I don’t usually buy a crochet pattern book the first time I see it, but this one was an instant “add to cart!” Mix & Match: Modern Crochet Blankets by Esme Crick is a gorgeous book. It has 100 different strips that can be combined in countless ways to create unique blankets.

The idea is genius and I’m a little bummed that I didn’t think of it first! The concept is simple, pick a strip and crochet it. Choose another one. Repeat. Even though the strips are worked vertically, they become horizontal stripes in the final blanket.

The book comes with a few suggested pattern and color combinations if you prefer to work that way.

This method of crocheting definitely is a learning process, so I’ll give you a few tips from what I learned.

1. Make sure all of your strips are the same length before joining them together to prevent any puckering at the seam line and ensure your sides are square.
2. Keep in mind that different stitches have different ending weights and stretchiness. For example, tapestry crochet carries the yarns along each row and have a heavier, more structured fabric than ripples.
3. Don’t use a large swath of stretchy stitch. I chose to try to make a bigger stripe of the ripple, but because it has a lot of stretch, it did not make the blanket very square. Try to keep the stretchy stripes narrow.
4. Don’t be afraid to attach the strips as you go. I noticed that my blanket was longer than wide so I added a heavy, structured strip to the side to even things out.
5. Use a heavier weight yarn and maybe one hook-size down to keep things structured.

I’m not 100% happy with my color choices as I don’t think the different blues go well together. I used about 6 skeins of Himalaya Baby DK with an H-hook.

Here’s an overview of the stitches I chose:

#031: Bold Arrows (Mosaic crochet)

I carried the yarn up the sides on this pattern. It worked up quickly once I got the hang of it, but the written instructions and graph were VERY helpful. (Did I mention she has a graph for every pattern, too?)

#010: Alpine Stitch

This was actually the first strip I made. It is a fun, soft texture. It’s a little bit stretchy, but holds it’s shape well. In the pattern, the author tells you to stop about a half inch short when working the pattern. I thought this was to make up for the stretch, but it’s actually to help you stop the pattern before your finishing row. This was a distinction that was helpful as I moved on to further strips.

#044: Linking Leaves (Filet crochet)

This pattern had an easy count, so keeping track of where I was in the pattern was simple. The completed fabric had a little bit of stretch but worked well next to a more structured fabric.

#071: Big Suns (Tapestry crochet)

Because tapestry crochet is worked in all single crochet carrying both yarns across each row, it is a very sturdy fabric. Making an entire blanket this way might be painstaking, but worked as a small strip it added structure to the project. I also used all of my colors in this strip to bring the blanket together.

#017: Ridged Ripples

If I could do it over, I would make this strip about 1/3 of the width it ended up. As I mentioned above, this strip was too stretchy to be that big and made my blanket not square. Possibly I just needed to make it a little longer, but I thought measuring the strips off each other would be good enough. (Don’t be like me. Measure once…twice…three times even.)

#093: Wavy Bobbles

This strip added great texture. It would be perfect for a blanket made for someone in a memory care facility as I’ve read that different textures are especially comforting. It is also a great tactile texture for babies. This strip was easy to make as all of the bobbles are worked on the right side. The structure would hold up against the other heavily structured strips.

#018: Moss Stitch (Top)

This is a very easy stitch that makes a dense and structured fabric.

#063: Chunky Cable (Bottom)

This was one of the most fun strips to make. When doing any stitch with cableing, make sure not to stitch too tightly or the fabric will scrunch up. I really liked this one. Again, the author’s instructions were well-written making them easy to follow.

#034: Fish Bones (Mosaic Crochet)

My final strip used mosaic crochet, which I was an expert in by this point! It looks like fish bones. How fun is that?! I made this strip to add width and structure to my blanket and was very happy with it. Looking at the finished blanket, I may have made it a tad too long.

My Overall Thoughts

Was this book worthy of it’s instant “add to cart” status?

Absolutely.

This book has something for everyone. And it’s beautiful. Patterns that are gorgeous to look at make such a difference somehow.