Battle Song Blanket

Battle Song Blanket

The Battle Song Blanket is a free pattern here on the blog! Read on to learn about the design inspiration and all materials needed to create this crochet blanket. 

Copyright Disclosure

This pattern is for your own personal use. No unauthorized reproduction, in whole or in part (i.e. copying and pasting this pattern into your own document, altering this pattern in any way and calling it your own, etc.), or distribution of this pattern or content (i.e. sharing this pattern in its whole form on your own blog) is allowed. You can use this blog post in blog round-ups. I give permission to sell your items made from this pattern. Please credit “While They Dream” in your listings. The pattern and all photos are the property of While They Dream. You are welcome to share my patterns across all social media forms as long as you link back to my blog directly.

Inspiration

I love quilts, but I don't do a lot of sewing. For now I just enjoy crocheting quilt style blankets. The Battle Song Blanket is the perfect blanket to go stash diving with. For my own version I am using colors from my 2023 Nature and Nostalgia Yarn Clubs. I’m mostly trying to stick to just using the Nature Club, but may mix and match here and there. There are lots of fabric cross quilts, so I designed this one to match my own ideas based off of ones that I had seen around Pinterest.

Due to the fact that I am creating new colors every month of 2023, I have no idea what the end result of my quilt will actually look like. When I created my Birds of a Feather Blanket in the beginning of 2022 I had to let go and learn to trust the process of "blindly creating" throughout the year. I used bare yarn, paired with a monthly yarn club color inspired by birds from from Made by Hailey Bailey. I never knew what color was coming next.

The Birds of a Feather Blanket is what got me hooked on the process of trusting a future outcome. Since creating that blanket I've had several other people start their own, blindly creating their own versions. I have found it gives people a bit of anxiety...giving up control of where things may go and trusting that they'll be happy at the end of it all. I think that's where the beauty lies. I think it's a direct representation of life.

Here's a look at the end result of my Birds of a Feather Blanket. 
2023 has thrown me for a loop. By March my own life was pretty hard to understand and for whatever reason, creating another blanket that has me needing to put my faith into trusting seems to help keep me balanced. 

 

Sizes

  • Each square is 2.75 inches (7 cm)
  • The final dimensions will be: 47 inches (119 cm) x 47 inches (119 cm)
  • If you use fingering weight you could keep crocheting your square until you reach the approximate size of the worsted weight version. 
  • If you use DK weight yarn I would suggest checking your size after completing your rounds to see if you're close to the 2.75 in (7cm). 

Supplies Needed

  • Crochet Hook: 4.5mm/G+ – adjust your hook size if you adjust the yarn weight. I love using Furls Hooks. They are so comfortable and I don’t get stressed hands or wrists like I once did. Use the code HOOK15 for 15% off. You may need to adjust your hook size if you use a different weight of yarn. 
  • Yarn: I am using a worsted weight yarn. There are no rules here. Use whatever weight you'd like to use. 
  • Colors Used and Yardage:
    • Each DK weight square requires approximately 4.7g/10 yards
    • In a 100g skein I would say you could comfortably get 22 squares 
    • The neutral yarn I chose for this blanket is my Quartz color. You’ll need to make 85 squares in your neutral color. This should result in needing 400g (4 skeins). If you want to do a simple border in a neutral color I would plan for purchasing a 50g skein as well.
    • For the crosses: You will need 13 squares for each cross and 4 squares for the tops of crosses that line the perimeter of the blanket. You will need approximately 61g/130 yds (119m) for the crosses and 19g/40 yds (37m) for the tops.

Stitch Abbreviations

  • Ch – Chain
  • DC – Double Crochet
  • Slst – Slip Stitch

Important Notes

  • If you plan to use the whip stitch to join your squares, use lengths that are around two - three times the distance of the space you are needing to sew together. Tip for all whip stitch seaming: Do not pull your whip stitch tight or your pieces are going to cinch. Check your work periodically to make sure you’re not pulling too tightly.

  • For the join as you go, here is a video tutorial from Hooked by Robin – Solid Granny Square Joining.

  • For the mattress stitch here is a helpful video by “Play Hooky with Me” for how to do an invisible mattress stitch if that’s the route you want to take: How to do an Invisible Join for a Crochet Blanket

Chart for Assembling

The color labels below are just an example – you don’t need to use a monthly yarn club. Use scraps, stash, do all the crosses in one color, etc. There are no rules!

PDF Patterns: The PDF pattern has everything you need to create your own stash busting blanket. It has photo tutorials and links to helpful videos for different joining techniques to choose from for attaching your squares. It will be updated periodically with photos of the blanket's progress or finished photos at the end of the year, but will otherwise be a complete pattern. Until the blanket is finished, the PDF will only be available in my personal shop. I will add it to Etsy and Ravelry after completion.  

You can find the Ad-Free PDF Pattern HERE 

 

Pattern

To begin: Make a Magic Circle (or chain 3, join in a circle).

Round 1: Ch 3, work 2 DC, Ch 2, 3 DC into the magic circle, Ch 2. *3DC, Ch 2* repeat once more. Join to the top of your beginning Ch 3. If you used a Magic Circle, pull your tail tight to close the hole. (3 DC on each side and one Ch 2 in each corner).

Round 2: Turn your work and slst into the Ch 2 space. (Ch 3, DC) into the Ch 2 space. DC into each stitch across. *(2 DC, Ch 2, 2 DC) into the Ch 2 space. DC into each stitch across* repeat two more times. (2 DC, Ch 2) into the Ch 2 space. Join to the top of your beginning Ch 3. (7 DC on each side and one Ch 2 in each corner).

Round 3: Turn your work and slst into the Ch 2 space. (Ch 3, DC) into the Ch 2 space. DC into each stitch across. *(2 DC, Ch 2, 2 DC) into the Ch 2 space. DC into each stitch across* repeat two more times. (2 DC, Ch 2) in the Ch 2 space. Join to the top of your beginning Ch 3. (11 DC on each side and one Ch 2 in each corner).

Round 4: Repeat Round 2. (15 DC on each side and one Ch 2 in each corner).

Fasten off. Leave a long tail if you are planning on using the mattress stitch. This will allow you to use the tail to attach to your adjoining squares.

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