Crochet Cupcake Pixel Blanket

The masterpiece is complete! Here is my Crochet Cupcake Pixel Blanket! Phew, it’s finally finished and I am really happy with the way it turned out. Let me tell you all about it and walk you through all the steps so you can make your own! I will try to answer some frequently asked questions as well. Wish I had some better photos for you, but because of its size, it is hard to photograph. So these will have to do for now 🙂

This tutorial is broken up into 4 different posts in order to give you as much step by step direction and detail as possible. Click the highlight links above each picture to see the process documented in each post. Also be sure to refer to the Frequently Asked Questions below!

FAQs:

How long did it take you to make? I started this blanket is early April. It is now the end of May so just about two months. I was able to make 20 squares in 1 hour (uninterrupted) but of course I was never able to crochet for an hour straight… so just the squares took me over 50 hours. Then I wove in the ends, laid out the squares, joined the squares, and made the border.

But all those ends?! Not gonna lie, this project is tedious but so worth it when it comes together. In my opinion weaving in those ends was the easiest and quickest part! The bulk of my time was spent repetitively crocheting the squares. Even joining took longer than weaving in the ends. Two ends to weave in on each square didn’t take long and there was a quick sense of satisfaction after each square was finished.

How much yarn do I need? One skein of Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice makes about 20-21 squares. I made a total of 525 squares so that is about 25 skeins just for the squares. The joining will take 2 skeins and then another for the border.

I used: Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice in these colors: Beige (approx 15 skeins), Pink (approx 6 skeins), Scarlett, White, Black (approx 4 skeins), Honey (approx 3 skeins), Dusty Purple, Aqua, Mustard, Fern, and Raspberry. 1 skein or less of the ones that I didn’t specify.

Where can I find a pixel graph? Perler bead patterns (try THIS website) make perfect pixel graphs! Read more about it HERE.

How do I join the squares? I used THIS technique by Petals to Picots to join my squares. You can read all about it my Pixel Square Layout and Joining Post. You don’t have to use this method. Feel free to join as you go.

How big is the blanket? The finished blanket is 63×53 inches and fits perfectly over a twin size bed!

How big are the squares? Each of the pixel squares measures 2.5×2.5. If they start curling you may want to block or dock them. Check out my Pixel Square Docking Station!


What does the back look like? Because of the way I slip stitched the rows together, the squares are bordered on the back. I actually really like it and it has a cool texture but if it bothers you, you could line it with fleece or use a different joining method.

Is there a way to adjust the size of the design so it’s less pixels? The only way to adjust the size of a pixel blanket is by adjusting the size of the squares (use a smaller hook and lighter weight yarn… also the squares I used are smaller than the average granny square). A pixel blanket is just what the name says… made of pixels. Just like in a photo, the less pixels you have, the less detail you have. Believe me, I tried to alter this cupcake design, but you really do need all these pixels to make the picture work. If you want to make a blanket with less pixels, you may want to choose another design with less pixels. For instance THIS FOX PIXEL BLANKET only has 132 squares.

Sometimes all you need is a simple single crocheted border. With all the different elements in this blanket, I didn’t want to over do it with a fancy edge (although I did consider doing a scalloped border). So I did 2 rounds of SC in beige and one round of SC in Pink. When you get to the corners, make SC + chain 1+ SC.