Crochet handmade Make-This

How To Crochet A Larksfoot Blanket or An Arcade Blanket

November 23, 2011

You might remember this blanket that I made a little while ago? It’s Kit’s Arcade Blanket, and it’s based on the Larksfoot stitch. About 400 people registered to get this emailed out to them, and then my email program would not let me bulk email. So I’m putting it here right now, with apologies to the early birds that the email system (or I) did not work out!

Anyhoo,  I’m going to show you how to Larksfoot… and how to turn your Larksfoot into an Arcade block or blanket!  Let’s go!

I’m using Australian/UK terminology.  If you’d like to try this and you are a US terminology crochet type, you will need to convert to US terms.

Let’s start with Larksfoot. Larksfoot is the basis for the Arcade blanket. You need to know how to do this to make an Arcade blankie!  Start crocheting now and I’ll tell you what to do for both!

I’m using cream as my base colour.  In the blanket above I used black. It’s important to choose one base colour to give your OTHER colours some contrast and impact.

how-to-crochet-a-larksfoot-blanket

Foundation Chain :: I used a 4.5mm hook and regular DK yarn.  Make a slip knot.  For a blanket about 100cm wide (like mine!)  you need to chain 120 stitches PLUS 2 extra chain stitches.  If you are making something bigger or smaller, chain a multiple of 4 PLUS 2 extra chain stitches.

Foundation Row :: Note I’m using my base colour of cream here.  Still using the cream (or whatever YOUR base colour is) skip the stitch closest to the hook (the first stitch) and Double Crochet (or SC if you are a US crocheter!) once into every other stitch in your foundation chain.  When you get to the end of your chain, turn your work around so you can work back across the row of stitches you just made.

Row One : (see images below) Still using your base colour, chain ‘up’ three stitches to begin the next row. These three chain stitches are counted as the first treble in the row (even though they are not a treble, they are the same sort of height as a treble!) Now skip the first DC in the row below. *Treble once into the next three stitches. Chain one and skip the next stitch of the row below.* Repeat the pattern between the * and the * all the way along the row.  Finish the row with one treble into each of the last four stitches.  Turn your work to being crocheting back along to form a new row.

So you’ll have something like this when this row is done! (below)

Row Two : Chain up 3 (counts as the first treble, as it did in the previous row!)  *Treble once into each of the next three stitches.* Chain one, skipping the next stitch. Repeat the pattern between the * and the * until you reach the end of the row, finishing with one treble into each of the last four stitches. Turn your work once more. (Note that in these rows we start with a bunch of four stitches and we finish with a bunch of fours stitches.  This keeps our work nice and solid and secure!)

Change Colour : Okay. (see photos below) We’re finished with our base colour. We don’t need it for a wee while. Tie it off securely and snip a nice long 30cm tail.  We’ll weave that in later.  Now you need to attach your new colour right where you tied off your old colour.  I simply poke my hook through the last stitch I made and yank the fresh coloured yarn through to the front.  I tie it in a firm knot (again leaving a long tail.)  Yarn secured! Next I poke my hook back into that final stitch (where I just attached the new colour) and pull the new colour through to the front of my work, creating a loop on my hook in the process. Now I can start the next row! Let’s go!

Row Three : (see images below) Now that we’ve secured our new yarn and we have a loop on our hook, we can begin our new row. Chain 3 (this counts as the first treble in this row), Treble once into the next stitch. Skip the next stitch. Chain One.  Treble once into the next stitch. Treble once into the GAP which is TWO ROWS BELOW. You’ll need to loosen up your tension and let a bit of extra yarn out.  I have made a fairly dodgy video to show you how to do it too : click here to watch that! Next, one treble into next stitch. Skip the next and chain one. *One treble into the next stitch. One (long!) treble into the gap two rows below. One treble into next stitch. Skip the next and chain one. * Repeat the pattern between the * and the * : or just follow my photos!  The row ends with TWO trebles into the final TWO stitches.   Turn your work around to crochet back the other way in the same colour.

Row Four : (see photos below) Chain up three to being this row. We haven’t changed colours, you will note!  Treble once into the next stitch.  *Skip the next stitch and chain one. Treble once into the next three stitches.* Repeat the pattern between * and * or follow my photos!  Finish the row with one treble into each of the last two stitches.  Tie your yarn off firmly leaving a long tail, as before.

Row Five : Back to base! Return to your base colour, attaching it as before.  (See images below) Now that we’ve secured our base colour yarn and we have a loop on our hook, we can begin our new row. Chain 3 (this counts as the first treble in this row), Treble once into the next stitch. Skip the next stitch. Chain One.  Treble once into the next stitch. Treble once into the GAP which is TWO ROWS BELOW. You’ll need to loosen up your tension and let a bit of extra yarn out, as before.  Now, one treble into next stitch. Skip the next and chain one. *One treble into the next stitch. One (long!) treble into the gap two rows below. One treble into next stitch. Skip the next and chain one. * Repeat the pattern between the * and the * : or just follow my photos!  The row ends with TWO trebles into the final TWO stitches.   Turn your work around to crochet back the other way in the same colour.

