Crochet Colour Block Afghan
I love sharp lines and angles - no matter what kind of decor it is. I wanted to bring what I thought was a modern feel to a crochet blanket, but I also wanted to use simple crochet stitches and concepts to make it happen.
This crochet blanket looks great when in use, or when folded and draped on a piece of furniture for storing.
This project is a great piece to add to your home - made with chenille-style Bernat Blanket Yarn, its soft to the touch and has a luxurious feel to it. If you’re searching for a simple crochet afghan or blanket pattern that looks high-end with lots of comfort - this is it!
You can always wing this pattern in terms of size - if you want the final blanket bigger, simply add additional rows to the triangle sections when making, and pick back up when we add on the side and end bars - as long as you have enough yarn, you can make each section (and the overall blanket) as big as you like (it’s always a good idea to have an extra ball of yarn or two on hand for a project anyway).
There are a few spots in this project that might be considered a bit intermediate in terms of skill - but don’t be intimidated. I have added plenty of instructions and visuals throughout to help you crochet this colour block afghan with success!
The Yarn
Bernat Blanket is a great choice for many projects - from home decor to winter wear. Because of its unique texture and variety of colours, you’ll likely find yourself reaching for this yarn again and again.
At the time of creating and writing this design I have multiple balls of Bernat Blanket - ranging from brand new, in progress, and leftovers to use.
It can sometimes be tricky to see everything clearly with this yarn, but use your hands to feel the stitches and you will catch on in no time!
The Pattern
Yarn
Bernat Blanket (10.5oz/300g, 220yds/201m)
Triangles - 2 skein for each triangle
Bottom Section - 1 skein
Side Section - 1 skein
Hook
7mm
Gauge
4in = 8 sts & 5 rows
Finished Project Size
38.25in / 97cm wide, 71in / 180cm long
Abbreviations
ch - chain; st - stitch; dc - double crochet; dcblo - double crochet in the back loop only; inc - increase (place 2 dcblo in the same loop/stitch)
Notes
Pattern is made in steps/sections - first make and join both triangles, then add on the two remaining pieces by working on the edges of the triangles with our hook
Increases are worked on same side throughout each of the first two triangles - this creates a right-angle triangle, and keeps one of the sides straight as we make the piece bigger
You can use any colours you want for this colour block afghan - what I’ve learned is: if the pattern is the highlight, then make the stitches easier to look at. In this pattern I did just that with simple stitches that provide a small amount of texture, but in an interesting colour scheme and arrangement
7mm CAN be a bit of a unique crochet hook size - remember to do a gauge swatch to see what works for you! Since this is a blanket, you can really use whatever hook you like depending on how you want the finished stitches to look (i.e. more space vs tighter and denser). Just keep in mind that with a yarn this bulky, it might be difficult to work with if you go below something like a 6.5mm (I’ve used 6.5mm with Bernat Blanket Yarn when making amigurumi animals in the past)
Center Triangles - Make 2!
To start: Ch 3.
Row 1: Dcblo in second ch from hook and last ch. Ch 1 and turn. | 2 sts |
Row 2: Inc in first st. Dcblo in last st. Ch 1 and turn. | 3 sts |
Row 3: Dcblo across to last st, inc in last st. Ch 1 and turn. | 4 sts |
It doesn’t take long to see the triangle starting to form!
Rows 4 - 76: Repeat rows 2 & 3, until triangles measure ~ 60 inches ( 152cms ) in length. | 77 sts |. Fasten off and weave in all ends.
Once you’ve reached the 76th row, your triangles should look something like this!
Joining Both Triangles
Let me stress that this part doesn’t have to be perfect. Once it’s all finished, the stitching will blend nicely since we are using a yarn with a bit less definition.
Joining (you can really start on either end): Start by anchoring your yarn to one of the triangles at the tip - I anchored to the triangle that was the same colour as my joining yarn.
To join the triangles in this pattern I used a simple whip stitch in one of the two triangle colours, focusing on catching the front of the stitches on each side. To help keep the two pieces aligned properly, do your best to match up the back loops (they look like straight lines) of the rows.
When joining at the beginning and ends, join as you normally would, and then work your yarn 2 -3 more times through the edges to help them match and create a straight line. This part is an art and not a science, so just do your best to have everything lined up. I recommend finishing on the side of the triangle matching the joining yarn colour so that the tail is easier to hide within stitch work of the same colour.
Bottom Section
This section is worked in the same stitch repetitions as the triangles , just without the increases!
* Before joining yarn, turn the piece you just completed to the “wrong side”. By joining on this side, we will keep the triangle rows in the same order as before, and avoid having an extra/missing row. Join yarn to back loop of first stitch of the long-edge.
Join yarn.
Row 1: Ch 1. Dcblo in the first stitch, and each stitch across to the next triangle’s point.
*Note: Although the last row (and therefore the row you are working into here) of each triangle will have 77 stitches, when joining the edges my very last stitch in this row was hidden where it had been joined. So when I reached the tip of the other triangle, I had 76 stitches instead so as not to alter the edge. You may have a perfect 77, but as long as things are looking even don’t worry about it! In this pattern I am using the number 79 for st counts, but whether you end up with 80 or 78 sts on this row - just make sure you have the same amount of sts for each row of this bottom piece.
→ When you reach the tip of the other triangle, do your best to work evenly across. To match the back-loop effect of the other stitches, work in the back sections of the top of the point.
I ended up adding 3 stitches into the yellow triangle’s point, meaning I ended with a grand total of 79 stitches in this row.
From here it is repetition until the end of the section!
Row 2: Ch 1. Dcblo in each st across. | 79 sts |
Rows 3 - 10: Repeat row 2. | 79 sts |
Fasten off.
Weave in your tails and get ready to finish off with the last part of the pattern!
Side Section
This is the last section of our afghan - and it is very similar to the last part of the pattern.
Row 1: Join yarn to the corner of the triangle. Work 73 dc evenly across the side of the blanket, starting at the top left edge of the “right side” of your work. Ch 1. | 73 sts |
Row 2: Dcblo in each st across. | 73 sts |
Rows 3 - 7: Repeat row 2. | 73 sts |
Fasten off and weave in your ends!
Finished!
Now you are ready to block - or enjoy your new blanket right away!
Remember that you can customize this project in a number of ways - use different colours, or resize to fit your needs by adding more rows to that starting triangle or the side/bottom sections. Just make sure you have extra yarn on hand!
Happy hooking!
- Avery
