Minecraft Afghan
I recently made this Minecraft Creeper blanket for one of my favorite boys who just turned 9! He's the biggest Minecraft fan I know!
I used the chart for a knit version of the blanket which can be found on Own Two Hands (and on Ravelry HERE), to make this granny square version. I used a J hook and acrylic worsted weight yarn (mostly Vanna's Choice, and one Red Heart). The granny squares are 5 rounds, and joined as I went (which saves a TON of time)!
I did the black border in reverse single crochet, which always takes just a little bit longer, but I love how it looks.
And I'm happy to report that the blanket is well loved!
Do any of you play Minecraft? I must admit that I didn't know much about this game at all until recently!
That's an interesting colour choice! I understood it better when I followed your link to 'Minecraft' !!
ReplyDeleteYour squares look neat and so well joined! I love that join as you go method now I have mastered it! Do your crochet hooks with your American letters also have the size in mm? It would be nice to know if they do! The yarn looks as though it might need a 4mm hook.
Anyway, you've made one very happy 9-year old boy! That's the biggest reward for our work, isn't it?!
both my boys are Minecraft fans !!!
ReplyDeleteThis blanket is a beautiful idea!!!!!
xxxxxx Ale
That is awesome! I bet it will be well loved for a long time :-) I have an older Minecraft fan and have just made a Creeper quilt block for the nerdy quilt I'm making for him. It's amazing what you learn from your kids isn't it?! Have a great week, Helen
ReplyDeleteHow cool! I'm a little familiar with the game, but didn't quite get what the blanket was. Then my daughter walked in while I was reading your post and immediately got excited: It's a creeper, Mom! That is so cool! She's 11 and loves Minecraft. Thanks for sharing. It looks great.
ReplyDeleteHahaha!! Thanks! It seems like it's a pretty creative game!!
DeleteKate :}
Oops. Forgot to ask: did you use the same colors as the knit pattern?
ReplyDeleteOh, no I didn't! I used in Vanna's Choice the following colors: Black, Linen, Fern, Dusty Green, Kelly Green, and Sweat Pea, and in Red Heart I used Hunter Green! I just had a little key where I substituted the colors I had for colors that were in the chart!
DeleteMy boy (who is also 9) is a massive Minecraft fan. If I show him these pictures he will want me to make him one of his skin (?) I've seen birthday cakes like this too. love your blanket - a real winner. Sam xx
ReplyDeleteThanks!! I saw a lot of birthday cakes too in my research on what to make Minecraft fan! There are a ton of creative people out there. I was blown away by all of the Minecraft theme parties I saw on Pinterest!
DeleteKate :}
I bet my eldest would give him a run for his money hehe! My kids have been on and on at me to make a creeper or steve blanket. Maybe one day lol. This is EXCELLENT XXX
ReplyDeleteHaha! Thanks! If you crochet it with the join-as-you-go method it really feels like it goes together much faster!!
DeleteHave a great weekend and happy crafting!
Kate :}
I have made about half of the squares I've made for a Afghan similar to this (just learned to crochet in dec) & now I realize I don't know how to join them. Any suggestions? I've been told maybe mattress stitch?
ReplyDeleteHmm, I'm not sure if I know which stitch is the mattress stitch, but in the past I've joined colored squares together by holding the squares right-sides together and whipstitching through the back loops of the squares. Doing this you will see the whipstitching color. Or you could single crochet the squares together, holding wrong sides together and single crocheting in the back loops, and this would put a bit of a border around each square... Or you could try slip stitching the squares together as shown in this tutorial by Attic24: http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/joining-granny-sqaures.html (This method may hide the joining color of yarn a bit better!)
DeleteI hope this is some help! I know if you just google "ways to join granny squares," you'll find lots of other ways too!
Best of luck!
Kate :}
I have a question! First of all, this is JUST what I was looking for! My 9 yr old is slightly OBSESSED with Minecraft (haha!) and Ive been promising him a creeper blanket forever, its time to get goin on it! This is perfect! But my question is..did you use the same amount of balls of yarn as the knitting pattern? I only ask because our yarn stores are getting scarce around here so i have to travel to get my yarn! Id like to get it all in one trip and dont want to buy too little! How many balls of each color did you use? Thanks so much!!! :-D
ReplyDeleteHi! For Vanna's Choice yarn I started with: 4 Black, 3 Sweet Pea, 2 Dusty Green, 3 Fern, 3 Kelly Green, 2 linen (In my notes I have written "used all yarn except one skein of sweet pea")
DeleteFor Red Heart: 1 Hunter Green
I substituted these colors for a specific color on the knitted chart:
TG = Linen
DF = Hunter Green
F = Kelly Green
G = Dusty Green
FO = Fern
SF = Sweet Pea
BL = Black
I also have written in my notes that I got 6 granny squares (5 rounds) plus almost 1 more out of one skein of Vanna's Choice.
I definitely relate to having to travel for yarn!! I hope this helps!
