House Blanket CAL: Joining Instructions & Picket Fence Border

I’m excited to share the joining technique and the border tutorial for the House Blanket CAL. Even though my full blanket isn’t finished yet! I know many of you are ready to start assembling your squares, so I wanted to give you everything you need to keep moving forward. I’ll post the complete finished blanket soon, but for now… let’s talk about this adorable white picket fence border! 

The join I’m using is the same simple corner-to-corner joining method from my Gnome Blanket (you can find it HERE) along with a few other joining options if you prefer something different.

Quick Corner-to-Corner Joining Explanation:

• Lay out all your C2C squares in order of the months so the House Blanket flows through the year just the way you designed it. Reminder: These squares are completely reversible! Each design appears as a mirror image on the back, so there’s no official “front” or “back.” Just choose the orientation you like best.
• Choose a yarn color you like for joining (I went with white). 
• Hold two panels together, and join yarn between the pixel blocks on the inside seam.
• Working along the seam: make a Single Crochet (SC) stitch between a pixel block, then chain 2, skip to the next space between blocks and make another SC.
• Continue the SC – chain 2 – SC pattern to join the entire seam.
• First join vertically (stacked squares), then work horizontally across as needed until all pieces are joined.

Why this method works nicely: You don’t need a border on each individual square before joining — the seam is neat, secure, and works for any C2C project.

For the border, I chose Red Heart Super Saver in White to match the joining and create the “fence posts,” and Tea Leaf for the little row of “grass.” Tea Leaf wasn’t used in any of the squares, which makes it a nice accent color without competing with the design. You will need a full skein of white for the joins + border. I’m using the same size H crochet hook for the join and border as I did to crochet the house squares.

White Picket Fence Border Pattern

I’m using Red Heart Super Saver in White for both the joining and the fence, and Red Heart Super Saver in Tea Leaf for the “grass” row.

Round 1 – Foundation Round (White)

Start anywhere along the edge of your blanket.

• Join white yarn and SC between the first C2C pixel block, chain 2, then SC in the next space between pixel blocks.
• Repeat this SC, ch 2, SC sequence around the entire blanket.
• In each corner: SC + ch 2 + SC in the corner space.
• Join to first stitch to finish the round.

Round 2 – Build the Base (White)

• 2 SC in each chain-2 space around the blanket.
• In each corner chain space: 3 SC.
• Join to the first stitch with green yarn, chain 2.

Round 3 – Fence Posts & Grass (White + Tea Leaf)

See the YouTube video for a visual demo of this round!

NOTE: You’ll need to carry your yarn as you work the fence posts and grass. This simply means that the strand you’re not using gets laid flat against the stitches, and you crochet over it as you go. This keeps the yarn hidden inside the work and lets you switch between white and green quickly without cutting or leaving extra ends. It makes the color changes smooth, fast, and super tidy!

• With green yarn, work a DC decrease over the two SC stitches from Round 2 (this creates the “grass”)
• Before completing the DC2tog, switch to white yarn.
• Reach your hook down to the SC stitches from Round 1 (the spaces between pixel blocks).
• Make an elongated DC (pull the DC stitch up to match the height of this round). This is your fence post.
• Before completing the “fence post” DC, switch back to green yarn.
• Repeat this pattern—Green DC decrease (grass), White elongated DC (fence post)—around the blanket.
• Corners: work a regular DC in each corner stitch using white.
• At the end of this round, fasten off the green yarn.

Round 4 – Final Round (White)

• SC in each stitch around the entire blanket.
• Join, fasten off, and weave in ends.
  

This white picket fence border truly feels like the perfect finishing touch for the House Blanket. After working through all twelve months of cozy little homes, adding a classic fence around the edges just brought the whole story together. It frames the squares beautifully, ties the theme together, and gives the blanket that charming, homey feel it deserved. I couldn’t imagine a better way to finish it!

Stay tuned for the big reveal of the finished blanket! 

Find all the pattern for the blanket HERE on the House Blanket CAL Landing Page