Lion Brand Off The Hook Checkerboard Baby Blankie

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

• LION BRAND® OFF THE HOOK - Secret Princess 5 balls

SIZE:
About 30 x 35 in. (76 x 89 cm)

DIRECTIONS:

BLANKIE:
Set up
Pull out one end of yarn and count out 50 loops. You'll be working on just 48 loops to make the Blankie, the other 2 loops are the beginning yarn tail and will be secured later.
Lay this length of 50 loops onto a flat surface, with the end of the yarn on your left hand side.

Check to be sure that all loops are facing upwards and that loops aren't twisted.

Make your Blankie
To make the Blankie, you'll be working back and forth in rows across the loops.

The yarn that's coming from the yarn ball is called the working yarn.
Hold the working yarn behind the base of 48 loops.

The rows are worked over groups of 8 loops at a time, to make a checkerboard texture across the Blankie. Look at the diagram before you begin to clarify how the Blankie is constructed. To print the diagram, click on the "Download Project PDF" button (above).

Row 1
Square A
With your thumb and index finger, reach through the front of the first loop (50th loop from the end) on the beginning of your Blankie and pull the next loop from the working yarn through the first loop.
Working across the length of loops from right to left, continue to pull the next loop of working yarn through the next loop front the back to the front on the Blankie until you've pulled up 8 loops. For these first 8 loops, you've pulled the working yarn through from the back to the front.

Square B
To work the next 8 loops, you'll pull the working yarn through from the front to the back. First bring the working yarn from behind the Blankie to the front of the Blankie. With your thumb and index finger, reach through from the back of the next loop and pull the next loop from the working yarn through. Continue to pull the next loop of the working yarn from the front to the back through the next loop on the Blankie until you've pulled up 8 loops.

Make 4 more Squares to finish Row 1 - another Square A, then B, A and B.

Row 2
Work Row 2 from left to right.

Square B
To work the first 8 loops, you'll pull the working yarn through from the front to the back. Bring the working yarn to the front (as you did before). Reach through from the back of the next loop and pull the next loop from the working yarn through. Continue to pull the next loop of the working yarn from the front to the back through the next loop on the Blankie until you've pulled up 8 loops.

Square A
For the next 8 loops, continue to pull the next loop of working yarn through the next loop on the Blankie from the back to the front, until you've pulled up 8 loops.
Make 4 more Squares to finish Row 2 - another Square B, then A, B and A.
Rows 3 - 6: Repeat Rows 1 and 2 twice more.
Row 7
Work Row 7 from right to left.

Square B
To work the first 8 loops, you'll pull the working yarn through from the front to the back. Bring the working yarn to the front (as you did before). Reach through from the back of the next loop and pull the next loop from the working yarn through. Continue to pull the next loop of the working yarn from the front to the back through the next loop on the Blankie until you've pulled up 8 loops.

Square A
For the next 8 loops, continue to pull the next loop of working yarn through the next loop on the Blankie from the back to the front, until you've pulled up 8 loops.
Make 4 more Squares to finish Row 7 - another Square B, then A, B and A.

Row 8
Work Row 8 from left to right.

Square A
To work the first 8 loops, pull the next loop of working yarn through the next loop on the Blankie from the back to the front, until you've pulled up 8 loops.

Square B
For the next 8 loops, continue to pull the next loop of working yarn through the next loop on the Blankie from the front to the back, until you've pulled up 8 loops.
Make 4 more Squares to finish Row 8 - another Square A, then B, A and B.
Rows 9 - 12: Repeat Rows 7 and 8 twice more.
Repeat Rows 1-12 for 3 more times.

Finish your Blankie
Now you'll need to finish off your loops. Drop the working yarn.
Working in the same direction as the last row you made, pull the second loop through the first; pull the third loop through the second; pull the fourth through the third - and so on across to the end of the row.
Now you're back at the side with the working yarn. Carefully snip the remaining loops from working yarn tail. Pull working yarn through the last loop and knot.
Carefully snip the remaining loops from each yarn tail. Just snip the loops off, don't cut through the yarn! Pull each of the trimmed tails through the loops of the Blankie to secure them.

JOANN Hacks:

• This yarn is designed so that the loops stay in place - you can set the Blankie down at any point and the loops won't come undone!
• When you want to join a new ball of yarn, you'll need to join when you're at the end of a row. Pull out one end of the new yarn, leave 2-3 loops hanging, then continue to work back and forth in rows across the 48 loops of the Blankie with the new ball.