Good luck and happy crocheting!
Kate :}
I'm sorry if you addressed this already -- I don't see it on your site. What size is each square?
DeleteEach square is 5 rounds Shannon :-)
DeleteHi Shannon, I didn't measure the square, but I think it is around 6 inches. Hope this helps!
DeleteKate :}
Omg thats perfect!! And never thought of asking what colors u substituted on the chart...THANK YOU for that! Just got home with all the colors..Micheals didnt have sweet pea, so i had to go to another place for that, but this is one BIG bag of yarn, I LOVE IT! Starting now! Woohoo! :D
ReplyDeleteOk ONE more question...one that im sure is more personal preference, but I actually like the one you used. Which granny square pattern did you use? I have made a million things from blankets to scarves to sweaters but this is actually the first time Ive ever done anything with granny squares in all my years! lol. I love the pattern you did. I found this one called the solid granny square, which is ok and will work but I kinda like your granny squares a little better! Not sure if you just made your own or followed a certain granny square pattern? Thanks so much, hope Im not being a pest! haha.
ReplyDeleteHi! You are not a pest!! The granny square I like has one chain between the groups of 3dcs, and two chains in the corners. I did a total of 5 rounds, and I joined them together as I went on the 5th round. I learned how to Join-As-You-Go from Sarah London, and you can see her photo tutorial here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/90733686@N00/sets/72157617721257414/
DeleteHope this helps! Have fun!!
Kate :}
Ok so I have 69 of them done! Phew, im soo sick of doing squares! haha. Anyway, I thought I had enough. I bought what you told me to, but I think maybe it was a little wrong? I know only 2 colors needed 20 squares, black and the fern. I know I needed the 4 balls for 20 black, but it says 3 balls of fern....but 20 squares are needed so im thinkin 4 balls of fern was used? Im assuming, well HOPING you made the same amount of squares it called for on the knit pattern cuz thats how many Ive been making...but if i need 20 fern, i need 4 balls of that yarn, am I right? Just did the 17 squares one and 3 balls was EXACTLY enough...so i know it wont do 20 lol. THanks for all your help! Just thinkin i need to go back to yarn store and get another fern?!! Thanks!!! :-))
ReplyDeleteOh I'm sorry! Not sure what happened there... unless the extra skein of fern I thought I had left over, was actually an additional fern I didn't know I had? I hope you get it straightened out, and with 69 done, you're almost there!!!
DeleteGood luck and I'm sorry about the mix up, I know how annoying it is to have to get more yarn...
Kate :}
Ok its ok! I just wanted to double check before I ran back out! I got lucky, our ONLY local craft store actually carries this brand and they have fern! Sooo happy I dont have to drive almost an hour to get one skien! Although, my 9 yr old, who counts my squares every night before bed AND tells me every night.."you are the best mom in the whole world for making this for me" is totally worth any drive :-) Thx so much! P.S...i did use all 3 skiens of the sweet pea..not very much at all of the 3rd but it was still needed..just in case anyone else needs to know :-) Thx again! Ill share it when im finished! NOT looking forward to sewing together..yikes! lol
ReplyDeleteActually, let me clarify on the sweet pea. I actually did a solid granny square, so im guessing you probably used less yarn per square maybe, which is why you only used 2 of the sweet pea..so its all depends on the square they decide to do i guess! If they do your square, im sure they can get away with the 2 balls of sweet pea cuz i did not use hardly any of the 3rd..but if doing a totally solid square, thats when 3 will be needed on that color :-)
ReplyDeleteYeah that makes sense, a different pattern will most likely use different amounts!
Deleteohhh my goodness! Ok LAST question, I promise! ( i think lol) I think I have bugged u the most! Ive got 90 squares done and only 10 to go! The 10 i have to do is the hunter green. I got the red heart super saver in hunter green. I just made the first square with this..and realize there is quite a size difference between that and the others. Did u use the super saver? If so, did u see hte difference in size? Or did it actually work out as u stitch them together? Its bugging me! lol. Not to mention, idk about you, but i do NOT like working with super saver..its soo scratchy..especially after working with a softer yarn like the Vanna! lol..so just curious what your thoughts are on this? I see the red heart with love has a similar color to the hunter green. Idk , all i know is i want this done! ha! Well..im gonna finish, look and see that i have to sew them all together..yikes! But thats ok, so long as im done making squares! haha! Again, thank u so much for being so kind and helping me out, i truly do appreciate when pattern makers will take the time to answer questions so folks like us dont mess up! Thank u so much for that! :-)
ReplyDeleteSorry for the delay! Yes, I did use the super saver, and I found that it did make a tiny bit bigger square, but I joined the squares as I went, and I found that it didn't really make a difference! I also find the super saver yarn scratchy, and only use it when I need a specific color and don't want to spend a ton of money on yarn. (Love vanna's yarn for the softness, colors, and quality for the price!) I did try the red heart soft for one afghan and it was soft! I was impressed! So yes, I think you should be fine when you sew together your squares, and if it seems a bit wonky after you sew them together, you could always try blocking out the blanket to stretch to size.
