Single Crochet Back Loop Only Baby Blanket

Create a squishy crochet baby blanket with great drape! The single crochet back loop only baby blanket is PERFECT for beginners looking to expand on the basic single crochet stitch.

It’s amazing how DIFFERENT a project can look when you work under just one loop of a stitch instead of both. For example, here is what classic single crochet looks like:

And here is what single crochet in the back loop only looks like:

Amazing!

Follow the instructions below to achieve a modern stripe pattern, or simply choose one favorite color of yarn or a self-striping yarn to have an extra mindless project!

I love uneven stripes, especially when you are stashbusting and not sure how much yarn you’ll need for an evenly striped pattern. Here are a few other designs I’ve created that feature uneven stripes:

• Mini Basketweave Christmas Crochet Baby Blanket
• Super Bulky C2C Moss Stitch Baby Blanket for Charity
• C2C Moss Stitch Stashbusting Crochet Baby Blanket Pattern

I hope you enjoy this pattern!

You can pin this pattern to your Pinterest board here.

Abbreviations (US)

• blo: back loop only
• ch(s): chain(s)
• pm: place marker in the st you just created
• rep: repeat
• rnd: round
• sc(s): single crochet(s)
• st(s): stitch(es)

Materials

• Brava Worsted Weight 4 Medium (100% Acrylic, 218yd/199m, 3.5oz/100g):
  • 1 skein Persimmon
  • 1 skein Just Peachy Speckle
  • 1 skein White
  • 3 skeins Cream
    =1,196yds/m, 21oz/600g total
• J/10 6mm crochet hook
• Scissors
• Stitch markers
• Tapestry needle

Finished Size

35″ x 35″ with border | 34″ x 34″ before border

Gauge

12 sts x 15 rows = 4″ x 4″

Notes

You can get an ads-free, easy-to-print PDF of this pattern over at Ravelry or at Etsy!

This blanket is part of a series I made for twins! You can see the other baby blanket here: Four Square Single Crochet Baby Blanket.

Turning ch never counts as a st.

To adjust the width of this blanket, ch any number.

Single Crochet Back Loop Only Baby Blanket Pattern

With cream yarn, ch 103.

Row 1: Sc in the 2nd ch from hook and in each st across, ch 1, turn. <102 scs here and throughout.>

Row 2: Sc blo in each st across, ch 1, turn.

To sc blo, insert your hook in the middle of the v, underneath the loop furthest from you.

Yarn over and pull up a loop.

Yarn over and pull through both loops.

Rows 3-128: Rep Row 2, changing colors in this order:

• Rows 1-12 (12 rows): Cream
• Rows 13-14 (2 rows): Persimmon
• Rows 15-24 (10 rows): Just Peachy Speckle
• Rows 25-26 (2 rows): Persimmon
• Rows 27-42 (16 rows): Cream
• Rows 43-44 (2 rows): Persimmon
• Rows 45-56 (12 rows): White
• Rows 57-58 (2 rows): Persimmon
• Rows 59-66 (8 rows): Cream
• Rows 67-68 (2 rows): Persimmon
• Rows 69-80 (12 rows): Just Peachy Speckle
• Rows 81-82 (2 rows): Persimmon
• Rows 83-100 (18 rows): Cream
• Rows 101-102 (2 rows): Persimmon
• Rows 103-112 (10 rows): White
• Rows 113-114 (2 rows): Persimmon
• Rows 115-128 (14 rows): Cream

Here is a chart showing how many rows you’ll work in each color, starting from the bottom up:

Here is what your blanket looks like all laid out once you’ve added the border, instructions following!

Because we’ve worked an even number of rows in each color, ALL of your ends should be on one side of the blanket except for your very beginning tail. This will be important when it comes to working the border.

Cut yarn, fasten off, and weave in ends. Consider placing a stitch marker near the side with all the ends.

Single Crochet Border

Border notes: A wild thing about this blanket is that, because all of your ends get woven in on one side, that side splays more than the other. To combat this, we have to work significantly fewer stitches into that side for the first round of the border. This will be the final side of border Rnd 1. So, keep an eye on the suggested stitch counts.

Rnd 1: With Persimmon, pull up a loop in the blo of the upper right-hand corner of the blanket (for right-handed crocheters, this will be the corner closest to where you wove in all your yarn tails). Work (ch 1, sc, pm, sc) in the same st. Sc blo across. In the corner, work (3 sc blo, pm in the middle sc). Sc down the first side, aiming to place about 1 st per row-end, skipping 2 sts around each persimmon stripe. In the corner, work (3 sc blo, pm in the middle sc). Along the bottom, sc blo across. In the corner, work (3 sc blo, pm in the middle sc). Lay down your work as flatly as possible. Now, as you work along the final side, aim to place about 2 sts for every 3 row-ends, checking your work frequently to make sure that the edge is lying flat and not splaying/ruffling or pulling in too much. Here we are compensating for the added bulk of all those woven-in ends on this side! When you reach your starting corner, work 1 sc, pm, then sl st join to your marked first st of the rnd. Ch 1, do not turn. <Excluding your 4 marked corners, the top and bottom of your blanket should have 102 sts, the side without all your yarn tails should have 112 sts, and the side with your yarn tails should have 84 sts.>

Rnd 2: In the marked corner, work (sc, pm, sc). [Sc in each st across. In the corner, work (3 scs, pm in the middle sc)] four times. When you reach your starting corner, instead of 3 scs, work 1 sc, then sl st join to your marked first st of the rnd. <Excluding your 4 marked corners, the top and bottom of your blanket should have 104 sts, the side without all your yarn tails should have 114 sts, and the side with your yarn tails should have 86 sts.> 

Cut yarn, fasten off, and weave in ends.

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