The 6-Day Snowflake Blanket

A variation of the classic crochet pattern the
6-Day Kid Blanket by Betty McKnit
The Snowflake Effect Stripes conceptualized by an unknown crocheter

This pattern contains affiliate links.

Introduction

This pattern is a variation of the 6-Day Kid Blanket (6DKB) and makes an adult-sized blanket. To achieve the wide, lacey stripes we have altered the original pattern to change colors on different rows than the original 6DKB. There are a variety of ways to alter the look of the 6DKB by changing colors on different rows, and this particular variation is known as the Snowflake Effect. It is the most popular and the most often requested variation.

I’ve created my own custom border based on ideas I found in Edie Eckman’s book “Around the Corner Crochet Borders” and “Every Which Way Crochet Borders.”

Details:

US Terminology
Skill Level: Easy
Finished Size: 50 x 60” throw

Materials

Yarn: 2500-3400 yards worsted weight #4 yarn in two or more colors. You can use as many colors as you like, divide the yardage evenly between colors with additional yardage for the colors you plan to use in your border.

Shown in six skeins each of:
Color A: Paintbox Simply Aran #203 Misty Grey
Color B: Paintbox Simply Aran #245 Pale Lilac
Color C: Paintbox Simply Aran #236 Dolphin Blue

Hook: J (make a swatch to determine the best hook for your yarn).
– My favorite hook is the Furls Odyssey – treat yourself!

Gauge: 12 st and 7 rows over 4” in DC
– My 37 st swatch was 9.5” wide and 7” long

Abbreviations:

ch: chain
dc: double crochet
dc3tog: (NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH dec dc3tog).
Work dc3tog into one stitch – not over three stitches
[yarn over, pull up a loop, pull through two loops] 3 times. Yarn over, and pull through all 4 loops on the hook. (Be sure to pull up a loop in the same stitch every time.) dc3tog complete.
picot: ch 3, sc into side of sc
rep: repeat
hdc: half double crochet
sc: single crochet
sk: skip
sl st: slip stitch
sp(s): space(s)
st(s): stitch(es)

Special Stitches:
camel st: hdc in third loop
picot: ch 3, sl st in first ch (or in sc below the ch)

Some things to consider before you start:

Does it really only take 6 Days to make?

It’s definitely possible! This variation on the 6DKB uses the very same stitches as the original, but uses a different weight yarn and is much larger and therefore will probably take you longer than six days to make. The original toddler blanket made with chunky yarn honestly only took six days.

First timers

If this is your first time making a 6-Day Kid Blanket, before you begin, I suggest you make a swatch on 37 chains while following along with my video tutorials on my YouTube Channel. I know you probably never swatch and will be tempted to bypass this advice, but take my word for it. The first few rows are a little tricky and you’ll sidestep common mistakes and avoid the frustration of frogging hours of hard work by swatching along with my tutorials before starting your blanket. I also have a Facebook Group and a Membership Community to help you if you get stuck.

How to Resize

This pattern creates an adult-sized 50×60” throw sized blanket. If you would like make this blanket in a different size, please make a swatch and measure it and use the chart at the end of this pattern as well as my 6DKB Resize Video to figure out your starting chain and yardage.

For baby blanket size in #3 DK weight yarn, you can follow the 6-Day Baby Girl Blanket pattern, which is written in Snowflake Effect with five colors of gorgeous Nurturing Fibres yarn (kits sold at Good Loops Yarns) and a ruffled edge.

Stripe Symmetry

This striping method does not follow the pattern repeat. You will end up with narrow stripes at the top and bottom of the blanket consisting of rows 1 and 2 on the bottom and rows 3 and 4 on top. Please plan ahead, especially if you plan to use more than two colors, if you want these stripes to be the same color.