DeleteHope this helps, sorry for the late response! Best of luck!
Kate :}
Oh thats ok, its a busy busy time of year and we all have things goin on! I just tried a second one and stitched a little tighter and it turned out perfect size! I just sewed the first 2 rows together tonight...geez i hate this part! haha. My lil boy is sooo excited for it to be finished tho so its worth it! Im making another afghan too, I had it 1/3 done when i seen your minecraft blanket and put it aside to do that! Im using my fav yarn, which is caron simply soft..LOVE working with that! Its in a paintbrush pattern stitch, with rows of white, bright turquise, bright yellow, bright pink, bright purple and bright green...each color with the white in between each..its stunning! Cant wait to be able to complete it, but kiddos come first! BTW, my son said to me, "mom, that lady is AWESOME for making that blanket, tell her thank you cuz its "epic"!" lol..yeah thats his new word (he is 9). Ahhh where do our babies go?!! Anyway, enough of my babbling, ill share my blanket with ya when its done..hopefully it turns out half as good as yours! :-)
ReplyDeleteI see that each square is 5 rounds, but what I need to know is the gauge. How big is each square, in inches? If I know that, I can see if I need to adjust my hook size to achieve a blanket big enough to fit a twin size bed.
ReplyDeleteThanks, in advance!
Hi Shannon! I think my squares were about 6 inches, and I see that Tracy's came out to 6 inches as well. Sometimes people's gauges are different, so I'd suggest crocheting up one square, measure, and go from there!
DeleteI used the size she said to use.. J hook. Each square is 6in x 6in. and my finished product (im almost done) will be approx 60x60in. A normal twin size blanket u buy in the store is 66x90. So if you wanted it to fit a twin bed, I might add a few more rows for the length. Maybe Kate might have more to add, but those are my dimensions. Good luck :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for helping out! :}
DeleteI'm a huge Minecraft fan and a gran who got both my grandsons into Minecraft. I also started crocheting again about a year ago, and am well into it. One of my favourite projects so far has been an extreme version of Minke van der Zee's creeper pattern. I used her 12 inch pattern, but with 5 skeins of yarn and a 12mm hook. That gave me a creeper about the size of a two year old :)
ReplyDeleteThis blanket looks awesome. I am definitely giving it a go (after Christmas ;))
Thanks! Your creeper sounds very impressive!!!
DeleteHappy crocheting!!
Kate :}
Hi I'm in the UK and going to start this project at the weekend - can you tell me what size hook to use in mm? I've managed to order the vanna's choice yarn and can't wait to start!!! Thanks, Elaine x
ReplyDeleteHi Elaine! A J hook is a 6mm! I'm sorry, I usually try to include the mm hook size!
DeleteHappy crocheting!!!
Kate :}
how many squares per color do you you.....I was going to try and use the corner to corner stitch, what do you think
ReplyDeleteHi, I used the chart I found for the knit version at Own Two Hands, which I link to above. I just substituted the colors I got for the colors in the chart.
DeleteWhat is the corner to corner stitch?
Kate :}
I got it from Yolanda Soto lopez utube video..the reply you gave on May 9.2014 is that the chart
ReplyDeleteThanks....your afghan came out great
Sorry it took me so long to reply! The chart I game in that reply was the specific colors that I used as replacements for the original chart which I link to in the Own Two Hands blog. (http://own-two-hands.livejournal.com/113239.html)
DeleteI just found that corner to corner stitch, and that looks like it could make a more solid looking afghan. If you give it a try, I'd love to see how it turns out!
Kate :}
Love the look of your squares! Do you have a pattern for it or it just a basic granny square? Sorry If I missed that post somewhere. Excited to start making this for my four year old!!
ReplyDeleteHi! I just used a basic granny square - chain 1 in between groups of double crochet and ch 2 in the corners. I made the squares 5 rounds, and I joined as I went!
DeleteHope this helps, happy crocheting!!
Kate :}
Hi Kate
ReplyDeleteWould like to crotchet the minecraft afghan blanket that was on your site could you please tell me how many squares of each colour that you made and if not too much bother and would it be greatly appreciated if you have a graph you can forward on of what colours you placed next to each other in the order of your pattern as im not very good with colour coordination and absolutely loved yours
Thank you Grace
Hi Kate, I may have an order for Christmas, yikes! Simple enough and thank you for sharing hook size and how many rounds, can you explain the join as you go method, I've always sewn together after squares are completed. Thank you - Michelle
ReplyDeleteDo you have a link for that granny square pattern?
ReplyDeleteHi Lori, it is just a basic granny square with one ch between the groups of 3 dc's and 2 chs in the corners. I made the squares 5 rounds, joining on the 5th round.
DeleteHope this helps!
Happy crocheting,
Kate :}