Cheerful Child is a baby blanket CAL here on pinkmambo.com that appears every Monday and Thursday January 7-February 18, 2016. It features granny-style blocks in a variety of designs, all on the easy side.
Every other block is a different granny square design–there are 12 of those–and alternating blocks are solid granny squares in the five colors, all made the same–and there are 13 of those. So 25 blocks in all plus a border. My blanket turned out to be 34 1/2″ square made with a size I hook.
Cheerful Child’s skill level is adventurous beginner, which means you have knowledge of the basic stitches and are ready to take on a larger, more involved project with a little more texture and combinations of stitches. Experienced crocheters will enjoy the fun of making these fresh and pretty blocks as well.
Each square features round by round photos and written instructions. I hope you will join in the fun of making this cheery, pretty blanket!
Here are links to all the blocks and additional information.
- Square 1: Posy Wheel
- Square 2: Bullseye
- Square 3: Emma on Oombawkadesigncrochet.com
- Square 4: Hadley
- Square 5: Easton
- How to make Cheerful Child in different sizes
- Square 6: Ruby
- Square 7: Avery
- Getting your blocks to the same size, blocking and joining
- Square 8: Finley
- Square 9: Kayden
- Square 10: Morgan
- Square 11: Monroe
- Square 12: Addison
- Square 13: Channing (last square)
- Border (last post)
This first post contains information about the first two squares, and on Saturday, another is coming out as my guest post on oombawkacrochetdesign.com.
Cheerful Child Blanket CAL
by Carolyn Christmas
Materials
5 colors worsted/aran weight category 4 yarn, about 1020 to 1050 yards in all. I chose I Love this Yarn from Hobby Lobby in the following colors, and since each 7-oz skein has 355 yards, one skein of each was plenty:
- A–Pink
- B–Keylime
- C–Desert Glaze
- D–Turquoise
- E–Soft Pink
I/9/5.50mm hook
Gauge: Gauge is not critical with this project along as all the squares are about the same size. To get the size shown, gauge for the first few rounds is given with each square pattern.
Special stitches
Special stitches and techniques will be given as needed with each square pattern.
Finished size
Each square is 6″ across; finished blanket is 34 1/2″ square.
Crochet terminology
These patterns are written in US terminology.
Skill level
Adventurous beginner, which means you have knowledge of the basic stitches and are ready to take on a larger, more involved project with a little more texture and combinations of stitches such as clusters, shells and others.
Today’s Squares
Today we will start with two squares that are already published here on the pinkmambo.com blog. The Posy Wheel Square and the Bullseye Square are both perfect for starting out this CAL, and way back when I designed them, I already had the Cheerful Child blanket in mind.
The third square will be the Emma square, which will be featured exclusively on the oombawkadesigncrochet.com blog starting Saturday, January 9.
I hope these squares get you off to a great start! On Monday I’ll show you the Hadley square, which is the alternating squares of which you’ll need to make 13. Have lots of fun!
This looks wonderful. I usually don’t like squares since I have difficulty getting them the same size, but this is too cute to resist. Thank you!
Could you please tell how many squares I crochet for the first week?
OHHH, this is so adorable …. I wish I had seen this before today…I would have loved to add it as a project on my YT channel….but I think I am going to have to make it anyway…I have a 1 year old grand baby girl too~~ Kartyr Eva….Grammie thinks she needs this blankie~ :)~
Good afternoon from the Netherlands Carolyn, thank you for the beautiful pattersn. I am so glad they are, as you said : on the easy side. I think I am going to make one in ” boys” colours.
Hi Fenneke, thanks so much for your comment! I will love to see yours.
sorry I’m confused? colours listed in the intro don’t tie in with the squares as shown – are they supposed to?
Hi Joyce, this is all fixed now on the previously published Bullseye and Posy Wheel Squares. Sorry about that and thanks for your comment!
Colors A,B,C,D, and E do not coordinate with the colors listed to make the square. Please correct this so we don’t get thrown off track.
Hi Dee-Ann, this is all fixed now! Sorry about that and thanks for your comment.
I’d love to make this for my 4.5yr old daughter (and maybe my youngest daughter too). She’s about 3 1/2 feet tall. I’ve been crocheting for a year, but I’m not super confident when increasing in size. Do you think if I doubled the pattern it would be big enough for my daughter?
