This gorgeous all double crochet blanket (afghan) was my very first one and has become one of my favorite blankets ever! All 18,000 stitches of it were well worth it!

Simple beginner afghan with all double crochet stitches. Pattern generated by the random stripe generator!

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The story about this blanket

Two summers ago, we spent a week in the White Mountains and I decided I needed a new hobby. Yep, right then and there. Crochet. I really didn’t think about it much or ponder the idea, I just went for it. I headed into town (where they have only a Wal-Mart) and hit up the craft department.

Now, I have never crocheted (or knitted) before, in fact, the last yarn/string project I remember doing was making knotted embroidery floss bracelets in Junior High… So, to say I started from scratch couldn’t be more accurate.

I bought the book “I Taught Myself Crochet”, which included an instructional DVD (score!) along with numerous crochet hooks, afghan patterns (why mess with something small, go big right?), several colors of yarn, and of course a handy carrying case.

Simple beginner afghan with all double crochet stitches. Pattern generated by the random stripe generator!

Well, thanks to the book, YouTube, and some diligence I was able to pick up some simple stitches and spent 2 whole days in my PJ’s on the sofa doing nothing but crocheting a perfectly imperfect and flawed piece of random – was going to be an afghan, until it took on a completely jagged and unsightly shape. Scrap that.

Upon arriving home later that week, I was inspired to start a “real” project, so I bought some more yarn and began again. This pattern of starting and ripping out, and then eventually abandoning projects continued on for several more weeks.

Finally, in hopes of actually completing a project, I decided on something easy; a simple throw-sized afghan, with only 1 stitch, and minimal color changes. I could do that! After only a week and a half and 18,000 stitches, I am extremely proud to announce, I’VE FINISHED MY FIRST CROCHET BLANKET! It’s an all double crochet blanket (afghan)!

Simple beginner afghan with all double crochet stitches. Pattern generated by the random stripe generator!

How I made this blanket

The pattern I used was simple, the entire blanket is crocheted in double crochet (dc), nothing fancy.  Using a “J” or 6 mm hook, I chained 120 and did 150 rows (for a total of 18,000 stitches!).

For the border, I did one row of single crochet (sc) and then on top of that, one row of double crochet (dc) all the way around – that’s it!  The finished size is approximately 50 x 60″.

The coolest part about the project was the random stripe generator I found online , which I used to create the inconsistent stripe pattern.  It allows you to select your colors and the amount of rows you’ll need and then it generates the pattern for you!  If you don’t like it, resubmit your selections until you find one that is visually appealing to you. 

Then you just print it out and follow the pattern.  This is not something I would normally do, considering I am a minimalist usually, but I ended up loving the unpredictable colors and chunkiness of this blanket, not to mention the fact that I actually completed an all double crochet blanket (afghan)!

Simple beginner afghan with all double crochet stitches. Pattern generated by the random stripe generator!

Update, February 2017

I’ve been asked several times for the exact pattern I used from the random stripe generator, and believe it or not, I still have it handy, so I decided to add it to the post for everyone! If you’re interested in making this exact blanket, here are the instructions and the rows of colors I used (I started the chain with white):

All Double Crochet Afghan Instructions & Pattern

Size: 50″ x 60″ (To make larger or smaller, just add more chains or decrease number of chains.)
Yarn: Caron One Pound: Bright White 1, Pale Green 1 1/2, Soft Sage 1 1/2 (approximately).
Hook: US size J.

Pattern

Chain 120, ch 1, turn.
Row 1: Double crochet in 2nd chain from hook and across row. Ch 3, turn.
Row 2: Double crochet in 1st double crochet and across row, Ch 3, turn.
Repeat Row 2 until desired length (approximately 150 rows). Fasten off.
Border: Single crochet one row around blanket and then double crochet one row around blanket. You will need to add extra stitches in corners so they will lay flat (see You Tube for explanation). Fasten off.

I have included the color pattern I used below, or you may determine your own stripe pattern by using the Random Stripe Generator link. It will allow you to choose different stripe patterns.

Simple beginner afghan with all double crochet stitches. Pattern generated by the random stripe generator!

The stripe pattern I used

2 white
8 light teal
8 white
6 light teal
4 white
8 dark teal
2 white
4 dark teal
4 light teal
2 white
8 dark teal
4 white
6 light teal
4 white
2 dark teal
8 white
4 light teal
4 white
6 light teal
2 white
2 dark teal
4 white
4 light teal
6 white
8 dark teal
2 white
8 light teal
4 white
6 light teal
2 dark teal
2 white
4 light teal
2 white

I am more inspired than ever to begin my next project and couldn’t be happier with the way this all double crochet blanket (afghan) turned out.  It’s simple, tailored, and very, very warm!

Simple beginner afghan with all double crochet stitches. Pattern generated by the random stripe generator!

These photos were updated in April of 2018

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276 Comments

  1. Stephanie says:

    Do you remember how many skeins of yarn you used?

    1. Hey Stephanie! I used the big 1 pound skeins from Joann’s and I had one of each color plus an extra white (which I didn’t use).

  2. I’m going to attempt to make this blanket, but I have a couple questions before beginning. The dimensions of the blanket are 50″ x 60″ – are the stripes going in the horizontal or vertical direction in regard to the longer dimension? Also, if I would like the blanket to be a bit longer, could I add one more row to each of the color rows – which would make the blanket have 183 rows instead of 150?

    1. Hi Lisa! Okay, so yes, the blanket is 50″ wide and 60″ long with the stripes running horizontally across. For sure – you can make it as long as you want, just keep adding rows to the end. I’m terrible with keep track and counting rows (which is why I love random projects like this one), so when I’m getting close to the length, I lay the blanket flat and measure it with a measuring tape to see how long it is in inches. Hope this helps and happy crocheting!

  3. Are you able to send me the pattern for this afghan?

  4. Hi I am not a crocheter however I would like to make an afghan for each of my grandchildren to remember me by….I really like this afghan as it’s a simple double crochet but looks beautiful. I do know that I need to buy the yarn all at once from the same dye lot so there isn’t variations in color. Would you tell me how many skeins of each color I will need please?

  5. Karen Vernon says:

    What type or yarn was used bulky or worsted weight

    1. Hi Karen! This is made with a medium 4 weight yarn. 🙂

  6. Kristine, when you made your All Double Crocheted blanket you didn’t say if you chained one when you turned to the next row or not. I’m sure you did.

    1. Hey Sherrie – I apologize I am just seeing this. Yes, I did chain one before turning. I’ll add that to the post. Happy crocheting!

  7. Betty Pape says:

    I’m planning ymto make a temperature blanket, would this pattern look nice with many colors used?

    Thank you

    1. Absolutely, Betty! I think that would be gorgeous. I really like the “random” look, so cozy. Happy crocheting!

    2. I think the temperature blanket would be too long if you are planning one row per day. They recommend single crochet and it will still be 8 – 10 feet long.

  8. Please what are these colors????

    1. Hi Sarah! These are all Caron one pound skeins in bright white, soft sage, and teal. I think the teal is discontinued, but they have a gorgeous color called succulent in it’s place. That’s probably what I’d use. You can find all the colors at Joann’s. 🙂