Bear’s Rainbow Blanket | Purl Soho

Like many parents, I soon discovered after having a baby that I’d never actually been busy before. Basic things like taking showers and returning phone calls suddenly seemed overrated. But for me, one thing that has never been dispensable is crafting things for my son, Bear.

Bear’s Rainbow Blanket | Purl Soho

I’m not saying that I sit around for hours, dreamily stitching away. No, it’s more like a stolen moment here and a quick minute there; a few squares at jury duty, a couple more in a waiting room, and two years later a blanket is born!

Bear’s Rainbow Blanket | Purl Soho

As drawn out as the process was, making Bear’s Rainbow Blanket was always an exhilarating ride. Each step contained a world of wonderment, from Koigu Premium Merino‘s incredible hand dyed colors to this fascinating stitch pattern that magically turns a circle into a square; from the arrangement of dozens of colors and 108 squares to the daydreams of Bear dragging his Rainbow Blanket off to college!

Bear’s Rainbow Blanket | Purl Soho

I think I could have crocheted these squares for the rest of my life, but I finally stopped myself when I had enough to make a 40 x 54-inch blanket, the perfect size for my four year old. The bed pictured here is a queen, but this blanket is also right at home on a twin bed… or under a circle of picnicking stuffed animals!

Bear’s Rainbow Blanket | Purl Soho

I’ve crafted quite a few things in my life, and though I have so much fondness for many of those things, this is perhaps the dearest to my heart. This blanket expresses not only my love for my son but for crafting too. To pursue a grand plan to its very end is the chocolate cake of crafting: a rich and deeply satisfying experience!

Bear’s Rainbow Blanket | Purl Soho

To start concocting your own grand plan, read on! -Whitney

Designed by Purl Soho designer, Whitney Van Nes.

Materials

To Make the Exact Same Blanket

Bear’s Rainbow Blanket | Purl Soho

FINISHED SIZE: 40 x 54 inches (9 squares x 12 squares)

To make your blanket just like mine you can order the 52 skeins of Koigu Premium Merino (KPM), 100% Merino Wool that I used. They are:

  • 11 skeins of color #00 for the borders.
  • 41 skeins for the inside squares. One skein of each of the following colors:
    • First column (far left, from the top):1175, 1173, 1155, 1145, 1143, 2121, 1100, 2227, 2229, 2220, and 1195
    • Second column: 1110, 2200, 1240, 1200, 2180, 2100, 2335, 2423, 1521, and 1521.5
    • Third column: 2339, 1520, 1051, 1532, 1504, 1500, 2130, 1045, 1043, and 1010.5
    • Fourth column: 3016, 2405, 2403, 2390.5, 2290, 3003, 2164, 2416, 1156, and 1400
    (The blanket is made up of 108 squares, but this is enough colored yarn to make over 400 inside squares! [You would need more yarn for the outside borders.])

You will also need:

To Make a Crib Size Blanket

Bear’s Rainbow Blanket | Purl Soho

FINISHED SIZE: 32 x 41 inches (7 squares x 9 squares)

To make a smaller version of the Rainbow Blanket, you can order one of our crib-size Rainbow Blanket Bundle right here (no longer available). It includes a total of 13 skeins of Koigu Premium Merino: 7 colors for the inside squares and 6 of color #00 for the outside borders. Arrange the 63 finished squares however you want!

Choose from six different Rainbow Crib Blanket Kits (shown above):

  • Pebble (top left): 2390.5, 3003, 1156, 2403, 2164, 2416, and 2290 + 6 skeins of 00
  • Kitchen Garden (top right): 1195, 1240, 2200, 2339, 1521.5, 1051, and 1521 + 6 skeins of 00
  • Dolphin (middle left): 1500, 2130, 1043, 3016, 1504, 1045, and 1010.5 + 6 skeins of 00
  • Mineral (middle right): 2335, 2403, 3003, 2180, 1200, 2290, and 2390.5 + 6 skeins of 00
  • Pixie (bottom left): 1240, 1173, 2200, 1143, 2121, 1155, and 2100 + 6 skeins of 00
  • Pickup Truck (bottom right): 2403, 2229, 2390.5, 2405, 1010.5, 3016, and 2227 + 6 skeins of 00

You will also need:

To Design Your Own Blanket

Here is what you need to know to:

  • Each skein of KPM is 50 grams and 175 yards.
  • Bear’s Rainbow Blanket is 9 x 12 squares (108 squares total). To make the same size, you’ll need at least a total of 22 skeins of KPM. If you want a border color, you’ll need 11 of it, plus at least 11 more skeins for the inside squares.
  • Each square uses about 32-34 total yards of KPM; 17-18 yards for the inside square and 15-16 yards for the outside border.
  • 1 skein of KPM can make 10 inside squares or 11 outside borders.
  • Each square measures 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches.
  • A skein of KPM Needlepoint Yarn is 3.125 grams and 10.9 yards, so for 1 inside square you need 2 KPM Needlepoint skeins.
  • Purl Soho always has a beautiful selection of Koigu’s KPM. Click here to see it all, and have fun!

