Jazzberry Baby Blanket Crochet Along – Week 2

It’s time for week 2 of the Jazzberry Baby Blanket Crochet Along. Follow along as we make this colorful, textured blanket. There’s still plenty of time to join in!

The next section of the Jazzberry Baby Blanket Pattern has been posted. If you’re new to the Intermeshing crochet technique, this is a wonderful project to learn on.

Jazzberry CAL week 2 - a free crochet along on Stitches n Scraps

Check out the main Jazzbery CAL post for all the details, including prizes and giveaway information. Join in the fun and share your progress on the Scrappy Stitchers Facebook group.


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Here are a few tips to help you with week 2:

Changing colors

At the end of week 1, we changed our outside color. The pattern calls for changing colors as you finish the last stitch, which is usually my preferred way. If you’re not familiar with this method, check out my Changing Colors Tutorial

Color change in dc - Changing Colors Tutorial on StitchesNScraps.com

Changing directions:

The other thing that changes in this section is the direction of the zig-zag pattern. The key to this, honestly, is trust the pattern. It’s going to look wrong at first when you do it, but it will look right after another row.

By now you’ve probably seen that, looking at each column of stitches vertically, we’ve been alternating between one in the back and one in the front. What we’re going to do to change the pattern is NOT alternate (vertically), just for one row, with our new color. So if the stitch you’re working into is in front, you’ll be working a stitch in front.

This is just for the first row, and only with the new color. If we did it with both colors, it wouldn’t actually change the direction!

Transition - Jazzberry Baby Blanket on Stitches n Scraps

Those of you who are not changing colors may get a more distinct “square bracket” look in this row as the direction shifts. That look is somewhat camouflaged by the color change.

Tips from last week:

Last week on the Scrappy Stitchers Facebook group, we had lots of great questions and suggestions. Here are a few tips that came up. Some of these are from me, and some from other group members:

Csdc is optional – If you’re having trouble with the csdc stitch, it’s ok to use a ch 3. You will see a bit of a difference in the outside edge, but for the inside color, it won’t even be noticeable if you do a csdc or a ch 3.

Mark the first stitch – When working with the inside color, try putting a stitch marker at the top of the first stitch of your row. That will help keep it from getting “lost” when you come back to work into it. This is especially true if you’re using a ch 3.

Dropping the yarn – At the end of each inside color row, it will tell you whether to drop the yarn to the front or the back. When you turn the work to start the next row, that will be the opposite. So if it says drop the yarn to the front, then when you turn it, the yarn will be at the back.

Get a head start –  Anja Modrei says she finds it easier to start her next row before dropping the yarn. When she reaches the end of a row, she first turns and does the csdc and ch 1, and then drops her loop. She also uses a marker to secure the loop when she drops it.

Check your work –  If you’re not sure you have everything lined up correctly, try this. After you work 4 or 5 stitches with the outside color, drop it, and try to work a few stitches of the inside color for that row. If it works, it’s right. If it doesn’t work, you only have to rip out 4 or 5 stitches instead of a whole row.

Judy Mathena-Fishell is doing it this way for the whole row, working both colors together, a few stitches at a time. She says this makes it go faster and more smoothly for her.

Sections 1 & 2 - Jazzberry Baby Blanket on Stitches n Scraps

I hope you’re enjoying the CAL so far! The Jazzberry Baby Blanket Pattern has been updated; are you ready to start section 2?

Share your progress and ask for help if you need it, on the Scrappy Stitchers Facebook group. As you can see from the tips above, the whole group has been very helpful! Also remember to use the #JazzberryCAL hashtag whenever you are sharing your projects on social media.

 

 

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