Okay folks, I’ve had a zillion requests on Ravelry for how I did this, so here’s the skinny. I’m giving you the tools and the design is up to you! I created this monument to nerd-dom for my brother several years back as a house-warming gift. I made up the pattern as I went along, so you’ll have to do the best you can with my notes.
Yarn: I used worsted weight acrylic in the brightest colors I could find. Red Heart Super Saver works well and is quite color fast. I used Turquoise for the sky, Carrot for bricks and goomba, and Spring Green for the hill. The rest were just common colors – Black, White, Yellow, Brown, Red, and Blue.
Crochet Hook: Around a size I (US 5.5mm) works well.
Other supplies: You will also need a tapestry needle, scissors, and graph paper…and time, lots of time.
Basic construction:
The entire afghan is single crochet with details cross-stitched over top afterwards. To begin, start at the bottom left edge (Carrot yarn) and chain about 200 stitches. Basically, just go until it feels wide enough for you. Turn and single crochet into the second chain from the end and in each chain across. I literally made the rest up as I went along. The only details that are actually crocheted are the orange at the bottom, the green hill, the bricks (orange & yellow) and the sky. All the other details, I added later by treating each single crochet stitch like a square on aida cloth and cross-stitching on top of it. Before I started cross-stitching, I added a few rows of single crochet in black around the outside edge of the blanket to frame it. I apologize for the haphazard directions but this was my process. Before you actually start your own, sketch out where you would like the various elements on a piece of graph paper. That’s what I did. It’s crude but this is what I started with:
I actually ended up accidentally making a mirror image of this original sketch:)
Here is a link to all the little graphs I did for the various characters. These are basically my own crude cross stitch graphs that I came up with from screen shots of the game.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thomcatdesigns/sets/72157612493583253/
I didn’t use them all in the afghan, so feel free to use any you want. As far as the cross-stitch part, each square on my graphs translates to an ‘X’ of cross-stitch over one chain stitch. Whew!
I’ve also got a series of process shots on imgur for reference:
http://craftn3rd.imgur.com/super_mario_afghan#UX5XR
Be patient and have fun with it. Good luck and I’d love to see your pictures!
Craft N3rd 
I love this! I cannot crochet, but I laughed out loud when I opened your blog. Awesome, just awesome.
LOL, this is going to be my attempt at something other than just a large chain to keep my hands busy…. *If* i can get it done my brother will love it! You did an amazing job! Thanks for sharing all the details behind the scenes! 🙂
I never thought of using cross stitching for adding graphic to a crochet blanket. I new to crocheting. I also know how to cross stitch, I had learned that a 2 summers ago. Did you put a back on the blanket. to hid the ends of the cross stitching in the back or do you weave them in like in crocheting?
April, I just tried to keep it neat on the back and weave the ends in. It’s definitely not as pretty on the back but it is at least fairly tidy.
omg you are so talented. thank you so much for sharing this!! I don’t know when I am going to start but I am going to make one for myself. I love super mario and this would be my very own blanket!! thanks again!!