Easy crochet blanket pattern – Open Windows Blanket

Looking for a crochet blanket pattern that you can use with all yarn weights and colors? One that can be a small ‘lapghan’ or an oversize blanket? This easy crochet blanket pattern is perfect!! This square blanket uses a very simple stitch repeat, so no need to keep consulting the pattern instructions once you have the basics down. Here we have the “Open Windows” Crochet blanket pattern, the most versatile and beautiful, yet simple blanket you can make. 🙂

Be careful: Once you make one, you may want to make many! The beauty is that you can make blankets that look totally different from one another, all using the same pattern. Just switch up the yarn weight and/or colorways for each blanket.

Skill level

Easy

If you don’t know how to crochet, or maybe just want to brush up on the basics, we have a great resource for you!

Hop over to the Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Crochet. This breaks down the basics of what you need to learn, in what order, and link you directly to some great resources! And best of all, it’s free! Enjoy 🙂

Yarn and materials

• Lion Brand Mandala – you will need 2-3 cakes
  • This shows two blankets – one in Gnome and one in Peacock
• 5mm crochet hook (US H-8). Above is the one I used from my Clover hook set
• Craft scissors
• Tapestry needle (a blunt needle)

Note: Lion Brand Mandala is a self-striping yarn cake and each cake varies slightly.

Or, feel free to substitute your favorite yarn, as this pattern can accommodate any yarn!

Stitches (US Terms)

• chain (ch)
• slip stitch (sl st)
• double crochet (dc)

If needed, refer to my Beginner’s Guide to crochet. Those stitch tutorials will walk you through how to complete the above stitches.

If you need to convert from US to UK terms, have a look at this chart.

Abbreviations

• MC = magic circle. If you don’t know how to work a Magic Circle, have a look at this tutorial on YouTube from Bella Coco Crochet
• Ch1sp = chain1 space (the space that is created when you chained 1 in the previous round)
• Ch2sp = chain 2 space (the space that is created when you worked 2 chains in the previous round. For this pattern, you will see ch2sp in each corner.

Gauge

4 x 4 inches = 16 dc across x 8 rows up (not blocked)

Other useful crochet references

• Crochet hook size conversion chart
• Yarn weight conversion chart
• Stitch conversation chart (US vs UK)
• Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Crochet

Pattern Notes

• After each row, you will turn your work and slip stitch into the ch2sp, which brings you to the middle of the corner, where you’ll begin the next row.
• Ch3 at the beginning of each row does counts as a dc.
• When I say “Open Windows, that refers to the space (or “window”) that is made by the ch1sp (chain 1 space).  Therefore, in the Pattern Overview, I state whether you are working into the previous row of DC’s or the previous row of Open Windows (where it alternates dc and ch1sp).
• This includes 2 levels of the pattern, because I personally think it helps to visualize the make-up of the blanket overall before you jump into the details:
  1. Pattern Overview: High-level, states the basic stitch pattern for each round. Also mentions which round is being repeated.
  2. Written pattern: Step-by-step directions for each round; has both written and photo tutorial.

Pattern

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Pattern Overview

• Round 1: Magic Circle (MC)
• Round 2: DC into DC
• Round 3: DC into DC
• Round 4: Open Windows into DC
• Round 5: DC into Open Windows
• Round 6: Open Windows into DC (Repeat round 4)
• Round 7: DC into Open Windows (Repeat round 5)
• Round 8: Open Windows into DC (Repeat round 4)
• Round 9: DC into Open Windows (Repeat round 5)
• Round 10: Open Windows into DC (Repeat round 4)
• Round 11: DC into Open Windows (Repeat round 5)
• Round 12: DC into DC (Repeat round 3)
• Round 13: Open Windows into DC (Repeat round 4)
• Round 14: Open Windows into Open Windows
• Round 15: Open Windows into Open Windows (Repeat round 14)
• Round 16: Open Windows into Open Windows (Repeat round 14)

Repeat rounds 11-16 two more times, as shown below. (For a bigger blanket, repeat as long as desired).

