Exploring all the possibilities of a stitch pattern is one of my favorite things to do, and this free crochet blanket pattern is the latest in my exploration of the Neptune’s Arrow Stitch Pattern! Introducing the Neptune’s Stripes Blanket, featuring Red Heart Yarn!

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Made with soft and easy care Red Heart Anne Geddes Baby yarn, this is a gorgeous and lightweight blanket – I made it in baby size, but I’ve included the instructions for other sizes too, and I think it would be fab in all of them! Although I used the Neptune’s Arrow stitch pattern, I played with the use of color and striping to create a different look. And best of all, all the colors move up along the side – no extra ends to weave in!

Neptune’s Stripes Blanket

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• Susan Bates US-H, 5.0 mm hook
• Red Heart Anne Geddes Baby (DK/8 ply; 80% Acrylic/20% Nylon; 340 yards/311 meters; 3.53 ounces)
  Color A: Bluebell (1 skein – 285 yds)
  Color B: Dolphin (2 skeins – 450 yds)
  Color C: Coral (1 skein – 240 yds)
  This yarn has been discontinued. Recommended substitute: Red Heart Baby Hugs Light
• Stitch markers
• Gauge: 35 sts x 20 rows = 8″ in pattern
• Click HERE for a video tutorial for this stitch pattern
• Prefer to make this pattern in a Worsted/Aran weight yarn? Click HERE for ch and row counts.

SIZES, STITCH/ROW COUNTS and ESTIMATED TOTAL YARDAGES:

• Baby (36″ x 36″) – Ch 158, 92 rows,  975 yds – SHOWN
• Throw (50″ x 65″) – Ch 224, 164 rows,  2450 yds
• Twin (65″ x 90″) – Ch 290, 228 rows, 4400 yds
• Queen (90″ x 100″) – Ch 398, 252 rows,  6800 yds
• King (110″ x 100″) – Ch 482, 252 rows,  8300 yds

SPECIAL STITCHES

• Cluster – dc2tog in the same stitch – (yo, insert hook in indicated stitch, pull up a loop, yo and pull through 2 loops) twice, yo and pull through all 3 loops.
• V st – (dc, ch 1, dc) in the same stitch
• Small V st – 2 dc in the same stitch

NOTE: This pattern is worked in 3 colors, but instead of cutting the yarn between rows, you have three active loops going, one of which is worked at a time. Use a stitch marker to secure the loop you are not working with to keep it from pulling out on you! You also will only turn after every other row, which is noted in the pattern itself. Please view the Video Tutorial before you begin! The instructions below are tailored for the Baby size, as shown in the photos.

Row 1: With Color A, ch 158 (or for size as indicated in above list), sc in 2nd ch from hook, *ch 3, cluster in same st as previous st, ch 3, skip 5 chs, sc in next st; repeat to end, remove hook from working loop (place marker in loop), TURN.

Row 2: With Color B, join to last st of Row 1, ch 3, dc in 1st st, *ch 1, skip ch-3 loop, sc in cluster, ch 1, skip ch-3 loop, V st in sc st; repeat from * to end, finishing last repeat with Small V st, remove hook from working loop (place marker in loop), DO NOT TURN.

Row 3: Insert hook in the active loop of Color A (remove stitch marker), ch 4, sc in top of ch-3 of previous row, *ch 3, cluster in same st as previous st, ch 3, sc in ch-1 sp of next V st; repeat from * to end, finishing last repeat with sc in the last dc st of previous row, remove hook from working loop (place marker in loop), TURN.

Row 4: Insert hook in the active loop of Color B (remove stitch marker), ch 4, dc in 1st st (the sc at the end of the previous row), *ch 1, skip ch-3 loop, sc in cluster, ch 1, skip ch-3 loop, V st in sc st; repeat from * to end, finishing last repeat with Small V st, remove hook from working loop (place marker in loop), DO NOT TURN.

Row 5: With Color C, join to 3rd ch of ch-4 in previous row, ch 1, sc in same ch, *ch 3, cluster in same ch as previous st, ch 3, sc in ch-1 sp of next V st; repeat from * to end, finishing last repeat with sc in the last dc st of previous row, remove hook from working loop (place marker in loop), TURN.

Row 6: Insert hook in the active loop of Color B (remove stitch marker), ch 4, dc in 1st st (the sc at the end of the previous row), *ch 1, skip ch-3 loop, sc in cluster, ch 1, skip ch-3 loop, V st in sc st; repeat from * to end, finishing last repeat with Small V st, remove hook from working loop (place marker in loop), DO NOT TURN.

Row 7: Insert hook in the active loop of Color C (remove stitch marker), ch 4, sc in top of ch-3 of previous row, *ch 3, cluster in same st as previous st, ch 3, sc in ch-1 sp of next V st; repeat from * to end, finishing last repeat with sc in the last dc st of previous row, remove hook from working loop (place marker in loop), TURN.

