Springfrost Stripe

I designed the Springfrost blanket for my ninth annual CAL. 

If you'd like to find out more about the colour palette and the inspiration behind this blanket, I wrote a blog post all about it...

SPRINGFROST BLANKET INTRODUCTION

The Springfrost stitch pattern uses UK treble crochet combined with Spiked Treble Crochet stitches (where the trebles are worked into stitches two rows below).  It's an easy and soothing pattern which is simple to learn and perfect for beginners or those looking for some gentle, therapeutic hooky. The stitches create a beautiful surface texture which is dense and squishy and the resulting blanket is extremely cosy.

If you are an experienced crocheter, please  read the beginning info which explains starting chains, pattern repeats, and the working of a gauge sample (oh, yes, you know you will want to do this!), then you can download the printed pattern and get stuck in.

For those who are fairly new to crochet, I've created a photo-heavy step-by-step tutorial to help you learn the Springfrost pattern and determine your crochet tension and required hook size. 

MATERIALS

For my blankets I use Stylecraft Special DK which is a 100% premium acrylic yarn. It's lovely to work with, comes in generous 100g balls and the finished blankets are warm, soft and machine washable. 

As is usual for my blankets, I've chose fifteen shades of Stylecraft Special DK for my Springfrost blanket

Top row :

♥ Lincoln ♥  Duck Egg ♥  White ♥  A Hint of Silver ♥  Mushroom ♥

Middle row :

♥ Pistachio ♥ Spearmint ♥ Blue Marl* ♥ Parma Violet ♥ Powder Pink ♥

Bottom row :

♥ Meadow ♥ Cloud Blue ♥  Baby Blue* ♥ Wisteria ♥ Pale Rose ♥

You can find the Springfrost yarn pack in my shop at Wool Warehouse, click on the following link...

♥ SPRINGFROST YARN PACK ♥

HOOK SIZE  and TENSION

The standard hook size for Stylecraft Special DK yarn is 4 mm. However, it's a good idea to be familiar with your own personal tension and experiment with moving to a larger or smaller hook to achieve a neat result. For example, I'm a tight crocheter so I'm making my Springfrost blanket using a 4.5 mm hook. If you crochet quite loosely, then you will probably find that a 3.5 mm or 4mm hook suits you just fine. 

I would strongly advise you to make a small tension sample. Please, please take the time to do this, especially if you are following the CAL and using a yarn pack to make a blanket. It'll help you make your blanket the right size and drape, and will make sure you don't run out of yarn. Making this small sample before you begin on your blanket will also help you to feel familiar with the pattern and decide which hook size will work best for you.

To make a tension sample, chain 31, then follow the pattern below. If you would like a simple printed pattern, click (( HERE ))

Work 8 rows in total then measure the width. It should measure approx. 18 cm. This is an approximate guide so that you can determine if you are using the correct hook size to suit your tension.

PATTERN REPEATS AND STARTING CHAINS

The Springfrost starting chain should always be a multiple of 4, plus an extra 3.

Here is a list of suggested starting chains for different size blankets :

Tension sample (16 cm/ 6" width) :: Chain 31 

Single/twin blanket (120cm / 48" width) : Chain 195 * This is my standard blanket size

Baby blanket (70cm / 28" width) : Chain 115 

Lap throw (90cm / 36" width) : Chain 147 

Double bed blanket* (180cm / 72" width) : Chain 291 *requires two yarn packs

King bed blanket* (210cm / 84" width) : Chain 336 *requires two yarn packs

🌸 Click ((HERE)) for the PDF pattern.

SPRINGFROST STITCH PATTERN

This pattern uses basic stitches to create a pretty spiked stripe with a gorgeous, squishy surface texture. Each stripe is crocheted in two rows. I'm writing my pattern using UK crochet terms as follows :

tr [treble] :: yarn over, insert hook, yarn over, pull the loop back through the stitch (three loops on hook), yarn over and pull through two loops on hook (two loops left on hook), yarn over and pull through remaining two loops (note :: this is equivalent to the US dc stitch)

Sp-tr [Treble Crochet Spike Stitch] :: a treble crochet worked into the skipped stitch two rows below the current one, drawing the loop up to the height of the current working row (note :: this is equivalent to a US sp-dc stitch)

🌸 Click ((HERE)) for the PDF pattern.

