Feb
When I Actually Made This Thing
So I made my first chevron blanket in spring 2022 when I was stuck at home with covid and honestly just needed something to do besides watch every episode of The Office again. I used Red Heart Super Saver in like three different colors because that’s what I had in my stash and I wasn’t about to go to the craft store while contagious.
The whole zigzag thing looks way more complicated than it actually is, which is kinda the point I guess. People see it and think you’re some crochet genius but really you’re just doing the same row over and over.
What You Actually Need
You’re gonna need a crochet hook – I used a 5.5mm because that’s what the yarn label suggested but honestly I’ve used everything from 5mm to 6mm and it all works fine. For yarn, Caron Simply Soft is really nice if you want something softer than Red Heart, but Red Heart is cheaper and holds up better if you’re making something that’s actually gonna get used and washed a million times.
Pick at least 2 colors but I’ve done up to 5. More than that and it starts looking like a circus threw up on your couch.
The Basic Pattern Setup
Okay so the chevron pattern is basically peaks and valleys. You’re creating points that go up and points that go down by increasing and decreasing in specific spots. The standard repeat is usually done in multiples of 14 stitches plus 2, but I’m gonna be real with you – I never actually count that carefully anymore.
Start with a foundation chain that’s as wide as you want the blanket. For a throw blanket I usually do like 180-200 chains? Maybe more if I’m feeling ambitious. The chain is gonna be the most annoying part because you have to keep track and mine always ends up twisted.
Row 1 Setup
In the second chain from the hook, you’re gonna work a single crochet. Then sc in the next 4 chains. Here’s where the valley happens – you work 3 sc all in the same stitch. That creates the bottom point. Then sc in the next 5 stitches, and skip 2 stitches completely (this makes the peak point). Then you repeat that pattern across.
The thing that annoyed me SO much about this process was keeping track of where I was in the repeat at first. I kept losing count and having to frog back like half a row because my peaks and valleys weren’t lining up.
The Actual Stitch Pattern
After your foundation row, every row is basically the same which is why this pattern is actually pretty mindless once you get going. Chain 1 and turn at the end of each row.
Work 1 sc in each of the first 5 stitches. Then work 3 sc in the next stitch (that’s your valley forming). Sc in the next 5 stitches, then skip 2 stitches. That’s one full repeat. You just keep doing that across the entire row.
The peaks and valleys from the previous row will guide you on where to work the 3-sc increases and where to skip stitches. The valley (where you worked 3 sc in one stitch) – you’re gonna work your next 3-sc increase in the middle stitch of those 3. And the peak (where you skipped 2 stitches) will show you where to skip again.
Tension Is Gonna Be Weird At First
My edges were a mess for like the first 15 rows because I couldn’t figure out why they kept getting wavy. Turns out I was pulling too tight on the skip stitches and too loose on the increases. You gotta keep your tension really even or the whole thing starts looking wonky.
I actually had to rip out my first attempt completely and start over, which was like 4 hours of work down the drain. My cat knocked my yarn ball off the couch in the middle of frogging it and I almost gave up entirely.
Color Changes
This is where chevron blankets actually look cool. You can change colors every 2 rows, every 4 rows, or do random stripes. I usually do 2 rows of each color because it creates those sharp clean zigzag lines.
To change colors, just work your last stitch of the row until you have 2 loops on the hook, then pull through with the new color. Carry the yarn up the side if you’re alternating between the same colors, or cut it and weave in ends if you’re done with that color.
Weaving in ends is the actual worst part of this whole project btw. I had like 60 ends to weave in on my finished blanket and it took almost as long as crocheting several rows.
Sizing and Planning
For a baby blanket I’d do like 100-120 chains to start. Lap blanket maybe 150-180. Full throw blanket 200+. But honestly I usually just chain until it looks about right when I hold it up.
The length is easier – just keep going until you run out of yarn or it’s as long as you want. I made mine about 60 inches long which took maybe… I dunno, 3 weeks? But I wasn’t working on it every day.
Yarn Amounts
I used about 6 skeins total for my throw blanket – 2 skeins each of 3 colors. Could’ve probably done it with 5 but I’m glad I had extra. Nothing worse than running out of yarn when you’re like 5 rows from finishing.
If you’re using Red Heart Super Saver that’s the 7oz skeins. Caron Simply Soft skeins are smaller so you’d need more, maybe 8-10 skeins total? I haven’t actually calculated it properly because I just buy extra and use leftovers for other stuff.
Common Mistakes I Made
Missing the skip-2 and only skipping one stitch, which throws off the entire pattern and you don’t notice until like 3 rows later. Working the 3-sc increase in the wrong stitch so your valleys start drifting across the blanket instead of staying lined up. Not counting my foundation chain in multiples of 14 so my last repeat was incomplete and I had this weird edge situation.
Also I kept forgetting to chain 1 at the beginning of rows and couldn’t figure out why my edges were getting tighter and tighter.
The Reality of Making It
It took me way longer than I thought it would. I’m a pretty fast crocheter but even so, a full throw blanket is just a lot of stitches. My hands got crampy after like 2 hours of working on it, especially when I was trying to finish it quickly because I wanted to use it.
The pattern is repetitive enough that you can watch TV while doing it once you’ve got the rhythm down. I binged all of Severance while working on mine in 2022, which was… okay the show was great but I definitely had to redo some rows because I got too into the plot and lost count.
One row of a full-width blanket probably took me 15-20 minutes? So like 3-4 rows per hour if I was really focused. Some people are faster, I’m sure.
Fixing Mistakes
If you mess up the count, you’ll see it pretty quickly because your peaks and valleys won’t line up with the previous row. Just frog back to where it went wrong – don’t try to fudge it because it’ll just get worse and worse and you’ll end up with a blanket that looks drunk.
Sometimes I’d drop a stitch or accidentally work into the wrong spot and not notice for half a row. Super annoying but you gotta rip it out or it’ll bug you forever.
Finishing It Off
When you’re done just fasten off and weave in all those ends I mentioned. I don’t do any special border on chevron blankets because the zigzag edge is kinda the whole point, but you could add a simple sc border around the whole thing if the edges are bothering you.
Wash it before you give it to someone or start using it because the yarn relaxes a bit and the stitches even out. I use cold water and lay flat to dry because I’m paranoid about things shrinking even though acrylic doesn’t really shrink.
The finished blanket from 2022 is still on my couch and gets used constantly. It’s held up really well even though my cat kneads it with her claws like every single day. Red Heart Super Saver is basically indestructible which is why I keep using it even though there are softer options out there.
