Crochet Pattern: Rippled Security Blanket

Over the summer, I took some time off from the monthly charity spotlight posts but I’m back featuring another charity that accepts handmade for donation, so read on for details and a free pattern for a crochet ripple afghan, the Rippled Security Blanket!

Free crochet pattern: Rippled Security Blanket in Red Heart Baby Hugs Medium by Underground Crafter | This beginner-friendly ripple pattern makes a cozy blanket that’s perfect for a child to cuddle under. This blanket is designed to meet the donation requirements for Project Linus, a charity that provides handmade blankets to critically ill children.

This post contains affiliate links. Yarn for the sample was generously provided by Red Heart.

Featured Charity: Project Linus

In 1995, Project Linus founder Karen Loucks read an article about a little girl with leukemia whose security blanket had helped her get through chemotherapy and other medical treatments. Karen was inspired to donate homemade security blankets to children at a local cancer care center, and Project Linus was born. Since then, it has grown into a national organization and has recently moved its headquarters to Belton, Missouri.

Project Linus has chapters in all 50 states and works with local volunteer “blanketeers” to collect and distribute new, handmade blankets that “provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need.” Since 1995, Project Linus has distributed over 6 million (!) blankets.

You can learn more about Project Linus on the official website. Project Linus coordinates donations and distribution through its local chapters. You can search for your local chapter here.

Tips for Making Great Project Linus Blankets

Project Linus works with children from newborns through age 18, so they accept blankets in a wide variety of sizes. However, it’s always a good idea to check with your local chapter before starting a blanket to see if they have more specific size requirements based on the local organizations the chapter is partnering with for distribution.

Additionally, Project Linus has strict rules about donating blankets that are “free from contaminants” including smoke, pet hair, chemicals, and other odors and toxins that can be harmful to the children who receive these blankets. For this pattern, I used Red Heart Baby Hugs Medium, a soft acrylic yarn that has been certified according to Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Class 1, which means it is has been tested and is free of harmful levels of over 300 substances. Of course, none of that matters if your own home is filled with smoke or your dog regularly sits on your yarn stash, so be careful about introducing new contaminants (including strong smelling detergents or fabric softeners) into your blankets.

Project Linus also specifies that blankets must be washable, so choose yarn (or fabric) that is both machine washable and dryable without any requirements for special care instructions such as hand washing. You are welcome to sew, knit, crochet, or quilt your homemade blanket. Blankets can be as small as 36″ (91.5 cm) square or as large as twin sized for teenagers. You can find additional blanket patterns suitable for donation to Project Linus here on their Patterns/Links page.

Free crochet pattern: Rippled Security Blanket in Red Heart Baby Hugs Medium by Underground Crafter | This beginner-friendly ripple pattern makes a cozy blanket that’s perfect for a child to cuddle under. This blanket is designed to meet the donation requirements for Project Linus, a charity that provides handmade blankets to critically ill children.

There is something really fun about crocheting ripple blankets, but sometimes they are out of reach of beginner crocheters because of complex decreasing patterns. This pattern is very beginner-friendly and uses skipping stitches for decreasing.

If you make your own Rippled Security Blanket, I’d love to see it! Share your progress and questions by tagging me on Facebook as @Underground Crafter on on Instagram as @ucrafter. You can also share a picture in the Underground Crafters Facebook group. Sign up for my weekly newsletter and get a coupon code for your choice of one of my premium patterns and private access to my vault of subscriber goodies. Plus, you’ll never miss one of my free patterns again!

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Rippled Security Blanket

Crochet Ripple Afghan Pattern by Underground Crafter

Free crochet pattern: Rippled Security Blanket in Red Heart Baby Hugs Medium by Underground Crafter | This beginner-friendly ripple pattern makes a cozy blanket that’s perfect for a child to cuddle under. This blanket is designed to meet the donation requirements for Project Linus, a charity that provides handmade blankets to critically ill children.
02-easy 50
US terms 50
4-medium 50

This beginner-friendly crochet ripple afghan pattern makes a cozy blanket that’s perfect for a child to cuddle under.

Finished Size

  • Child Blanket: 52” (132 cm) wide x 33” (84 cm) long.

Materials

  • Red Heart Baby Hugs Medium (100% acyrlic, 4.5 oz/127 g/247 yd/225 m) – 5 skeins ea in 4562 Aloe (CA) and 4255 Orange (CB), or approximately 1,020 yd (932.5 m) in ea of 2 colors in any medium weight yarn.
  • US Size J-10/6 mm crochet hook, or size needed to obtain gauge.
  • Yarn needle.

