Help a Reader: Cutting a Crochet Blanket in Half

25 Comments for Help a Reader: Cutting a Crochet Blanket in Half

• 1. michele  |  January 27th, 2010 at 10:53 am

  Do NOT just cut after double stitching up the blanket. You must do what traditional scandinavian patterns do- sew with a machine along the line you want and then cover with crochet. The machine stitches will hold the crocheted stitches together, while just hand stitching will not. Look for articles on “steeking” on the internet to have a better idea how to do this. You would be better off unravelling all (! yes, I know!)and starting again than losing all by having it fall into pieces when you cut it.

• 2. Clara  |  January 28th, 2010 at 1:08 pm

  If you have a true rectangle and you want to turn it into a square just fold in half and crochet around.

• 3. Mary  |  January 29th, 2010 at 12:09 pm

  If your blanket is a solid color, begin to use a varigated yarn and/or do some stripes, blending the colors,etc – and then maybe do a border all the way around – an opportunity to truly create your own design….you may want to unravel some of the solid to begin incorporating stripes of varying widths – assymetrical even would be neat!!

• 4. Marcia Carlson  |  January 29th, 2010 at 1:23 pm

  No problem in cutting in half. You need to use a sewing machine and use a somewhat close/short zig zag stitch, stitch two rows a short distance apart and cut between the rows. Anything you knit or crochet can be cut and worked on with this method. However, it will not look the best. Cutting into a knit or crocheted item is best when cutting into a tube to sew on sleeves, for example, so that the cut part does not show. The suggestion to fold in half is good, too. There is a third alternative. You may have to tear out some work, but get additional yarn of a contrasting or complementary color. Crochet a row or two in the new color (number of rows depends on the pattern) then a row or two of the first color, alternating colors so you have at least three stripes of each color, then continue working in the new color. Or, just add the new color. Then when you have the desired length, slip stitch, single crochet or crochet a decorative border around the entire piece in the new color. A variation is to reserve enough of the old color for finishing, start using the new color, then edge the new color with the old color yarn and the old color with the new color yarn.

• 5. DIANA  |  January 29th, 2010 at 2:48 pm

  i JUST READ YOUR PROBLEM AND THE ONLY THING i CAN THINK OF DOING IS TO DOUBLE STITCH IT ON THE MACHINE AS YOU MENTIONED, THEN ADD TO IT BY PUTTING A PIECE UP THE CENTER.

  iF i WAS DOING THIS, i WOULD RIP OUT TO A POINT THAT i COULD USE A DIFFERENT COLOR/COLORS TO EXTEND THE AMOUNT OF YARN NEEDED TO FINISH THIS PROJECT. iF YOU ARE GOING TO USE IT FOR YOURSELF AND IT DOESN’T MATTER, THEN DO IT THE WAY YOU SUGGESTED, BUT i REALLY THINK THAT IT WILL EVENTUALLY COME APART. yOU COULD BIND THE TWO ENDS WHICH YOU CUT THEN WORK A NEW PIECE, BIND THAT ONE AS WELL WITH ANY TYPE OF BINDING AND SEW BOTH SIDES TOGETHER. gOOD LUCK.

• 6. Judy Conard  |  January 29th, 2010 at 2:58 pm

  You don’t have to sew anything, just unravel the blanket to the size you want, then crochet an edging aroung all 4 edges! And you will probably have enough yarn left over to make a baby hat!!!

• 7. Deb  |  January 29th, 2010 at 3:17 pm

  Hi
  I would not cut your work in half. Perhaps you could end your round in the color you are using now then, try using a lighter or darker shade that would compliment that color. Do a few more rounds and finish off with a scallop or single crochet edging.

