17 Incredible Center Start Crochet Blanket Patterns (free)

If you prefer working in rounds to working in rows, this is the round-up for you! Each center start crochet blanket in this post is worked from the middle outward, and there’s a pattern for everyone: easy and more advanced; all different shapes; baby blankets, afghans, and bedspreads; and more!

1. Berry Season Crochet Blanket

This afghan is one of the most basic center-start blanket patterns, so it’s a perfect project if you’re new to crochet! It’s made like a giant granny square, with multiple double crochets worked into each chain space. You can make the blanket whatever size you want by adding or subtracting rounds. Just pick up some worsted weight yarn, and you’ll be ready to start!

2. Granny Motif Baby Blanket

This center start blanket is super soft because it’s made with jumbo chenille Bernat Baby Blanket yarn. You can choose any two of dozens of colors to match your baby’s nursery, and best of all, this is a very easy pattern to follow. It uses only basic stitches, and includes both written directions and a stitch chart.

3. Granny Crochet Blanket Pattern

This blanket uses the granny square, but it’s a rectangle rather than a square, so it’s perfect for a couch throw or a bedspread. The pattern is super easy to follow, and you can use your six favorite colors of weight 4 yarn, or even choose a fun ombre yarn for a gradient effect.

4. Crochet Ridged Round Ripple Blanket

This 12-point ripple star blanket is absolutely stunning! It uses a few more-advanced techniques, like the small and large shell stitches, so it’s a good project for intermediate crocheters. The designer has included a video tutorial along with the written pattern, so as long as you have some crochet experience, you should be able to make this blanket pretty easily!

5. Modernella Crochet Throw

Here’s another gorgeous intermediate-level blanket. It uses a variety of stitches to achieve a vibrant look. All the special stitches are described, and the designer has included detailed instructions and plenty of photos, so this is a good project if you have some crochet experience and are looking to learn new techniques. Just grab some DK yarn in seven coordinating colors, and you’ll be ready to crochet!

6. Indian Summer Crochet Blanket

Here’s a fun and colorful rectangular center-start blanket that’s made with worsted-weight yarn and only single crochets and chains. As long as you’re comfortable with color changes, this project will be a breeze!

7. Jacob’s Star Afghan

If you’re looking for a unique blanket, this is the pattern for you! The blanket has a super fun star shape that’s achieved with worsted-weight yarn and basic stitches. You’ll also need to know the Jacob’s Ladder technique for the last round, and the pattern describes how to do it.

8. Namaqualand Blanket

This blanket has an absolutely stunning design created with color changes and textured stitches. You’ll need sport-weight yarn and knowledge of basic stitches plus five other stitches, which are all described in the pattern. There are also detailed instructions, a stitch chart, and photos. Once you get the hang of the pattern, the project will be very easy because the sets of rounds repeat.

9. Lunar Crossings Square Blanket

This square center-start blanket is delicate and beautiful. To make it, you’ll need a weight 4 ombre yarn and knowledge of easy stitches plus the shell stitch and long single crochet, both of which are explained in the pattern.

10. Radiating Dragonflies Throw

This is one of my favorite blankets in the round-up because it’s so creative! I’m in love with the dragonfly motif! For this project, you’ll need worsted-weight yarn in a variety of colors, and knowledge of basic stitches plus twisted single crochet and the split stitch. The designer has explained both and even links to a photo tutorial for the twisted single crochet, so you should be able to learn them quite easily. And as a fun bonus, the pattern includes instructions for two different borders!

11. Anemone Blanket

This is a fun circular blanket made with both weight 3 and weight 4 yarn. Using two yarn sizes is vital to the project, since it keeps the circle from puckering. This is a great project for beginners, because it uses only easy stitches.

12. Center Out Square Crochet Blanket

This square blanket is super cozy because there are no gaps between the stitches. Plus, the tassels add a fun pop of style. If you use worsted-weight self-striping yarn like the designer suggests, you won’t need to do any color changes, so this is quite an easy project. The blanket is made with the Interlocking Arched Columns Stitch, and the designer has linked to a tutorial, plus provided a video tutorial for the entire process of making the blanket.

13. Crochet Boxed Block Stitch Blanket

This center-start blanket features super cool rainbow colors amidst a main grey color, which really lets the colorful yarn pop. You’ll need a multicolor striped yarn and a solid color, plus knowledge of the boxed block stitch, which is very easy to learn. It’s made up of basic stitches, and the designer even includes a link to a tutorial. Best of all, you can make this blanket any size you want by increasing or decreasing the number of rounds.

14. Radiating Crochet Blanket 

Here’s a fun center-start star blanket that features tassels! If you use a self-striping yarn, you won’t even have to do any color changes! Just make sure you know basic stitches plus the popcorn stitch and dc3tog decrease, which are explained in the pattern, and you’ll be ready to crochet this throw!

15. From The Middle Crochet Blanket

This blanket uses an incredible shell motif and will keep you warm all winter long because it’s made with a size 6 chunky yarn. It looks especially great when made with self-striping yarn like Caron Chunky Cakes. You’ll just need to know the shell stitch, which is made up of basic stitches, and this project will be super easy because you can follow a video tutorial created by The Crochet Crowd.

16. Granny Square Afghan

Here’s a simple afghan that uses open spaces in some rounds for a stunning effect. This blanket is super customizable: You can use any size of yarn and corresponding hook, and you can do as many or as few rounds as you’d like in order to create a baby blanket, lap blanket, bedspread, or more. And you can either choose a self-striping yarn or use multiple shades of yarn. Once you get the hang of the pattern, the blanket will be both easy and meditative because it uses simple stitches in five-round repeats. After crocheting, you’ll need to block your blanket, and the pattern describes an easy way to do so.

17. Winnie’s Wonder Blanket

Let’s end this round-up with a gorgeous, intricate center-start blanket that features a huge variety of shapes, textures, and colors. This is a perfect project to start once you have some crochet experience under your belt, so I recommend making this blanket after you’ve made a few others from the round-up. The pattern is in “crochet along” (CAL) format, so it’s spread across nine blog posts, and each post is super detailed, with both downloadable written instructions and video tutorials. For this blanket, you can choose your favorite colors of yarn, or even buy the yarn packs the designer has created for the project. And once you’ve finished this blanket, the designer has plenty of other incredible center start blanket patterns to choose from!