THE JOY BLANKET
Your step-by-step guide to making your masterpiece
Hey there, stitch superstar! You’ve just unlocked the secret sauce to making your very own multi-coloured Joy Blanket, and we’re excited to be stitching it out with you.
Whether you're learning for the first time, or already have a few crochet masterpieces under your belt, these instructions will cover everything you need to know. We’ll take you from “how do I hold this hook?” to “look what I made!”
Heads up! You'll need the physical pattern that came with your kit as well as this online guide. The pattern contains the specifics, this guide gives you the extra layer of detail.
INCLUDED IN YOUR KIT
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT (Or CLOSE ENOUGH!)
Before we dive into the good stuff, let’s warm up those hands and your hook. Think of this like stretching before a workout, except comfier, cuter, and way more fun.
Grab some of the yarn from your kit (just a little, you’ve got enough to spare!), and get familiar with the motions. Try out the stitches you’ll be using in this pattern. This is your time to mess it up, try again, and feel things out — no pressure, no judgement, just you and your new fave hobby.
Bonus: Practising now = fewer headaches later (trust us on this one).
For this practise session we recommend you crochet a flat square - it's the best way to learn the stitches and once you've got that mastered you can move into the pattern and lean the magic ring.
Slip Knot
AKA how to attach your yarn to your hook!
Chain
In this video we show you how to make a foundation chain - the starting point for most crochet projects.
Single Crochet
This is one of two main stitches you'll use in this pattern.
Double Crochet
The second of the two stitches you'll use.
TEST YOUR GAUGE
Once you’re feeling comfy with the stitches, it’s time to check your gauge. We know, we know — it sounds technical, but it’s really just about making sure your tension matches the pattern.
Why? Because different crocheters = different stitch tightness. And we want your finished masterpiece to be the right size!
So grab your measuring tape, crochet up a little swatch (there’s a guide for that at the link below!), and let’s make sure you’re on track before the main event begins.
How to test your gauge
THE JOY BLANKET
If done correctly, your 10x10cm crochet swatch should measure 7 stitches wide, and 7 rows high when made in single crochet stitches using your 15mm hook.
Repeat after me:
“I solemnly swear to crochet bravely, unpick calmly, and pretend I meant to do that.
I accept that chaos is part of the craft, and possibly part of my personality.
I will finish what I start… eventually.”
We crochet our blanket flat in one big piece using a combination of single crochet and double crochet stitches, changing colour every few rows. When laying flat, your finished blanket will measure approx 120 x 135cm
Okay, let's break it down.
First you'll make your foundation chain. The foundation chain is like the base of our blanket and we will build our stitches into it. Try to maintain the same tension along the chain to keep it from curling. Once you're done you can give it a bit of a pull to help even out the stitches.
We'll start with a row of single crochet stitch.
💡 A turning chain is the little chain stitches you make at the start of a new row to bring your yarn up to the correct height for the next stitch. It basically “replaces” the first stitch of the row, so your edges stay straight instead of slanting. The number of chains you do depends on the stitch you’re using—shorter stitches need fewer chains, taller stitches need more. Think of it as your way of stepping up to the next row without squishing your work.
You will have completed a chain 3 at the end of row 1 for your turning chain as we head into our taller stitch, the double crochet stitch.
Our turning chain counts as the first stitch so you’re going to insert your hook into the second stitch in the row. Then do a DC into every stitch in the row. When you reach the end, do a DC into the turning chain from the previous row.
We’re going to do our first colour change. To do a colour change, you’ll yarn over with the new colour as you complete the turning chain.
Our next row will be a DC so you’ll chain 3 using colour 2 and turn your work. You can tie the ends of both colours together once the turning chain is finished. At the end you'll be adding tassels to each colour change point.
Then do a DC into every stitch in the row, starting at the second stitch.
Awesome work! You now know all the techniques you'll use to make your blanket. As you go there are a few principals that you’ll follow through out the pattern:
1. At the end of every row you’ll do a turning chain: chain one if you're doing a SC row next, or chain three if you're going into a DC next.
2. When you’re working in DC the turning chain counts as a stitch so to start the new row you’ll insert your hook into the second stitch and at the end of the row you’ll do a stitch into the top of the turning chain.
3. If you’re changing colour do that when you do the turning chain by yarning over with the new colour and securing the two ends with a knot. These knots are where we will add our tassels at the end, so make sure you’ve got a tail of around 15cm of each colour.
Hot tip: Colour changes don’t have to be done at the end of a row. If you run out of a colour mid-row you can start a new colour by yarning over with the new colour to begin a new stitch, then tie the yarn ends in a knot to secure.
You'll use the yarn left over to make your tassels. You'll add a tassel at each colour change - adding the tassel into the same place where you've made a knot.
STEP 1
Cut approximately 40 equal-length strands of yarn in a variety of colours. Make the lengths about twice as long as you want your tassels to be - around 30cm is good.
STEP 2
Grab 2 strands, fold them in half, and pinching the loop at the top, use your fingers to pull the piece through the stitch just before one of your colour change knots. Then, use your crochet hook to pull the ends through the loop and tug to secure.
Repeat for every knot. Trim to tidy up any uneven bits—and voilà, tassel magic!
The last thing we do is weave in any loose ends in the blanket - from where a new ball was joined mid-way through a row or where you encountered a knot in the yarn. You use your darning needle and weave those ends back into the blanket so they are nicely hidden away.
BLOCKING (Optional)
The final step in finishing a piece is to block it. This step is optional and not all beginner crocheters will block their work but it can improve the overall shape and finish of your piece.
Blocking is a process where you wet your piece to set the finished size and even out the stitches.
Soak your piece in cool water. You only need to let your piece sit in the water for a few minutes and make sure the full piece is completely wet.
Remove your piece from the water and dry it off by rolling it in a towel. You want to get us much of the moisture out of it as possible at this point but be gentle! You don't want to stretch the piece.
Transfer your damp piece to a flat surface to block it on. If you've got a blocking mat - great! otherwise a towel will work. The surface needs to be somewhere where your work can lie flat and can stay there until it fully dries so that the shape sets properly. Make sure it's not a surface that can be easily damaged by having something wet sitting on it!
Arrange your piece so the right side is facing up and the shape is as you'd like it. If you've got a measuring tape you can measure and adjust the piece so it's the correct size.
Allow the work to air dry - this can take a few days. You can also use a hair dryer to speed up the process, just use a light heat and don't concentrate the air in one spot.