• 8. Karen Taylor  |  January 29th, 2010 at 3:18 pm

  I wouldn’t cut it in half. It would be better to continue on the blanket with another color, and be able to finish your pattern. You want your blanket to last a long time, and I would be afraid that even machine stiching would unravel in time. If you cut it, you still have to manipulate it to make it square. I would just get some more yarn, or unravel it. Hope this helps! Karen

• 9. Jacqueline Laura Young  |  January 29th, 2010 at 4:01 pm

  First thing I would do is unravel five rows; you mention you are running out of yarn. I would do one row of single crochet and then one row of double crochet and finish it off. You mention you can’t get that yarn anymore but I am sure if you get on the web, you can find something similar or complimentary. You might do a search here! Just ask if anyone has the yarn you are looking for giving the name and lot number. Even if the lots don’t match, they might be close enough. If your design is cut short you will be the only one to notice. I ran out of yarn and it was no longer being produced and sure enough, I got on the search engine, put in the name and lot number and found ten skeins on ebay for next to nothing in monies. I was thrilled. I know someone has your yarn. Besides, make it a learning experience; do something you wouldn’t normally do. Have fun!!!

• 10. Marque Lampert  |  January 29th, 2010 at 5:50 pm

  I think you would do better in trying to accomplish your goal if you take the blanket out and restart with the idea of a square, or find another yarn to add to to alternate. I know that is not what you want to hear, but unlike knitting cutting a crocheted blanket will not really work. You will have a lot of loose ends that will not be containable. You could use what you have and start to border it with a complimentary yarn to add to and finish out the size desired. It will give you a serviceable blanket, a little different then originally planned, but still as pretty or maybe nicer then you thought. The yarn you add only needs to be the same weight; manufacture, content,and colour are all changeable.

• 11. Judy  |  January 29th, 2010 at 6:23 pm

  My suggestion is very similar to others that have responded.
  If you are set on cutting it, I would suggest that you do a double row of machine stitching on each side of where you plan to cut. Seperate your stitching so you are stitching down two seperate rows. This will give you more stability and less chance of raveling. I am not sure if you will be able to attain a square shape from cutting a rectangle so I would suggest that you create a rectangle out of paper either to the same dimension as your blanket or graph it smaller so you are working with a smaller paper. Fold the paper to see where you would plan to cut it and then cut the pieces apart and reposition the way you plan to do the blanket. Then you can see if you like the shape you have acheived and do some more experimenting to get the right cut to acheive your goal. Kind of like the old addage, Measure twice, cut once.

  Good luck to you, I hope it turns out well. Of course you could alway unravel it amd think of the first attempt as good experience for a more professional look project. I hate the idea of taking out all those precious stitches.

  Judy

• 12. ben duran  |  January 29th, 2010 at 6:32 pm

  I WOULD NOT CUT THE BLANKET , THE BLANKET WOULD COME APART, AS BAD AS IT SOUNDS TAKE IT APART, YOU WILL ENJOY THE BLANKET MORE IF YOU START OVER AND DECREASE THE SIZE OR THE STITCH FOR A SMALLER BLANKET. IF YOU WERE MAKING A LARGE BLANKET REMAKE IT INTO A LAP BLANKET. BE SURE AND MEASURE WHAT YOU HAVE SO THAT YOU WILL HAVE ENOUGH YARN WHEN YOU RESIZE. GOOD LUCK
  BEN

• 13. AnnClaire  |  January 29th, 2010 at 7:09 pm

  Hi there. My best suggestion would be to join http://www.ravelry.com and ask in the In Search Of forum for the yarn you need to complete the project … you can specify lot numbers and even production dates if this yarn has been in your stash for a while.

  Good luck.

• 14. Kim Lunsford  |  January 29th, 2010 at 8:00 pm

  I have tried cutting and sewing a crocheted project and let me tell you by experience that this does not work. If you still have the brand of yarn you used and the color you can look this up on the internet and they might still have the color you need and you can buy some directly from them. I was able to do that before.

• 15. Marinda  |  January 29th, 2010 at 8:00 pm

  Just how big is your rectangle. Instead of a blanket, could it be turned into an extra wide shawl? Or maybe sew it together end to end in a moibus style to make some sort of a wrap or poncho?

