Granny Square Baby Blanket

I have yet another friend who is expecting a baby boy and yet another reason to work up a baby blanket. I loved the novelty of the Noah's Ark Blanket that I posted a couple of weeks ago, but I love the colors and simplicity of this one just as much.

This pattern is so easy...it's actually just one really big granny square. If you're not familiar it goes like this:

Chain 5. Slip Stitch in 1st chain to create a circle.
Round 1: Chain 3 (counts as first double crochet). Double Crochet 2 times in the circle. Chain 3. *3 Double Crochet, 3 chains* in circle. Repeat from * to * two more times. Join to top of first Chain-3 stitch with a slip stitch to complete the round.
Round 2: Chain 3 (Counts as double crochet). Chain 1. 3 double crochets, 3 chains, 3 double crochets in each corner Chain-3. End Round with 3 double crochet, 3 chains, 2 double crochet, and slip stitch into top of first chain-3 in the last corner.

For the rest of the rounds simply, do *3 double crochet, chain 1* in each chain-1 space and *3 double crochet, chain 3, 3 double crochet* in each corner.

I will say that this pattern is so simple that it gets a little boring after awhile, which is why I looked forward to the striking color changes. I followed a pattern with my color changes as well: 2 rows of light blue, 3 rows of medium blue, 4 rows of brown. I repeated the pattern three times to get my desired size.

Since the colors weren't typical "baby colors" I finished with one more row of the same granny pattern in light blue and then crocheted shells all around as a border. I think the ruffle edge gave it more of a "baby blanket" look.

The shell pattern was simply *5 double crochet in same space, skip two spaces" around.