Free Sugar Skull Crochet Blanket Pattern!

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Not Just for Grannies

Hello all! I know it's been a while since you've heard from me - I can only beg your forgiveness. I am only able to blog when time allows, and time has been a bit short lately. I've had my hands quite full over here designing for clients, creating art and also lecturing Photography. All good though, I would rather be busy than bored!

One of my resolutions this year, was to get "things" finished. On my official Bucket List, has always been making a crochet blanket. I generally make a pile of squares until the novelty wears off, then when I finally go back to it I've gone right off the colours. So last September when I had the flu, I went out, bought some new wool and started again (again). This time I was DETERMINED to end up with a finished crochet blanket.

Crochet blankets are for grannies.

Is what you might be thinking. I'm here to prove you wrong. If you think of a traditional granny square blanket, what you're working with of course - is squares. Just like pixel art. You could create a blanket using graphics from a favourite childhood computer game, or a sprite for example. Just because you're taking on a traditional craft, doesn't mean you can't put your own modern spin to it. Because I LOVE horror and skulls in particular, I decided to make a Sugar Skull Crochet Blanket.

OK - Let's Make a Crochet Blanket!

Follows the steps below and download my free pattern to create your very own Sugar Skull Crochet Blanket! Feel free to make your version as colourful or as simple as you like. You could even make the whole design in just basic Granny Squares if you prefer, though I do recommend at least giving the Puff Flower and African Flower Squares a go - they really are lovely!

1. Download my FREE Sugar Skull Blanket Crochet Pattern

FREE

Sugar Skull Blanket Crochet Pattern
by Rachel Weaver

2. Choose Your Wool

First things first - you'll need some wool (yarn). And a crochet hook of course (4.0mm – 4.5mm). I made my blanket using 8 ply purchased from Spotlight. Make sure that all of your wool is the same thickness, so your squares end up the same size. Think about how your colours will work together. Do you like soft or bright shades? What room will your blanket be going in? This could be the perfect opportunity to incorporate in the Pantone 2019 Colour of the Year - Living Coral.

3. Make all of your Squares

If you're new to crochet, start by learning the basic Granny Square first. Most of your Granny Squares will need to be five rounds in size. When you start to get the hang of things, your squares will begin to gradually stack up (store them nice and flat). Once you're feeling confident, you can move onto completing all of the Puff Flower Squares and African Flower Squares. Follow the links to tutorials below and refer to my free design pattern while working for information on quantity and placement.

💀 Granny Square Tutorial
💀 Star Burst / Puff Flower Square Tutorial
💀 African Flower Square Tutorial

4. Block Your Squares

If your squares aren't perfect - don't panic! Simply block them to square them up a bit. You can do this square-by-square but who has that much spare time? I made a simple DIY blocking board from thick foam and skewers, so multiple damp squares could be stacked up together. Check out the link below to create something along the same lines.

💀 DIY Blocking Board

5. Join Your Squares

Once you have all of your beautiful squares completed and blocked, lay them out following my free sugar skull design pattern. DOUBLE CHECK none of them are upside-down. I have a couple of squares that managed to slip past me! Now you are ready to start joining your squares. There are plenty of ways to do this, so visit the link below and choose your favourite style. Consider the colour of your join carefully (I used white).

💀 12 Ways to Join Granny Squares

6. Finishing Touches

Once all of your squares are joined - you will have an awesome blanket! Some finishing touches are nice though and will help square up the final shape. Go all the way around the outside in the same style as a traditional Granny Square to add a border. I added three rounds, but you can make yours as thick or thin as you like. I loved this rosey-copper colour so much, I just had to add tassels. For tassels this length and thickness, wrap your wool around the horizontal width of a DVD case and cut through. Make each one in groups of five strands and attach as shown below.

💀 How to Make Tassels

You Can Do It!

It might take a while, but the results are worth the effort. Then you can enjoy your snuggly, lovable, very cool Sugar Skull Crochet Blanket. I made mine to be a throw blanket for our lounge room and can finally tick "crochet a blanket" off my bucket list! Be sure to let us know if you're going to make one, or share if you have finished yours in the comments below. Happy crocheting all! x

Rachel Weaver

Rachel Weaver

Multidisciplinary Artist at studio 8T4
Rachel began her upbringing in the tiny mining towns of Cue and Leinster where isolation provided ample room for a rapidly growing imagination. A passion for learning and the experimentation of media has led her to become a multidisciplinary artist with a focus on illustration, design, art and photography.

She resides in her hometown of Geraldton, Western Australia with her partner, two dogs, two cats and carnivorous plant collection.
Rachel Weaver

Latest posts by Rachel Weaver (see all)

Rachel Weaver

View posts by Rachel Weaver
Rachel began her upbringing in the tiny mining towns of Cue and Leinster where isolation provided ample room for a rapidly growing imagination. A passion for learning and the experimentation of media has led her to become a multidisciplinary artist with a focus on illustration, design, art and photography. She resides in her hometown of Geraldton, Western Australia with her partner, two dogs, two cats and carnivorous plant collection.

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