Lucila is a preemie crochet blanket in the round. Made with two strands of light (#3/double knitting) yarn held together, the result is a tweedy, cheerful, and colorful look that works up just as quickly as a pattern made with medium (#4/worsted/aran) weight yarn. The Lucila Preemie Blanket is forever free on my blog, but it is also available as a free PDF download with coupon code as part of the fourth annual Preemie Crochet Challenge with Sunflower Cottage Crochet through 11:59 pm Eastern on July 13, 2023, so read on for details!
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I’m so excited to be joining the fourth annual Preemie Crochet Challenge with Sunflower Cottage Crochet! When I was thinking about what I wanted to make this year, I decided on a preemie crochet blanket in the round pattern. (In previous years, I have also made crochet blankets, but they were worked flat with a border done in the round. If you are looking for more preemie blanket patterns, check out the free patterns I designed for previous Preemie Crochet Challenge events: the Gentle Stripes and Textures Blanket in 6 sizes, the Lullabies Blanket in 3 sizes, the Día Soleado Preemie Blanket.)
I dug into my yarn stash and found two really fun skeins of Smarty DK and Melody DK. Smarty DK is a speckle yarn while Melody DK is a self-striping yarn. Both are soft 100% acrylic yarns that are #3 (light/DK) weight. Both are available from your local yarn shop. Smarty DK is also available online at Wool Warehouse UK and Melody DK is also available online at LoveCrafts or Wool Warehouse UK. Because the colorway I had in Smarty DK has since been discontinued, I decided to hold one strand of each yarn together to make a totally unique, tweedy color combination.
The other benefit of holding two strands together is that the blanket worked up much faster (yay!) and that it was denser without holes. Preemie blankets should have minimal holes because tiny fingers and toes can get caught. Besides being a preemie crochet blanket in the round pattern, the Lucila Preemie Blanket also has loads of texture from post stitches, stitches worked in the back loop, and, of course, two strands of yarn held together.
Scroll down for the free pattern for the Lucila Preemie Blanket. The Lucila Preemie Blanket is the featured pattern for Day 24 of the fourth annual Preemie Crochet Challenge with Sunflower Cottage Crochet.
This challenge includes 29 wonderful patterns that are perfect for preemies. Each day, the featured pattern is available as a free PDF download for at least 24 hours with a coupon code in exchange for your pledge to donate a crocheted item to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) or similar organization by November for Preemie Awareness Month. There are two ways to participate in the Preemie Crochet Challenge.
- Visit the Preemie Crochet Challenge Blog Hop roundup post on Sunflower Cottage Crochet to get links to all of the patterns included in the Blog Hop and to grab the daily coupon code for the free pattern through July 17, 2023.
- Visit each designer’s post to use the coupon code to grab the ad-free PDF for free for at least 24 hours. The Ravelry PDF version of the Lucila Preemie Blanket pattern is free through 11:59 pm Eastern time on Thursday, July 13, 2023.
Get the coupon code in the Preemie Crochet Challenge Blog Hop roundup post, or click HERE or the button below to add the pattern with coupon code to your cart on Ravelry. Be sure to check that the code is active and the cart is set to $0/free as there will be no refunds for accidental purchases.
If you make your own Lucila Preemie Blanket, I’d love to see them! 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!
Add the Lucila Preemie Blanket to your favorites or queue, or buy the ad-free PDF on Ravelry.
Lucila Preemie Blanket
Preemie Crochet Blanket in the Round Pattern by Underground Crafter
This adorable preemie crochet blanket in the round pattern uses two strands of yarn held together to work up faster and create unique, tweedy color combinations.
Finished Sizes
- Micro Preemie (Preemie). Photographed sample is Micro Preemie Size.
- Micro Preemie: 18” (45.5 cm) square.
- Preemie: 20” (51 cm) square.
Materials
- King Cole Melody DK yarn (100% acrylic, 3 oz/100 g, 320 yd/290 m) – 2 skeins in 3191 Orchid, or approximately 385 yd (481 yd)/352 m (440 m) in any light weight, self-striping yarn.
