Center Out Bean Stitch Crochet Baby Blanket Pattern

Crochet a wonderfully squishy baby blanket when you learn how to crochet the bean stitch from the center out! This grow out blanket starts in the center and is worked in rounds until you reach the desired size. You can use this method to make a (very puffy) coaster, dishcloth, baby blanket, or larger afghan!

This pattern was inspired by this gorgeous Spill The Beans Crochet Baby Blanket over at caabcrochet.com. Her pattern alternates rows of half double crochet stitches. I wanted to keep it even simpler: once I mastered working the bean stitch in rounds, I wanted the pattern to be relatively mindless!

Materials

• Worsted weight yarn from your stash. I used approximately 4 skeins of Red Heart With Love yarn for this blanket.
• Size I/9 crochet hook
• Stitch markers
• Tapestry needle for weaving in ends

Bean Stitch Instructions

Step 1: Insert hook into a stitch. Yo and pull through. You will have two loops on your hook.

Step 2: Yo. Insert hook in the same stitch. Yo and pull up a loop. You will have 4 loops on your hook.

Step 3: Yo. Insert hook in the same stitch. Yo and pull up a loop. You will have 6 loops on your hook.

Step 4: Yo and pull through all 6 loops on your hook. Ch 1 to finish.

You can find a photo tutorial for working the bean stitch in this lovely post at Stitching Together: How to crochet the bean stitch.

Special Abbreviations

PM: place stitch marker behind your hook.

Notes

I found stitch markers so helpful for marking corners, especially in the first few rounds. These incredibly handy tools take the guesswork out of where to place your stitches.

Center Out Bean Stitch Crochet Baby Blanket Pattern

Round 1: Ch 2. In the 2nd ch from the hook, work a bean st. Ch 2. PM. *In the same ch as you worked the first bean st, work another bean st. Ch 2. PM.* Repeat from * to * 2 more times. Join with a sl st to the top of the first bean st. You should have 4 bean sts with 2 chs in between each. Ch 1, turn.

Note: Instead of starting with ch 2, you could begin with a magic circle. This is my favorite video showing a truly simple way to make a magic circle.

Another note: Remember that each bean st is finished with a ch 1, then you work another ch 2. Essentially you are working 3 chs in a row. So it may be easier to think to yourself with each bean st, pull the hook through all 6 loops, then ch 3. Later in the pattern, there are also ch 1 sps between bean sts. Pull the hook through all 6 loops, then ch 2. I found that mentally adding the chs together helped me not to miss any as I worked up the pattern.

Round 2: *In the ch 2 sp, work a bean st, ch 2, PM, and work another bean st in the same sp. Ch 1.* Repeat from * to * 3 more times. Join with a sl st to the top of the first bean st of the round. You should have 8 bean sts. The pairs separated by 2 chs will be the corners (marked with stitch markers). Ch 1, turn.

Round 3: *Work 1 bean st in the ch 1 sp. Ch 1. In ch 2 sp work a bean st, ch 2, PM, bean st. Ch 1.* Repeat from * to * 2 more times. Join with a sl st to the top of the first bean stitch. You should have 12 bean sts in this round. Ch 1, turn.

Round 4: *In each ch 1 sp work 1 bean st and ch 1. In each ch 2 sp work a bean st, ch 2, PM, bean st, and ch 1.* Repeat to last corner. In remaining ch 1 sps, work 1 bean st, ch 1. Join round with a sl st to the top of the first bean. Ch 1, turn.

Repeat Round 4 to desired size.

Cut yarn and weave in ends.

For a printable version of this pattern, you can visit this link to get the Google doc.