About This The Carissa Blanket Crochet Pattern
The Carissa Blanket is a delightful beginner-friendly pattern that teaches you the beautiful Suzette stitch technique. This pattern creates a textured, elegant blanket measuring 26.5 by 37 inches, perfect for babies or as a lap blanket. The design features a stunning shell stitch border that adds a professional, finished look to your handmade creation. With simple row repeats and clear instructions, you'll build confidence while creating something truly special.
This pattern includes helpful visual guides for stitch placement and detailed notes for working the decorative border. The chunky weight yarn makes this project work up quickly, keeping you motivated from start to finish.
Why You'll Love This The Carissa Blanket Crochet Pattern
I absolutely love this pattern because it strikes the perfect balance between simplicity and elegance. The repetitive nature of the Suzette stitch makes it incredibly relaxing to work on—you can easily crochet while watching your favorite shows or chatting with friends. What really makes this pattern special is how the simple stitch pattern transforms into such a beautiful, textured fabric. The shell stitch border adds that extra touch of sophistication that makes it look like you spent far more effort than you actually did. I also appreciate how forgiving chunky yarn is for beginners, and the fact that you can easily customize the size by adjusting your starting chain makes this pattern versatile for any project you have in mind.
Switch Things Up
I love experimenting with color combinations when making the Carissa Blanket! While the pattern shows a classic plum and white combo, I've found that soft pastels like mint green with cream or dusty rose with ivory create gorgeous baby blankets. For a more modern look, try charcoal gray with mustard yellow, or navy blue with coral.
You can also play with the border color to create different effects—a contrasting bright border makes the blanket pop, while a tonal border gives it a subtle, elegant finish. I've even made versions using variegated yarn for the main body, which creates beautiful color shifts throughout without any extra effort.
If you want to add extra texture, consider working some rows in back loop only during the main blanket body. This creates subtle ribbing that looks fantastic! Another fun variation is to make the blanket in stripes by changing colors every 6-8 rows—just make sure to carry your yarn up the side rather than cutting and rejoining.
For a completely different look, try using cotton yarn instead of acrylic or wool. Cotton creates a drapier, more breathable blanket that's perfect for warmer climates or summer babies. Just remember that cotton has less stretch, so maintain consistent tension throughout your work.
Common Mistakes & How to Fix Them
✗ Forgetting to count your starting chain correctly - always double-check you have the right multiple of stitches plus one before beginning
✗ Missing the chain 1 turn at the end of rows which counts as a stitch throughout the pattern
✗ Placing half double crochet stitches incorrectly along the sides during border rounds - refer to the placement photos provided
✗ Not working enough stitches into corner spaces during the border, resulting in blanket edges that curl or pucker instead of lying flat