Growing Ivy Lace Blanket Crochet Free Pattern

There is something deeply satisfying about wrapping yourself in a blanket you made with your own hands. The texture, the drape, the way the light catches an open stitch — these are the small joys that keep crocheters coming back to their hooks season after season. If you have been searching for a project that feels both elegant and achievable, the Growing Ivy Lace Blanket might be exactly what your yarn basket has been waiting for.

This pattern draws inspiration from the trailing, organic quality of ivy leaves creeping along a garden wall. The lace construction gives the finished blanket an airy, vintage feel without sacrificing warmth or durability. Whether you are a seasoned crocheter looking for your next showpiece or an adventurous intermediate maker ready to stretch your skills, this pattern offers enough beauty to keep you motivated and enough structure to keep you on track.

Let’s walk through everything you need to know — materials, stitches, the full pattern, and tips for success along the way.

Why You Will Love This Pattern

Lace crochet has a reputation for being complicated, but this blanket breaks that assumption in a wonderful way. The repeat is intuitive once you have worked through the first few rows, and the visual payoff is immediate. You will see the ivy motif emerging before you are even halfway through your first skein.

The blanket works up as a rectangular throw, perfect for draping over a sofa, gifting at a baby shower, or displaying on a bed as a lightweight summer cover. Because the lace is open, it is surprisingly versatile across seasons — cozy enough for a cool autumn evening but breathable enough not to overwhelm a warm spring afternoon.

What makes this pattern especially popular in the crochet community is its scalability. You can make a small lap blanket, a generous throw, or a full bed-size coverlet simply by adjusting your starting chain and the number of rows you complete. The instructions below are written for a standard throw measuring approximately 50 by 60 inches, but guidance for resizing is included throughout.

Materials You Will Need

Getting your materials right before you begin will save you a great deal of frustration mid-project. Here is what you will need to complete the Growing Ivy Lace Blanket as written.

Yarn: Approximately 1,200 yards of a DK weight yarn. A smooth yarn with a slight sheen works beautifully for lace because it allows the stitch definition to shine. Cotton, cotton-blend, and bamboo yarns are all excellent choices. Pure cotton gives a crisp, structured look while bamboo adds softness and a gentle drape. Acrylic DK blends also work well if you want the finished blanket to be machine-washable, which is always a practical consideration for a project this size. Choose a color that lets the lace show off its architecture — soft whites, warm creams, dusty sage greens, and pale blush tones are all gorgeous options.

Hook: A US size G (4.0 mm) crochet hook. If you tend to crochet tightly, consider sizing up to a 4.5 mm hook to keep your lace open and airy. If your stitches run loose, a 3.75 mm hook will give you better structure.

Additional Tools: A yarn needle for weaving in ends, a pair of scissors, and stitch markers to help you keep track of pattern repeats, especially in the early rows when you are still learning the rhythm of the design.

Gauge: 16 stitches and 10 rows equal 4 inches in the lace pattern. Gauge is not critical for a blanket the way it would be for garments, but checking your gauge will ensure your finished blanket lands close to the intended dimensions.

Abbreviations and Stitch Guide

Before diving into the pattern, here is a quick reference for all the abbreviations used throughout.

ch — chain

sl st — slip stitch

sc — single crochet

hdc — half double crochet

dc — double crochet

tr — treble crochet

yo — yarn over

sk — skip

sp — space

rep — repeat

RS — right side

WS — wrong side

ch-sp — chain space

The pattern also uses a 5-dc shell, which is simply five double crochets worked into the same stitch or space. It fans out into a lovely petal shape that forms the base of the ivy motif. You will also work a picot, made by chaining three and slip stitching into the base of the chain to create a small decorative knot at the tip of each ivy leaf.

If you are new to treble crochets, take a moment to practice before beginning. A treble crochet is taller than a double crochet and requires wrapping the yarn around your hook twice before inserting it into the stitch. Once you have the motion down, it becomes second nature very quickly.

Pattern Notes

The foundation of this blanket is a chain that is a multiple of 14 stitches plus 3. For a standard throw, chain 143. This gives you ten full pattern repeats across the row, which produces a nicely balanced design.

The blanket is worked in rows, turning at the end of each row. The right side of the work is established on Row 1 and the pattern alternates between right-side and wrong-side rows throughout. The lace pattern is primarily visible from the right side.

