This blanket is designed to be a quick and easy make for an experienced beginner. I’ve made the blanket using bold colours that remind me of the Aurora Borealis, however the pattern can be used with any colour or weight of yarn, and works in both stripes or one solid colour.
For the purpose of this pattern, I have made a pram sized blanket (65x75cm), however the pattern can easily be adapted to make a larger or smaller blanket using multiples of 3+1.
If you wish to replicate this blanket exactly, I have posted the cluster row colour order at the bottom of the Blanket Section of the pattern.

Materials Needed:

•  300g DK weight Yarn for the body, I used Scheepjes Colour Crafter in 2005 Oostende for the main body, and for the Cluster Stripes I used 1005 Barneveld, 1823 Coevorden, 1827 Drachten, 2015 Bastogne, 2003 Brugge (but any DK weight yarn will do).
• 50g of DK weight yarn in the colour of your choice for the border. I used Scheepjes Colour Crafter in 2005 Oostende.
• 4.5mm Hook for Starting Chain (optional)
• 4mm Crochet Hook (For the body of the blanket)
• 3.5mm Crochet Hook (For the edging of the blanket)
• Embroidery Scissors
• Tapestry Needle

Stiches Used:

• ch - Chain
• sc - Single Crochet
• hdc - Half Double Crochet
• dc - Double Crochet
• dc2tog - Double Crochet 2 Together (Double Crochet Decrease)
• reverse sc - Reverse Single Crochet (also known as crab stitch)

Special Stitches Used:

• dc2tog - Double Crochet 2 Together (Double Crochet Decrease)
• Cluster V = Dc2Tog, Ch2, Dc2Tog

Blanket Body

[Please Note: For this section I have used Ch2 to start each dc row. This counts as the first stitch on all rows. If you wish to use ch3 or a standing dc then please feel free to do so]

• Foundation Row: With 4.5mm hook, chain in multiples of 3+1 until you reach desired width (for baby blankets I chain 109)
• Row 1: Switch to 4mm hook. Into 4th chain from hook work dc, dc into every chain along. ch2 Turn. (107 Stitches)
• Row 2: Ch2 (counts as first stitch), dc into all remaining stitches, making sure to work final dc into turning chain from row below. Break yarn and sew in ends. Turn.
• Row 3:Join to top of 1^st stitch, ch3, skip next dc, *work Cluster V into next dc, skip next 2dc* Repeat from * to * until you have 2 stitches remaining, skip next dc, work dc into top of ch2 from row below. Turn
• Row 4: Ch3, Work a Cluster V combo into each ch2 gap from row below, work dc into top of ch3 from row below. Cut Yarn and Sew in Ends. Turn.

• Row 5: Join main Colour and ch2, *dc into top of next 2 clusters from row below, dc into ch2 gap from row below* Repeat from * to * until 1 cluster and turning chain remain. Work dc into top of last cluster, and final dc into top of turning chain from row below. Turn.
• Row 6: Ch2, dc into all remaining stitches, making sure to work final dc into turning chain from row below. Break yarn and sew in ends. Turn
• Rest of Pattern: Repeat rows 3 to 6 until blanket reaches desired length. (In my case this was 20 blocks of dc rows and 19 blocks of cluster rows.).

Colour order for Cluster Stripes (19 in total): Drachten, Bastogne, Brugge, Coevorden, Barneveld, Bastogne, Coevorden, Drachten, Brugge, Barneveld, Coevorden, Brugge, Bastogn, Drachten, Barneveld, Brugge, Drachten, Coevorden, Bastogne.

EDGING

[Please Note: Chain stitches in this section DO NOT count as the first stitch in the round]

Round 1:

• Switch to 3.5mm hook.
• Join with ss to any stitch along top row of blanket, ch1, sc in same stitch as ch1.
• sc across top edge to second last stitch of row.
• 3 sc in corner stitch.
• Work sc along long edge (I like to work my stitches as shown below – working 3 stitches across every 2 rows of dc, and 4 stitches across each 2 rows of clusters, but don’t feel tied to using this method)
•  Work 3 sc into corner of bottom row
• sc along bottom row to end.
• 3 sc in corner stitch
• Work along the rest of the blanket in the same manner as above.
• Join to top of first stitch in round with ss.

Round 2: 

• Ch1 and hdc in same stitch.
• Work hdc all around working 3 stitches into the middle sc from corner cluster of previous round. (shown right.)
• Join to first stitch in round with ss.

Round 3:

• Work in the same manner as Round 2.

Round 4: 

• Ch1, sc in same stitch.
•  Work sc all around, working 3 stitches into the middle stitch of the corner cluster from the previous round.
•  Join with ss to top of first stich of round. 

Round 5: 

• Ch1, work reverse sc all the way round the edge
• DO NOT ss to first stitch in round. Instead:
• Cut yarn and sew end through first stitch in round, working from the front of the stitch through to the back.

Ta Dah! You should now have a finished blanket resembling something like the blanket pictured below.

Video Tutorial:

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