- Melody DK is available from your local yarn shop or online at LoveCrafts | Wool Warehouse UK.
- King Cole Smarty DK yarn (100% acrylic, 3 oz/100 g, 317 yd/290 m) – 2 skeins in any color, or approximately 385 yd (481 yd)/352 m (440 m) in any light weight, speckled yarn.
- Smarty DK is available from your local yarn shop or online at Wool Warehouse UK.
Gauge
- Through Rnd 3, holding one strand in each yarn = 4” (10 cm) diameter in pattern. Exact gauge is not critical for this pattern.
Abbreviations Used in This Pattern
- BL – back loop – Fiber Flux has a helpful video tutorial for identifying the back loop in crochet here.
- ch – chain
- dc – double crochet
- FPdc – front post double crochet – Yo, insert hook from front around back to front of st in previous round, yo and draw up a loop, [yo and draw through 2 loops] twice. A helpful video tutorial for this stitch is below the pattern abbreviations list.
- FPtr – front post treble crochet – Yo twice, insert hook from front around back to front of st in previous round, yo and draw up a loop, [yo and draw through 2 loops] 3 times. A helpful video tutorial for this stitch is below the pattern abbreviations list.
- hdc – half double crochet
- pf – 3-repeat puff stitch – [Yo, insert hook into st, yo and draw up a loop] 3 times in same st, yo and draw through all 7 loops on hook. A helpful video tutorial for this stitch is available below.
- If you can’t see the video tutorial above demonstrating the pf stitch, click HERE to watch it on Instagram.
- Rnd(s) – Round(s)
- sc – single crochet
- sl st – slip stitch
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- yo – yarn over
- * Repeat instructions after asterisk as indicated.
- () Work stitches between parentheses into same stitch or space.
- [] – Repeat instructions between brackets as indicated.
- A helpful video tutorial demonstrating the FPdc and FPtr stitches is below.
- If you can’t see the video tutorial above demonstrating the FPdc and FPtr stitches, click HERE to watch it on YouTube.
Pattern Notes
- Ch 1 at beginning of Rounds and sl st at end of Rounds do NOT count as stitches.
- There are several ways to crochet into chain spaces. This pattern uses the first method show in the video below.
- If you can’t see the video above demonstrating how to crochet into chain spaces, click HERE to watch it on YouTube.
- If you are new to blocking, you can find helpful descriptions and tutorials here.
Pattern Instructions
Blanket (All Sizes)
- Holding one strand in each color throughout, ch 4, skip 3 ch, join with sl st to next ch form ring.
- Rnd 1: Ch 1, 12 dc in ring, join with sl st to first dc. (12 sts)
- Rnd 2: Ch 1, 2 dc in first st and each st around, join with sl st to first dc. (24 sts)
- Rnd 3: Ch 1, starting in first st [2 dc in next st, dc in next st] around, join with sl st to first dc. (36 sts)
- Rnd 4: Ch 1, starting in first st [2 dc in next st, dc in next 2 sts] around, join with sl st to first dc. (48 sts)
- Rnd 5: Ch 1, starting in first st [2 dc in next st, pf in next st, dc in next 2 sts] around, join with sl st to first dc. (60 sts)
- Rnd 6: Ch 1, starting in first st [2 dc in next st, dc in next 4 sts] around, join with sl st to first dc. (72 sts)
- Rnd 7: Ch 1, starting in first st [2 dc in next st, dc in next 5 sts] around, join with sl st to first dc. (84 sts)
- Rnd 8: Ch 1, starting in first st [2 dc in next st, dc in next 6 sts] around, join with sl st to first dc. (96 sts)
- Rnd 9: Ch 1, starting in first st [2 dc in next st, dc in next 7 sts] around, join with sl st to first dc. (108 sts)