When working into chain spaces, insert your hook into the space itself rather than into a specific stitch. This is what gives lace crochet its open, flowing quality.

Because lace tends to draw in slightly at the edges, this pattern includes simple border stitches at each side to keep your edges clean and straight. Do not skip these — they make the finishing process much easier and give the blanket a polished, professional look.

The Full Growing Ivy Lace Blanket Pattern

Foundation Chain: Chain 143 (or a multiple of 14 plus 3 for your preferred size).

Row 1 (RS): Dc in 4th ch from hook (counts as first dc), dc in each ch across. Turn. You should have 141 dc.

Row 2 (WS): Ch 3 (counts as first dc throughout), turn. Dc in each st across. Turn.

Row 3 (RS): Ch 4 (counts as dc plus ch 1), turn. Sk first 2 dc, dc in next dc, *ch 1, sk 1 dc, dc in next dc; rep from * across to last st, dc in top of turning ch. Turn.

Row 4 (WS): Ch 3, turn. Dc in first ch-1 sp, *ch 1, dc in next ch-1 sp; rep from * across, ending with dc in ch-4 sp. Turn.

Row 5 (RS) — Begin Ivy Lace Repeat:

Ch 1, turn. Sc in first dc. *Ch 5, sk 3 dc, sc in next dc; rep from * to end. Turn.

Row 6 (WS):

Ch 3, turn. 2 dc in first ch-5 sp. *Ch 3, 5-dc shell in next ch-5 sp, ch 3, 2 dc in same sp; rep from * across, ending with 3 dc in last ch-5 sp. Turn.

Row 7 (RS):

Ch 1, turn. Sc in first dc. *Ch 3, picot, ch 3, sc in center dc of next shell; rep from * across, ending with sc in top of turning ch. Turn.

Row 8 (WS):

Ch 5, turn. *Sc in next picot, ch 5; rep from * across, ending with sc in last sc. Turn.

Row 9 (RS):

Ch 3, turn. 2 dc in first ch-5 sp. *5-dc shell in next ch-5 sp; rep from * across, ending with 3 dc in last sp. Turn.

Row 10 (WS):

Ch 1, turn. Sc in first dc. *Ch 5, sc in center dc of next shell; rep from * across, ending with sc in top of turning ch. Turn.

Rows 11 through 14: Repeat Rows 7 through 10.

Row 15:

Ch 3, turn. Dc in each st and 2 dc in each ch-sp across. Turn. (This returns you to a solid dc base to begin the next section of the ivy repeat.)

Row 16:

Repeat Row 3.

Row 17:

Repeat Row 4.

Continue repeating Rows 5 through 17 until your blanket reaches the desired length. For the standard throw described above, you will work approximately 8 to 9 full repeats of this 13-row section, which brings you to roughly 60 inches in length.

Final Two Rows:

Work two rows of solid dc across all stitches, as in Rows 1 and 2, to mirror your foundation and give the blanket a balanced look at both ends.

Border

A simple border ties the entire blanket together and prevents the edges from curling, which is a common challenge with lace patterns. This border is intentionally understated so it does not compete with the lace motif.

Round 1: Join yarn at any corner with a sl st. Ch 1, work sc evenly around all four sides of the blanket, working 3 sc into each corner stitch to keep your corners square. Sl st to first sc to join. Do not turn.

Round 2: Ch 3, dc in same st. *Sk 2 sts, 3 dc in next st; rep from * around, working (dc, ch 2, dc) in each corner st. Sl st to top of beginning ch-3 to join.

Round 3: Ch 1, sc in each dc around, with 3 sc in each ch-2 corner sp. Sl st to first sc. Fasten off.

This border creates a gentle shell edging along all four sides that echoes the shell stitches in the lace body. It adds weight to the perimeter, which helps the blanket lie flat and enhances the drape considerably.

Tips for Working Lace Crochet

If this is your first time working a lace pattern at this scale, here are some things that will make the process smoother and more enjoyable from start to finish.

Count your stitches at the end of every row. Lace patterns have a way of hiding missed or extra stitches until you are several rows in, at which point fixing the mistake is more painful than it needs to be. A quick count after each row costs you thirty seconds and can save you thirty minutes of frogging later.