• Round 17: DC into Open Windows (Repeat round 5)
• Round 18: DC into DC (Repeat round 3)
• Round 19: Open Windows into DC (Repeat round 4)
• Round 20: Open Windows into Open Windows (Repeat round 14)
• Round 21: Open Windows into Open Windows (Repeat round 14)
• Round 22: Open Windows into Open Windows (Repeat round 14)
• Round 23: DC into Open Windows (Repeat round 5)
• Round 24: DC into DC (Repeat round 3)
• Round 25: Open Windows into DC (Repeat round 4)
• Round 26: Open Windows into Open Windows (Repeat round 14)
• Round 27: Open Windows into Open Windows (Repeat round 14)
• Round 28: Open Windows into Open Windows (Repeat round 14)

Lastly, wrap up with two final rounds:

• Round 29: DC into Open Windows (Repeat round 5)
• Round 30: DC into DC (Repeat round 3). Fasten off and weave in your ends.

Ta-da! That’s the high-level run down of each row.

Now, below has the step-by-step instructions for each round.

Written Pattern

Round 1: Magic Circle (MC)

Create a Magic Circle. Into the MC, work:

• Ch3 (counts as dc), work 2dc into the MC, ch2. (1 corner made)
• Work 3dc into MC, ch2 (2nd corner made)
• Work 3dc into MC, ch2 (3rd corner made)
• Work 3dc into MC, ch2 (4th corner made)
• Pull the tail on your MC to tighten it up. Then slip stitch to beginning ch3 (sl st into the 3rd chain of the ch3). Pull the tail even tighter so there is only a small hold in the middle of the MC. You will have 12 dc’s and 4 ch2sp’s.
• Turn your work. Slip stitch into ch2sp (this will bring you to the ‘middle’ of the corner, with 2 dc on either side.)

For the remaining steps, you will notice it mentions ‘side 1’ to ‘side 4’. This pattern is a square and while the stitch pattern is the same across the entire round, instructions are slightly different for the beginning of side 1 and end of side 4. So each side is written out so it’s super clear!

Round 2: DC into DC

• Side 1: Ch3 (counts as dc), dc into ch2sp, then work 1dc into each dc across. When you reach the corner, (2dc, ch2, 2dc) into the corner ch2sp.
• Side 2 and 3: Continue as above: dc into each dc across, then (2dc, ch2, 2dc) into each corner ch2sp.
• Side 4: Continue as above (dc into each dc across), but when you get to the last corner, you’ll see that 2dc are already present in the corner (from when you started side 1). So you will work 2dc, ch2, then slip stitch to top loop of ch3 to finish the row. (Note, the last ‘dc into dc’ feels a bit different because you had to slip stitch there in the previous row. Therefore the dc you are working into looks a little different than usual)
• Turn your work. Slip stitch into ch2sp

Round 3: DC into DC

• Side 1: Ch3, dc into ch2sp, then dc into each st across, then (2dc, ch2, 2dc) into the corner ch2sp.
• Side 2 and 3: dc into each st across, then work (2dc, ch2, 2dc) in each corner ch2sp.
• Side 4: dc into each st across. In the last corner, work 2dc, ch2, then sl st to top loop of ch3.
• Turn your work. Slip stitch into ch2sp. 

Round 4: Open Windows into DC

• Side 1: Ch3, dc into ch2sp, *dc into dc, ch1, skip next st*. Repeat across the side. Dc in last st, then (2dc, ch2, 2dc) into the corner ch2sp.
• Side 2 and 3: Repeat *dc into dc, ch1, skip next st* across the side. Dc in last st, then work (2dc, ch2, 2dc) in each corner.
• Side 4: Repeat *dc into dc, ch1, skip next st* across. Dc in last st. In the last corner, work 2dc, ch2, then sl st to top loop of ch3.
• Turn your work. Slip stitch into ch2sp. 