Notes On Koigu

  •  Koigu Premium Merino is hand dyed in small batches so please know that each dye lot is unique. This means that if you use one of our kits, it will look a lot like ours but will have some variations. It also means that if consistency is important to you, buy enough!
  • KPM is machine washable on a cold, gentle cycle. However, please be aware that, while Koigu does its best to set their hand-dyed colors, they do note that “Under certain water and/or soap types this yarn may bleed.” For thorough instructions and excellent tips on setting your yarn’s dye before you begin, please visit our Re-fixing Dyes Tutorial!

Crocheted Square Pattern

Gauge

6 1/4 double crochets crochets = 1 inch

Finished Size

Each square is 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches

Inside Square

Round 1: With the Inside Color, chain 3 into an adjustable loop, make 15 double crochet (dc) into the loop…

Bear’s Rainbow Blanket | Purl Soho

… join to third stitch of beginning chain with a slip stitch. (16 stitches)

Bear’s Rainbow Blanket | Purl Soho

Round 2: Chain 3, [2 dc into next stitch] 15 times to beginning chain, 1 dc into base of chain…

Bear’s Rainbow Blanket | Purl Soho

… join to third stitch of chain with a slip stitch. (32 stitches)

Bear’s Rainbow Blanket | Purl Soho

Round 3: Chain 3, *2 dc into next stitch, 1 dc into next stitch, repeat from * to last stitch, 2 dc into last stitch, slip stitch into third chain. (48 stitches)

Bear’s Rainbow Blanket | Purl Soho

Round 4: Chain 4, (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc, 1 treble crochet [tr]) into the base of the chain…

Bear’s Rainbow Blanket | Purl Soho
Bear’s Rainbow Blanket | Purl Soho

..*skip 2 stitches, 1 half double crochet (hdc) into next 2 stitches, 1 sc into next 3 stitches, 1 hdc into next 2 stitches, skip 2 stitches, (1 tr, 2 dc, chain 2, 2 dc, 1 tr) into next stitch, repeat from * 2 more times, skip 2 stitches, 1 hdc into next 2 stitches, 1 sc into next 3 stitches, 1 hdc into next 2 stitches, slip stitch into 4th chain.

Bear’s Rainbow Blanket | Purl Soho

Round 5: Chain 3, 1 dc into next 2 stitches, *(1 dc, 2 tr, ch 2, 2 tr, 1 dc) into corner space, 1 dc into each stitch to corner (13 dc’s), rep from * 2 more times, (1 dc, 2 tr, ch 2, 2 tr, 1 dc) into corner space, 1 dc into each stitch to beginning chain (10 dc’s), slip stitch into 3rd chain. Cut the yarn and pull it through the last stitch.

Bear’s Rainbow Blanket | Purl Soho

Outside Border

Round 1: Join Border Color into a corner space. (Chain 3, 1 dc, chain 2, 2 dc) into corner space, *1 dc into each stitch to next corner space (19 dc’s), (2 dc, chain 2, 2 dc) into corner space, repeat from * 2 more times, 1 dc into each stitch to beginning corner (19 dc’s), slip stitch into 3rd chain.

Bear’s Rainbow Blanket | Purl Soho

Round 2: Chain 3, 1 dc into next stitch, *5 dc into corner space, 1 dc into each stitch to next corner space (23 dc’s), repeat from * 2 more times, 5 dc into corner space, 1 dc into each stitch to beginning chain (21 dc’s), slip stitch into 3rd chain. Cut the yarn and pull it through the last stitch.

Bear’s Rainbow Blanket | Purl Soho

Weave in whatever ends you didn’t already crochet over.

Layout

If you are making the same exact blanket as this one, here is the layout of all the squares. (Note that in some of the story’s photos the blanket is flipped over so that this layout is a mirror image of what you may see in the photos.)

Bear’s Rainbow Blanket | Purl Soho

Assembling

There are lots of ways to attach your squares together. Some people like to crochet them together using a slip stitch or even a single crochet, but I prefer to sew them together with a length of yarn and a tapestry needle. And again there are several of ways to do that: a running stitch, some variation on a blanket stitch, or my preferred method, a whip stitch. Experiment and decide what you like best!

To whip stitch, I brought the needle under both strands of the edge stitches. Instead of turning the needle around to come back the other way, I pushed my needle through in the same direction for every stitch.

Remember to save yourself some trouble and sew over whatever ends you can!

Bear’s Rainbow Blanket | Purl Soho

I hope you enjoy this project as much as I did! And happy hooking!