To Begin : Use Cloud Blue yarn

Chain 31 for the tension sample or

Chain 195 for the blanket. 

Note : You might like to use a bigger hook size (eg, 5mm) to make your starting chain, then switch back down for the first crochet row. You need to count carefully - place stitch markers at regular intervals (every 25 stitches) if you need to.

Row 1 : 

Starting in the 4th chain from the hook (as shown above), work 1 tr in each chain along.

Note : the beginning turning chain counts as the first stitch - this is important when you are checking your stitch count for the first row.

In this tutorial I'm showing photos of the tension sample, as I REALLY want to encourage you to do this before you start on your blanket (!)

At the end of Row 1 you should have 29 treble stitches if you're making your tension sample, and 193 treble stitches if you're making your blanket. Remember that the beginning turning chain counts as one stitch.

Turn your work.

Row 2 :

Chain 3 (counts as 1 treble)

Note : For this stitch pattern, I prefer to make a chain-2 at the start of each row (instead of the usual chain-3 ) to count as a treble. I've found that a chain-2  gives a neater, straighter edge. You can use chain-3 if you prefer, I'll leave it up to you! I've kept the standard ch-3 in the pattern, but you'll see my photos show my with a chain-2 on my hook.

Work 1 tr into the same stitch (at the base of the starting chain, as shown above);

Chain 1; skip 3 stitches;

3 tr into next stitch; chain 1; skip 3 stitches (as shown above)

*3 trebles in next stitch; chain 1; skip 3 stitches;

Repeat from * until you have the last stitch in the top of the turning chain remaining;

2 treble in top of turning chain; fasten off; turn.

If you want to make a quick check, you should have 7 chain-1 spaces in your tension sample, or 48 chain-1 spaces in a single bed size blanket. The row should start and end with 2 trebles which keep the sides nice and straight.

Row 3 : Use Parma Violet yarn

Insert hook in first stitch and pull through a loop of the new colour, remembering to leave a 6 inch  tail end for darning in.

Chain 3 (counts as 1 treble); 1 treble into the same stitch;

Now we are going to work a Treble Crochet Spike Stitch. This is exactly the same as a normal treble, except you insert your hook into the skipped stitch two rows below. Can you see where I've put my needle in the above photo? It's the middle of the three stitches that you skipped and left unworked when you crocheted the last round.

This is how to work a spiked treble :

Yarn over, and insert your hook under both loops of the middle skipped stitch which sits two rows below your current working row.

Yarn over again, and pull the yarn right back through the stitch to the front of your work (just like you would for a normal treble). Gently loosen your tension just enough so that all three loops on your hook can be pulled up to the same level as your working row (as shown above).

Complete the Treble Crochet Spike Stitch just as you would for a normal treble : yarn over and pull through two loops (two loops on hook), yarn over and pull through remaining two loops.

You'll see in the photo above how the spike stitch looks extra long (it's sometimes called a Long Treble), but the top of the stitch is level with the normal treble crochet stitches that sit to the right of it.

Skip 1 stitch; work 3 trebles into the next stitch (shown by my needle above - it's the middle stitch of the group of three trebles you made in the previous row)

Work a treble spike stitch into the middle skipped stitch (shown by my needle above);

*Skip next treble; 3 treble in next stitch; skip next treble; work a spike treble into the middle stitch two rows below;

Repeat from * until 2 stitches remain;

Skip next treble; 2 treble in last stitch (this will be the top of the chain-3); turn.

You should be able to count 7 spikes for your tension sample, or 48 spikes for your blanket.

Row 4 :

Chain 3 (counts as 1 treble); 1 treble into the same stitch; chain 1;

*skip the next 3 stitches; 3 treble in next stitch; chain 1;

Repeat from * until you have the last stitch remaining;

2 treble in last stitch (this will be the top of the chain-3); fasten off; turn.

 You should be able to count 7 chain-1 spaces in your tension sample, or 48 spaces in your blanket.

You'll be happy to know that these first two stripes have now set the foundation for the pattern, and the next stripe (rows 5 & 6) will form the pattern repeat. You should soon be able to remember what to do, it's an easy pattern to learn as it's very visual.

Row 5 : Use Blue Marl yarn

Insert hook in first stitch and pull through a loop of the new colour, remembering to leave a 6 inch  tail end for darning in.