Hi Colby, I’m getting a number of requests for how to do different sizes so I’m going to write up how to do it. In the meantime I think I’d recommend a 7 x 7 or even 7 x 9 grid of blocks (the original is 5 x 5) for the children. I’ll get something written about it on the blog hopefully by tomorrow. Thanks very much!
I’m making one for my 6 year old daughter by making it 7×12 grid of blocks. I laid out the first few blocks on her bed and it was the width of the top of her twin bed and the length from right below her pillow to the foot of the bed. I’m basically just doubling all the blocks (so it will be 2 blankets put together) then doing a border in a solid color all the way around of the alternate block.
Amanda that sounds great! I do recommend using odd numbers of squares for each dimension so all the corners will match. Also no matter what odd number you choose for the sides, the border pattern will work if you use odd numbers.
Oops, you’re right on odd numbers. That should say 7×13 not 7×12. Fat fingers haha
Absolutely wonderful and very fun! It’s true that the color changes don’t match with pictures, but that really was no problem. I just worked based upon the pictures. Thank you so very much for putting this out there without charge. It’s re freshening when people share based upon their love of the art and not solely to make money. :). Love it!
Thank you very much Susan. I was traveling yesterday but fixed those colors just now. You’re welcome and thank you for your kind words. I do live and breathe crochet and love sharing this gift.
Although I must be completely honest here, even though I love love to share my free patterns here on pinkmambo.com, I also earn my daily bread from crochet by way of patterns that I sell as well as the ads on this site. This enables me to keep the cats fed and at the same time share my patterns at no charge so it’s a win for everyone! Thanks so much for your comment.
I am so excited for this cal. I have completed the first 3 squares but cannot find the pattern for today. Am I looking in the wrong place. Thanks
I’m just about to get it posted! Give me 30 minutes and I’ll have it up. <3 This one for today is the one you make 13 of. You can mix up the colors or make them all the same as I did.
Although I have been crocheting for over 40 years this is the first CAL I have attempted! I love the diversity in the squares, and am looking forward to the release of more of the patterns. Thank you for sharing your time, ideas and patterns. I will be working in double knit (can you guess I’m in the UK?) and my first squares have come out at 4.5 inches, so I’ll make doubles of some squares to get a larger blanket. I take your point about having odd numbers of squares on each side.
Oh Barbara I can’t wait to see how yours turns out in DK weight. I know it will be beautiful. I love using DK and order from “across the pond” quite frequently!
please post a list of all the squares, i think i may be missing one but i’m not sure. today is jan. 19 and i have the patterns for 5 squares. it’s really a wonderful cal, thank you sooooo much.
shoshana
Very good idea Shoshana. I will post a list today on the intro post with links to the squares as they go live. I think you are missing one– you should have Emma, Bullseye, Posy Wheel, Ruby, Hadley and Easton. Maybe you are missing one of the first 3. The information is in this post http://pinkmambo.com/crochet/cheerful-child-blanket-crochet-along-begins-january-7/ . Thanks for your sweet comments, I appreciate it so much!
Hi Shoshana, I now have a posting schedule with links up on each square post! I think it will be helpful for many people. Thanks and best wishes!
I cannot find #3 square. I know you say it is on Oombauka but I have looked and don’t see it. Could you help me out? thanks
Hi Brenda, here’s a direct link to it: http://oombawkadesigncrochet.com/2016/01/cheerful-child-emma-square-guest-post.html
Hi Brenda, for some reason it’s not letting me post a direct link here, but I just put a posting schedule up on every square post showing links to every square as they go live. Best wishes!
How do we know how many squares of each to make? I must be looking in all the wrong places?
Hi Missy, you make just 1 of each of all the squares except Hadley, #4. You make 13 Hadleys. There’s a grid downloadable showing how they all go together in the post about making the blanket in different sizes. Be sure also and note the info in the post about getting your squares to be the same size. Best wishes! 🙂
I have stayed away from squares since I was a teenager. I only knew how to crochet borders on hankies. So my attempt a grannies was clumsy. Didn’t know to weave the ends, choosing colors, ouetc. No internet then. Now my grandson is a teenager and I have found the wonderful world of granny squares. I found a pattern on Craftsy over a year ago That I really loved. I couldn’t make it until now. Had to move closer to the grands and become cat free. I started with those squares and then like Alice in the looking glass I found the new world of many patterns for grannies. I’ve found several granny sites, but now I found you. I am so excited to make new squares for what was only to be a laptop and will now include that and a bigger afghan. So thank you. I’ve got to go back to your squares. 🙂 🙂 🙂