Satin baby blanket – To achieve a fuzzy texture in crochet, you use a shell nail. The skull stitch is a cluster of high stitches, usually double crochet stitches, placed in a single stitch to form a fan. The fan is similar to a mussel skull that gives the stitch its name. The skull stitch forms a wave on the edge of blankets when used in a single row, but it can also be a solid when displaced and combined with single crochet masks between the shells. If you apply both techniques you can crochet a whole rug with a scallop texture everywhere.
Take the end of the yarn and form a non-slip knot to place on your crochet needle. See Resources if you need to crawl knots. Review basic crocheted stitch for chain stitch, single crochet stitch and double crochet stitch that will be used in this satin baby blanket pattern. Fold the yarn around the hook and pull it through the loop on the hook to form a chain stitch. Make chain stitches until you reach the width you want for the rug, count masks as you go. The number of chain stitches you need for the skull pattern is a multiple of six plus two stitches.
Satin baby blanket, single crochet into the other chain from the hook. Jump the next two chain stitches, then place five double crochet stitches in the next stitch. Jump next to the chain stitch and simply crochet next stitch. Chain three stitches that counts as the first double crochet stitch of this row and make two double crochet stitches in the first stitch. Skip two double crochet masks and simply crochet into the middle stitch of the skull on the previous row. Skip two double crochet masks and place five double crochet stitches in the inner crochet stitch between shells in the previous row. Chain a stitch and simply crochet into the first stitch. Skip two double crochet stitches and place five double crochet stitches in the next single crochet stitch. Skip two double crochet masks and simply crochet into the center double crochet of the skull on the previous row.
Then work the sides of the rows upwards and work the pattern of stitches in the next steps into the sides of the rug stitch. The double crocheted rows count as two stitches, the total crochet rows count as one. Chain a stitch and simply crochet into the side of the first stitch in the corner. Jump two stitches and place five double crochet in the next stitch to form a shoulder. Skip two stitches and simply crochet next stitch. The fourth side, the last row, already has scallop edging from the rug pattern. Put the hook in the corner stitch when you get back to the last row on the rug. Loop the yarn over the hook and pull it through. Chain a stitch, pull a 6-inch loop of yarn and cut the loop in the middle to fasten off. Staple the yarn tail with yarn needle.
