Gradient Crochet Blanket: How to Make the Tonnta Wave Pattern

Updated: 11 November 2026 by Sylwia (MyCrochetory)

This gradient crochet blanket is all about waves, soft lacy waves that slowly change color from one end to the other. You crochet it from a gradient yarn cake, so the colors shift as you go, with no stripes to plan and no yarn to cut.

Even the name fits. Tonnta means waves in Irish, and there’s hardly a straight line anywhere in this blanket.

And the best part, all those peaks and dips come from one small 4-row repeat. Learn it once, and the rest of the blanket is the same few rows in a slowly changing color.

Waves have followed me around ever since my Kalinda Shawl. This gradient crochet blanket is simply the place where I gave them the most room.

Scroll down for the free Tonnta Blanket pattern and the video tutorial. If you’d like it ad-free and printable, with a stitch chart, get the PDF on Etsy or on Ravelry.

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From a shawl to a gradient crochet blanket

This gradient crochet blanket started with my Kalinda Shawl, the one that began as a tiny test swatch. I kept wondering what its flowing waves would look like across a whole blanket, so I went and found out.

Kalinda is the design I keep coming back to. It has already turned into a wrap, a blanket and, most recently, my Kalinda Arrow Wrap, and Tonnta is its wave-shaped cousin.

No big story behind the colors, I simply wanted to see these waves in two colorways. So I made one that fades from pink into deep green, and another that melts from cream into golden yellow.

After that I still wasn’t ready to leave the waves. The Tonnta Scarf came right after, the same stitch in a light lace weight merino.

Why a gradient yarn cake works so well here

A gradient yarn cake is one long strand that changes color bit by bit. In this gradient crochet blanket every row uses a little more of it, so the color climbs up the blanket without a single color change from you.

For the green version I used one big 2,187-yard cake of KOKONEK Classic. The yellow one took two cakes of about 1,094 yards each, and the fade still came out smooth.

I always pick soft, non-itchy yarn for anything that ends up against the skin, and a blanket you curl up under is no exception. No KOKONEK where you live? Any soft fingering weight gradient cake will do, as long as you have about 2,190 yards.

How the waves in this gradient crochet blanket work

Think of every wave as a little mountain. At the top you add stitches, in the valley a dc5tog takes them away, and that’s what bends each row into a zigzag.

The 4-row repeat switches between two kinds of rows. Front post rows draw a raised ridge along every wave, and the lacy rows in between, single, half double, double and treble crochet with chain spaces, open the fabric up.

Together they make Tonnta much lighter than a classic ripple blanket. You get airy holes and crisp waves in the same piece.

Is this gradient crochet blanket hard to make?

It’s rated intermediate, so you’ll want to know double crochet, front post stitches and treble crochet. The decreases, dc3tog and dc5tog, are explained right in the pattern.

The first wave asks for your full attention, and after that each repeat feels easier than the last. The video tutorial shows every row, and each row now ends with a stitch count, so you can check yourself before you turn.

One little shortcut for the start. Skip the 286 chains, begin with foundation single crochet and go straight to Row 2.

Size and blocking

This gradient crochet blanket is about 39.5 by 51 inches after blocking, a lovely size for the couch. Every 40 stitches add or remove one wave, about 5.5 inches, and the pattern has a table for 5 to 9 waves.

For the length, simply work more or fewer repeats, then finish with Row 3 and the last row.

KOKONEK Classic is cotton and acrylic, so I steam block this blanket. I pin it flat, hover a steaming iron about half an inch above it, and leave it pinned for at least 20 minutes.

Want to make it later? Pin this gradient crochet blanket to your Pinterest board so it’s easy to find when you’re ready.

Tonnta gradient crochet blanket pattern

• Purchase the ad-free, printable PDF with stitch chart here on Etsy or here on Ravelry.
• Add this pattern to your Ravelry Queue here.
• Pin it for later.

Copyright 2023–2026 MyCrochetory. All rights reserved. This pattern is the property of Sylwia Kawczyńska @MyCrochetory. Please do not sell this pattern or claim it as your own. It is for personal use only and may not be translated or reproduced in another language. Please respect my rights and do not share or publish this pattern anywhere without my permission.

The blanket you make following this pattern is yours, and you are free to sell it, as long as you credit MyCrochetory as the original designer. For more information, please read the Terms Page.

As a bonus, the ad-free, printable PDF includes a stitch chart. If you’d like to support my work, you can get it here on Etsy or here on Ravelry. Thank you!

Materials and tools

• Yarn: fingering weight yarn, about 2000 m (2187 yd). Shown in KOKONEK Classic by Kokonki (50% cotton, 50% acrylic).
• Green blanket: one 2000 m cake (this colorway). Yellow blanket: two 1000 m cakes (this colorway).
• Hook: 4 mm. Adjust the hook size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.
• Notions: tapestry needle, scissors

Level

Intermediate.

Size after blocking

One size, adjustable. About 100 × 130 cm (39.5″ × 51″).

Gauge after blocking

85 sts × 24 rows = 30 × 30 cm (12″ × 12″). Gauge isn’t important for this project, but a different gauge changes the yardage and the finished size.

Notes

• The pattern uses US crochet terms.
• The blanket is worked flat, back and forth in rows.
• The pattern is a multiple of 40 sts plus 5. Every extra 40 sts adds one wave, about 14 cm (5.5″) of width (see the table below).
• Rows 3–6 are the pattern repeat. Work more or fewer repeats for a longer or shorter blanket, but always finish with Row 3 and the Last Row.
• The ch3 at the start of a row counts as a dc. The ch1 at the start of Rows 4 and 5 does not count as a st.
• The counts in (…) are for the whole row. Every row has 285 sts in total if you count each ch-1 sp as a st.
• Instructions in [ ] are worked as many times as indicated.
• Blocking opens up the lace and smooths the waves.

Abbreviations and special stitches (US terms)

• ch – chain
• st(s) – stitch(es)
• sc – single crochet
• hdc – half double crochet
• dc – double crochet
• tr – treble crochet
• FPdc – front post double crochet
• Fsc – foundation single crochet
• yo – yarn over
• sk – skip
• sp – space
• beg – beginning
• prev – previous
• rep – repeat
• dc3tog / dc5tog – [yo, insert hook in indicated st, yo, draw up a loop, yo, pull through 2 loops] 3 (5) times, yo, pull through all 4 (6) loops on hook.
• FPdc3tog / FPdc5tog – the same, but insert the hook from front to back and to the front again, around the post of each indicated st.

Tonnta gradient crochet blanket video tutorial

Want a little help along the way? Follow the video tutorial below and pause it as often as you need.

Choose your width

Fsc	Or ch	Waves	Width
205	206	5	72 cm (28″)
245	246	6	86 cm (34″)
285	286	7	100 cm (39″)
325	326	8	114 cm (45″)
365	366	9	128 cm (50″)

Pattern

Read all Notes before you start.

Foundation: Chain 286 or any other multiple of 40 plus 6 chains. You can also start with Fsc 285 (or any other multiple of 40 plus 5) and skip to Row 2.

Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in each ch across to end. Turn. (285 sc)

Row 2: ch3 (counts as dc), dc in next st, dc3tog, dc in next 17sts, (2dc, ch1, 2dc) in next st, dc in next 17sts, [dc5tog, dc in next 17sts, (2dc, ch1, 2dc) in next st, dc in next 17sts] rep […] across until 5sts remain, dc3tog, dc in next 2sts. Turn. (278 sts, 7 ch-1 sps)

Row 3: ch3 (counts as dc), FPdc in next st, FPdc3tog, FPdc in next 17sts, (2dc, ch1, 2dc) in next ch-1sp, FPdc in next 17sts, [FPdc5tog, FPdc in next 17sts, (2dc, ch1, 2dc) in next ch-1sp, FPdc in next 17sts] rep […] across until 5sts remain, FPdc3tog, FPdc in next st, dc in 3rd ch of ch3 at beg of prev row. Turn. (278 sts, 7 ch-1 sps)

Row 4: ch1 (doesn’t count as st), sc in first st, sc in next 2sts, ch1, sk next 3sts, sc in next st, ch1, sk next st, sc in next st, ch1, sk next st, hdc in next st, ch1, sk next st, dc in next st, ch1, sk next st, tr in next st, ch1, sk next st, tr in next st, ch1, sk next st, dc in next st, ch1, sk next st, hdc in next st, ch1, sk next st, (sc, ch1, sc, ch1, sc) in next ch-1sp, ch1, sk next st, hdc in next st, ch1, sk next st, dc in next st, ch1, sk next st, tr in next st, ch1, sk next st, tr in next st, ch1, sk next st, dc in next st, ch1, sk next st, hdc in next st, ch1, sk next st, sc in next st, ch1, sk next st, sc in next st, ch1, sk next 3sts, [sc in next st, ch1, sk next 3sts, sc in next st, ch1, sk next st, sc in next st, ch1, sk next st, hdc in next st, ch1, sk next st, dc in next st, ch1, sk next st, tr in next st, ch1, sk next st, tr in next st, ch1, sk next st, dc in next st, ch1, sk next st, hdc in next st, ch1, sk next st, (sc, ch1, sc, ch1, sc) in next ch-1sp, ch1, sk next st, hdc in next st, ch1, sk next st, dc in next st, ch1, sk next st, tr in next st, ch1, sk next st, tr in next st, ch1, sk next st, dc in next st, ch1, sk next st, hdc in next st, ch1, sk next st, sc in next st, ch1, sk next st, sc in next st, ch1, sk 3sts] rep […] across until 3sts remain, sc in next 3sts. Turn. (145 sts, 140 ch-1 sps)

Row 5: ch1 (doesn’t count as st), sc in first st, sc in next 2sts, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, sk next sc, sk next ch-1sp, sc in next sc, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, hdc in next hdc, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, dc in next dc, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, tr in next tr, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, tr in next tr, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, dc in next dc, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, hdc in next hdc, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, sc in next sc, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, (sc, ch1, sc, ch1, sc) in next sc, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, sc in next sc, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, hdc in next hdc, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, dc in next dc, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, tr in next tr, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, tr in next tr, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, dc in next dc, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, hdc in next hdc, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, sc in next sc, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, sk next sc, sk next ch-1sp, [sc in next sc, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, sk next sc, sk next ch-1sp, sc in next sc, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, hdc in next hdc, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, dc in next dc, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, tr in next tr, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, tr in next tr, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, dc in next dc, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, hdc in next hdc, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, sc in next sc, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, (sc, ch1, sc, ch1, sc) in next sc, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, sc in next sc, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, hdc in next hdc, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, dc in next dc, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, tr in next tr, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, tr in next tr, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, dc in next dc, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, hdc in next hdc, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, sc in next sc, ch1, sk next ch-1sp, sk next sc, sk next ch-1sp] rep […] across until 3sts remain, sc in next 3sts. Turn. (145 sts, 140 ch-1 sps)

Row 6: ch3 (counts as dc), dc in next st, dc3tog (working 1st leg in next sc, 2nd leg in next ch-1sp and 3rd leg in next sc), dc in next 17sts*, (2dc, ch1, 2dc) in next sc, dc in next 17sts*, [dc5tog (1st leg in next sc, 2nd leg in next ch-1sp, 3rd leg in next sc, 4th leg in next ch-1sp and 5th leg in next sc), dc in next 17sts*, (2dc, ch1, 2dc) in next sc, dc in next 17sts*] rep […] across until 5sts remain, dc3tog (1st leg in next sc, 2nd leg in next ch-1sp, 3rd leg in next sc), dc in next 2sts. Turn. *Each ch-1 sp counts as a st. (278 sts, 7 ch-1 sps)

Repeats and finishing

Rows 7–102: Repeat Rows 3–6 twenty-four times, or until the blanket is as long as you like. (Row 102: 278 sts, 7 ch-1 sps)

Row 103: Repeat Row 3. (278 sts, 7 ch-1 sps)

Last Row (104): ch1 (doesn’t count as st), sc in first st, sc in each st and ch-1sp across until 1 st remains, sc in 3rd ch of ch3 at beg of prev row. (285 sc)

Fasten off, weave in all ends and block to shape.

If you have any suggestions or have found a mistake, please email me at mycrochetory@gmail.com.

Finished your Tonnta? Share a photo on Instagram with #mycrochetory and tag @mycrochetory, I’d love to see your colors. If you get stuck, ask in my Facebook Group or Ravelry Group, or email me at mycrochetory@gmail.com.

More Kalinda and Tonnta patterns

If the waves won you over, here’s where they came from and where they went next.

• Tonnta Scarf, the same wave stitch as a lightweight scarf in lace weight merino.
• Kalinda Shawl, the triangle shawl where these waves started.
• Kalinda Wrap, the Kalinda stitch in a rectangular wrap.
• Kalinda Blanket, a square center out blanket that began with a reader’s question.

More free crochet blanket patterns

Ready for another blanket after this one? Each of these has its own shape and stitch.

• Carina Rectangle Blanket, mosaic crochet worked in the round from the center out.
• Thassos Mosaic Blanket, black and white mosaic zigzags, one yarn at a time.
• Diagonal Stone Blanket, a blanket that starts in one corner and grows on the slant.
• Clamshell Blanket, a square blanket in the round with a scalloped edge.

Gradient crochet blanket FAQ

Can I make this gradient crochet blanket in stripes?

Yes. Change colors at the start of a row and the stripes will follow the waves across the blanket.

Can I use a heavier yarn?

You can, with a bigger hook. The blanket will come out bigger and you’ll need more yarn, so check the width table and use fewer waves if you’d like.

How many waves does the gradient crochet blanket have?

The pattern as written has 7 waves across, from 285 stitches. The width table shows how to make 5, 6, 8 or 9 waves instead.

Why do the edges of my ripple blanket curl?

Ripple blankets often curl a little before blocking. Steam blocking flattens the edges and straightens the peaks, so don’t panic before that step.