Crochet Blanket Edgings

If you're in need of an easy gift idea, try crocheting an edging onto a blanket.  It's super-simple, and it took me about 3 hours total.  That's not a terrible amount of time from start of crafting to finished object.  Above, you can see the full blanket with edging and cat for scale.  Below is a closer shot of the edging around the blanket.

What you will need to make a similar blanket, which I think could be a great gift idea is the following:

• a fleece blanket with a sewn edging
• Red Heart Super Saver yarn or equivalent worsted weight acrylic yarn
• crochet hook - I used a size J - Pick a crochet hook that allows you to single crochet around the blanket without any tugging or puckering

I made a slipknot, stuck it on my hook, tightened it down, and inserted the hook under the sewn edging, then made a single crochet.  I continued in this manner, using the sewn edging as the basis for my single crochets around the entire blanket.  I started in one corner, and you will work left to right.  When I reached my first stitch, I made a slip stitch to join.

Then it was time to make shells.  You could make any border stitch pattern you'd like, but I chose shells.  For my border, I made 5 double crochets into that first single crochet where I had just slip stitched.  Then, I skipped 3 single crochets and made 5 double crochets into the 4th single crochet.  Skip 3, make 5 double crochets, skip 3, make 5 double crochets all the way around the blanket until you reach your very first stitch.  Then slip stitch to join, sew in ends, and viola you have a completed blanket.

I will be washing my blanket to remove the cat fur and donating it to Project Linus.