Chain 3 (counts as 1 treble); 1 treble into the same stitch;

Work a treble spike stitch into the top of the spike sitting directly two rows below (shown by my needle above)....

....keep your tension as even as possible -  gently ease that long treble up to working height without it becoming too loopy or loose. This does take some practice if you're not used to making spiked stitches.

Skip the next stitch; work 3 trebles in the next stitch (these should stack directly above the group of three trebles below)

*Skip next treble; 3 treble in next stitch; skip next treble; work a spiked treble into the spike stitch two rows below;

Repeat from * until 2 stitches remain;

Skip next treble; 2 treble in last stitch (this will be the top of the chain-3); turn.

Row 6 :

Chain 3 (counts as 1 treble); 1 treble into same stitch; chain 1;

*skip the next 3 stitches; 3 treble in next stitch; chain 1;

Repeat from * until you have the last stitch remaining;

2 tr in last stitch (this will be the top of the chain-3); fasten off; turn.

YAY!!!!!!! Those last two rows form the pattern repeat, so from now on all you need to do is repeat them, changing colour every alternate row.

Row 7 : [use Spearmint yarn]

Insert hook into first stitch and pull through a loop of the new colour.

Chain 3 (counts as 1 tr); 1 tr in same stitch; work a sp-tr into the spike stitch two rows below;

*Skip next tr; 3 tr in next stitch; skip next tr; work a sp-tr into the spike stitch two rows below;

Repeat from * until 2 stitches remain;

Skip next tr; 2 tr in last stitch (this will be the top of the ch-3); turn.

Row 8 :

Chain 3 (counts as 1 tr); 1 tr in same stitch; chain 1;

*skip the next 3 stitches; 3 tr in next stitch; chain 1;

Repeat from * until you have the last stitch remaining;

2 tr in last st (this will be the top of the ch-3); fasten off; turn.

I hope you found those last two rows getting easier, and that the pattern is already becoming familiar to you.

Now we need to grab a tape measure or ruler and check on our tension...

Your tension sample should measure approximately 18cm across if you started with chain 31.

If it's 15 or 17 cm, it's not too much of a problem really, the sizing is an approximate guide so please use your own judgement. Please also note that this pattern creates quite a stretchy fabric, so there may well be some movement and give in the sizing.

If your sample measures waaaaay bigger and feels all floppy and loose, then you will need to switch to a smaller hook. Alternatively reduce the number of starting chains when you make your blanket (keeping a multiple of 4, plus an extra 3) to ensure you achieve the correct width and don't run out of yarn.

If your sample feels tight and stiff and is coming out way smaller, switch to a larger hook size. 

DARNING IN ENDS

I thought it would be useful to give some guidance about darning in ends. I do them as I go along, darning ends one stripe below the most recent so that the darning doesn't interfere with the skipped stitches that are being left open. 

Begin by threading the starting tail end of a strip onto a darning needle. Darn up through the post of the chain-3 and bring your needle out in the middle of the stripe.

Now darn along the middle of the stripe, in towards the centre of the blanket, running your needle through the stitches. You only need to pass under 5 or 6 stitches, don't go too far in and don't pull too tightly.

Darn your tail end back on itself, passing your needle back through the stitches and bringing it out at the outside edge. Snip off the end close to the edge of the crochet.

Thread up your finishing tail end (the one at the top), and darn under the stitches of the row above (see in the above photo, I'm taking the Parma Violet tail end underneath the Blue Marl stitches?)

Darn your tail end back on itself, passing your needle back through the stitches and bringing it out at the outside edge. Snip off the end close to the edge of the crochet.

Using this darning method keeps the posts of the end stitches free (so that we can work around the posts when it's time to make the border). 

You can download a PDF copy of the Springfrost blanket pattern to save/print if you wish. This is a traditionally written pattern with no step-by-step photos.

🌸 Click ((HERE)) for the PDF pattern.

The Springfrost blanket was first released as a Crochet-Along (CAL) project with weekly colour instalments and inspiration given on my blog throughout January and February 2023. You can access these blog posts by using the links given at the bottom of this page.

