A Christmas baby blanket...

My older daughter's school had an auction for which each class created a basket.  My daughter's class chose to do a basket with a "Baby's First Christmas" theme...and I wanted to create something with a touch of handmade for the basket.  This is the blanket that I ended up contributing...

This was photographed on a sunny day right before I took it to her school...not sure that the lighting was the best one for the fabric, but the blanket itself was beautiful.  I used a piece of fleece, a quarter of a 1 yard cut of the fabric is about the right size for a baby blanket, and crocheted an edging right on the fleece using a coordinating red heart super saver yarn in burgundy that I had on hand.

The edging is my own design.  I tend to make up a crochet edging as I go along, just sort of basing what I do on what appeals to me with the particular fabric I'm working with.  For this I wanted a bit of a lacy design and something that picked up the darker color of the snowflakes and mimiced the circles printed on the fabric. 

I did a foundation row of single crochet right on the edge of the fabric.  Fleece can be a bit hard to poke the crochet hook through, I find that going with a smaller size steel hook makes this initial row easier, a size 5 or 7.  Then I'll move up to an F or G hook, depending on the yarn and the effect I want, for later rows.

The second row is 6 double crochet in one single crochet at the corner, skip 2 single crochet spaces on the previous row, then 3 double crochet in the next space, skip 2 spaces and 3 double crochet in the next, repeating until you complete the round.

The third (final) row of the edging is 2 triple crochet in the top of each of the 6 double crochet at the corner of the previous round, then 4 double crochet in each opening between groups of double crochet, skip the first space above the following group of double crochet and single crochet in the next, then 4 double crochet in the opening between that group and the next.

I really love how this edging came out, lacy, but in keeping with the fleece fabric.

This photo really shows how poor the lighting was for the fabric, much to bright and the fleece has some reflective qualities.  However, this photo shows the lacy effect and slight ruffle to the edging.  It is really lovely looking.

These blankets are fun to make, can be done in any size you desire, and make a nice gift.  It makes me so much happier to give something with a touch of handmade to it than a store bought throw or blanket.