Abacus Blanket crochet afghan rainbow baby blanket pattern by Susan Carlson of Felted Button | Colorful Crochet Patterns, mock bullions

Math Lovers: Introducing the Abacus Blanket

When several of my Facebook fans suggested the name "Abacus Blanket" for my newest design, I knew it was perfect. These nifty little stitches in rainbow hues definitely remind me of those colorful wooden math helpers you find in children's school rooms.

Abacus Blanket crochet pattern by Susan Carlson of Felted Button

Speaking of stitches...

I realize that these look very much like bullion stitches. If you have ever tried a bullion stitch, they are quite difficult. At least I think so. It requires using your non-hooking hand to pull each loop off your hook, and it takes forever! I'm a fan of the look of a bullion stitch, I just find there is no rhythm and joy in working them. But this nifty little "mock bullion" stitch is super easy (plus, I include a bunch of pictures of how to do it) in the pattern.

One of my testers, Lorrie, said this about the pattern:

"Ok let me just start with...mind blown!!!! What an awesome stitch! The pattern read correctly and easily. Your instructions and pictures make me feel like I can do anything!"

So now, you might ask, what is that beautiful yarn you used?

Well, remember my Kaleidoscope Eyes Blanket?

Kaleidoscope Eyes Blanket crochet pattern by Susan Carlson of Felted Button

I made this one with the leftover Willow Wash yarn from that design. You can read more about it in my post here. All I can say is--I LOVE this yarn! And I love that you can get both blankets made with the same yarn! I used 23 balls total for both blankets--with a bit to spare. And the colors/quantities are detailed in the patterns.

The pattern for the Abacus Blanket is rated for an intermediate crocheter due to some interesting stitch placements, but because I have included a ton of pictures, an ambitious beginner could totally pull it off.

You can read more about the pattern in my shops and see some of my other designs there, too:

Etsy

LoveCrafts

Felted Button

Stay in the Felted "Button" loop on Facebook, but better yet, you can ask questions, share inspiration or what you are working on, and pictures of finished projects, too, most easily in my Facebook group here. And it's fun to talk about yarn and color and crochet, huh?!

So, to my color-loving, yarn-loving, hooking peeps...as, always, I'll leave you with a quote. (If you are curious about the origin of my "On the Board" quotes, you can read a bit about "the board" on my blog post here.)

| On the Board | -- The trick is to enjoy life. Don't wish away your days, wishing for better ones ahead. ~~Marjorie Pay Hinckley