This is a crochet pattern review of the MCM Throw Blanket pattern by designer Knits ‘N Knots. Review done by A Stitch Shy of Normal for EyeLoveKnots.
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It’s me, Abigail, with A Stitch Shy of Normal
Visit with me on Instagram @astitchshyofnormal for all kinds of awesome crochet makes and inspiration!
We’re lucky enough at this point in our lives with a toddler to have a room in our house that can be kept as a “guest” room. I mean, that’s the purpose on paper. In reality, it’s my craft room and I get the yarn out of the way when someone comes to stay. In fact, I’m sitting on the “guest” bed typing this up right now! My mother-in-law lives across the country so she tries to visit a few times a year, so this room is a great space to have available for her to stay right down the hall from her grandson.
The blanket on the bed, however, is one that I’m pretty sure I bought for my freshman dorm room. Don’t ask me how many years ago that would have been. I’m not saying it’s ancient, I’m saying it was a budget buy at a Target or Kohl’s and was selected as “meh, good enough, that’ll do”. It’s warm and comfy but it’s not stylish.
I want to take some pride in my home so I made it my mission to create a blanket to add a little class to this room. I wanted to add a little color and a pattern that stood out but was calming and chill at the same time. When I scrolled down and spotted the MCM Throw from Knits ‘N Knots, I instantly knew it was my choice. Right away, it just clicked. It’s a timeless motif with the gorgeous half circles, two colors so I could combine a calm neutral with a bold deep tone like I wanted…and of course, Janine is one of my favorite designers. I didn’t even think any further or make a short-list of my choices, that was it. I saw it and clicked “purchase pattern”.
The result came out just like I hoped. It’s a beautiful piece that shines but doesn’t overwhelm the room. It’s a nice size to go on top of a comforter, or also works great on the couch with a movie (guess how I know). I would and probably will make more of these once I come up with a reason. If you’re a friend or family member of mine “in real life”, be aware that some of you might get one of these blankets this Christmas. I’m not even sure if I’m joking on that. See below for more details on my experience with this pattern!
What Materials Do I Need to Crochet a Throw Blanket?
- Lion Brand “Pound of Love” yarn about 2600 yards in total: I used about 1.5 skeins of Hunter Green and an entire skein of Antique White (but I ran out!). I would recommend about 1500 yards of each of your colors if I were to do it again.
- H8/5mm crochet hook – I love to use Clover Amour
- Scissors
- Yarn needle for finishing
- MCM Throw, paid crochet pattern from Knits ‘N Knots via Etsy
Material Notes:
The pattern recommends using Vanna’s Choice yarn, also from Lion Brand and one of my favorites. However, I haven’t seen this in stores in years! I was actually curious when linking that if I’d be able to find it on their site. Turns out I could have been ordering it from Lion Brand this whole time! I was too impatient to start on this blanket at the time, though, so I went with what I could find at my local Michael’s store. I have used Vanna’s Choice in the past many times and I knew it was a worsted on the slightly thicker side, nice and plush, and gorgeously rich colors. I considered something like Heartland but to be honest, I wanted a cheaper option.
When I want a budget option in worsted weight, Lion Brand’s Pound of Love or the other similar brands are always a good option. You get a lot of yardage for your dollar and they come in beautiful colors. In this case I went with Pound of Love since it had the two shades I was looking for- a nice off-white in a warm tone (Antique White) and a deep jewel tone (Hunter Green). I was happy with anything in the blue/green/teal family, since the wallpaper in the room has a nice deep blue on the bottom half. I’d never exactly match it but I wanted to go with a similar vibe, you know?
The gauge worked out close enough for me (see below for more on that) and I’m very pleased with how it looks in the finished product. I have experience with washing items made with this yarn as well and have not had an issue yet. I would personally recommend hanging it to dry instead of throwing it in a dryer, but if you ask if I’ve ever tossed it through the dryer…I might have to admit it can survive that as well. Just don’t do it too often or accept the risks if you do. I absolutely would use this yarn again for this throw blanket.
How Long Does it Take to Crochet a MCM Throw Blanket?
I spent maybe three weeks working on this one as my primary project, so that’s maybe 20-30ish hours of total stitching time. If you’ve been thinking about making a blanket but you’re worried it takes a lot of time, a throw blanket can be a great option! It’s not huge, so it can work up in just a few weeks of casual stitching.
What Size is the MCM Throw Blanket?
The listed dimensions are roughly 52″ square, and mine is around there as well. It’s hard to measure something so large but I know my squares came out around 16.25″ wide. I did skip the last few rows of the border because I ran out of yarn, though.
With my squares being a fraction of an inch larger than the pattern but my border being a few rounds short, I would say my blanket probably measures around that size. Let’s give a range of 50-54″ square.
This makes for a great bed topper or a couch snuggle blanket, and I’ve used this for both!
Gauge:
I saw on the Ravelry page that some others had issues with their squares not coming out as perfectly square, and therefore they struggled with the shaping of the blanket (because you work the squares at 90-degree angles to each other). Because of this, I strongly recommend you check your gauge if you’re thinking of stitching this one up!
The pattern gauge suggests 13 stitches or 9.5 rows is equal to 4″.
My gauge came out at the 13 stitches but I was just under 9.5 rows tall in my swatch. I considered this close enough and it did end up working out for me. Like I said above, my squares measure just over 16″ across so it got pretty close.
All About the MCM Throw Blanket:
I found this pattern highly approachable. It’s intarsia crochet (I never remember the differences) where you have a few strands of each color and drop/pick it up each row rather than crochet over your unused color. This makes it easy to keep track of your shaping as the neat pattern emerges. Plus with each row being different, you feel like you’re making a lot of progress. Each square I would just start to get tired of it and then I was switching to the next!
The stitching itself is simple as well, no fancy techniques to be found here. Sometimes we need a good palette cleanser like that. Two colors, simple stitching, and a clean easily-made shape that just pops in the finished fabric. What more can I say?
The pattern offers a chart if you prefer that, or written rows telling you how many stitches of each color to work up. Personally I’m a written-out fan but could have functioned with the chart, so I like having the option. Janine always thinks of all types of crocheters and I really appreciate that.
The “assembly” is minor as you work up two identical panels of three squares, then a third with a slight alteration. You then lay out the three rows of squares and join them all together. It takes time, yes, but it’s nothing complicated with sizing and shaping and dozens of stitch markers. I could zone out and just sew it all up in one evening while I watched a Youtube video (or three).
To finish it all off, the pattern gives a simple border to give clean edges. I liked this look quite a bit. I was just running out of my white so I had to stop at 3 rounds instead of the listed 5! I wasn’t going to buy another skein of Pound of Love just to finish two rows of the border, because I’m trying to decrease my stash. Adding a thousand or so yards of a neutral would not benefit that goal. But if you’re thinking ahead, I recommend two skeins of each color if you want to use Pound of Love. Or not leaving generous tails when you cut them during the blanket (but I don’t know how much extra that would have given me).
I am very pleased with the pattern experience, love my finished blanket, and I can’t think of anything more to say! If you want a classic and cute blanket you should definitely check this one out. Enjoy!
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