Excellent! Now you should have something like this (below)

Row Six :: (See images below) We’re still working with the base colour. Don’t change colours. Chain up three. *Treble once into the next three stitches. Skip the next stitch and chain one.* Repeat the pattern between * and * completing the row with one treble into each of the final four stitches in the row.  Turn your work as before.

For Larksfoot (see first group of images below) we fasten off our yarn here and change colours.  We then repeat Row Three To Row Six and keep alternating our base colour and our accent colours as before.  Just follow the photos and repeat the pattern above over and over until your work is the size you like! Weave in your ends in front of the telly!

Larksfoot
Larksfoot
Larksfoot
Larksfoot
Larksfoot
Larksfoot

And here we have Arcade

For Arcade (see  images below)  we repeat this Row Six in our base yarn two more times (for a total of 3 ROW SIXES!)  This makes a nice big block between our colours and creates a nicer contrast, I think.
Then we switch to our accent colour and crochet exactly as we did in  Row Three and Four (once more) in that.
Then switch to our base colour and crochet Row Five again. Then (in the same colour) crochet Row Six THREE TIMES to make that big block of base colour.
And so on, alternating the above : a big block (four rows in total!) of base colour : then two rows of accent colour!

Make sense? Follow the pictures! Keep going until the blanket seems like the right size. Then weave in your ends nicely!

Arcade
Arcade
Arcade

and Arcade in black…

Arcade
Arcade
sorry, it’s hard to see the stitches in black!

I’m actually mixing up my Arcade with my Larksfoot for this blanket….  Just to be crazy!  I hope this tute makes sense to you! I have been working on it for ages, so I hope it gets you Larksfooting or Arcading!  Once you have the basic building blocks/structure, you just follow the previous rows.  And the key to Arcade is those big blocks of space in a base colour, between the accent colours!  Phew! Okay! Let me know how you go!

Right!  I’m off to get ready for our Spicks and Specks Finale Viewing Party tonight!  (And if you follow JustB over here, I would be so PLEASED!  Please DO click LIKE if you are Facebooky! Especially if you are planning to use this tutorial!  I’m doing good stuff over there, I swear!  And I want to keep my blog boss happy!)

xx Pip

Arcade-Foot. Or something. A mixture of BOTH!
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  • Savanah May 15, 2012 at 1:41 AM

    This is so beautiful! I'm pinning it for when it starts to cool off again and I want to start making blankets again 🙂

  • chichidee February 19, 2012 at 6:02 AM

    This is a brilliant tutorial, amazing blankets, great pics, awesome yarn colour selection and pretty shoes. Well done :o) xx

  • Lillabilly January 24, 2012 at 6:13 PM

    You know, while I've been larksfooting away, it occured to me that you could call your Larksfoot/arcade mix "Larcade" or "L'arcade" if you are feeling a bit posh!

  • Lovecrafting January 6, 2012 at 2:39 PM

    Thanks so much for this pattern – I was so tired of the old Granny Squares even tho they are great. Trouble is I don't know when to stop:) Barbara

  • Lillabilly December 6, 2011 at 6:21 PM

    Yay Pip! Thankyou for posting this – I was one of the emailers and when I didn't get anything, was wondering if my email account had maybe eaten the pattern! So glad it's up here now…it's sure to keep me busy for my immenent hospital stay!

  • Sally December 3, 2011 at 1:41 PM

    YAY! Thanks so much for this great tutorial!!! You're a champ.

  • Nicky November 27, 2011 at 4:29 AM

    THANK you! I can't wait to try this!!!! The picture tutorial is fantastic and I really love the color choices for the white/cream color blanket! 😀 Happy Saturday!

  • Sunny November 25, 2011 at 4:40 PM

    Fantastic Blanket or use something stronger and make a beautiful floor rug. You are so clever and should do lots nore crochet. It's such a wonderful inventive medium.
    Love Crochet Crazy.

  • Car November 25, 2011 at 12:43 PM

    Great pattern tutorial, thank you for sharing – will earmark for a one day blanket (after I finish the other 5 WIP!!!)

    I was thinking you could call it the Larks-a-pade (a mix of the Larksfoot who escaped to the arcade? silly I know, it just stuck in my head LOL!!!)

  • TashMac November 25, 2011 at 11:48 AM

    I agree your next book should be all about crochet. Your Pic's and written explanations are wonderful! Thanks Pip for another exciting project.

