Revisiting Ariel

Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away (when my kids were elementary-aged!), I was commissioned to make a crocheted blanket for a little girl. I was to recreate a blanket her grandmother had made for her and her mom was going to make a donation on my behalf to The Linus Connection.

In the past, I’ve used the expression that her blanket was loved to pieces. That is meant literally. After quite a bit of trial and error, I reverse-engineered the pattern, created a new one, delivered it and she loved it.

Sometime later, and with the family’s permission, I shared the pattern online. This was, oh, maybe 2004, 2005?

The pattern was copied and recopied as I moved from free website to paid website and from website to blog format. Eventually, I offered a printed version, too. I even added the pattern to Ravelry, so the world could share Ariel’s Blanket.

And somewhere in there, something went a bit wrong.

Last week, commenter Michelle got in touch and let me know that something just wasn’t quite right with row 5. Unfortunately, she caught me in the middle of being crazy busy and I just didn’t have time to check it out.

Fortunately, I have Facebook and some of my readers there came to the rescue. With their feedback and a copy of the pattern, I finally had time yesterday to sit down and sort it all out.

So here, for you, is the updated pattern with spiffy new pictures of the block that makes up Ariel’s Blanket.

Queue this pattern on Ravelry!

Printable Pattern

And, because it’s what I do now, you can also get the pattern free on Craftsy!

The original afghan uses Red Heart Baby Sport Pompadour Yarn: small amount blue, yellow, green, peach & pink (approx. 1 – 1½ oz.), 40 ounces white For one square: small amount for center color, approx. 2 oz white).

For the sample block, I used Red Heart Baby Fingering Weight and & F hook. I also changed color on row 10 so you can really see the popcorn stitches. It takes a little more colored yarn in this variation.

PC= Popcorn
Ch 3 counts as DC in PC st
Size “F” Hook
Finished Blanket is approximately 44″ x 54″

Row 1: Starting with center color, Ch 6, join with sl st in first ch st. Ch 1, 12 sc in loop. Join with sl st to first sc.

Row 2: Ch 3, 4 dc in beg sc [drop loop from hook, insert hook in top of first dc, pull loop through to make first PC] ch 4, sk 1 sc, 5 DC in next sc, follow [ ], ch 4 around until you have 6 PC, ch 4, join to top of first PC with sl st.

Row 3: ch 1, sc in same st. 7 dc in ch sp, sc in PC join st around. Join with sl to first sc. (6 “Petals”)

Row 4: ch 1, sc in same st, [ch 5, sc in next sc] around, join with sl to first sc.

Row 5: ch 3, 4 dc in first ch sp. [In next sc: Dc, ch 3, dc. In next ch sp: 4 dc. Dc in sc. In ch sp: 3 dc, ch 3, 3dc] Dc in sc, 4 dc in ch sp. Repeat [ ], join with sl st to top of beg ch 3. Finish off. (This seems very odd, but take your time with it and I promise it works out!)

You should now have a square with equal sides, 9 stitches per side with a ch 3 in each corner.

Row 6: Join white with sl st in any corner sp. Ch 3, 2 dc, ch 3, 3 dc in same corner space. Ch 1. {[Dc in each of the next 3 dc. Ch 1] Repeat [] to corner space. In next corner space, 3 dc ch 3, 3 dc,ch 1}, Repeat {} around. Join with sl st at beg ch 3.

You should now have 5 clusters of 3 dc with a chain sp between on each side with ch 3 in each corner.

Row 7 & 8: Sl st to corner sp ch 3, 2 dc, ch 3, 3 dc. {3 dc in ch sp to next corner. 3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc in corner}. Repeat {} around. Join with sl st at the top of beg ch 3.

Row 9: (do not sl st to corner) ch 3 (counts as first dc), 1 dc in each dc to corner. {[3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc in corner], 1 dc in each dc to corner}. Repeat {} around. Join with sl st at the top of beg ch 3.
(for added variety, row 10 can also be in a contrasting color)

Row 10: ch 3, PC in next dc, 1 dc, PC, 1 dc, (3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc in all corners), 1 DC, pc, 1 dc, PC around. Join with sl st at the top of beg ch 3. (13 PC per side)

Row 11: ch 3, DC in each st around, (3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc in all corners). Join with sl st at the top of beg ch 3.

Row 12: ch 1, sc in each st around, 3 sc in corners. Finish off.

FOR BLANKET PATTERN
Make 20 squares. Join squares 4×5 either with whip st or sc. Add border.

Border:

ch 3 counts as first stitch
cluster = 3 dc, ch 2, sc in 1st ch, 3 dc
Here, your cluster is 3 double crochets with 2 chain stitches, then you single crochet in the first chain stitch you just made. This makes a point in the middle of the cluster. You then make 3 more double crochets to finish the cluster.

Join white in second sc of corner, ch 3, 2 dc, ch 2, sc in first ch, 3 dc, skip 1 sc, sc in next ch, (cluster, sk 1 sc, sc in next ch, cluster), around.

Each square should have 6 clusters, not counting corner clusters.

Join with sl st, finish off, weave in ends.