Announcing the Mélange Blanket Crochet Along!

As we get ready for the New Year, I’m thrilled to announce the 2023 blanket crochet along! Join me for the Mélange Blanket CAL. In this exciting year-long project, 48 amazing crochet designers have come together to share a new 6″ square pattern weekly on Fridays. This is going to be a journey of cool techniques, all sorts of textures and innovative patterns, a way of meeting new-to-you designers, and so much more! I hope you’ll be joining us. Read on for all the details for the Mélange Blanket Crochet Along, including how to join in and enter the end-of-CAL giveaway!

This post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation (at no added cost to you) if you make a purchase using these links. I am a King Cole Brand Ambassador and this post is part of our ongoing collaboration. Additional supplies for this project were provided by Denise Interchangeables.

This is the main post for this crochet along. Read on for more details including:

  • How the Mélange Blanket Crochet Along Works,
  • Mélange Blanket Yarn Requirements,
  • How To Join the Mélange Blanket CAL,
  • Mélange Blanket Tips & Tricks (updated 2/10/2023),
  • Mélange Blanket Schedule,
  • Mélange Blanket End-of-CAL Giveaway Prizes, and
  • Enter the Mélange Blanket End-of-CAL Giveaway.

How the Mélange Blanket Crochet Along Works

I’ve teamed up with 48 designers to bring you 48 free crochet patterns for 6″ (15 cm) squares that you can use to put together a blanket. On Fridays from January 6 to December 1, 2023, I’ll update this post by 7 pm Eastern to share a new pattern for a 6″ square.

If you make one of each square, your finished Mélange Blanket will be a baby blanket measuring approximately 36″ x 48″ (91.5 cm x 122 cm). If you’d like to make a larger blanket, download the Mélange Blanket CAL Planning Your Blanket guide below to figure out the number of squares you’ll need to make your choice of 7 blanket sizes from baby through king sized.

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If you crochet along in “real time,” you’ll be crocheting a new square each week. You are always free to skip a square you don’t like or repeat squares you do like again later in the blanket.

Read on for details of how you can enter the end-of-CAL giveaway for your chance to win a prize from babé crochet co., Denise Interchangeables, GlassEyesOnline, King Cole, or Knitter’s Relief Balm.

Mélange Blanket Yarn Requirements

If you make just one of each square for the baby blanket size, you will need approximately 2,280 yds (2,085 m) of medium weight yarn. (The Planning Your Blanket PDF linked above will help you estimate yarn requirements if you decide to make a different size blanket.)

For my blanket, I’ll be using King Cole Big Value Aran. Big Value Aran is available through your local yarn shop or online at LoveCrafts or Wool Warehouse UK. If you’re new to Big Value Aran, it’s a soft medium (aran/#4/worsted) weight yarn with a pretty twist. Big Value Aran is an acrylic, easy care yarn that you can wash and dry in the machine, so it’s perfect for a blanket in any size. Big Value Aran comes in 3.5 oz/100 g balls with 257 yd (235 m), but it is also available as Big Value Bounty Aran in jumbo 250 g skeins with 645 yd (587 m) of yarn. I’m using the Bounty sized skeins for my version of the Mélange Blanket in three colors (shown from left to right): 3291 Ocean, 3288 Nougat, and 3333 Berry.

For your version, you can use as many colors as you’d like. While you can even crochet this blanket in one color, I would recommend at least 2 colors as some of the sections will highlight better against a second color. You can even use all of your scrap yarn to make the squares in all different colors. I’ll be using a crochet hook from my Denise2Go set throughout this project. Having several sizes together means that it will be easier for me to adjust my hook size if necessary based on one of the designer’s gauge.

For the baby blanket size of the Mélange Blanket, you’ll need:

How To Join the Mélange Blanket CAL

Mélange Blanket Tips & Tricks

(Updated 2/10/2023) In this section, you’ll find tips and tricks for seaming a motif blanket and adding decorative borders.

Seaming Techniques for Motif Blankets

My favorite method for joining motifs like squares is using a slip stitch seam on the wrong (back) side of the squares. But, there are plenty of other options. Use the Planning Your Blanket Guide (above) to determine how many squares you’ll need in each row. You can then join the squares together to form a row. Once you have a row joined, you can join it to the next row and so on until your blanket is assembled.

