn that is machine washable and easy to care for and gentle on babies skin.
Selecting the Perfect Crochet Hooks
For this blanket, I used a 5.5mm hook. I love to use these Clover Soft Touch hooks as they have a smooth surface that glides through the yarn easily and the handles are comfortable to hold. These are my preferred hooks to use and I have them in many sizes.
For this blanket, I used a 5.5mm hook. I love to use these Clover Soft Touch hooks as they have a smooth surface that glides through the yarn easily and the handles are comfortable to hold. These are my preferred hooks to use and I have them in many sizes.
Handy Tools and Notions
Additionally, you'll need some helpful items like a pair of scissors, a measuring tape or gauge ruler, and a darning needle for neatly securing loose yarn ends. While not essential, stitch markers can be quite convenient for keeping track of your stitches.
Additionally, you'll need some helpful items like a pair of scissors, a measuring tape or gauge ruler, and a darning needle for neatly securing loose yarn ends. While not essential, stitch markers can be quite convenient for keeping track of your stitches.
Exploring the Lemon Peel Stitch Pattern
Now, let's take a look at the beautifully textured stitch pattern we'll be learning. Though it might look complicated at first glance, the lemon peel effect is surprisingly simple and easy to master and only uses single and double crochet stitches. We simply alternate from single crochet, to double crochet, super simple even a beginner can master this stitch.
Before we begin let's familiarize ourselves with the basic stitches for this pattern -
- Single Crochet: Insert your hook into the stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through both loops
- Chain Stitch: To make a chain stitch, yarn over and pull through the loop on the hook, this is repeated as many times as is necessary
- Slip Stitch: Insert hook into stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop. pull this loop through the loop on the hook
- Double crochet: Yarn over, insert hook into stitch and pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through 2 loops, yarn over pull through 2 loops
Save this pattern to your Pinterest board so you can easily find it later…
C2C Lemon Peel Stitch Video Tutorial
For those that are visual learners a video tutorial is available to compliment this guide. It will show you step by step how to crochet the C2C Lemon Peel Stitch and how to set up your blanket ready to add a border. Follow along until you have added a round of slip stitches to your blanket. Then move on to the border pattern.
Limoncello Baby Blanket
Materials
Caron Simply Soft in Lemonade and White
Darning needle
5.5mm & 5mm hooks
Difficulty
Easy
Gauge
Not essential for this project
Abbreviations US terms (UK conversion)
Sc – single crochet (double crochet)
Dc – double crochet (treble crochet)
Dc2tog – double crochet 2 together (treble crochet 2 together)
Ch – chain
Sl st – slip stitch
St(s) – stitch(es)
Yo – yarn over
Blo – back loop only
Sk - skip
Size Chart
| Ideal for | Blanket Size inches | Lemonade 6oz skein | White 6oz skein | Total Yardage |
| Car Seat | 25x25 | 2 | 1 | 563 |
| Stroller, buggy | 30x30 | 3 | 1 | 810 |
| Cot | 35x35 | 4 | 1 | 1103 |
| Cot Bed, lap | 40x40 | 5 | 1 | 1440 |
| Throw | 45x45 | 6 | 1 | 1823 |
About the yarn
Caron Simply soft is a 100% acrylic yarn known for its effortless maintenance and luxurious texture, it has become a favourite among yarn enthusiasts. If you're aiming to create a cozy blanket that can withstand machine wash and low heat tumble dry, Caron Simply Soft yarn is the answer. It comes in an incredible selection of more than 50 shades. Each 60z skein contains 315 yards.
You can purchase the yarn here at Lovecrafts (affiliate link)
Special Stitches & Techniques
- Back loop only: When you look at the top of a crochet stitch it has a front loop and a back loop, for this technique you will be working into the back loop only
- Dc2tog: Yo, insert hook into stitch and pull up a loop, yo and pull through 2 loops, yo and insert hook into next st and pull up a loop, yo and pull through 2 loops, yo and pull through remaining loops
Pattern Notes
- Read pattern in its entirety before starting
- US terms are used throughout
- This blanket is crocheted in Lemon Peel stitch from corner to corner
- Ch3 or ch2 at the start of a row during increases, counts as dc, however we will not work into the top of this stitch at the end of the row, instead work into the chain space created between the ch3 and previous stitch
- How many stitches you need around your blanket for the border depends on your tension, too many stitches will make your edges wobbly and too few will make your work pull in, adjust accordingly
- If you are a beginner, instructions for each stitch are listed at the end of the pattern
- If you have an odd number of stitches whilst crocheting the border, sk 2 sts at the end and then join to 1st sc
Start Crocheting Here…
Increases
Foundation row with 5.5mm hook, ch4, sc in 4th ch from hook, dc in same st, turn
Row 1 ch3, sc in same st, dc in next st, sc in ch sp, dc in same sp, turn
Row 2 ch3, sc in 1st st, dc in each sc from previous row, sc in each dc from previous row, ending with sc and dc in ch sp
Repeat row 2 until blanket is required size.
Decreases
Row 1 ch2, sk 1st and 2nd st, sc in next and every dc from previous row, dc in every sc from previous row until 1st remains, dc2tog in last st and ch sp
Repeat row 1 until 5 stitches remain, sk2, sc in next st, d2tog over next st and ch sp, turn
Next row Ch 1, sc in ch2 sp. Do not fasten off.
Border Setup Rounds
Round 1 With right side facing and larger hook, loosely sl st around the blanket, putting 1 st in each corner, join with sl st to 1st sl st, fasten off.
Spider Stitch Edging Video Tutorial
The Spider Stitch Edging video is a generic version to give you an idea of how to add to any project. For this pattern you do not need to add a round of single crochet first and you do not add extra stitches in the corners. The Limoncello blanket is designed to have gently curved corners.
Spider Stitch Edging
Round 1 with 5mm hook and white, join with sl on any side, working in blo, sc in same st, ch2, sc in same st, [sk 1 st, sc in next st, ch2, sc in same st] repeat around blanket edge ending with sl st to 1st sc. Fasten off and weave in ends.
Note: If you have an odd number of stitches you may need to sk 2 sts at the end and then join to 1st sc.
Substituting Yarns
- As this pattern is worked from corner to corner it lends itself well to other yarns. You could even make this with a different yarn weight, just check your yarn ball band for hook size
- Make a swatch with your yarn first to see how you like the fabric, try going up and down hook sizes to see what you like best. Blankets often look better crocheted with a hook size larger than recommended on the yarn ball band
- Remember if you make this blanket with different yarn than recommended, finished results and yarn quantities will vary
Common Mistakes & How To Avoid Them
It is easy to end up with uneven edges if you miss count your stitches, or your tension is uneven. Always ensure your stitch count is correct at the end of each row. Good tension is something that comes with practice. Practice and patients are key to mastering this technique. Creating a neat edge can be achieved by incorporating correct turning chains and paying attention to the first and last stitches of each row.
Comments
Post a Comment