How to crochet a Crocodile Baby Blanket

Dear Artsy Craftsy Friends ,

I admit I grew very fond of the granny on the straight stitch that I used since I began crocheting again in March 2016 . To those of you who are reading my blog for the first time , I should repeat this bit of information about my life . I suffered a stroke in late November 2013 after which I became blind and partially deaf . I used to crochet on an advanced level before the stroke , but the permanent blindness that I am facing cut my crocheting passion short . I now am somewhere below a beginner crocheter since I have to make every step and stitch through touching with the visual help being a valuable commodity that I currently do not afford . But in March 2016 I got into the habit of crocheting once again , though all my work since that moment relied solely on the granny on the straight stitch that I found so easy to use with all the chain 1 spaces and somewhat lacey aspect that this stitch has . In time , I was no longer able to fool the little artist in me . My fingers were aching to try new stitches and patterns , despite my fear and frustration . I really used to be an advanced crocheter and loved the Tunisian stitches the most , stitches that I currently find impossible to make . But so I thought about the crocodile crochet stitch less than 4 months ago , when I gave it a try . And guess what , everyone ? I did a fabulous job crocheting two baby blankets and three pillow cases . One set is for a girl , the other one is for a baby boy . Come to think about it , the two blankets are for about 12-18 months old children . In any case , I thought to put together the instructions that will help you crochet similar pieces for your children , relatives or possible clients .

Things you need to know about the stitch and materials needed :

1. I used 28 skeins of 100% micropolyester Baby Softy yarn from Alize, wash by hand, 50g (1.76 oz.), 115m (126 yds) , as shown in the image bellow . They were enough to complete the blanket and the pillow cases .

2. I used a mix of 14 colors for the girl blanket and a mix of white and four shades of blue for the boy blanket . Feel free to use whatever colors you prefer , but make sure you have sufficient quantity to finish your project .

3. Buying the necessary amount of yarn depends on the type of crochet hook you will use to crochet the crocodile set . I used a 6 mm European size crochet hook . It also depends on the type of stitches and tension in your work . For example , my mother tends to crochet large stitches , so she would need a larger quantity of yarn as well , whereas my sister and I tend to make our stitches tightly , giving them a smaller look .

4. This means that the following measurements that I am going to give you are only an approximation . Please take into consideration your own crochet habits before embarking on working on this project .

The Baby Girl Crocodile Crochet Blanket: Width: 90cm; Length: 100cm

The Baby Boy Crocodile Crochet Blanket: Width: 94cm ; Length: 98cm

5. It took me about 18 days to complete the whole set of blanket plus two pillow cases , but then again I have a tremendous amount of free time on my hands . However I averaged on around five rows per day .

6. Even though I will try my best to explain the crocodile stitch as best as possible , you could take a look at my old tutorial on YouTube that I posted on my crochet channel before the stroke that you can find at the following link . Please note that the tutorial is split in a few parts , giving you a lot of details and tips on how to crochet the crocodile stitch .

7. See the following diagram that I used to combine the colors:

Baby girl blanket: A-B-C-D-E-F-G / H-I-J-K-L-M-N/ A-B-C-D-E-F-G / H-I-J-K-L-M-N / A-B-C-D-E-F-G / H-I-J-K-L-M-N/ A-B-C-D-E-F-G / H-I-J-K-L-M-N / A-B-C-D-E-F-G – 2 skeins for each A to N colors (28 in total)

Baby boy blanket: A- white (16 skeins); B- 1st blue (3 skeins); C- 2nd bleu (3 skeins); D- 3rd bleu (3 skeins); E- 4th bleu (3 skeins) – 28 in total.

A-B-A-C-A-D-A-E-A-D-A-C-A-B-A/ C-A-D-A-E-A-D-A-C-A-B-A/ C-A-D-A-E-A-D-A-C-A-B-A/ C-A-D-A-E-A-D-A-C-A-B-A/ C-A-D-A-E-A-D-A-C-A-B-A

Abbreviations :

ch – chain

ch-1 sp – chain 1 space

beg ch – beginning chain

sl st – slip stitch

sc – single crochet stitch

dc – double crochet stitch

How to crochet the crocodile scale : working from top to bottom work 5 dc around post of first dc of next set of 2dc, ch 1, turn work so the set of 2dc is sideways, working from bottom to top around post of second dc of the set, work 5 dc.

Level: easy, beginner.

Instructions :

Make a foundation chain of 122 chains ( the crocodile stitch is usually done in a multiple of 6 chains plus 4 extra chains to complete the pattern , but I used a small variation of the instructions for a more solid foundation , so I recommend that you do the same ) . Work 1sc in each ch across the foundation ch ( 121 sc in total ) .

Row 1 : Ch 3 ( counts as 1dc here and throughout ) ; 1dc in same sc as ch 3 ; ch 2 ; skip next 2sc ; * 2dc in next sc ; ch 2 ; skip next 2 sc ; * repeat from * to * across the row ; 2dc in last sc ; ch 1 and turn . ( 41 sets of 2dc on row 1 )

Row 2 : 1 crocodile scale around first set of 2dc ; ch 1; skip next set of 2dc ; * 1 crocodile scale around next set of 2dc ; ch 1 ; skip next set of 2dc ; * repeat from * to * across the row ; 1 scale around the last set of 2dc ; cut the yarn and fasten off; turn . ( 21 crocodile scales on row 2 )

Row 3 : Attach new color in the middle of last scale from previous row with sl st ; ch 3 ; 1dc in same sp as ch 3 ; ch 2 ; * 2dc between the next 2dc from previous row , making sure you grab and crochet around the ch-1 sp between the scales as well ; ch 2 ; 2dc in the middle of next scale ; * repeat from * to * across the row ; make sure you end up the row with 2dc in the middle of last scale ; turn . ( 41 sets of 2dc on row 3 )

Row 4 : Sl st between the two dc of the first set of 2dc ; ch 1 ; * 1 scale around the next set of 2dc ; ch 1 ; skip next set of 2dc ; * repeat from * to * across the row ; sl st between the two dc of the last set of 2dc from previous row ; cut the yarn and fasten off , turn . (20 crocodile scales in total)

Row 5 : Attach new choice of color between the two dc of the last set of 2dc from row 3 with a sl st ; ch 3 ; 1dc in same space as ch 3 ; ch 2 ; * 2dc in the middle of the next scale ; ch 2 ; 2dc between the two dc of the next set of 2dc , making sure you grab and crochet around the ch-1 sp between the scales as well ; * repeat from * to * across the row ; make sure you end up the row with a set of 2dc in the last set of 2dc from row 3 ; ch 1 ; turn . ( 41 sets of 2dc on row 5 )

Row 6 : 1 scale around the first set of 2dc ; ch 1 ; * skip next set of 2dc ; 1 scale around next set of 2dc; ch 1* repeat from * to * across the row ; make sure you end up the row with a scale around the last set of 2dc ; cut the yarn and fasten off; turn. ( 21 scales on row 6 )

Rows 7-126 : Repeat rows 3-6 , alternating your color options as well to suit your personal taste the best .

Do not cut the yarn on row 126. 1sc in each stitch , chain and space , 121 sc in total . Knot all loose ends securely , sew them across the scales and cut the tails when you are done .

I split the instructions in two parts, making the pattern easier to follow. Please visit the article on how to crochet a crocodile pillow case for a baby or as a home decor here.

I hope my guidance is of help and that your kids will enjoy their new crocodile blankets.

Happy crocodiling,
The Coolorburbians.

 

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