Side edges:

Some crocheters have had issues with the side edges of their blankets curling. Here are some steps you can take to help alleviate this:

ch 4 at the beginning of the row where the instructions say to ch 3. This is something you should try in your swatch, as some crocheters with tighter tension find that they really do need that extra stitch. Others do fine without it.
Replace the dc at the end of each row with extended double crochet (edc). Keep in mind when adding additional stitches on the edge you may need to skip stitches when working along the sides to get your edges to lie flat. There is no exact formula for how many sc to work into the edge. Use your judgement and lay it down often and check it as you are working.
When working the last stitch of the row, insert the hook from back to front, instead of from front to back.
Work an edge into the turning chains and sc/dc stitches on the sides of the work as described at the end of this pattern, rather than into the spaces.
Wash your blanket once it is complete, and lay it out flat to dry, gently stretching and shaping the edges.

Changing Colors:

No two 6-Day Blankets are alike. The pattern can take on many different looks depending on which rows the color changes fall on. This pattern variation is known in the 6-Day Kid Blanket Group as the “Snowflake Effect.” Some creative person came up with this variation but I don’t know who she was. One crocheter thought that the granny clusters looked like snowflakes, and so we started calling it The Snowflake Effect.

To change yarns while working, draw the new color through the last two loops of the last stitch of the row before the color change.

Creating a straight top and bottom edge:

This version of the 6DKB creates a chevron top and bottom edge. If you would like a straight top and bottom edge, you will have to make alterations not given in this pattern. Please see my website articles “How to start your 6-Day Kid Blanket with a Straight Edge” and “6DKB Straight Start Questions Answered.” Be sure to account for extra yardage, and also stripe symmetry.

Begin the pattern

With Color A, ch 190

(To make your blanket larger or smaller, chain a multiple of 17 + 3)

Row 1: (RS) 1 sc into 2nd ch from hook, 1 sc into each ch to end.
Turn

Row 2: ch 3, sk first 3 sc (the sc on the end of the row, the one below your turning chain counts as 1)
[3dc in next sc, sk next 2 sc] twice, [3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc] into next sc
*sk next 2 sc, 3dc into next sc, sk next 2 sc, dc3tog
sk next 4 sc, dc3tog, sk next 2 sc, 3 dc in next sc, sk next 2 sc
[ 3 dc, ch3, 3 dc] into next sc; rep from * to last 9 sc
sk next 2 sc [3 dc into next sc, sk next 2 sc] twice, 1 dc into last sc.
Turn

Change to Color B

Row 3: ch 3, sk sp between turning ch and next 3-dc group, 3 dc into each of next 2 sp
[3dc, ch3, 3dc] into next ch-3 sp
*3 dc into next sp, dc3tog into next sp
sk next sp, dc3tog into next sp, 3 dc into next sp, [3dc, ch3, 3dc] into next ch- 3 sp
rep from * to last 3 sps, 3 dc into each of next 2 sps
1 dc into sp between last 3 dc group and turning ch.
Turn

Row 4: ch 1, sc into first dc of the row (the one right below your turning chain)
sk next dc, 1 sc into each of next 8 dc
*3 sc into next ch 3 sp, 1 sc into each of next 14 sts
repeat from * to last ch-3 sp, 3 sc into last ch-3 sp
1 sc into each of next 8 dc, sk next dc, 1 sc into 3rd st of ch 3.
Turn

Row 5: Ch 3, sk first 2 sc of the row below (the sc your turning chain is coming out of counts as the first one). 1 dc into each of next 8 sc
*3 dc into next sc (you should be working these into the center stitch of the 3 sc. If not, you may have skipped incorrectly in the beginning of the row.) 1 dc into each of next 7 sc
sk next 2 sc, 1 dc into each of next 7 sc
rep from * to last 11 sc, 3 dc into next sc, 1 dc into each of next 8 sc
sk next 2 sc, 1 dc into the turning chain from the row below.
Turn

Row 6: Ch 3, sk first 2 dc in the row below (the dc below your turning chain counts as 1)
1 dc into each of next 8 dc
*3 dc into next dc (you should be working into center stitch of 3 dc)
1 dc into each of next 7 dc, sk next 2 dc, 1 dc into each of next 7 dc
rep from * to last 10 dc
3 dc into next dc, 1 dc into each of next 8 dc, sk last dc, 1 dc into 3rd st of ch 3, turn.