• 16. June  |  January 29th, 2010 at 9:39 pm

  Have you looked everywhere for your yarn. I needed some yarn and found it on ebay and also someone had some on crochetpartners.com
  so I could finish my afghan. What yarn do you need?
  June

• 17. Pauline  |  January 29th, 2010 at 10:06 pm

  Caley, I would not cut the yarn because as the others have said I also believe that it would unravel eventually. This is what I would do: I would go as far as I could with the yarn I do have a stop at the end of a row/pattern sequence. I would then get one or several colors of yarns that will compliment the yarn your have already used. Maybe a glitter yarn etc. I would then put a wide border around the afghan in fancy stitches. Maybe a row of shell stitches and then a row of cable stitches or cross stitches and the another row of shell or something similar. When you finish it will look as though that was what the pattern was meant to be. You could do this in a square or a rectangle. I hope this give you an idea on how to proceed. I have been in your shoes and this is how I handled it. Best of Luck

• 18. Esther Hart  |  January 29th, 2010 at 11:37 pm

  I would not cut the yarn either, If you are not sure, make a a crocheted swatch & try the other suggestions on it; That way you will actually see what it would look like without ruining your blanket. I would buy some pretty vareigated yarn
  with complimenting colors, & depending on the size you needed put the remaining size needed in borders of vareigated yarn. Your pattern might be pretty or try another one. I would do the bottom; 1/2 of the size needed, then turn it around & do the same amount on the top, which would be the beginning of the blanket.After that do the sides. I wish you luck
  on it.

• 19. LovetoSew  |  January 30th, 2010 at 7:47 am

  Save yourself all that work of cutting and maybe losing stitches
  I think It would be much easier to just buy more yarn of a different
  color or a color that would look great with the yarn you used
  to make this blanet…then
  I would add the new color to each end of your blanket to make
  it the size you want.
  You can make new pieces and sew then to each end
  or you could add the new yarn each end. (like you would if
  you were using different color yarns to make stripes, etc)

  I had to do this…and it worked out better than I thought
  it would and I did not have to cut anything.

  Good Luck

• 20. anne laikin  |  January 30th, 2010 at 11:24 am

  If you have a sewing machine I would stitch

  with machine as your square and then continue.

• 21. sharon  |  January 31st, 2010 at 3:57 pm

  I agree with many of the other crocheters. I would NOT cut it though the middle.

  Since it sounds like you are around the middle of the blanket, you do have a few options. However, they do involve selecting one or more other colors. You could either

  Stop where you are and add rows of strips going around the square/rectangle you have now, saving some of your original color for the final edges. (this ties it all together)This would be a great time to experiment with different stitches to add texture.

  Keep on going and call it a lap afghan or baby blanket (they do not need to be square).

  Over the years, I have discovered some of my worst mistakes, turn out to be my most creative and favorite projects in the end. Good luck

• 22. Aimee Attias  |  January 31st, 2010 at 6:25 pm

  I WOULD TRY TO PULL A TRADE IN THE MEDDLE AS HARD AS YOU CAN AND AFTER IT.S P0SSIBLE THAT YOU CAN CUT THE YARN. by keeping pulling the yarn until the end.you have two pieces .AP TOO YOU TO CHOOSE THE DIMENSION YOU WANT AND FINISH IT BY CROSS STICH
  GOOD LUK

• 23. linda  |  January 31st, 2010 at 7:59 pm

  I would rip out the blanket until it was square. then i would crochet a pattern of choice around.

• 24. pat  |  April 8th, 2010 at 1:38 pm

  I wouldn’t cut crochet, it will unravel. Ithink that’s what my mother-in-law had someone do to the sweater I made her at her request. Most expensive yarn I ever bought and she made several changes. When I finished she wanted a cardigan. She said her neighbor said it could be done. Never saw the sweater on her or found it when we cleaned out her apartment, I’ll bet it unraveled and got tossed. So don’t cut, try complimentary yarns with the same weight and the same washing instructions.

• 25. Patricia  |  April 8th, 2010 at 4:44 pm

  Depending upon the pattern, I agree that adding a complementary color of the same weight to each end to make the length you want and then putting a border of the same all around in a shell, picot or even single crochet might give you an attractive blanket. However, if you can locate additional yarn to complete as started, better yet! Ripping out and putting back is no fun, so try an alternative if possible. Lots of luck!

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