Daydreamer Diagonal Blanket in Red Heart Kids Solids - LW2580

Daydreamer Diagonal Blanket in Red Heart Kids Solids (LW2580)

The Daydreamer Diagonal Blanket (LW2580) is a crocheted throw blanket designed with a clever corner-to-corner construction that gives it a striking diagonal shell pattern. The finished blanket measures 36 inches by 47 inches, making it a generous size for children's nap time, fort building, or cozy everyday use. This is an intermediate-level crochet project worked in two colors, creating a rhythmic, visually appealing stripe effect across the diagonal shell rows.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a crocheted blanket or throw sized perfectly for children. The design begins at one corner and increases row by row, building outward until it reaches its widest diagonal point. From there, the work decreases symmetrically back down to the opposite corner, resulting in a classic diagonal or on-point rectangular shape. The two-color stripe arrangement adds visual interest without requiring complex colorwork techniques, making it approachable for crocheters who are comfortable with basic shell construction and color changes.

Construction and Structure

The blanket is worked entirely in diagonal rows, starting with a single shell in Row 1 and increasing by one shell per row through the expansion phase. The pattern grows to a maximum of 48 shells across the widest rows before the shaping begins. Two distinct shaping phases follow: a side edge phase that maintains 48 shells while shaping one edge, and a top edge phase that decreases on both edges simultaneously, tapering the blanket back down to its final corner. This construction method means there are no seams to sew and the diagonal lines flow naturally from the structure of the work itself.

Techniques Used

• Corner-to-corner diagonal construction — the blanket grows from a single shell at one corner, expands to full width, then decreases to the opposite corner
• Increasing — one shell is added at the end of each row during the expansion phase using a beginning shell chain sequence
• Decreasing — shells are dropped at one or both edges during the shaping phases using slip stitches to step past stitches without working into them
• Two-color striping — colors A and B are alternated across rows, with yarn joined and fastened off as needed to maintain the stripe sequence
• Color joining — new colors are joined at the top of the last double crochet made at the end of a row

Stitches Used

• Shell stitch — the primary stitch unit, worked as a slip stitch, chain 3, and 3 double crochets all placed into the same chain-3 space
• Beginning shell (Beg Shell) — a special starting shell worked as chain 6, double crochet in the 4th chain from the hook, double crochet in the last 2 chains; this creates the first shell of every row without requiring a slip stitch base
• Double crochet (dc) — used within every shell unit
• Slip stitch (slip st) — used both as part of the standard shell construction and as a shaping tool to step past stitches at row edges during the decrease sections
• Chain stitch (ch) — used to build the beginning shell and to form the chain-3 spaces that anchor each subsequent shell

Gauge

The pattern specifies a gauge of 6 shells = 4 inches and 6 rows = 4 inches. Checking gauge before beginning is strongly recommended, as the diagonal construction means that even small gauge variations will noticeably affect the final dimensions of the blanket. Any hook size that achieves the correct gauge may be used.

Materials

This pattern is designed for use with Red Heart Kids Solids yarn, an aran weight (medium weight, also commonly labeled as worsted or size 4) yarn well suited to the bold, defined shell stitches in this design. Red Heart Kids is a durable, easy-care yarn that holds up well to the kind of active use a children's blanket receives. Two colors are used throughout the pattern, referred to as Color A and Color B. A crochet hook sized to achieve the specified gauge is required; no knitting needles are used in this project.

Who This Pattern Is