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Original Blog Entry

This is the final pattern in my eBook: Baby Ocean & Others. The list of patterns in this eBook is: Baby Ocean, Baby Dolphin, Baby Crab, Baby Sea Turtle, Baby Whale, and Baby Fish. These links all go to Ravelry but you can also get these patterns on Etsy. See landing page at https://ashleeslint.com/2024/07/14/baby-ocean-others-ebook/

I wanted at least 4 patterns in this series so you could create a 60″ x 60″ blanket by joining them together. Six patterns gives you options to pick your favorites or create a long blanket (like for a twin size bed at 60″ by 90″). Or, of course, just use them as a standalone baby blanket.

More Ocean

I have already drawn up some other patterns of this size and with an ocean theme but they don’t fit into the “baby animal” theme. I will create another eBook later for those patterns! And I had hoped to complete this eBook by the end of July – and since it’s now August you can see that I missed that self-imposed deadline.

Alice’s Art

So this is the final pattern in this series; and it is a beautiful piece (if I do say so myself).

I based it off a gorgeous painting my six-year-old daughter, Alice, did a few weeks ago. I believe it was from a lesson on watercolors from Nana B (my husband’s mom).

Yes, we have a family of artists!

A few months ago Alice drew Feline the Deer on her chalkboard and told me I could use it for a pattern. This time I created the pattern as a surprise.

Her painting has some wonderful color-blocking but that doesn’t translate well into my patterns so I added some line designs to separate the areas. There are designers that do fancy color work – but I have been so busy creating new patterns that I just haven’t gotten that far in my journey yet. Maybe someday. And, if you’d like, you can definitely add some color changes to your project and show off your skills and creativity!

No Color Changes

Alice’s art is quite colorful, but, I wanted to crochet this blanket as it is written with just two colors.

One Main Color and one Accent Color (interlocking crochet) / Contrasting Color (overlay mosaic crochet).

I used Scheepjes Color Crafter (Polare) as my Main Color and Red Heart Super Saver Stripes (Retro Stripes) as the Contrasting Color. These are technically not the same weight. It was definitely noticeable as I was crocheting. The Scheepjes yarn is a 3 – light worsted and the Super Saver yarn is a 4 – medium worsted. But I wanted to use this pretty rainbow stuff and I wanted to find a good contrasting color here from my stash to go with it. I still used my favorite 4.5 mm hook.

One of these days I may get over my aversion to buying new yarn for a special project. I just love yarn sales! And then I feel like I should use what I have, you know? I did buy some fancy yarn for a giveaway in my Facebook group! We are celebrating reaching 5000 members!

My sample was made using the overlay mosaic technique; I usually prefer to do interlocking but I have been doing that a lot lately and I knew my friend, CynCityCrochets, was going to use the interlocking technique. I don’t really like how long it takes me to crochet using the mosaic method. Plus those darn tails need to be dealt with. I spent at least an hour and a half just seaming the envelope border together!

Two Techniques

You must know by now that all of my patterns are written for two techniques: interlocking crochet and overlay mosaic crochet.

For this “Baby Fish” pattern you get one file with written line-by-line instructions for locked filet mesh (that’s what I call interlocking crochet) and a one-page chart and another file with written line-by-line instructions for the overlay mosaic crochet technique and a multi-page chart with X’s showing where to do the drop-down double crochets. 

2024 Update: since publishing this pattern I’ve changed my formatting.

There is now one file containing:

• the interlocking line-by-line instructions
• an unmarked one-page chart (121 x 121)

And another file containing;

• the overlay mosaic line-by-line instructions (including instructions for an envelope border)
• a multi-page chart (121 x 121) marked with X’s for mosaic crochet

New to X-Marked Charts

I don’t yet have a tutorial on how to use the X-marked charts but if you’re familiar with other designers you might already know what to do. I hope to update this soon with a note saying I have a tutorial now!

2024 Update: since publishing this pattern I’ve created a few tutorials!

YouTube: Tutorial for How to Read an Overlay Mosaic Crochet Chart with X’s using my “GoldieLux” Pattern

YouTube: Quick Tutorial on Using a Repeatable X-marked Overlay Mosaic Crochet Chart (not really needed for the Baby Ocean series)

Interlocking crochet / LFM crochet file includes:

• line-by-line written pattern
• instructions on reading a chart (to be added with next update)
• a one-page chart

Details

• Chart is 121 x 121
• Gauge: 16 DC x 8 rows = 4”
• 30″ x 30″ / 76cm
• 4.5 mm hook (US7)
• Worsted weight yarn (1050 – 1075 yards total)
  • Main color (MC) (first color, seashell) – 525 yards plus 25 for optional border
  • Accent color (AC) (background) – 525 yards

Mosaic Crochet file includes:

• line-by-line written pattern
• instructions on reading a chart (coming in update along with a one-page chart marked with X’s (good for viewing on a screen)).
• a multi-page chart marked with X’s (better for printing)

Details

• Chart is 121 x 121
• Gauge: 16 sc blo stitches x 16 rows = 4”
• 30″ x 30″ / 76cm
• 4.5 mm hook (US7)
• Worsted weight yarn (1170 – 1370 yards)
  • Main color (seashell) – 585 yards
  • Contrasting color (background) – 585 yards
  • Optional envelope border – 200 yards