I designed the High Tide Blanket when my sister was pregnant with her first child. I really wanted to make a special baby blanket because she had such fond memories of her own crocheted comforter as a child, but I had left it a little late for such a (relatively!) large project.

Super chunky yarn was therefore the perfect choice, not just because it works up exceptionally quickly, but also because it gives such a wonderfully tactile experience and the weight of it helps to naturally calm the nervous system.

After a lot of experimenting, I found a stitch combo that naturally complemented that end – I love that you can grab a squishy handful of the blanket and wiggle your fingers between the stitches, without it being ‘gappy’ or having too loose a texture.

The blanket is a combination of two basic stitches so it’s a very beginner-friendly pattern, and reminds me of gentle waves (hence the name). I’ve used three block colours of sea-greens and blues to reflect that, and the final edge of the blanket is finished with a row of shell stitch to look like the top of a breaking wave.

It’s worked in rows, where the turning chain does not add to the st count. You may find it helpful to place a st marker at the start and end of each working row as you go to make it easier to find your first and last slst.