The Golden Hour Blanket — A Free, Easy Crochet Blanket Pattern

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The Golden Hour Blanket is a free crochet pattern featuring an easy, richly textured cluster stitch and a gothic shell stitch border that makes this blanket look far more advanced than it actually is. This free version includes everything you need to make the small size — ideal as a baby blanket or lap throw. If you fall in love with the stitch (and you will), the full pattern includes two additional sizes, Throw and Full/Queen, so you can make this blanket for every room and every person on your list.

Fern Green Tones colorway

This free pattern makes the small size. Ready for Throw or Full/Queen? [Get the full Golden Hour Blanket pattern here.]

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Materials to make the Golden Hour Blanket

• Premier Yarns Everyday Worsted Anti-Pilling Gradient yarn (200g / 360 yards per skein) — 4 skeins for the small size shown here
• Crochet hook, 5mm (for thin cat 4 yarn, as shown)

Note: if using a thicker or standard-weight cat 4 yarn, size up to a 5.5mm or 6mm hook for proper drape. This will make your finished blanket approximately 20% larger overall than the measurements listed here.

• Stitch markers (at least 6–8 recommended for tracking border shell placement)
• Tapestry needle for weaving in ends
• Scissors

The Golden Hour Blanket — Small Size

(Finished size: 27.5″ x 36″ before border which will add approx 3 to each side 31 x 39″)

Foundation Chain: Ch 106

Row One: Sc in 2nd and each across, ch 1, turn. (105 sts)

Row Two: Sc in 1st st, ch 2, 4 dc in same st, *sk 3, [sc, ch 2, 4 dc] in next st*; rpt across, sk 3 and sc in final, ch 1, turn.

Row Three (Cluster/Shell Row): Sc in 1st st, ch 2, 4 dc in same st. *Sk 3 dc, [fpsc, ch 2] around next dc, 4 dc in next ch-2 sp*; repeat from * to * across. Fpsc in final dc, sc in top of turning ch, ch 1, turn.

Shells per row: 26

Repeat Row 3 until you reach 43 rows total. Ch 1 turn.

Continue to next section to close out the final row and begin your border.

Blanket Border

Round 1 — Closing Row / Border Start

This closes up the last row and counts as the start of Round 1 of your border.

Setup first: Place a stitch marker at shells 9, 18, and 25 — this keeps you from losing count of which shells get 3 sts, so you can focus on keeping your edge smooth and flat.

For marked shells: skip first dc and sc in remaining three dc in shell= 3 sts. For all other shells: sc into each of the 4 dc = 4 sts.

Work 3 corner sts into the corner space at each end.

Short side stitch count: 104 sts total. (101 sts across shells + 3 corner sts)

Continue down the long side: work in the same manner across for a total of 126 sts, then work 3 corner sts. (this is approx 3 sts per shell row)

Long side stitch count: 129 sts total.

Repeat across all 4 sides (2 short, 2 long). Mark the center st (2nd st) of every corner made this round. Do not slip to join this round.

Round 2 — Shell setup round

Ch 3, sk 3, dc in next 4 sts. *Ch 3, sk 3, dc in next 4 sts*, repeat from * to * across.

Repeats: short side 14, long side 18.

At each corner: work one last ch 3, sk 3, then 3 dc into the center corner st that has the stitch marker in it.

At the end of the round, slip st into next ch-3 sp from previous round, ch 1.

Round 3 — Cluster Round

(3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) into the ch-3 sp. *Ch 1, sk 1, sc2tog, ch 1, sk 1, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) into next ch-3 sp*, repeat from * to * across to corner.

At each corner: ch 1, sk 1, dc into center corner st, ch 1, sk 1.

Repeat on remaining 3 sides. At end of round, after working your final stitch in the corner, move on to round 4.

Round 4 — Sc/Picot Edge Round

Ch 1. *Sc in each of the next 3 dc of the cluster, 2 sc into the ch-2 sp, picot (ch 3 + sl st into the first of those 3 ch sts), 2 more sc into the same ch-2 sp, sc in each of the remaining 3 dc of the same cluster — completes 1 full shell.

Slip st into the sc2tog from the previous round*, then repeat from * to * around each side.

At each corner: slpst in top of the center dc, continue to next side.

Join with a slip st to first sc to close the round. Cut yarn weave in ends.

Help: my final round of picot is curling? This may happen with the heavier cat 4 yarn or tight stitchers, Work sc between your shells and the slip stich between them.

Video tutorial for the Golden Hour Crochet Blanket