If you’ve ever watched a sunset and thought ‘I want to make that’, this mosaic crochet blanket pattern is that idea in stitches. The FireSky Afghan uses overlay mosaic crochet to build up bold geometric shapes in shifting color gradients, from deep black through hot pinks, oranges, and lavender.

Overlay mosaic crochet can look intimidating, but it’s more approachable than it seems, especially if you’ve crocheted a few projects and feel comfortable following a chart. The pattern is rated confident beginner to intermediate, so if you’ve got a bit of experience under your belt, you’re ready for this.

The finished blanket works up to roughly 48 inches by 56 inches, which is a lap or throw size. It uses a 3mm hook for the body and a 2.75mm hook for the border, with fingering weight yarn in two colors.

The yarn called for is Scheepjes Whirl for the gradient color (you’ll need 2 balls) and Scheepjes Whirlette in Liquorice for the black contrast and border (up to 7 balls, though you may need fewer if you go with a narrower border). The color shift in the Whirl creates that fire-in-the-sky effect without any complicated color changes on your part.

Pattern is written in American standard terms with a gauge of 12 double crochets per 2 inches. You’ll also need scissors and a yarn needle to finish it off.