I adore designing and making loveys and baby blankets, don’t you? Over the years, they’ve made the perfect handmade gift for a new baby’s arrival.

Sometimes, though, that precious little one comes a bit early and must spend time in the NICU. That can be such a stressful time for the baby and the parents.

The Preemie Granny Lovey is just the right size for the littlest ones. It’s small enough to be the first handmade blanket for a preemie baby. It can provide comfort for the premature baby in an otherwise sterile environment.

Inspiration

When I saw the notice about the Preemie Crochet challenge, I knew I wanted to be a part of it. For one thing, I know that crocheters have huge hearts and love making things for others.

For another, my niece is a NICU nurse and deals with the struggles of these precious little ones and their parents. The need for support and comfort are always great. Handmade items can offer a bit of comfort during such a trying time.

November is National Prematurity Awareness Month. You can read more about it on the CDC website.

Design

Because August is Granny Square month, I chose to start with the traditional granny square for this lovey and add variety and interest to it for this preemie baby blanket. The 10-round square features alternating rounds of granny stitch and solid double crochet. Because the square is made with a 2-round repeat, the lovey can be made smaller or larger according to your preference. A simple, cute shell border finishes off the square.

Why buy the PDF for this adorable lovey?

• The written pattern is more detailed that what you find here.
• There aren’t any ads in the PDF.
• It’s nicely formatted and easy to read with an included chart for stitch placement.
• You don’t have to worry about your browser window closing!

Where can I purchase the ad-free PDF?

You can get the pattern for the lovey in any one of my shops. Just click the appropriate button below for the shop you prefer.

What you’ll need to crochet the lovey…

Yarn: Any worsted weight yarn will do. Be sure the yarn you choose is soft to the touch (non-irritating for sensitive skin) and avoid animal fibers that might aggravate allergies. Plus, the lovey should be made with something that can be laundered easily.

The sample is made with Yarn Bee “Soft Secret Ombre” 100% acrylic worsted weight (4 oz/199 yds; 113g/182m). You’ll need 1 skein or approximately 150 yds. The color for the sample is color #204 – Whisper. I happened to have this one in my stash. It’s a beautiful mix of pastels and is super soft.

Hook: US size H-8 (5mm) – I love my Susan Bates and my Furls!

Finished size/Gauge: Approx. 14″ square/Rnds 1-3 = 4″

Abbreviations + Symbols

• beg – beginning
• ch – chain
• dc – double crochet
• rnd(s) – round(s)
• sc – single crochet
• sk – skip
• sp – space
• st(s) – stitch(es)
• ( ) – Work all within parentheses in the same st or sp
• [ ] – Work all within brackets the number of times indicated
• 5-dc shell – Work 5 dc in the same st to create a shell.
• 7-dc shell – Work 7 dc in the same st to create a shell (worked only in the corners)

Pattern Notes

1. Ch 3 at the beg of any rnd counts as dc.
2. Do not turn after any rnd.
3. Each rnd of the square begins in a corner sp. Working slip sts at the beg of the rnd gets you to the corner.
4. The sts worked in the corners change from rnd to rnd to keep the square from bunching as it grows and ensuring the correct st count for the border. For all odd-numbered rnds (granny st), the corner will be (3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc). For all even numbered rnds (solid dc), the corner will be (2 dc, ch 3, 2 dc).

Preemie Lovey Pattern Instructions

Square: Ch 4, slip st to form ring.

Rnd 1 (Granny st): Ch 3, 2 dc in ring, ch 3, [3 dc in ring, ch 3] 3 times, join with slip st to beg ch-3.

Rnd 2 (Solid dc): Slip st in each st to corner and into corner sp, ch 3, (dc, ch 3, 2 dc) in corner, dc in next 3 sts, [(2 dc, ch 3, 2 dc) in corner, dc in next 3 sts] 3 times, join with slip st to beg ch-3.

Rnd 3: Slip st in each st to corner and into corner sp, ch 3, (2 dc, ch 3, 3 dc) in corner, ch 1, sk 3 sts, 3 dc in next st, ch 1, sk 3 sts, [(3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc) in corner, ch 1, sk 3 sts, 3 dc in next st, ch 1, sk 3 sts] 3 times, join with slip st to beg ch-3.

Rnd 4: Slip st in each st to corner and into corner sp, ch 3, (dc, ch 3, 2 dc) in corner, dc in next st and in each st and ch-1 sp across to corner, [(2 dc, ch 3, 2 dc) in corner, dc in next st and in each st and ch-1 sp across to corner] 3 times, join with slip st to beg ch-3.

Rnd 5: Slip st in each st to corner and into corner sp, ch 3, (2 dc, ch 3, 3 dc) in corner, ch 1, sk 3 sts, [3 dc in next st, ch 1, sk 3 sts] across to corner, [(3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc) in corner, ch 1, sk 3 sts, 3 dc in next st, ch 1, sk 3 sts) across to corner)] 3 times, join with slip st to beg ch-3.

Rnds 6-10: Rep Rnds 4 & 5 twice, then work Rnd 4 one more time. Fasten off.

Border: Attach same yarn in any corner sp.

Rnd 1: Ch 1, [3 sc in corner, sc in each st across to corner] 4 times, join with slip st to beg sc.

Rnd 2: Slip st into next st (middle st of corner), ch 3, 4 dc in same st, * sk 2 sts, sc in next st, sk 2 sts, [5-dc shell in next st, sk 2 sts, sc in next st, sk 2 sts] across to corner, 7-dc shell in middle st of corner; rep from * around, ending with 2 dc in same st as beg ch-3 + 4 dc to complete the 7-dc shell, join with slip st to beg ch-3.

Fasten off and weave in ends.

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Another great lovey pattern

I have another free pattern available on the blog. Click the image below to find all the details.

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