Which Way is up Baby Blanket in Caron Simply Soft - Downloadable PDF

Which Way Is Up Baby Blanket – Crochet Pattern Summary

About This Pattern

The Which Way Is Up Baby Blanket is a free, downloadable PDF crochet pattern designed by Carrie Carpenter and published by Caron. As the playful name suggests, this baby blanket features a shifting zig-zag colorwork design that creates a visually dynamic, almost optical-illusion effect — a charming and whimsical choice for a nursery or baby gift. The finished blanket measures approximately 33 inches wide by 40 inches long (84 cm x 101.5 cm), making it a generous lap or crib blanket size suitable for infants and toddlers.

Design Overview

The pattern produces a single blanket worked in a classic rectangular shape. The visual interest comes entirely from a clever two-color stripe technique that shifts by one stitch grouping every row, creating the illusion of diagonal or zig-zag movement across the fabric. The design is rated intermediate in difficulty, making it an excellent next step for crocheters who are comfortable with basic stitches and ready to explore colorwork techniques such as color carrying and mid-row color changes.

Techniques Used

This pattern introduces and relies on several important crochet techniques that give the blanket its distinctive look:

• Two-color intarsia-style colorwork: Only one color is worked at a time, while the second color is carried underneath the active stitches. This keeps the fabric neat and avoids loose floats on the surface.
• Mid-row color changes: Colors are swapped every four stitches across each row. The color change is executed by working the last stitch of the old color up to the final yarn-over, then drawing the new color through all loops on the hook to complete the stitch cleanly.
• Row-by-row stripe offset: Each successive row shifts the color block placement by one stitch, which is what generates the zig-zag or diagonal illusion across the blanket surface.
• Color chart option: The pattern can be followed using either written row-by-row instructions or a color chart, giving crocheters flexibility in how they work.

Stitches Used

The stitch vocabulary in this pattern is straightforward, keeping the focus on colorwork rather than complex stitch construction:

• Chain (ch): Used to begin the foundation and to turn at the start of each row.
• Single crochet (sc): Used in the foundation row to establish an even base of 100 stitches.
• Double crochet (dc): The primary stitch used throughout the body of the blanket. Double crochet creates a fabric with good drape and works up relatively quickly, making it well-suited to a larger project like a baby blanket.
• Half double crochet (hdc): Listed in the abbreviations, indicating it appears in the full pattern instructions.
• Slip stitch (sl st): Listed in the abbreviations for use in finishing or joining as needed.

Materials and Yarn

The pattern is written specifically for Caron Simply Soft, an aran weight (size 4 medium) yarn. Simply Soft is a 100% acrylic yarn known for its smooth texture, soft hand feel, and easy-care machine-washable properties — all practical advantages for baby items. Each skein contains approximately 288 meters / 315 yards and weighs 170 g / 6 oz.

Three colorways are used in this pattern:

• Color A – Lavender Blue (9756): 2 skeins required
• Color B – Sunshine (9755): 1 skein required
• Color C – Off White (9702): 2 skeins required

The pattern notes that the blanket is worked with two colors at a time throughout, with the unused color carried under the working stitches rather than cut and rejoined. No specific crochet hook size is listed in the extracted content, but the recommended gauge is 12 stitches and 7 rows in double crochet = 4 inches / 10 cm