  • If you can’t see the video above demonstrating a mattress stitch seam, click HERE to watch it on YouTube.
  • A slip stitch seam is sturdy but less visible than a single crochet seam. It is usually worked on the back, but it can also be done decoratively on the front. The video tutorial below demonstrates how to make a slip stitch seam.
  • If you can’t see the video above demonstrating a slip stitch seam, click HERE to watch it on YouTube.
  • A single crochet seam is sturdy and adds texture. You can make this seam on the front or on the back. The video tutorial below demonstrates how to make a single crochet seam.

Adding Decorative Borders

Once you have all your squares assembled, you may want to add a decorative border. I recommend starting by adding a single crochet edging around your project. You can find a video tutorial demonstrating this below.

If you can’t see the video tutorial demonstrating how to add a single crochet edging above, click HERE to watch it on YouTube.

Once you have a single crochet edging, you may want to add decorative borders. Here are my favorite resources for crochet borders.

Mélange Blanket Crochet Along Schedule

Mélange Blanket End-of-CAL Giveaway Prizes

Crocheting blankets are so much fun, but who doesn’t love the change to win a fabulous prize? I’ve teamed up with some of my favorite companies — babé crochet co., Denise Interchangeables, GlassEyesOnline, King Cole, and Knitter’s Relief Balm — to bring you the chance to win one of five great prizes.

babé crochet co. will provide one lucky winner with The Izzy Crochet Hat Templates. Your top-down crochet hats will always be the right size from now on — from newborn through adult XL! Show your support by following Isabelle on Etsy | Facebook | Instagram. If you’re in the United States, shop through babé crochet co.’s U.S. distributor, The Lillie Pad.

Denise Interchangeables is providing one winner with a Love2Crochet duo in the winner’s choice of bright, pastel, or light gray hooks. The duo includes one of each set in two size ranges: US Sizes F-5/3.75 mm to J-10/6mm and US Sizes K-10.5/6.5 mm to 19/15mm. Each set is packaged in a durable vinyl case and includes hooks; four cords in 3″, 5″, 9″ and 14″ (7.5 cm to 35 cm) lengths for Tunisian crochet hooks from 8” to 19” (20 cm to 48 cm) long or up to 28” (71 cm) long with cords joined together; two end buttons; and one extender for cord-to-cord connections. Denise Interchangeables are my favorite hooks for Tunisian crochet and for traveling because I can have all the options with me when inspiration strikes! Show your support by following Denise on Facebook | Instagram.

Mélange Blanket Crochet Along via Underground Crafter - Knit Denise prize

GlassEyesOnline GlassEyesOnline will provide one lucky winner with an Amigurumi Assortment. You can use these high quality eyes and noses for crochet, sewing, and other dolls and critter makes. Show your support by following GlassEyesOnline on Etsy | Facebook | Instagram.

Cozy at Home 2023 Crochet Along via Underground Crafter - GlassEyesOnline prize

King Cole is collaborating with me to provide one lucky winner a prize pack including lots of yarn! The photo below is a preview of some of their yarns but the actual prize pack will contain a different set of yarns. Show your support by following King Cole on Facebook | Instagram.

Knitter’s Relief Balm will provide one lucky winner with their choice of Knitter’s Relief Balm original or with CBD oil in the 2 ounce size. Knitter’s Relief Balm is all natural and chemical free. The no-mess tube makes it easy to apply so you can keep crocheting (or knitting). Want to grab some Knitter’s Relief Balm right now? Enjoy $10 OFF your next purchase! Just put Knitter’s Relief Balm with CBD 2oz in your cart and at checkout use coupon code: CROCHETALONG.

Mélange Blanket Crochet Along via Underground Crafter - Knitters Relief Balm prize

Continue on to learn how to enter the giveaway for your chance to win a prize!

Enter the Mélange Blanket End-of-CAL Giveaway

  • This is the end-of-CAL giveaway for the Mélange Blanket crochet along hosted and organized by Underground Crafter.
  • Enter the end-of-CAL giveaway using any of the options on the Rafflecopter widget below by 11:59 p.m. Eastern on December 22, 2023.
  • Winners will be chosen from the entries at random. Each will win one of the prizes listed above.
  • Winners will be contacted approximately one week after the entries close. Winners will have 3 days to claim their prizes. If winners do not respond within 3 days, prizes will be awarded to alternates.
  • By entering this giveaway, you are agreeing to share your contact information with Rafflecopter and/or Underground Crafter. You can read the Rafflecopter Privacy Policy here and the Underground Crafter Privacy Policy here to understand how this information is used.
  • The names of winners will be made available in list form by request from Underground Crafter.
  • This giveaway is open worldwide, except where prohibited by law.
  • Don’t forget to join the fun in the Underground Crafters Facebook group or the Underground Crafter Ravelry group, too!
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