Use stitch markers to track your pattern repeats. Place a marker at the beginning of every 14th stitch sequence when you are starting out. Once the visual rhythm of the repeat clicks for you, you will not need the markers anymore, but they are invaluable in the early rows.

Block your finished blanket. Blocking is one of those steps that crocheters sometimes skip, but for lace work it is genuinely transformative. Wet blocking — soaking the finished blanket, gently squeezing out the excess water, pinning it to your measurements on a flat surface, and allowing it to dry completely — opens up the lace stitches and shows the pattern at its best. It also evens out any tension inconsistencies that happened along the way.

Work in good light. This sounds obvious, but lace crochet requires you to see into and between your stitches with clarity. Working in bright, natural light or under a good task lamp reduces eye strain and makes it much easier to track where you are in the pattern.

Do not rush the picot rows. The picot details are small and slightly fiddly, especially at first, but they are the detail that gives the ivy motif its distinctive, leafy quality. Take your time with them and do not skip the finishing sl st that closes each picot. A loose or unfinished picot will unravel over time.

Yarn Substitutions and Color Ideas

One of the most delightful aspects of this pattern is how dramatically different it looks in different yarns and colors. Here are a few combinations worth considering.

A classic off-white or cream in a mercerized cotton gives the blanket a timeless, heirloom quality. This colorway photographs beautifully and makes a particularly lovely gift.

A deep sage or forest green leans directly into the ivy inspiration and looks stunning draped over natural wood furniture. Pair it with a rust or terracotta cushion for an earthy, autumnal vibe.

Dusty rose or blush in a bamboo-blend yarn gives the blanket a romantic, modern feel that works well in a nursery or a bedroom styled in soft, muted tones.

Charcoal or slate gray in a smooth acrylic feels sophisticated and contemporary, especially in a minimalist interior. The lace pattern shows up with surprising clarity in dark colors.

If you want to try a gradient or striped version, this pattern handles color changes at the beginning of a new 13-row section very gracefully. Simply fasten off your first color after completing the Row 17 solid dc row, join your new color, and continue with Row 5 of the repeat. The solid rows at the transition point act as a clean dividing line between color bands.

Sizing Guide

As mentioned earlier, this pattern is highly scalable. Here is a quick reference for adjusting the foundation chain to other common sizes.

For a baby blanket measuring approximately 30 by 36 inches, start with a foundation chain of 87 (6 repeats of 14, plus 3). Work the lace repeat for 4 to 5 full sections.

For a lap blanket measuring approximately 40 by 50 inches, start with a foundation chain of 115 (8 repeats of 14, plus 3). Work the lace repeat for 6 to 7 full sections.

For a full throw at the standard size described in this pattern, use the chain of 143. Work 8 to 9 full sections.

For a twin bed coverlet measuring approximately 60 by 80 inches, start with a foundation chain of 171 (12 repeats of 14, plus 3). Work the lace repeat for 11 to 12 full sections and plan for approximately 2,200 yards of yarn.

Finishing and Care

Once your blanket is complete and your border is worked, weave in all yarn ends securely using a yarn needle. For lace work, it is worth weaving in each end in two different directions to prevent them from working loose over time. Thread your needle through a series of existing stitches rather than through the loops of the lace itself, which can distort the pattern.

After blocking, your blanket is ready to use or gift. For care, check your yarn label, but most DK cottons and cotton blends can be machine-washed on a gentle cycle in cold water and laid flat to dry. Avoid the dryer, which can shrink cotton and distort lace stitches.

Store your blanket folded rather than rolled if you plan to keep it in a drawer or chest for any length of time. Folding along the grain of the rows rather than across them preserves the shape of the lace motifs.

Final Thoughts

The Growing Ivy Lace Blanket is one of those projects that earns its place in your memory as well as your home. The hours you spend working the repeat become meditative once the pattern clicks, and the finished piece has the kind of crafted beauty that people notice and ask about.

Whether you make it for yourself, for a loved one, or as a seasonal project to sharpen your lace skills, this blanket rewards the time you put into it many times over. Save this pattern, pin it, share it with your crochet circle, and come back to it every time you want to make something truly worth keeping.

Happy crocheting — and may your tension be ever consistent.