Crochet Throw in Schachenmayr Northern - S8635 - Downloadable PDF

Crochet Throw Pattern in Schachenmayr Northern – Design S8635

This free downloadable crochet pattern (Design S8635) from Schachenmayr produces a beautifully structured crocheted throw or blanket, worked in the brand's Northern yarn. The design features a textured centre panel worked from a charted stitch pattern, surrounded by a carefully constructed decorative border in a contrasting colour. The result is a cosy, substantial throw with a polished, finished edge that makes it suitable for home décor or gifting.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a crocheted throw (Häkeldecke) — a large rectangular blanket designed for warmth and decorative use. It is constructed in two distinct sections: a central panel (Mittelteil) and a surrounding border (Umrandung), each worked in a different colourway to create visual contrast and definition.

Construction and Structure

The centre panel is worked flat in rows, beginning with a foundation chain of 82 chain stitches plus 2 turning chains in place of the first double crochet. The stitch layout is organised around a repeat (Rapport) of 11 stitches, worked 7 times across the row, with additional stitches before and after the repeat to balance the panel. In terms of row count, the pattern instructs the crocheter to work rows 1 through 3 once, then repeat rows 2 and 3 a total of 33 times, followed by one final row 2 — giving the throw its full length.

Once the centre panel is complete, the yarn is not cut, and the work transitions directly into the border. The border begins with one round of single crochet (feste Maschen) worked all the way around the centre panel. Corner treatment is precise: each corner receives 2 single crochets, 1 chain stitch, and 2 single crochets to create a neat, squared-off turn. Along the short edges, 65 stitches are picked up, and along the long edges, 117 stitches, resulting in a total of 384 stitches in the first border round, closed with a slip stitch.

Subsequent border rounds are worked in a contrasting colour (described in the pattern as natur — a natural or cream shade), with the new yarn joined 3 stitches before a corner. These rounds use double crochet stitches (Stäbchen), with corner increases of 2 double crochets, 1 chain stitch, and 2 double crochets at each corner to maintain the rectangular shape and keep the border lying flat.

Techniques Used

• Foundation chain (Luftmaschen): The starting chain establishes the width of the centre panel and is a fundamental crochet technique used to begin flat, rectangular projects.
• Working from a crochet chart (Häkelschrift): The centre panel stitch pattern is read from a symbol chart, requiring the crocheter to follow a visual diagram rather than written row-by-row instructions alone.
• Stitch repeats (Rapport): The 11-stitch repeat is worked across the row multiple times, a common technique for creating regular, repeating texture or lace patterns across a fabric.
• Turning chains as substitute stitches: The pattern uses 2 chain stitches in place of the first double crochet, and 3 chain stitches in place of the first double crochet in border rounds — a standard technique to maintain consistent row height.
• Crocheting in the round for the border: After the flat centre panel is complete, the border is worked in joined rounds, a technique that allows a continuous, seamless frame to be built around a flat piece.
• Corner shaping with chain spaces: Inserting a chain stitch at each corner between increase stitches is a classic technique for keeping a crocheted border flat and square at the corners.
• Colour joining mid-round: The contrasting natur yarn is joined at a specific stitch position relative to the corner, demonstrating a deliberate colour-change technique for a tidy, professional join.
• Slip stitch round closing (Kettmaschen): Each border round is closed with a slip stitch, the standard