Gauge

  • 14 sts x 7.5 rows = 4” (10 cm) in pattern. Exact gauge is not critical for this pattern.

Abbreviations Used in This Pattern

  • CA – Color A
  • CB – Color B
  • ch – chain
  • dc – double crochet
  • ea – each
  • hdc – half double crochet
  • rep – repeat
  • sc – single crochet
  • sk – skip
  • st(s) – stitch(es)
  • * Repeat instructions after asterisk as indicated.

Pattern Notes

  • Blanket is crocheted from side to side with ripple pattern forming horizontal rows.
  • Change color at the end of end of designated rows in the last yarn over of the final stitch of row.
  • Carry unworked yarn up the side when changing colors. Yarn tails will be covered by border.
  • After blanket is finished, rotate it so that the borders are at top and bottom and ripple pattern is vertical.

Pattern Instructions

Blanket

  • With CA, ch 181, or any multiple of 6 ch, + 1 ch.
  • Row 1: Turn, sk 3 ch (counts as dc), 2 dc in next ch, sk 2 ch, sc in next ch, *sk 2 ch, 5 dc in next ch, sk 2 ch, sc in next ch; rep from * across. (178 sts)
  • Row 2: Turn, ch 3 (counts as dc, here and throughout), 3 dc in first st, sk 2 sts, sc in next st, *sk 2 sts, 5 dc in next st, sk 2 sts, sc in next st; rep from * across.
  • Rows 3-5: Rep Row 2 – 3 more times, changing to CB at end of Row 5.
  • Rep Row 2, changing color in the last st of every second row until blanket measures approximately 30” (76 cm) wide (or approximately 3”/7.5 cm shorter than desired length), finishing after a change to CA. Fasten off CB.
  • Rows 6-9: Rep Row 2 – 4 more times.
  • Row 10: Turn, ch 3, hdc in next st, sc in next 3 sts, hdc in next st, *dc in next st, hdc in next st, sc in next 3 sts, hdc in next st; rep from * across to last 4 sts, dc in next st, hdc in next st, sc in next 2 sts, change to CB.

Border (Side A)

  • Row 1: Ch 1, turn to work along side of blanket, sc in side of same row, *2 sc in side of next row, sc in side of next row; rep from * across to first row, 2 sc in side of first row.
  • Row 2: Turn, ch 1, starting in first st, *(sc, dc, sc) in next st, sk 2 sts; rep from * across to last 3 sts, (sc, dc, sc) in next st, sk 1 st, sc in last st. Fasten off CB.

Border (Side B)

  • Row 1: Join CB at side of beginning of Row 10 with slip st, ch 1, working over yarn tails, 2 sc in side of same row, *sc in side of next row, 2 sc in side of next row; rep from * across to last row, sc in side of row.
  • Row 2: Rep Border (Side A) Row 2.

Finishing

  • With yarn needle, weave in ends.
© 2016 by Marie Segares (Underground Crafter). This pattern is for personal use only. You may use the pattern to make unlimited items for yourself, for charity, or to give as gifts. You may sell items you personally make by hand from this pattern. Do not violate Marie’s copyright by distributing this pattern or the photos in any form, including but not limited to scanning, photocopying, emailing, or posting on a website or internet discussion group. If you want to share the pattern, point your friends to this link: http://undergroundcrafter.com/2016/10/07/free-pattern-rippled-security-blanket. Thanks for supporting indie designers!

13 thoughts on “Crochet Pattern: Rippled Security Blanket”

  1. What a lovely blanket–and what a neat idea to feature a new charity each month. I do a lot of charity crafting so am always interested in hearing about new charities that accept handmade donations.

    Reply
  2. Thank you for sharing ! I haven’t crocheted in over 12yrs. due a major stroke. I am excited & scared all at the same time! Lol! All I need now- TIME!! ?☺️ Thank you all for you do & share! I can’t wait to start!! Thanks again!
    Michelle

    Reply
  3. Hi, I thought you might like to know that Project Linus is an international project. There are many groups in Canada. I belong to a fairly small group and last year we were able to donate 808 blankets to many groups like Fishing for the cure . Children with cancer have a chance to go boating on the Red River in Selkirk Manitoba and try to catch a fish. After this one of the gifts they receive is a blanket , that is made by our group. We are very proud to be associated with that. We give to many more groups , but I just thought I would mention that one.
    Jan. A proud Project Linus member and contributor.

    Reply

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