In each month’s charity spotlight, I’ll be introducing a charity that accepts crochet or knitting projects for donation along with a free pattern, so read on for details.

This post contains affiliate links.

April’s Featured Charity: Knots of Love

If you or a loved one has ever spent extended time in the hospital or in medical treatment, you know that the experience can be not only physically devastating but also mentally draining. Knots of Love is an organization that provides comfort to people experiencing treatment-induced traumatic hair loss or to babies in incubators by collecting and distributing handmade caps and preemie blankets.

As of this writing, Knots of Love has distributed over 295,000 caps and almost 14,000 tiny blankets! Blankets are distributed to babies in incubators in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) to provide some color and warmth to a clinical environment that can be cold and stark. Parents sleep with the blankets first, so their scent is embedded in the blankets before the babies spend time on them.

Knots of Love has recently partnered with Laurel Hill to support KOL Kids, a program encouraging children and teens to get involved with Knots of Love through community service.

You can find more information about Knots of Love on their website, including a list of collection sites where you can send blankets and caps, free crochet and knitting patterns, and donation guidelines including a list of recommended yarns, mailing labels, and submission forms.

Tips for Making Great NICU Projects

Blankets for use in the NICU setting should be small, about 18″ (46 cm) x 24″ (61 cm). Using a soft, washable yarn is very important. Knots of Love has a recommended yarn list here, in case you decide to substitute yarns.

I used two colors for the sample, but you can customize your version by choosing multiple colors or using assorted yarn scraps.

(By the way, if you’d like to make a comfort cap to send to Knots of Love, you may enjoy the Drawstring Beanie with Yarrow Flower pattern.)

Don’t forget to share a picture on Ravelry or with my Facebook page if you make one!

If you want an easy print format, you can buy an ad-free PDF version on Craftsy.

Intensive Love Blanket

Crochet Pattern by Underground Crafter

This preemie blanket features a simple-to-remember motif pattern.

Finished Size

Preemie/NICU Blanket: 18” (46 cm) wide x 24” (61 cm) long.

Materials

Lion Brand Heartland (5 oz/142 g/251 yd/230 m/100% acrylic) – 1 skein in 105 Glacier Bay (CA) and 2 skeins in 109 Olympic (CB), or approximately 215 yd (196.5 m) in CA and 290 yd (265 m) in any medium weight yarn.

Buy Lion Brand Heartland yarn on Lion Brand | Amazon

US Size I-9 (5.5 mm) crochet hook, or any size needed to obtain gauge.
Yarn needle.

Gauge

Finished square in pattern = 5.75” (14.5 cm). Exact gauge is not critical for this project.

Abbreviations Used in This Pattern

BL – back loop only
CA – Color A
CB – Color B
ch – chain
dc – double crochet
ea – each
hdc – half double crochet
rep – repeat
Rnd – Round
sc – single crochet
sl st – slip stitch
sp – space
st(s) – stitch(es)
^*Rep instructions after asterisks as indicated.

Pattern Notes

If you plan to donate this project to Knots of Love, please review the approved yarn list first before substituting yarn.
You can find a photo tutorial for the slip stitch join here.

Pattern Instructions

Preemie/NICU Blanket

Square (Make 6 starting with CA and 6 starting with CB)

Ch 4, join with sl st to first ch to form ring.
Rnd 1: Ch 3 (counts as dc, here and throughout), 11 dc in ring, join with sl st to top of ch 3. (12 sts)
Rnd 2: Ch 3, dc in same st, 2 dc in ea st around, join with sl st to top of ch 3. (24 sts)
Rnd 3: Ch 3, dc in same st and next st, *2 dc in next st, dc in next st; rep from * around, join other color with sl st to top of ch 3, fasten off original color. (36 sts)
Rnd 4: Ch 1, sc in same st and next 3 sts, *hdc in next st, dc in next st, (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in next st, dc in next st, hdc in next st,** sc in next 4 sts; rep from * around, ending last rep at **, join with sl st to top of first sc. (48 sts + 4 ch-2 sp)
Rnd 5: Ch 3, dc in next 7 sts, *(2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in next ch-2 sp,** dc in next 12 sts; rep from * around, ending last rep at **, dc in next 4 sts, join with sl st to top of first ch 3. (64 sts + 4 ch-2 sp)
Rnd 6: Ch 1, scBL in same st, scBL in next 9 sts, *(2 sc, ch 1, 2 sc) in next ch-2-sp,** scBL in next 16 sts; rep from * around, ending last rep at **, scBL in next 6 sts, join with sl st to top of first sc, fasten off. (80 sts + 4 ch-1 sp)

Assembly

With CA and following placement diagram, seam squares with sl st join on wrong side, starting after the ch-1 sp. Join squares into rows. Join rows in same manner, skipping ch-1 sp across.

Border

Rnd 1: Join CB with sl st to any corner ch-1 sp, ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in same ch-1 sp, *dcBL in ea sc across side to corner ch-1 sp (skipping all ch-1 sp along side),** (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in corner ch-1 sp; rep from * around, ending last rep at **, (2 dc, ch 1) in first ch-1 sp, join with sc (counts as ch-2 sp) to top of first ch 3.
Rnd 2: Ch 3, dc in same ch-2 sp, *dc in ea st across,** (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in corner ch-2 sp; rep from * around, ending last rep at **, (2 dc, ch 2) in first corner ch-2 sp, join with sl st to top of first ch 3, fasten off.

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/2016/04/30/free-pattern-intensive-love-blanket. Thanks for supporting indie designers!