Checker Blanket Pattern #5044

Approximately 36 x 50 Inches

MATERIALS: Chadwick's Red Heart Baby Wool, 10 balls (1 oz. balls) of each of 2 contrasting colors, referred to as "A" and "B".
Milward's Steel Crochet Hook No. 2.
2⅛ yds. folded blanket binding.

Gauge: 7 sts make 2 inches; 3 rows make 1 inch.

With color A make a chain 1½ yds. long. 1st row: Yarn over, insert hook in 4th ch from hook and draw loop through, yarn over, insert hook in same ch and draw loop through, yarn over, * skip 1 ch, insert hook in next ch and draw loop through, yarn over and draw through all 7 loops on hook, ch 1—a double herringbone st; (yarn over, insert hook where last loop was drawn through and draw loop through) twice, yarn over and repeat from * until row measures 36 inches, ending with ch-1 (there must be a multiple of 6 double herringbone sts in row). Cut off remaining chain. Ch 3 more, turn. 2nd, 3rd and 4th rows: Yarn over, insert hook in 4th ch from hook and draw loop through, yarn over, insert hook in same ch and draw loop through, yarn over, insert hook in next ch-1 and draw loop through, yarn over and draw through all 7 loops on hook, ch 1; (yarn over, insert hook in same ch-1 where last loop was drawn through and draw loop through) twice; yarn over, insert hook in next ch-1 and draw loop through, yarn over and draw through all 7 loops on hook, ch 1. Continue thus across. Ch 3, turn.

5th row: Holding color B along top of row and working over it to conceal it, make 5 color-A double herringbone sts; (yarn over, insert hook where last loop was drawn through and draw loop through) twice; yarn over, insert hook in next ch-1 and draw loop through, yarn over and draw through all 7 loops on hook; drop color A, pick up color B and make ch-1 with color B. Holding color A along top of previous row and working over it with color B, make 6 color-B double herringbone sts, completing last st with color A. Continue to alternate 6 double herringbone sts of each color across. 6th to 9th rows incl: Work color A over color A, and color B over color B. Now work 5 more rows, having color-A blocks over color-B blocks, and color-B blocks over color-A blocks. Repeat these alternating block-strips until piece measures about 48 inches long. Fasten off color B; work 4 rows of color A.

Sew binding to short ends, with 2 rows of machine stitching.