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*to protect their privacy I have changed the names of my family members. However the stories and other information presented here have not been changed.*

Devastation struck our family when my poppop died. Of course our whole family was heartbroken, but for his nephew Patrick it was different. Patrick had a stroke about a year earlier and was still living in a rehab center, mostly paralyzed and unable to speak. He wanted to support his family, but medically it was impossible for him. Fortunately his wife Pam was able to take a short break from helping to take care of Patrick and attend the funeral.

We took advantage of the opportunity to catch up with Pam as much as we could. Among the seemingly endless topics of conversation she told us about the hardships of helping take care of her husband…physical, emotional, financial…

You guys, this killed me. My poppop’s side of the family had it rough. Like, really rough: he grew up with three brothers in a two-bedroom apartment and no father; three of his nephews died of drug-related causes; Pam got shot simply by being in the cross fire of a drug deal gone bad… they just couldn’t seem to catch a break.

Despite all their hardships, my family have always been so supportive, and I wanted to do something nice for them for a change. So I did what I know best…

Shopped for yarn! (what did you think I was going to say? 😉 )

Enter this soft chunky striped crochet throw blanket. After a little investigating into Patrick’s favorite color and some sales, I found a lovely super chunky baby alpaca yarn on closeout sale that was just calling my name for this project. Patrick’s favorite color is army green, so I balanced the dark green yarn with a lighter cream yarn so I could add some detail that he could actually see.

If you’re new to crochet, don’t let the different textures in this blanket scare you! It’s actually only two stitches and great for a beginner!

I used Plymouth Yarn’s Baby Alpaca Magna for this project, but unless you are making something extra special I don’t think it’s necessary to spend too much on a luxury yarn.  Lang yarns Muralto is a slightly cheaper option that still has the chainette construction, or you could try something like Rico Creative Twist super chunky for an economical option with a slightly different look and feel.

Materials:

• 11.5 mm crochet hook (I only had plastic available to me, but I normally prefer a bamboo or metal hook)
• ~1650 yards super chunky yarn (such as Muralto, Creative Twist, Kim, or Softy
• Yarn cutters
• large darning needle

Abbreviations:

• ch = chain
• st = stitch
• sc = single crochet
• hdc = half double crochet

Directions

Ch 83

Stripe 1 (Color A)

Row 1: sc on second st from hook. Then single crochet every st across

Row 2: ch 1. sc on 1st sc stitch in previous row. Then single crochet every st across

Rows 3-10: Repeat row 2

Stripe 2 (Color B):

Switch to color B

Row 11: ch 2. hdc on first sc st of previous row and every st across

Row 12: ch 2. hdc through the third loop on first hdc st of previous row and every st across (I did it on the third loop on the front side)

If you’re unsure, here is a photo showing the third loop on hdc:

If you’re still unsure, Moogly has a decent video showing how to hdc through the third loop.

Rows 13-20: Repeat row 12

Stripe 3 (Color A):

Switch back to color A

Row 21: ch 1. sc on 1st hdc in previous row. Then sc every st across

Rows 22-30: Repeat row 21

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Stripe 4 (Color B):

Switch to color B

Row 11: Ch 2. hdc on first sc st of previous row and every st across

Row 12: Ch 2. hdc through the third loop on first hdc st of previous row and every st across

Rows 13-20: Repeat row 12

Note: One of the things I love about this soft chunky striped crochet throw blanket is the different stripe sizes between the two colors. However, if you prefer the stripes to be similar in size, either increase the number of rows for color A stripes or reduce the number of rows for color B stripes to your liking. 

Stripes 5 and beyond:

Repeat directions for stripes 3 and 4 until blanket measures desired length. Weave in ends and you’re done!

Ta da! Easy, right? My blanket measured about 53″ x 58″ (close enough to the standard 52″ x 60″ for me), but make yours as big or small as you want it! I also added a single crochet border to give the blanket more of the green, but it didn’t turn out as I hoped. If you opt to add a border, I recommend optimizing the number of stitches along the sides since the heights of the sc and hdc sts differ. And then come back and show us all your master skills!

Now all you have to do is enjoy your handmade super soft chunky striped crochet throw blanket! Woo!

For more yarn talk, head over to my discussion on choosing safe and sustainable yarns!

Happy crocheting!