by Your First Cozy Creation: A Super Easy Tunisian Crochet Baby Blanket for Beginners
Thinking about crocheting a baby blanket can feel a little overwhelming, especially if you’re just starting out. But what if there was a way to create a beautifully textured, warm, and utterly adorable blanket that’s also super easy? Enter Tunisian crochet!
Often called “Afghan crochet,” Tunisian crochet combines the best of knitting and traditional crochet to create a unique, dense fabric. And for beginners, it offers a fantastic way to make a stunning baby blanket with just one basic stitch. Forget complex patterns and fiddly techniques; this guide will walk you through everything you need to create a cozy, handmade blanket that’s perfect for a new arrival, even if you’ve never picked up a Tunisian hook before.
Why Tunisian Crochet for a Beginner Baby Blanket?
- One Simple Stitch, Big Impact: We’ll primarily use the Tunisian Simple Stitch (TSS), which is incredibly easy to learn. Despite its simplicity, it creates a beautiful, textured fabric that looks far more intricate than it is.
- Faster Than Traditional Crochet: Because you keep all your loops on the hook for each row, Tunisian crochet can often work up faster than traditional crochet, especially for larger projects like blankets.
- Less Gaps, More Warmth: The fabric created by TSS is dense, making it wonderfully warm and cozy—perfect for a baby blanket without pesky holes.
- Minimal Curling (with a Trick!): While some Tunisian stitches are notorious for curling, we’ll use a simple border technique that keeps your blanket nice and flat.
- Relaxing & Meditative: The rhythmic two-pass motion of Tunisian crochet is surprisingly calming and enjoyable once you get the hang of it.
Key Considerations Before You Start
Even for a super easy project, a few smart choices will ensure your baby blanket is soft, safe, and lovely.
- Yarn Choice (The Softness Factor!):
- Fiber: Choose incredibly soft, gentle, and ideally, hypoallergenic yarn. Baby acrylic (often labeled as “baby yarn”), soft cotton, or superwash merino wool are excellent choices. They’re kind to delicate baby skin.
- Weight: Worsted weight (Category 4) or DK (Category 3) yarn is ideal. They offer good drape, work up quickly, and are easy for beginners to handle.
- Washability: This is non-negotiable for baby items! Make sure your yarn is machine washable and dryable (check the label) so parents can easily clean it.
- Colors: Get creative! Solids, soft pastels, vibrant brights, or even self-striping yarns all work beautifully with the Tunisian Simple Stitch. You’ll need about 800-1200 yards for a standard baby blanket.
- Tunisian Crochet Hook:
- You’ll need a Tunisian crochet hook. These are longer than standard crochet hooks and usually have a stopper at the end to hold many loops. For a baby blanket, a hook with a flexible cable extension is highly recommended, as it allows you to hold all the stitches across a wide project.
- Hook Size: Generally, use a hook size one or two sizes larger than what your yarn label recommends for traditional crochet. This is because Tunisian crochet fabric can be denser. For worsted weight yarn, an 8.0mm (US L/11) or 9.0mm (US M/N) Tunisian hook is a good starting point. You want the fabric to be soft, not stiff.
- Gauge (More About Fabric, Less About Exactness):
- While not as critical as for garments, swatching is still a good idea. Make a small square (e.g., 10 TSS wide for 10 rows) to see if you like the fabric.
- Your main goal is a fabric that’s soft, flexible, and drapes well, not too stiff or too loose. Adjust your hook size until you achieve this.
- Blanket Size:
- This pattern aims for a general baby blanket size (approx. 30×35 inches or 75×90 cm). You can easily adjust the starting chain for width and the number of rows for length.
Materials You’ll Need
- Yarn: Approx. 800-1200 yards of worsted weight (Category 4) or DK (Category 3) soft baby yarn. (Choose your colors!)
- Tunisian Crochet Hook: 8.0mm (US L/11) or 9.0mm (US M/N) with a cable, or a straight Tunisian hook long enough to hold all stitches for your desired blanket width.
- Standard Crochet Hook: A regular crochet hook (e.g., 5.0mm / H/8) for the border.
- Yarn Needle (Tapestry Needle): For weaving in ends.
- Scissors:
- Measuring Tape: For checking dimensions.
Essential Tunisian Crochet Abbreviations & Terms
- ch: chain
- st(s): stitch(es)
- yo: yarn over
- FwP: Forward Pass (the part of the row where you pick up loops)
- RetP: Return Pass (the part of the row where you work off loops)
- TSS: Tunisian Simple Stitch
- sl st: slip stitch
- sc: single crochet
- FO: Fasten off
Super Easy Tunisian Crochet Baby Blanket Pattern
We’ll use the Tunisian Simple Stitch (TSS) for the main body of the blanket. If you’re completely new to Tunisian crochet, practice the TSS on a small swatch until you’re comfortable.
Starting Width (Approx. 30 inches / 75 cm): Ch 100. (To adjust width: chain any number of stitches for your desired blanket width. Remember that Tunisian fabric doesn’t stretch as much as traditional crochet, so make your chain slightly wider than your target width.)
