Wildlife Graphghan CAL: Adding the Border + Blanket Final Reveal

I can’t believe that the Wildlife Graphghan Crochet along is coming to the end! After 7 months of designing and working on this blanket, it is finally completed!

It was such a huge and ambitious project! I am glad and somehow sad at the same time! This blanket it is surely my masterpiece design and I hope that my kids will treasure it for the years to come!

We really love how it turned out!

*Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links and at no additional cost to you, I might earn a small commission if you decide to purchase through these links. Thank you! Part of the yarns was provided by Red Heart Yarns. Crochet Hook provided by Furls Crochet.

After joining all the animal blocks together, we will add a border around the blanket to give a finished look and more stability for the edges.

For my blanket I have opted for a ribbed crochet border in the color Gray Heather, but you can use the color of your choice.

~ Favorite the Wildlife Graphghan Bundle on Ravelry! ~

~ Pin this post to Pinterest here!! ~

Because I have not added a border around each individual block, I have thought to first add a single crochet border around the entire blanket, but changing to the background color of each block on the edge. This way the edges will look much nicer, much cleaner.

If you have added a sc border to each of your animal blocks, you can skip the first row of the border instructions below!

Adding the Border around the Blanket

SUPPLIES :

• 1 skein of Red Heart Super Saver - Gray Heather
• 5.5 mm crochet hook (I have used Furls Wooden Hook, Cocobolo)
• Tapestry needle
• Scissors

STITCHES AND ABBREVIATIONS USED (US TERMS):
st- stitch
slst - slip stitch
sc - single crochet
hdc - half double crochet
Standing sc - Standing single crochet - See this Tutorial by Moogly!
Standing hdc - Standing half double crochet - See this Tutorial by Moogly!
fphdc - front post half double crochet
bphdc - back post half double crochet

BORDER INSTRUCTIONS:

NOTE: Because for the animal blocks we have used the c2c with the hdc, we need to place 3 sc for the c2c sts with the 3 hdc sts standing and 2 sc for the c2c sts where the hdc on the edge are laying as horizontal bars.
See this Tutorial from Make and Do Crew!

Row 1 (sc around the blanket): Join yarn (in corresponding background color) with a standing sc into any of your corners.
Work 1 sc along the edge of the first animal block, as written in the note above to last st of the first block; work the last sc until last yarn over; change to next block’s background color and finish the last sc of the first block with the new color.
Work the same for the next blocks, always changing to next block’s background color.
In the corners, do not add 3 sts, to not distort the edges!
Continue as above for each side; at the end of the round, join with sl st to top of first st. Cut yarn.

Row 2 (hdc round): Join yarn (in the preferred border color - in my case Gray Heather) with a standing hdc into first sc st on the edge.
* Work 1 hdc in each sc across the side to next corner. Work 3 hdc into corner st.
Repeat from * for the next sides, till you reach the last corner.
For the last corner, work 2 hdc more into the first st at the beginning of the round (the standing hdc); (As seen in the picture below)
sl st to top of standing hdc at beg. of the round.

Row 3 (ribbing round): ch 1 loosely, *work 1 fphdc around first hdc, 1 bphdc around next hdc*, repeat from * to* around the entire blanket (without adding 3 sts in the corners); join with slst to top of first st.
Cut yarn. Fasten off. Weave in all ends.

Here’s a close up of the elephant block with the border.

And another close up:

With all 20 animal blocks my blanket turned out huge! :)
It measures 150 cm × 197 cm (approx. 59 inches x 78 inches).

I took a lot of pictures to show you how big this blanket it is!

Here’s a picture of my little girls ( age 7 and 4) laying on the blanket:

The blanket on the couch:

I have really enjoyed designing each animal block of this blanket and I hope that you have enjoyed the Wildlife Graphghan CAL!

If you made the wildlife blanket, please share pictures on social media using hashtag #WildlifeGraphghanCAL!

I love seeing all the lovely blankets (and pillow cases)you make using my patterns! It is amazing how versatile this blanket can be when using different background colors, different placements of the animal blocks and also the different blanket sizes when making less animal blocks! Not to tell about using my animal charts with other stitches instead c2c, such as the sc and the sc bubble stitch as seen in my Facebook Group - My Hobby is Crochet Community!

Thank you!
Kinga