- Rnd 10: Ch 1, starting in first st [2 dc in next st, pf in next st, dc in next 4 sts, pf in next st, dc in next 2 sts] around, join with sl st to first dc. (120 sts)
- Rnd 11: Ch 1, starting in first st [2 dc in next st, dc in next 9 sts] around, join with sl st to first dc. (132 sts)
- Rnd 12: Ch 1, starting in first st [2 scBL in next st, scBL in next 21 sts] around, join with slstBL to first sc. (138 sts)
- Rnd 13: Ch 1, starting in first st [2 scBL in next st, scBL in next 22 sts] around, join with slstBL to first sc. (144 sts)
- Rnd 14: Ch 1, dc in first 6 sts, *2 dc in next st, dc in next 11 sts; repeat from * around to last 6 sts, 2 dc in next st, dc in next 5 sts, join with slstBL to first dc. (156 sts)
- Rnd 15: Ch 1, scBL in first 6 sts, *2 scBL in next st, scBL in next 25 sts; repeat from * around to last 20 sts, 2 scBL in next st, scBL in next 19 sts, join with slstBL to first sc. (162 sts)
- Rnd 16: Ch 1, scBL in first 6 sts, *2 scBL in next st, scBL in next 26 sts; repeat from * around to last 21 sts, 2 scBL in next st, scBL in next 20 sts, join with sl st to first sc. (168 sts)
- Rnd 17: Ch 1, dc in first 6 sts, *2 dc in next st, dc in next 13 sts; repeat from * around to last 8 sts, 2 dc in next st, dc in next 7 sts, join with sl st to first dc. (180 sts)
- Rnd 18: Ch 1, 2 dc in first st, *dc in next 5 sts, hdc in next 6 sts, sc in next 22 sts, hdc in next 6 sts, dc in next 5 sts,** (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in next st; repeat from * around, ending last repeat at **, 2 dc in first st, ch 1, join with sc (counts as second ch in ch-2 space) to first dc. (48 sts on each side + 4 ch-2 space)
- Rnd 19: Ch 1, 2 dc in same ch-2 space, *FPtr around next 2 sts, dc in next 3 sts, hdc in next 11 sts, sc in next 16 sts, hdc in next 11 sts, dc in next 3 sts, FPtr around next 2 sts,** (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in next ch-2 space; repeat from * around, ending last repeat at **, 2 dc in first ch-2 space, ch 1, join with sc (counts as second ch in ch-2 space) to first dc. (52 sts on each side + 4 ch-2 space)
- Rnd 20: Ch 1, 2 dc in same ch-2 space, *FPtr around next 4 sts, dc in next 10 sts, hdc in next 7 sts, sc in next 10 sts, hdc in next 7 sts, dc in next 10 sts, FPtr around next 4 sts,** (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in next ch-2 space; repeat from * around, ending last repeat at **, 2 dc in first ch-2 space, ch 1, join with sc (counts as second ch in ch-2 space) to first dc. (56 sts on each side + 4 ch-2 space)
- Continue on to instructions for appropriate size.
Micro Preemie Size Only
- Final Rnd: Ch 1, starting in next st, [FPdc around next 6 sts, hdc in next 44 sts, FPdc around next 6 sts, ch 2, skip ch-2 space] 4 times, join with sl st to first FPdc. (56 sts on each side + 4 ch-2 space)
- Fasten off. Continue on to Finishing instructions.
Preemie Size Only
- Rnd 21: Ch 1, 2 dc in same ch-2 space, *FPtr around next 6 sts, dc in next 44 sts, FPtr around next 6 sts,** (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in next ch-2 space; repeat from * around, ending last repeat at **, 2 dc in first ch-2 space, ch 1, join with sc (counts as second ch in ch-2 space) to first dc. (60 sts on each side + 4 ch-2 space)
- Final Rnd: Ch 1, starting in next st, [FPdc around next 8 sts, hdc in next 44 sts, FPdc around next 8 sts, ch 2, skip ch-2 space] 4 times, join with sl st to first FPdc. (60 sts on each side + 4 ch-2 space)
- Fasten off. Continue on to Finishing instructions.
Finishing
- With yarn needle, weave in yarn tails.
- Spray block (see Pattern Notes) to measurements.