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Intro:

Last year (2022), I signed up for a year’s worth of yarn. It was a “yarn subscription” consisting of 12 months of surprise skeins in the mail. Each month I crocheted the skeins into a Granny Stripe Blanket (which I adore) and this year I’m doing it again!

You see, last year I thought I would try and make myself a temperature blanket. I started, stopped, amended, started again…and again…and again….

Eventually, after trying and failing to decide which kind of pattern I wanted for my temperature blanket, I decided it was way too big of a commitment for me with the amount of other things I had on the go. But I still liked the idea of a “yearly” blanket…. cue: the yarn subscription.

I discovered the idea of the yarn subscription sort of by chance—but loved the idea way more than a temperature blanket. Surprise, hand dyed merino wool in the mail…every month!?!?! -Sign me up!! I ended up going with a yarn subscription from Rose Hill Yarns but I didn’t really know what to do with the skeins, until I came across Bonnie’s (@greenletterday on IG) granny stripe CAL (crochet-a-long). It was perfect!!

I decided that each month I would crochet my skeins into granny stripe and just work through the year, month by month. I made a promise to just let it be a project that kept me occupied while cooking dinner, or having my morning coffee, or when I needed a breather from designing. I crocheted each skein until it ran out (even if that meant in the middle of a row) and then joined up the next one.

This is how that project turned out:

There were lots of things I loved about it—and one thing I didn’t. Lets start with the love part:

I loved that it was random, and mindless. It was the most relaxing project I took on all year and it was just for me. I savored that. I also loved the surprise colours in the mail every month-not a single one disappointed. They were all entirely wonderful.

What didn’t I love? It wasn’t made of granny squares!!!!! Okay, okay, bear with me. If you have followed me for even a second on social media then you know I’m entirely, completely, over-the-top, OBSESSED with granny squares (sunbursts and starbursts specifically). So a small part of me wishes I had just done my own thing and made granny squares of some kind. Just one look at @mayfairefiberart on Instagram (who used her yarn subscription to make my Hygge Burst Blanket) will convince you that this is a really good idea.

This Year (2023)…

Join me on the journey! Let’s do this together for one year! I’ve laid out a general pattern below-but you can make any type of blanket/project you’d like. I’ll be using the hashtag: #ayearofsurprisesblanket.

I’ve decided that I’m going to do granny squares—the squares I’m using are an updated version of my “Finn Blanket Square” with cluster stitches that make it just a teensy bit more feminine looking. They’re the same squares I’ve used in my Happy Pumpkin Blanket Pattern and the Autumn Swirl Blanket Pattern. I’ve thought long and hard about which motif to use and I think this one has to be it-I like that it only has 3 rounds but makes a decent sized square and I love it’s simplicity while using less yarn than the sunburst squares (which are yarn eaters, if you know-you know).

The Yarn…

I’ve purchased my yarn subscription from Ravenswood Fibre Co. I went with the Worsted/Aran weight option for the whole year (12 months, 2023).

I’m going to join my blanket with my forever favourite Bare Swish Worsted Weight yarn from Knit Picks. Every year during their Black Friday sale I stock up on DK weight and Worsted weight bare yarns from Knit Picks because they’re perfect for joining scarves, blankets, cowls, baby blankets-you name it! I always have a large stash on hand and it hasn’t failed me yet. There is a slight difference in the weight of the Swish worsted compared to the Ravenswood Worsted yarn—but I’ve used them together in several projects and they worked perfectly. Check out Finn’s New Granny Square Blanket Pattern and How to Crochet a Seamless Looking Circle in a Granny Square Blanket which both used Knit Picks Swish Worsted Merino to join Ravenswood Fibre Co Worsted/Aran.

Another more affordable option would be to mix fibre types. I’ve seen lots of projects worked up in special yarns (that we’ve treated ourselves to) joined with a more “affordable” acrylic. This is a great option for those who want to meet somewhere in the middle. I would definitely check out “Brava Worsted” which is a 100% acrylic from Knit Picks or WeCrochet. I’ve used it many times and can vouche that it’s soft enough to work well with beautiful merino yarns. And finally a third option you may be interested in, would be Heatherly Worsted Weight yarn which is a 80% acrylic/20% merino from WeCrochet. I’ve not used this yarn yet, but I do have something planned later in the year with it ;) .

The Pattern…

Notions

US 5.00mm (size H) crochet hook
Needle for weaving in ends
Scissors

Yarn

Ravenswood Fibre Co. 100% Merino Worsted/Aran (181yds/100g):

“A Year of Surprises” Yarn Subscription 2023, (2172yds/1200g) 12 skeins

WeCrochet Bare Swish 100% SW Merino Worsted (220yds/100g): **affiliate link

Bare (1287yds /585g) 6 skeins

Gauge

3 round starburst square= 3.5” across (unblocked).
Starburst square weighs approximately 9g.
With joining round= 4.5” (unblocked).
Starburst with border round weighs approximately 13g.
Therefore, 4g of yarn is needed to join each square.

**Please note: the yarn pictured below is Ravenswood Fibre Co Worsted/Aran from my scraps basket only, and will NOT be featured in the blanket. It has only been used to swatch and plan for the upcoming project.

