You can easily crochet gorgeous blankets . . .
Relaxing with chunky crochet is one of the best things in the world – the soft squishiness combined with the quick progress makes it my favourite way to escape from the craziness of my day. It always helps me to feel peaceful and happy, and it lifts my spirits to see my blankets grow so quickly!
It’s important to have the right materials, tools and instructions to easily crochet blankets. I’ve put together this guide with my tips to help you, and everyone can do it, regardless of whether you’ve ever picked up a crochet hook before or not.
Let’s dive in and explore everything that’s needed to easily crochet blankets . . . .
crochet pattern with video tutorials
The crochet pattern helps with the size of the blanket, how much yarn is needed and the crochet hook size. It will explain what to do using crochet stitch names and abbreviations.
If you’ve never crocheted a blanket before then look for a pattern with video tutorials – this will show exactly what to do and will mean that you don’t need to get bogged down in understanding crochet stitch names.
chunky yarn
The chunky yarn is the most important part of easily crocheting blankets. Its big size makes it easy to see and use, and it makes crocheting quick as well!
The yarn will determine how the finished blanket looks, how it feels, as well as how enjoyable it is to make. In my many years of crocheting I’ve discovered that natural fibre yarns are my favourite – especially if they’re sustainably made from soft merino wool.
I recommend crocheting blankets with Homelea Bliss – it’s a chunky yarn that’s easy to crochet with, it’s not too big and heavy, and the way it’s constructed means it’s got the perfect balance between feeling lovely and still being able to use it every day without covering the house in fluff (plus it’s made in Australia from soft merino wool).
Refer to the crochet pattern for the size and amount of yarn that’s needed.
stitch markers
One of the biggest challenges with crocheting is getting even edges, and stitch markers help do this by marking where the first and last stitch is.
Look for stitch markers that are nice and big, and always go for locking stitch markers so they don’t fall out.
chunky crochet hook
I’ve discovered that there are chunky crochet hooks and there are chunky crochet hooks – and the lighter the hook, the more enjoyable it is to use! My absolute favourite crochet hooks are made by ChiaoGoo – they’re a natural wood which is light to hold, and the double indent means they fit nicely in the hand. These hooks flow effortlessly while crocheting stitches.
The crochet pattern will give the size of crochet hook to use.
chunky yarn joining kit
The ginormous size of chunky yarns means they can have large, bulky joins when done the traditional way of adding in a new ball of yarn. I’ve discovered that chunky yarns can be joined easily and seamlessly by felting the ends together – you’ll hardly know there’s a join!
This is done with a felting tool and felting mat, and I highly recommend having a felting mat cleaner (to remove the coloured fibres from your mat) and spare felting needles (the needles in the felting tool do break every now and again).
I’ve put together a handy Chunky Yarn Joining Kit which includes all of this plus the instructions on how to join chunky yarns – you’ll be creating seamless yarn joins in no time.
scissors
It’s important to have a set of scissors on hand when crocheting – I have multiple sets scattered around my home, so I never have to interrupt my crocheting flow by searching for them.
When selecting a set for crocheting check that they’re big enough for chunky yarn (teeny tiny embroidery scissors aren’t ideal), they’re comfortable to use (getting pinched is not much fun) and that they’re lovely and sharp.
tape measure
A tape measure is an important part of your chunky crochet kit especially for checking that the first couple of rows are the right length. There’s nothing worse than getting halfway (or further) through your blanket and discovering it’s not big enough.
Use any kind of flexible tape measure or even a ruler will do the trick. crochet kits with everything you need
Ready to start crocheting blankets?
get the kit & learn how to crochet blankets
I designed the Warm Heart Blanket specifically for mastering the fundamentals of crocheting and I explain exactly what to do in the detailed video tutorials – it’s like I’m sitting beside you, showing you what to do.
Get started now with the Warm Heart Blanket Crochet Kit with everything you need or the crochet pattern with detailed video tutorials.
I hope you enjoy crocheting many beautiful blankets!
With love, Lynda.