Row 7: Ch 1, sc into first dc (the same one the turning chain is coming out of), sk 1 dc
1 sc into each dc along row to last dc
sk last dc, 1 sc into 3rd ch of ch 3, turn.

Repeat rows 2-7 fourteen times, for a total of 15 repeats of the pattern, working color changes as follows: Row 2 – Continue with Color B. Row 3 – change to Color C, and continue through Row 7 and also Row 2 of the following repeat before changing colors. Change colors before each row 3.

Repeat rows 2-4 one time more time, working row 2 in the color of the previous repeat and rows 3 and 4 in the next color of the sequence. The blanket ends on Row 4.

Edge Round 1: With Color A work a row of sc around the blanket, working 3 sc into each corner and every point on the top and bottom of the blanket.

When working sc into the sides of the blanket, use the turning chains, the sc and dc stitches as foundation chains, working under 2 threads of each stitch and leaving one thread below.

There is no set rule for how many stitches you should put into the side of each stitch. If you chained 4 to turn or did edc so that your edges would not curl, you probably will have to skip some stitches periodically. Find out what works for your tension. Lay your work down often and check to make sure that your edge does not ruffle (too many stitches) or pull (too few).

Join with a sl st to the first stitch.

Edge Round 2: ch 2, hdc around, working 3 hdc in each corner and peak and sk 2 in each valley. Join w sl st to first hdc. Fasten off.

Edge Round 3: Join Color B with standing hdc to any hdc along the side of the blanket

I like to start new rounds in different places so that I don’t have a bunch of ends lined up in one area. You can start anywhere on either side; pick a new place each time.

*hdc, camel st, repeat from * around, working 3 hdc in each corner and peak and skipping 2 in the valleys. Join with sl st to first st. Fasten off.

Edge Round 4: Join Color C with standing sc to any camel st. ch 3 sc in same st, *sk next hdc, [sc, ch 3 sc] in next camel st. Repeat from * around. Join w sl st to first sc. Fasten off.

Edge Round 5: Join Color A with standing sc to any sc. picot, sc in same sp. sk ch 3 and work behind it, *[sc, picot, sc] in next sc. repeat from * around, working behind the 3 sc and pulling the ch st loops from the row below to the front of the work. sl st in valleys of chevrons and work additional sc in corners if needed. Join with sl st to first sc. Fasten off.

Weave in all ends.

Join us in the 6-Day Kid Blanket Facebook Group

Video tutorials available at

http://tinyurl.com/6DayKidBlanket

This pattern is 100% original and the intellectual property of Betty McKnit/Beth Elliott. This pattern, The 6-Day Kid Blanket, “6DKB,” 6-Day Star Blanket, “The Snowflake Effect” and all derivative works are protected by copyright. Publishing translations, corrections, variations, or tutorials of this pattern, online or elsewhere without written permission from the owner is a violation of copyright.

Items created with this pattern may be used for commercial sale with credit to Betty McKnit in your listing.

Be sure to tag @bettymcknit in your social media posts so I can enjoy your beautiful creations.

Tested by Jodi Koonce Rodgers, Darlene Rogers, and Carol Tremblay

Photo sample crocheted by Jodi Koonce Rodgers

The stitch pattern is “Vivid Chevrons” #110 from 200 Ripple Stitch Patterns by Jan Eaton.
Reprinted with permission from Quarto Publishing.

Edging is an adaptation of #49 from “Every Which Way Crochet Borders” by Edie Eckman

This pattern contains affiliate links. If you click these links and buy something on the page they take you to, I may, at no additional cost to you, earn a commission. I only affiliate with products and companies I feel good about. Thank you for your support!