61 TLC Designs

61 TLC Designs Crochet Blanket by Tricia Crow

Project Overview

This is a 46 x 46 inch crochet blanket designed by Tricia Crow, featuring a charted bobble stitch pattern that creates visual texture and dimension. The finished throw is an ideal size for draping over furniture or using as a decorative accent piece. This intermediate-level crochet project combines basic single crochet with decorative bobble stitches to achieve a sophisticated, textured design.

What Is Being Made

A square crochet blanket measuring 46 x 46 inches, constructed from a charted pattern with 189 rows and 167 stitches per row. The blanket features a two-color design using contrasting yarn shades to highlight the bobble stitch motifs. Once the main charted section is complete, the edges are finished with single crochet worked evenly around the perimeter, including three single crochets in each corner for proper shaping.

Crochet Techniques Used

• Single Crochet (sc): The foundation stitch used throughout the blanket, forming the base fabric and edge finishing
• Bobble Stitch: A decorative, dimensional stitch that creates raised texture on the blanket surface. Bobble stitches are worked to the back of the fabric, creating a subtle relief effect
• Chart Reading: The pattern uses a grid-based chart where each square represents one stitch. Even-numbered rows are read right to left, while odd-numbered rows follow standard left-to-right reading
• Corner Increases: Three single crochets worked in each corner stitch during the edge finishing round to maintain proper shaping on the square blanket
• Slip Stitch Join: Used to complete the final edge round and secure the work

Bobble Stitch Construction

The bobble stitch is the signature decorative element of this blanket. To create a bobble stitch, yarn over and insert the hook into the designated stitch, then yarn over and draw up a loop. This sequence—yarn over, draw through two loops—is repeated four times total in the same stitch, building five loops on the hook. Finally, yarn over and draw through all five loops at once, completing the bobble. These stitches are intentionally worked to the back of the fabric, creating a subtle textured appearance on the front while the bobbles sit prominently on the reverse side.

Pattern Structure

The blanket begins with a foundation chain of 168 stitches. Single crochet is worked into the second chain from the hook and each remaining chain, creating 167 stitches in the foundation row. Rows 2 through 188 follow the provided chart, with each row beginning with a chain-1 stitch. The final row (189) consists of single crochet in each stitch across. After the charted section is complete, single crochet is worked evenly around the entire perimeter, with three single crochets placed in each corner, and the round is joined with a slip stitch before fastening off.

Materials: Yarn and Hook

Yarn: Caron One Pound yarn in two colors—1700 yards in blue and 1200 yards in off-white. This aran-weight yarn provides good stitch definition and allows the bobble stitches and charted pattern to show clearly. The total yardage used is approximately 2900 yards.

Hook: Size G crochet hook, appropriate for aran-weight yarn and suitable for achieving the stitch definition required for this charted pattern.

Difficulty Level

This project is rated as intermediate difficulty. While the primary stitches—single crochet and bobble stitch—are fundamental crochet techniques, the project requires comfort with reading charted patterns, maintaining consistent tension over a large number of rows, and executing bobble stitches accurately and repeatedly. The 189-row construction demands patience and attention to detail, making it suitable for crocheters with some experience beyond absolute beginner level.