Outdoor Picnic Blanket Crochet Pattern

I've been working this blanket up since May! It's finally done and I'm thrilled! The weather has been beautiful and perfect for picnics at the park. We love bringing blankets to the park and laying it down in the shade to enjoy the outdoors! We don't always go to a park either - backyard hangs are just as good. :)

As long as there is a big ol' tree for us to sit under, we are content. Something about sitting under a tree with the light trickling through the branches is just so relaxing to me. Add a blanket, some books and food? You can find us under that tree all day.

We are very big on impromptu picnics this summer, so it's nice to have this blanket in my car that I can pull out whenever and where ever.  That also means we tend to stop at the nearest store to grab lunch - what's easier than lunchables? As you can see from my son's face, he approves.

Throughout the process, I've had many people ask me about the pattern and it's so easy you won't even believe it. Ready to hear it? Single Crochet! That's it. If all you know how to do is chain and single crochet, this blanket is for you. And if you're way far advanced? Well, this will be a very relaxing and mindless project for you! I'm not going to lie - it's a lot of work because single crochets are so tiny, but every stitch was worth it because it came out beautifully.

This picnic blanket that I came up with is so simple and the stripes are what really make it!  I wanted something not too hole-y and sturdy enough to keep from the grass sticking through and something easy to shake off. Oh, and the fringe! Patting myself on the back for that one because it really adds a nice touch. ;) Since it is all made up of single crochet, it's all nice and tight and somewhat rigid. I wouldn't say this is a blanket for cuddly use unless you perhaps use a different yarn and a larger hook size to get more flow and drape.

I've even thought after picnic days are over, this would make a wonderful rug for my son's room during the colder months when we aren't using it outdoors. So it really has two uses, which is fantastic! I already have a hard time looking for space to store all of my crochet things. If I can leave it out year long, that's a bonus. ;)

If you want the short version/tutorial of the pattern summed up:

136 single crochets across, 24 rows of each stripe (I started with white and ended with white for a total of 9 stripes, and add fringe! I have everything written out in a formal pattern below if you would like to follow that.

Materials:
2 skeins Caron One Pound in White and 1 skein Cape Cod Blue
J hook
Tapestry needle and Scissors

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Notes:
This blanket measures approximately

You can easily make this blanket larger/smaller my increasing/decreasing the beginning chain for width and adding/decreasing rows for length.

Starting with white
Row 1: Chain 137, Sc into second chain from hook and across, turn
Row 2-24: Chain 1, SC across, turn
Change to Cape Cod Blue
Row 25 - 48: Chain 1, Sc across, turn
Change to white
Row 49 - 72: Chain 1, Sc across, turn
Change to Cape Cod Blue
Row 73 - 96: Chain 1, Sc across, turn
Change to White
Row 97 - 120: Chain 1, Sc across, turn
Change to Cape Cod Blue
Row 121 - 144: Chain 1, Sc across, turn
Change to White
Row 145 - 168: Chain 1, Sc across, turn
Change to Cape Cod Blue
Row 169 - 192: Chain 1, Sc across, turn
Change to White
Row 193 - 216: Chain 1, Sc across, fasten off

To add fringe: Cut 10 inch pieces of white yarn. Holding two strands of 10 inch pieces of yarn, fold in half, use a hook to pull folded yarn through stitch and pull the ends through the loop created.
Add to every other stitch on both ends of the blanket using two 10 inch pieces of yarn for each stitch.