LOTS OF PHOTOS BELOW!!!
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Skills: To do this blanket you need to know chain (ch), single crochet (sc), double crochet (dc), and how to increase/decrease in sc (sc2tog) and dc (2dc and dc2tog). You also need to know how to sew in loose ends and attach basic pieces together with a yarn need to tapestry needle.
Pattern: I based my blanket on a free pattern on Ravelry (if you knit or crochet, you simply MUST be on Ravelry!) called Mermaid Tail Afghan by Nadia Fuad. She even has a YouTube video to help follow the steps of the pattern. Check out her full pattern and videos on her website here.
Modifications: For my blankets, I've made two sizes, which I call Toddler (ages 1-4) and Child (ages 5-10). For the Toddler size, I did a CH 74 in order to have 12 shells across the pattern, and I did 42 rows before creating the pocket at the bottom (creating a body of ~28"). For the Child size, I did a CH 98 in order to have 16 shells across the pattern and did 54 rows before creating the pocket (creating a body of ~36" long). I use a 6.0 mm hook to achieve this gauge.
Yarn: The yarn I've used is Bernat Satin, which is 100g/skein. It's soft, a little bit shiny and works up beautifully. It also comes in some gorgeous colours that make it perfect for the mermaid blanket! I also live near the manufacturer so it's abundantly available to me. For a Toddler size I use 1 skein of each colour plus an additional ~half skein for the tail. For the Child size I use 1 1/4 skein of each colour plus an additional ~3/4 skein for the tail. I always use 3 colours, I think it would work with more colours as well, but if you try just 2 colours it will look 'checkerboard'-y in my opinion!
Construction: The blanket opens up in the back, so you work it like a normal flat blanket until you reach the joining point at the bottom for the foot pocket. This makes sense to me - I've seen some patterns where the blanket is actually something you pull over your legs like a sack, which seems hard to get in and out of. This way you just tuck the sides under your legs when sitting and VOILA! You're a mermaid! I also carry the yarn instead of breaking it off at each end, this works well with 3 colours but would not work with an even number of colours. Then to finish the blanket I don't have many ends to sew in, instead I do 2 rounds of sc around the edges and along the top.
Pictures: Here are pictures of the various blankets I've made, this may help you choose colour combinations and see how the construction is done! Please don't mind my daughter's silly faces... she loves modeling the blankets but is not a fan of having her picture taken!
This is the first one I made. Colours are: Aqua, Teal and Lavender. Child size.
Colours: Soft Red, Plum Mist Heather, Grey Mist Heather. Child size.
Colours: Lavender, Star Dust and Flamingo. Child size.
Colours: Star Dust, Sea Shell and Sage. Child size.
Colours: Lavender, Flamingo and Aqua. Toddler Size.
Colours: Sea Shell, Flamingo and Mai Tai. Child Size.
Happy crafting my friends!
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