Part 1: The Foundation Row
This sets up your first row of Tunisian stitches.
- FwP (Forward Pass): Insert hook into 2nd ch from hook, yo, pull up a loop. Keep the loop on your hook. *Insert hook into next ch, yo, pull up a loop. Keep the loop on your hook.* Repeat from * across the chain. You should have 100 loops on your hook.
- RetP (Return Pass): Yo, pull through 1 loop (this creates your turning chain for the next row). *Yo, pull through 2 loops on hook.* Repeat from * until only 1 loop remains on your hook. This completes your first row.
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Part 2: The Main Blanket Body (Tunisian Simple Stitch)
Now you’ll repeat the TSS row to build the blanket’s height.
- FwP (Tunisian Simple Stitch): *Skip the first vertical bar (this is the loop already on your hook). Insert hook under the next vertical bar (the vertical strand of yarn directly below your hook), yo, pull up a loop. Keep the loop on your hook.* Repeat from * across the row until you reach the very last vertical bar. For the last stitch, insert your hook under both vertical loops of the very last edge stitch. Yo, pull up a loop. You should again have 100 loops on your hook.
- Tip: Inserting into both loops for the last stitch creates a neater, straighter edge.
- RetP (Return Pass): Yo, pull through 1 loop. *Yo, pull through 2 loops on hook.* Repeat from * until only 1 loop remains on your hook.
- Repeat: Continue repeating the FwP and RetP of the Tunisian Simple Stitch until your blanket reaches your desired length (approx. 34 inches / 86 cm, or about 80-90 rows).
- Measure the blanket length, not just the row count, as your gauge might vary.
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Part 3: Binding Off (Creating a Neat Edge)
This final row of the main blanket body creates a finished edge.
- Bind Off Row: *Skip the first vertical bar. Insert hook under the next vertical bar, yo, pull up a loop, and sl st through the loop already on your hook.* Repeat from * across the row. For the last stitch, insert hook under both vertical loops of the very last edge stitch, yo, pull up a loop, and sl st through the loop on your hook.
- FO, leaving a short tail to weave in.
- This creates a stretchy, clean edge that matches the foundation chain edge.
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Part 4: Adding a Simple Border (The Anti-Curl Trick!)
Tunisian crochet fabric can sometimes curl, especially with TSS. A simple single crochet border is your easy fix! This also gives your blanket a lovely, finished look.
- Attach Yarn: Using your standard crochet hook (e.g., 5.0mm), attach yarn with a sl st to any corner of the blanket.
- Round 1 (Single Crochet Border):
- Side 1 (Length): Ch 1. Work sc evenly down the first side of the blanket. Aim for approximately 1 sc per row. In the corner space, work (sc, ch 2, sc).
- Side 2 (Width – Foundation Chain): Work sc evenly across the foundation chain edge. In the corner space, work (sc, ch 2, sc).
- Side 3 (Length): Work sc evenly up the second side of the blanket. Aim for approximately 1 sc per row. In the corner space, work (sc, ch 2, sc).
- Side 4 (Width – Bind-Off Edge): Work sc evenly across the bind-off edge. In the last corner space, work (sc, ch 2, sc).
- Join with a sl st to the first sc of the round.
- Round 2 (Optional for a Thicker Border): Ch 1. Sc in each sc around, working (sc, ch 2, sc) in each ch-2 corner space. Join with a sl st.
- FO, leaving a tail to weave in.
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Part 5: Finishing Touches
- Weave in All Ends: Meticulously weave in every single yarn tail using your yarn needle. For baby blankets, ensure ends are completely secure and won’t unravel or poke baby’s delicate skin.
- Blocking (Recommended for Best Finish): Gently mist your finished blanket with water (or wet block if using cotton/wool). Lay it flat, gently stretching it to its desired shape and dimensions. Allow it to air dry completely. Blocking helps even out stitches, relaxes the fabric, and greatly reduces any remaining curl, giving your blanket a polished, professional look.
Tips for Success & Making Your Blanket Extra Special:
- Relax Your Grip: For Tunisian crochet, try to maintain a relatively loose tension on your hook, especially when pulling up loops on the FwP. Too tight, and the RetP will be very difficult.
- Count Your Loops: Always count the loops on your hook at the end of each FwP to ensure you haven’t accidentally skipped or added a stitch.
- Yarn Choices Matter: A soft, squishy yarn will make the TSS fabric incredibly cozy.
- Self-Striping Yarns: These are fantastic for beginners as they create beautiful color changes without you having to manage multiple skeins or weave in tons of ends.
- Simple Embellishments: Once finished, you can add simple crocheted appliques (like stars, hearts, or letters) to personalize the blanket, or sew on a cute fabric tag.
- Care Instructions: Always attach a small tag with care instructions (from your yarn label) for the recipient.
You’ve now created a beautiful, soft, and warm baby blanket using the wonderfully simple Tunisian crochet technique. This project is not only easy to make but will be a cherished handmade gift for years to come!
Video tutorial:
