Road Trip Crochet Blanket: Rural Dreams Section Using Bobble Stitch
Pack your project bag, grab your hook, enough yarn for a bobble stitch blanket section, and let’s head north – way north – to my corner of the world: Northumberland National Park, just about 70 miles south of Edinburgh.
I’m thrilled to be part of the Road Trip Crochet Blanket CAL, a collaborative crochet journey where each designer shares a pattern section inspired by the place they call home. And my section? It’s a textured love letter to the North – Rural Dreams.
This bobble stitch blanket section is inspired by the wild beauty right outside my door — a place where red squirrels dart through the trees, herons glide over valleys, and even the elusive adder hides in the underbrush.
🧶 About the Road Trip Crochet Blanket CAL
The Road Trip CAL is a collaborative blanket project made up of unique sections designed by talented crochet designers across the globe. Each section reflects the designer’s local area — and together, they form one beautiful, travel-themed blanket. It’s perfect for working up while on your own road trip!
There are 2 ways of joining in this event:
- Work the sections as they become available. There will be 2 sections released each week and those patterns will be free to view on the featured designer’s blog post.
- Purchase the complete e-book with travel themed bonuses! This will allow you to get going with your road trip blanket. So you can work ahead, put it down when life gets in the way of your crochet and pick it up easier later. During the CAL the e-book will be $14.99. It will include all of the sections including a border plus several bonuses that will make this CAL so much fun and so unique!
Whichever way you want to go, just click the appropriate button below!
You can find the full CAL schedule and all participating sections here.
🌲 The Inspiration: Northumberland’s Wild Heart
My design, Rural Dreams, is rooted in the rolling moors, ancient woodland, and wildlife-rich valleys of Northumberland National Park — 400 square miles of breathtaking, protected land in northern England. I’m incredibly lucky to live right on the park’s top right edge, in a fiercely guarded conservation area where nature still runs the show.
Think:
- Red squirrels leaping through the treetops
- Haunting cries of owls echoing at dusk
- Buzzards, kites, and sparrow hawks overhead
- Hares dashing across farmland
- Herons (yes, herons!) gliding silently in the valley below
- And yes… even the UK’s only venomous snake, the adder (I give them a wide berth, don’t worry!)
The trees and flowers worked in bobble stitch throughout this section represent the flora and fauna I see almost daily. I wanted to capture the feeling of standing still in the woods with the sun flickering through the canopy – textured, quiet, and full of life.
🧵 Yarn + Materials
To crochet the Rural Dreams section, you’ll need:
- Yarn: #4 weight (aran) yarn in your chosen color
- Hook: 5mm crochet hook (or size needed to meet gauge)
- Scissors & Yarn needle for weaving in ends
- Measuring tape or ruler for checking length as you go
💡 This pattern works well in solid colors to really let the bobble stitch pop, but feel free to experiment with a second colour for the bobbles. Or why not try variegated or tonal yarns too.
✨ Skill Level + Stitch Info
This pattern is suitable for confident beginners who are comfortable with the basics and ready to learn the bobble stitch.
You’ll be using:
- Chains
- Single crochets
- Double crochets
- Bobble stitch (I have a tutorial here if you need it – [insert link])
The section is worked in rows, and the bobbles are arranged to create trees and floral shapes to bring the landscape to life.
🪄 Rural Dreams – Pattern Instructions
Gauge
14.5 st x 16 rows of sc in 4”
Skill Level
Intermediate – uses the bobble stitch.
Abbreviations – US crochet terminology
- Ch(s)–chain(s)
- St(s)–stitch(es)
- rep–repeat
- BS – Bobble stitch
- sc–single crochet
- *to* – repeat between the * and *
- FO—fasten off
YO—yarn over - RS – Right Side
- WS – Wrong Side
Special Stitches
Bobble Stitch – *Wrap yarn around hook, insert hook into next st, wrap yarn around hook and pull through, wrap yarn around hook and pull through 2 loops on hook. Rep from * 4 more times, wrap yarn around hook and pull through remaining 6 loops on hook
Note: for this pattern your bobble will be worked on wrong side rows so it will show on the right side when you turn your work.
I have video tutorial links for the bobble stitch:
Right handed – https://youtu.be/ANHFMST6SXs
Left handed – https://youtu.be/kDABdMTphgw
The free pattern for the Rural Dreams Section
** This is a free pattern on the SunflowerCottageCrochet.com blog. If you are reading this anywhere else it is stolen content. Please do not copy and paste any part of it or print this pattern out. Please bookmark this page and use the website to work up your pattern. This helps my small business greatly as it provides a little bit of ad revenue which will in turn will allow me to continue to create free content for you!**
Row 1 (RS): Turn, ch1, sc in first st and each st across (180)
Row 2 (WS): Turn, ch1, sc in first 8 sts, *BS in next st, sc in next st, BS in next st **, sc in next 17 sts. Rep from * to * ending at ** with 9 sts remaining. SC in last 9 sts. (18 BS,162 sc)
Row 3: Turn, ch1, sc in first st and each st across (180)
Row 4: Turn, ch1, sc in first 8 sts, *BS in next st, sc in next st, BS in next st **, sc in next 7 sts, BS in next st, sc in next st, BS in next st, sc in next 7 sts.* Rep from * to * ending at ** with 9 sts remaining. SC in last 9 sts.(34 BS,146 sc)
Row 5: Turn, ch1, sc in first st and each st across (180)
Row 6: Turn, ch1, sc in first 8 sts, *BS in next st, sc in next st, BS in next st **, sc in next 6 sts, BS in next st, sc in next st, BS in next st, sc in next st, BS in next st, sc in next 6 sts.* Rep from * to * ending at ** with 9 sts remaining. SC in last 9 sts. (42 BS,138 sc)
Row 7: Turn, ch1, sc in first st and each st across (180)
Row 8: Turn, ch1, sc in first 5 sts, *[BS in next st, sc in next st] 4 times, BS in next st **, sc in next 4 sts, BS in next st, sc in next st, BS in next st,, sc in next 4 sts.* Rep from * to * ending at ** with 6 sts remaining. SC in last 6 sts. (63 BS,117 sc)
Row 9: Turn, ch1, sc in first st and each st across (180)
Row 10: Turn, ch1, sc in first 4 sts, *[BS in next st, sc in next st] 5 times, BS in next st **, sc in next 9 sts.* Rep from * to * ending at ** with 5 sts remaining. SC in last 5 sts. (54 BS,126 sc)
Row 11: Turn, ch1, sc in first st and each st across (180)
Row 12: Turn, ch1, sc in first 5 sts, *[BS in next st, sc in next st] 4 times, BS in next st **, sc in next 11 sts.* Rep from * to * ending at ** with 6 sts remaining. SC in last 6 sts. (45 BS, 135 sc)
Row 13: Turn, ch1, sc in first st and each st across (180)
Row 14: Turn, ch1, sc in first 6 sts, *[BS in next st, sc in next st] 3 times, BS in next st **, sc in next 13 sts.* Rep from * to * ending at ** with 7 sts remaining. SC in last 7 sts. (36 BS, 148 sc)
Row 15: Turn, ch1, sc in first st and each st across (180)
Row 16: Turn, ch1, sc in first 7 sts, *[BS in next st, sc in next st] 2 times, BS in next st **, sc in next 6 sts, BS in next st, sc in next st, BS in next st, sc in next 6 sts.* Rep from * to * ending at ** with 8 sts remaining. SC in last 8 sts. (43 BS, 137 sc)
Row 17: Turn, ch1, sc in first st and each st across (180)
Row 18: Turn, ch1, sc in first 8 sts, *[BS in next st, sc in next st, BS in next st **, sc in next 6 sts, [BS in next st, sc in next st] 2 times, BS in next st, sc in next 6 sts.* Rep from * to * ending at ** with 9 sts remaining. SC in last 9 sts. (42 BS, 138 sc)
Row 19: Turn, ch1, sc in first st and each st across (180)
Row 20: Turn, ch1, sc in first 9 sts, BS in next st,** sc in next 8 sts, BS in next st, sc in next st, BS in next st,, sc in next 8 sts. Rep from * to * ending at ** with 10 sts remaining. SC in last 10 sts. (25 BS,155 sc)
Row 21: Turn, ch1, sc in first st and each st across (180)
Row 22: Turn, ch1, sc in first st and each st across (180)
🔧 Tips for Success
- Right side vs. wrong side: Bobbles look best when they pop out on the right side — always check before starting a row.
- Tension: Keep it even and relaxed to avoid puckering where bobbles are dense.
- Blocking: A light block will help those bobbles settle into their best shape and help your section match the blanket’s dimensions.
If you’re new to bobble stitches or want to see them in action, you can find a full tutorial here: [Insert link to your tutorial or video].
🧶 Love This? Try These Too!
If you enjoyed this pattern, you might also like:
- My Row of Hearts Blanket section – it looks fabulous! Free on the blog post.
- The Adventure Blanket CAL – this free CAL was a fun blanket where every one will be different!
- The Women’s Funky Bobble scarf is just beautiful.This free on the blog pattern mixes this bobble stitch with some gorgeous texture.
📸 Share Your Rural Dreams!
I would love to see how your Rural Dreams turns out! Share your progress and finished sections on social media using the hashtag #RoadTripCAL and tag me @Sunflower Cottage Crochet on FB or @sunflower.cottage.crochet.too on IG so I can cheer you on.
Whether you’re curled up in your lounge or crocheting in a caravan parked in the hills, thank you for taking a trip up north with me – I hope this section brings a bit of wild, woolly wonder to your blanket.