  • SHHH MY DARLING November 25, 2011 at 8:34 AM

    Hi! nice blog, we're happy to found you 🙂
    If you have time come and visit our website, we are two illustrators making screenprints and nice design!
    http://www.shhhmydarling.com/
    Bye

    Jenny&Gra

  • Tash Brown November 25, 2011 at 3:59 AM

    This is awesome. This will be my next project! Thank you for taking the time to put this all together….
    I have been trying to teach my little sister who is about to have her first baby to talk crochet with me so she can make a granny square blanket but to no avail-I think I will cut out the middle man and email her your link 🙂
    Tash
    http://www.paisleycreates.blogspot.com.au

  • Santafe November 25, 2011 at 1:06 AM

    Pip, I will never thank you enough for being able to teach me how to crochet!! I first learned to do your granny squares and now this! Your tutorials are always so easy to follow! I started my blanket and it already looks superb!!
    hugs and kisses from Québec

  • Pip November 24, 2011 at 8:21 PM

    Ali! You are the SECOND person to say that! I am inclined to agree! Luckily when the blanket is the RIGHT WAY UP, it's the opposite of bird flipping. You could TOTALLY use this as a bit of a code… flip it the wrong way if you feel the need to flip! xxx

  • estibaliz November 24, 2011 at 7:46 PM

    THANKS,THANKS and THANKS!!!
    Superb tutorial!!

    Kisses from Spain 🙂

  • Ali November 24, 2011 at 7:39 PM

    You know, I love this rug, and thanks heaps for posting such comprehensive instructions – but I have to say, I can't help seeing someone doing a "flip the bird" when I look at that larksfoot stitch. 🙂 There, I've said it now, but this tutorial was, for me, worth reading just to find out how you change colours! – I am going to try that right now because I suspect it might turn out better than my current method! So, thank you.

  • Rose Wintergreen November 24, 2011 at 3:51 PM

    Wowee! Thankyou Pip! This is great. You make your tips so easy to follow, and I love that you include little notes to keep in mind if we decide to be stubborn and do it slightly differently. I can't crochet yet, but this project will be the motivation to learn. It must have taken you a lot of work to put this together. Thank you for giving it so much thought.
    xo

  • Elizabeth November 24, 2011 at 10:49 AM

    Looks awesome and makes total sense – I can't wait to try it!!

  • Unknown November 24, 2011 at 10:23 AM

    Thank you so much for the great tutorial. I'm so glad you showed several rows because you are so good at picking out colors. That will help me a lot. I'm going to start hooking right away.

  • Adele November 24, 2011 at 9:06 AM

    Ooh, so excited to give this a whirl! I only came across the larksfoot stitch about a week ago, thanks much for the tutorial 🙂

  • marjee November 24, 2011 at 8:59 AM

    you. are. AMAZEBALLS!!!!!!!!!

  • Mar November 24, 2011 at 2:58 AM

    What a wonderful tutorial!!!
    I'm going to try it…
    Thank you very much

  • willywagtail November 23, 2011 at 11:13 PM

    Thankyou. It looks complicated until you explain it then it really is simple. I hope I remember this if I ever pick up the hook again. Cherrie

  • Earthy Spice November 23, 2011 at 9:20 PM

    OMG I want those shoes!

  • Casey November 23, 2011 at 8:05 PM

    It's gorgeous. I think this will be my summer project, after I finish the giant granny square blanket I started! Thanks for the pattern x

  • LadyP November 23, 2011 at 7:27 PM

    Thankyou! Both those versions are gorgeous and look so utterly different just because of the difference in the background colour 😀 I will be making a space invaders version for my biggest boy soon!

  • Andrea November 23, 2011 at 4:51 PM

    Thankyou! I'll be trying this.

  • circle retreat quilter November 23, 2011 at 3:46 PM

    Great tutorial and I love all the shoes too.

  • circle retreat quilter November 23, 2011 at 3:45 PM

    It is looks great and love all the shoes too.

  • Reannon Hope November 23, 2011 at 3:29 PM

    Wel done Pip, you are so clever & kind. I am afraid I am maybe not clever enough to make this but I am still gonna try!

    On another note- CUTE SHOES!!!! Those ones in the first couple of pics are lovely, please share where they are from….

  • Whimsy and Juno November 23, 2011 at 2:40 PM

    Thanks for the awesome tutorial Pip! I've only just taught myself how to crochet in rows so i'm definitely going to give the larks foot and arcade a go- it's such a lovely pattern! I was also just wondering what brand of yarn you like to use? All of the colours in your crochet projects are just beautiful.

  • SakuraDreams November 23, 2011 at 2:18 PM

    I started one about a week ago.. and have only done a few rows (well kinda) and im meant to be giving it to my best friend in a few days AHHHH!! thts it.. Good bye computer hello hook and movie 😛

  • beebeeoko November 23, 2011 at 1:47 PM

    Thank you so much for this. It's very easy to follow! I think your next book should be all about crochet! 🙂