Row 8: Insert hook in the active loop of Color B (remove stitch marker), ch 4, dc in 1st st (the sc at the end of the previous row), *ch 1, skip ch-3 loop, sc in cluster, ch 1, skip ch-3 loop, V st in sc st; repeat from * to end, finishing last repeat with Small V st, remove hook from working loop (place marker in loop), DO NOT TURN.

Row 9: Insert hook in the active loop of Color A (remove stitch marker), ch 4, sl st in side of row two rows up from previous Color A row, ch 5, sc in top of ch-3 of previous row, *ch 3, cluster in same st as previous st, ch 3, sc in ch-1 sp of next V st; repeat from * to end, finishing last repeat with sc in the last dc st of previous row, remove hook from working loop (place marker in loop), TURN.

Row 10: Insert hook in the active loop of Color B (remove stitch marker), ch 4, dc in 1st st (the sc at the end of the previous row), *ch 1, skip ch-3 loop, sc in cluster, ch 1, skip ch-3 loop, V st in sc st; repeat from * to end, finishing last repeat with Small V st, remove hook from working loop (place marker in loop), DO NOT TURN.

Row 11: Insert hook in the active loop of Color A (remove stitch marker), ch 4, sc in top of ch-3 of previous row, *ch 3, cluster in same st as previous st, ch 3, sc in ch-1 sp of next V st; repeat from * to end, finishing last repeat with sc in the last dc st of previous row, remove hook from working loop (place marker in loop), TURN.

Row 12: Insert hook in the active loop of Color B (remove stitch marker), ch 4, dc in 1st st (the sc at the end of the previous row), *ch 1, skip ch-3 loop, sc in cluster, ch 1, skip ch-3 loop, V st in sc st; repeat from * to end, finishing last repeat with Small V st, remove hook from working loop (place marker in loop), DO NOT TURN.

Row 13: Insert hook in the active loop of Color C (remove stitch marker), ch 4, sl st in side of row two rows up from previous Color C row, ch 5, sc in top of ch-3 of previous row, *ch 3, cluster in same st as previous st, ch 3, sc in ch-1 sp of next V st; repeat from * to end, finishing last repeat with sc in the last dc st of previous row, remove hook from working loop (place marker in loop), TURN.

Row 14: Insert hook in the active loop of Color B (remove stitch marker), ch 4, dc in 1st st (the sc at the end of the previous row), *ch 1, skip ch-3 loop, sc in cluster, ch 1, skip ch-3 loop, V st in sc st; repeat from * to end, finishing last repeat with Small V st, remove hook from working loop (place marker in loop), DO NOT TURN.

Row 15: Insert hook in the active loop of Color C (remove stitch marker), ch 4, sc in top of ch-3 of previous row, *ch 3, cluster in same st as previous st, ch 3, sc in ch-1 sp of next V st; repeat from * to end, finishing last repeat with sc in the last dc st of previous row, remove hook from working loop (place marker in loop), TURN.

Row 16: Insert hook in the active loop of Color B (remove stitch marker), ch 4, dc in 1st st (the sc at the end of the previous row), *ch 1, skip ch-3 loop, sc in cluster, ch 1, skip ch-3 loop, V st in sc st; repeat from * to end, finishing last repeat with Small V st, remove hook from working loop (place marker in loop), DO NOT TURN.

Row 17 – 91 (or row count indicated above, minus 1): Repeat Rows 9 – 16, ending on a Row 11. Break Color C and finish off.

Row 92 (or last row indicated above): Insert hook in the active loop of Color A, ch 1, sc in the 1st st, *ch 2, sc in top of next cluster, ch 2, sc in next sc; repeat from * to end of row, break Color A and finish off.

Edging: Insert hook in active loop of Color B, ch 1, sc evenly all around the blanket, working 3 sc in each corner; join with a sl st. Break yarn and finish off OR go to Border pattern below.

Border (optional):

Round 1: Continuing with Color B, Ch 1, sc in the first st, ch 1, skip the next st, *sc in the next st, ch 1, skip the next st; repeat from * around, working (sc, ch 1, sc) in the corners; join, break yarn and finish off.

Round 2: With Color A, join to any ch-1 sp in previous round, ch 1, sc in same ch-1 sp, ch 1, skip next sc st, *sc in the next ch-1 sp, ch 1, skip the next sc st; repeat from * around, working 3 sc in the corner ch-1 sp; join, break yarn and finish off. Weave in all ends.

It looks like a long pattern, but you’ll get the hang of it super fast! It’s really just the same two rows over and over – it’s just the color changes that make it look like so much. It’s a great TV and movie night pattern – and I hope you enjoy it!

Written pattern copyright Tamara Kelly 2015. Please do not reprint or repost this pattern, but please do link to this page to share this pattern with others. If you wish to make items for sale from this pattern, please visit the About page for details. Thank you to Red Heart Yarn for providing the yarn for this pattern – America’s Most Recommended Yarn Brand!