Finished Size

47” x 57” Blocked.

Glossary (using US Crochet Terminology)

st(s)- stitch(es)
ch- chain
ch-sp- chain space
sl st- slip stitch
YO- yarn over
rnd- round
cl st(s)- cluster stitch(es)
SC- single crochet
DC- double crochet
tr- treble crochet
CJAYG- continuous join as you go
2 DC cl – 2 double crochet cluster stitch
4 DC cl- 4 double crochet cluster stitch
fpdc- front post double crochet
bpdc- back post double crochet

How to 2 DC cl: YO and insert hook into center of circle, YO and pull up a loop, YO and pull through 2. Repeat one more time. YO and pull through 3 loops on hook, Ch 1.

How to 4 DC cl: YO and insert hook into sp, YO and pull up a loop, YO and pull through 2. Repeat this 3 more times. There should be 5 loops on the hook. YO and pull through all 5 loops.

Pattern Notes

Please adjust hook size to meet gauge.
Ch 2 counts as DC throughout.
Ch 3 counts as tr throughout.
Each skein weighs 100g-I’ve swatched and know that each square weighs 9g. So we should get 11 squares/skein of yarn. I plan on making my blanket 11 squares wide (or 1 month of yarn) by 12 squares long (each month of the year).
2 Options for layout of blanket…
- 1) Rows are numbered to coordinate with the colour chart below. Please use this chart for final placement of squares. Each row corresponds to a calendar month of the year.
  or
- 2) Make up all squares throughout year and randomly place them at the end of the year to achieve a more balanced or traditional granny blanket look. (I will be using this method for my blanket. See schematic below for final placement of squares).
This blanket is joined with CJAYG (see video tutorial in Blanket Assembly section)- however you can achieve this same look by completing a 4th round of traditional granny square stitches and then using the “zig zag sl st” method of joining to achieve the same braided effect. Please note this requires more yarn so adjust for that.
Don’t forget to share your makes on Instagram and Facebook! I always love seeing what you’ve all worked up. Tag me on Instagram @nautikrallcrochet or Facebook @nautikrall_crochet, or use the hashtag: #ayearofsurprisesblanket.

Schematic

Blanket Dimensions: 11 x 12= 132 squares

2 Options for layout of blanket…

1) Each row corresponds to a calendar month of the year.
or
2) Make up all squares throughout year and randomly place them at the end of the year to achieve a more balanced or traditional granny blanket look. Please see schematic above for final placement of my squares.

Pattern Finn’s Starburst Granny Square:

With hook size needed to obtain gauge…

Rnd 1

Ch 5, sl st into 5th ch from hook to create centre ring.
Ch 2, work 1 DC into centre ring, ch 1 (this counts as first cl st).
Work 11 [2 DC cl] into centre ring (12 cl sts).
Join rnd with sl st to the ch-1 sp between the first and second cl sts at beginning of rnd, do not fasten off.

Rnd 2

Ch 2, work a [4 DC cl] into same sp, ch 2.
Work a [4 DC cl, ch 2] into each ch-1 sp around (12 cl sts).
Join rnd with sl st into the first ch-2 space of the round (not into the top of the cl st), do not fasten off.

Rnd 3

Ch 3, work [2 tr, ch 2, 3 tr] into same sp.
*Work 3 DC into next ch-2 sp, twice.
Work [3 tr, ch 2, 3 tr] in next ch-2 sp.*
Repeat from * to * 2 more times.
Work 3 DC into next ch-2 sp, twice.
Join rnd with sl st into the top of the first tr (not the ch 3), Fasten off.

**Please see video tutorial below on how to crochet the starburst granny square:

Assembling Blanket Squares (CJAYG):

With RS of squares face up, lay out all squares in the arrangement from the colour graph above.
Using joining colour, start in top right-hand corner to join squares across the rows.
Example: First row will be joined from square number 11 across to square number 1. The second row will start with square number 22 and be worked across to square number 12.
Following along with the video tutorial, crochet squares together until blanket is complete.
Once back to the start of the blanket (in the top right-hand corner)- DO NOT FASTEN OFF.
You are now ready to start border Round 1.

**Please see video tutorial below for how to join CJAYG starburst motifs together:

Border

**Continued from CJAYG…

Round 1

Ch 2, Work one DC into each st around the blanket.
In places where two squares are joined; work 2 DC on either side (or in each corner).
In the four corners of the blanket work 9 DC sts.
Join rnd with sl st into top of ch-2 .
Do not fasten off…

Round 2

Ch 2, Work fpdc around first DC, work bpdc around next DC.
Alternate fpdc and bpdc all around border of blanket.
Continue alternating fpdc and bpdc for the 9 DC sts in the corners of blanket.
Join rnd with sl st into top of ch-2.
Do not fasten off…

Round 3

Repeat Rnd 2.

Round 4

Repeat Rnd 3.
Fasten off, weave in all ends.

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

~The End~

The pattern, the photographs and video tutorials in this document are the property of Nautikrall Crochet. You may sell items you make from this pattern; but may not sell, reproduce, or distribute this pattern, in whole or in part, as your own.

New Upcycle Suri Alpaca Yarn at knitpicks.com