Round 5: DC into Open Windows

• Side 1: Ch3, dc into ch2sp, dc into each stitch across, working either <1dc into a dc> or <1dc into ch1sp>. Then (2dc, ch2, 2dc) into the corner ch2sp.
• Side 2 and 3: dc into each stitch across, working either <1dc into a dc> or <1dc into ch1sp>. Then (2dc, ch2, 2dc) into the corner ch2sp.
• Side 4: dc into each stitch across, working either <1dc into a dc> or <1dc into ch1sp>.  In the last corner, work 2dc, ch2, then sl st to top loop of ch3.
• Turn your work. Slip stitch into ch2sp. 

Round 6: Open Windows into DC (Repeat round 4)
Round 7: DC into Open Windows (Repeat round 5)
Round 8: Open Windows into DC (Repeat round 4)
Round 9: DC into Open Windows (Repeat round 5)
Round 10: Open Windows into DC (Repeat round 4)
Round 11: DC into Open Windows (Repeat round 5)
Round 12: DC into DC (Repeat round 3)
Round 13: Open Windows into DC (Repeat round 4)
Round 14: Open Windows into Open Windows

This new repeat round is exactly the same as Round 4 except you aren’t skipping a dc, rather you’re skipping a ch1sp. So the repeats would be: *dc into st, ch1, skip ch1sp and dc into following st*. Everything else is the same. The full details are below:

Side 1: Ch3, dc into ch2sp, dc into dc, ch1, skip dc, *dc into dc, ch1, skip ch1sp*. Repeat across the side. As you approach the corner (where there are 3 dc’s from the previous row), dc into dc, ch1, skip dc, dc in last dc. Then (2dc, ch2, 2dc) into the corner ch2sp.
Side 2 and 3: dc into dc, ch1, skip dc, repeat *dc into dc, ch1, skip ch1sp* across the side. As you approach the corner (where there are 3 dc’s from the previous row), dc into dc, ch1, skip dc, dc in last dc. Then work (2dc, ch2, 2dc) in each corner.
Side 4: dc into dc, ch1, skip dc, repeat *dc into dc, ch1, skip ch1sp* across the side. As you approach the corner (where there are 3 dc’s from the previous row), dc into dc, ch1, skip dc, dc in last dc. In the last corner, work 2dc, ch2, then sl st to top loop of ch3. (You already made the other 2dc in that corner when you started side 1). Turn your work. Slip stitch into ch2sp. 

Round 15: Open Windows into Open Windows (Repeat round 14)
Round 16: Open Windows into Open Windows (Repeat round 14)

Round 17: DC into Open Windows (Repeat round 5)
Round 18: DC into DC (Repeat round 3)
Round 19: Open Windows into DC (Repeat round 4)
Round 20: Open Windows into Open Windows (Repeat round 14)
Round 21: Open Windows into Open Windows (Repeat round 14)
Round 22: Open Windows into Open Windows (Repeat round 14)

Round 23: DC into Open Windows (Repeat round 5)
Round 24: DC into DC (Repeat round 3)
Round 25: Open Windows into DC (Repeat round 4)
Round 26: Open Windows into Open Windows (Repeat round 14)
Round 27: Open Windows into Open Windows (Repeat round 14)
Round 28: Open Windows into Open Windows (Repeat round 14)

Round 29: DC into Open Windows (Repeat round 5)
Round 30: DC into DC (Repeat round 3). Fasten off and weave in your ends.

Thanks for following along, I hope you enjoyed making the Open Windows blanket. It’s definitely a go-to around here if you’re looking for a beginner-friendly, easy crochet blanket pattern.

If you make one (or more!) and share on social media, go ahead and tag @crochetinthesun. I would love to see them! Also, please link back to my blog and provide credit for the pattern.

Plus, I would love to share your creation with the crochet community so we can see these pretty blankets come to life. 🙂

Happy crocheting,

Jennifer

Love the “Open Windows” stitch? Check out the other Open Windows patterns

• Open Windows Latte Cakes Scarf
• Simple Crochet Scarf
• Easy Crochet Coaster

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