Now that the CAL has finished, I've created a single worksheet to give you the colour order for the stripes all in one place. I've put an image of it down below for reference, but you can also save/print a PDF worksheet by clicking on the following link >>

🌸 SPRINGFROST COLOUR WORKSHEET

When you have completed all of your stripes, there is a border pattern which I designed especially for the Springfrost blanket. You can find the full border tutorial by clicking on the link below >>

🌸 SPRINGFROST BORDER TUTORIAL

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Here are the links all one one place..

SPRINGFROST CAL INTRODUCTION :: lots of photos showing the inspiration behind this blanket.

SPRINGFROST YARN PACK

SPRINGFROST BLANKET PATTERN :: a traditional written pattern for the Springfrost blanket.

SPRINGFROST BORDER TUTORIAL :: step by step photos to guide you

SPRINGFROST BORDER PATTERN :: a traditional written pattern for the Springfrost border.

🌸 CAL 1 : stripes 1 - 15

🌸 CAL 2 : stripes 16 - 33 

🌸 CAL 3 : stripes 34 - 51 

🌸 CAL 4 : stripes 52 - 69 

🌸 CAL 5 : stripes 70 - 87 

🌸 CAL 6 : stripes 88 - 95 

🌸 CAL 7 : the Border 

 

 

Comments

[Linda O'marah]

Good Morning
I am attempting to find a pattern for a striped scarf but am not able to find a guide of how many slip stitches to cast on etc for a size 70" long x 10" wide using DK yarn. Can you please help?

Kindest Regards
Linda

[Gillian Dale]

Hi Lucy
I am just about to start the border of my Springfrost blanket but I can’t find the pattern for the flowers that are shown on the pictures Could you let me know where to find them
Gillian

[Karen P]

Hi Lucy! Joining in on this CAL because I love your color selection. I needed about half the colors because I have a large full skein collection of Stylecraft yarn in storage of the remaining colors. I ordered from your link from WW and being in the US it’s almost a week and they still have not shipped….something with problems of Royal Int’l Mail. It’s always something in this day and age!

[Samantha]

Hi Lucy!! This is my first time participating in one of your CAL. I made a tention swatch (3 times) finally got the right tention with a 3mm hook. My swatch measured 17 cm. Now I've noticed my blanket is 52" wide instead of 48". Should I go down another hook size? Or will I have enough yarn to make the single sz as in the CAL?

Thank you for your thoughts!!!
Samantha

[Jean willis]

Could someone please tell me the colours of rows 11-15. Part one

Many thanks Jeans

[Ruth Huddle]

Hi Lucy
I am thinking of making the baby blanket. Please can you tell me length and how many stripes I should be doing ?
My email address is not accepted.

[vanessa Lowden]

Is there a video please to help with the stitch. Up to row 7 and my spikes don’t look right

[Carol Wright]

I'm a novice, only done granny squares before. I'm going to do the double size Springfrost blanket. How many 'gaps' should I see across a row?

[Dinah]

For the people who are having trouble finding the colours

https://attic24.typepad.com/files/attic24_springfrost_cal_part1.pdf

[Sue Lewis]

Hi I’m a bit confused I’ve followed the colours up to and including row 10 what are the colours for the next 5 rows pls

[Kathleen]

I can't find list of colours to follow. I'm not very tech savvy so it might be very obvious.

[Melissa Cockburn]

Sorry very new to this CAL. I’ve got my wool for the Springfrost blanket - I can see on the site a very step by step detailed pictures which I can follow but was wondering if there is also a video tutorial and if so where do I find it? Thanks in advance! 🧶

[Jane]

So looking forward to this! Just to check I'm starting off right, I'm doing the lap blanket size - after row 2, how many "holes" (chain spaces) should I have please?

[Mary Jo Bush]

this is such great fun!! perfect instructions as always -- thank you, Lucy!!

[paj]

Is there a list of the colours for the first week?

[Marie-José]

Dear Lucy,
Thank you for starting a new CAL. The stripes of week 1 are the stripes for the Dahlia Blanket. What stripes do you use for the Springfrost blanket? Thank you!
Marie-José

[Elizabeth Smith]

Hi Lucy.

Looking forward to starting this blanket today. Thank you for your inspiration and colour sense.

The week 1 link links back to the dahlia pattern. You might want to change it.

Happy New Year! Looking forward to many hours of happy hooking.

Lizzie