Preemie Blanket Crochet Pattern: Lullabies Blanket

The Lullabies Blanket is a preemie blanket crochet pattern available in three sizes from small preemie through baby blanket. This pattern is part of my charity spotlight series and is designed for donation to meet donation requirements of the Joan Schick Blanket Project.

This post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation (at no added cost to you) if you make a purchase using these links. Yarn and hook for the sample were generously provided by WeCrochet.

This Month’s Featured Organization: Joan Schick Blanket Project

The Joan Schick Blanket Project is a grassroots organization that distributes crocheted and knitted preemie blankets to neonatal intensive care units in New Jersey. Named after the founder’s mother, since its inception the organization has delivered over 1,000 blankets. The Joan Schick Blanket Project accepts new, crocheted or knitted blankets made with soft yarn in any standard baby blanket size. The How To page recommends sizes starting from 30″ (76 cm) at the shortest edge up to 36″ (91.5 cm) on the longest edge.

You can arrange to ship or drop off blanket donations to the Joan Schick Blanket Project through the contact form or via Facebook Messenger.

How To Make Great Preemie Blankets for The Joan Schick Blanket Project

The Joan Schick Blanket Project doesn’t have many restrictions; they asks that you use a soft yarn and omit fringe or use short fringe.

Here are some more tips for making preemie blankets in general:

  • Choose yarns that are very soft to the skin and are easy to wash. Machine washable acrylics are recommended, but other soft yarns which can be machine washed and dried are also options.
  • Remember that preemies come in a range of sizes, but generally have very tiny fingers and toes. Choose stitch patterns that are dense, without lace or mesh openings which the babies can get tangled in.
  • The experience of being separated from your baby while they are in the neonatal intensive care unit is usually traumatizing for parents and family. It can help to see the baby cuddling on a bright or colorful blanket.

About the Lullabies Blanket

I’ve partnered with WeCrochet, who has generously provided yarn and hooks for this year’s charity spotlight series. When I got started on my design for the Joan Schick Blanket Project, I looked for a very soft and washable yarn. Because blankets (even small ones, for preemies!) can be such yarn hogs, I used WeCrochet Brava 500 yarn, a jumbo skein of WeCrochet Brava Worsted yarn with 5 times as much yardage.

The Lullabies Blanket is mostly crocheted with double crochet stitches, with a textured, puff stitch border. If you’re new to puff stitches, don’t worry! I’ve included a video tutorial below. This project is very meditative and it’s easy to adjust the size. The Large Preemie and Baby Blanket sizes meet the donation requirements for the Joan Schick Blanket Project.

Scroll down for the free Lullabies Blanket pattern, or check out these other patterns to make great preemie blankets:

If you make your own Lullabies Blanket, I’d love to see it! Share your progress and questions by tagging me on Facebook as @Underground Crafter, Instragram as @ucrafter, or Twitter 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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Lullabies Blanket

Preemie Blanket Crochet Pattern by Underground Crafter

This is a soothing, beginner-friendly preemie blanket crochet pattern. The Lullabies Blanket is designed to meet the donation requirements of the Joan Schick Blanket Project, an organization that distributes handmade blankets to neonatal intensive care units in New Jersey. 

Finished Sizes

  • Small Preemie (Large Preemie, Baby Blanket). Photographed sample is Small Preemie size.
    • Small Preemie: 20” (51 cm) square.
    • Large Preemie: 30”(76 cm) square.
    • Baby Blanket: 36” (91.5 cm) square.

Materials

Gauge

  • 13 dc = 4” (10 cm) across. Exact gauge is not critical for this project.

Abbreviations Used in This Pattern

  • BL – back loop only – Fiber Flux has a helpful video tutorial for identifying the back loop here.
  • ch – chain
  • dc – 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 the puff stitch is available below.
  • If you can’t see the video for the puff stitch above, click here to watch it on Instagram.
  • pm – place stitch marker
  • rep – repeat
  • Rnd(s) – Round(s)
  • sc – single crochet
  • sl st – slip stitch
  • sp – space
  • st(s) – stitch(es)
  • yo – yarn over
  • *Repeat instructions after asterisk as indicated.
  • [] Repeat instructions between brackets as indicated.

Pattern Instructions

Blanket

  • Ch 62 (92, 112).
  • Row 1: Turn, skip 3 ch (counts as dc), dc in next 59 (89, 111) ch. – 60 (90, 110) sts
  • Row 2: Turn, ch 2, dc in same st and in each st across.
  • Rep Row 2 until blanket is approximately square (see video below for details).
  • If you can’t see the video for crocheting a square flat in rows above, click here to watch it on Instagram.
  • Do not fasten off. Begin crocheting in the round.
  • Rnd 1: (Right Side)Optional: You may want to place stitch markers in ch-2 sp in this round to make them easier to locate in Rnd 2. Turn, ch 1, *sc in first 60 (90, 110) sts, ch 2, turn to work along unworked edge, 2 sc in side of each row,** turn to work along foundation ch, ch 2, rep from * to **, turn, ch 1, join with sc (counts as ch 1) to the top of first sc. – Even number of sts on each side + 4 ch-2 sp
  • Rnd 2: Ch 1, 2 sc in same ch-2 sp, pm in first sc to mark corner, *[sc in next st, pf in next st] across to corner ch-2 sp,** 3 sc in ch-2 sp, pm in second of 3 sc to mark corner, rep from * around, ending last rep at **, sc in first ch-2 sp, join with sl st to top of first sc. – Even number of sts on each side + 4 marked corner sts
  • Rnd 3: Ch 1, 2 sc in marked st, pm in first sc to mark corner, *[sc in next st, pf in next st] across to marked st,** 3 sc in marked st, pm in second of 3 sc to mark corner, rep from * around, ending last rep at **, sc in first marked st, join with sl st to top of first sc. – Even number of sts on each side + 4 marked corner sts
  • Rnd 4: Ch 1, 2 sc in marked st, pm in first sc to mark corner, *sc in each st across to marked st,** 3 sc in marked st, pm in second of 3 sc to mark corner, rep from * around, ending last rep at **, sc in first marked st, join with sl st to top of first sc. – Even number of sts on each side + 4 marked corner sts
  • Rnd 5: Ch 1, 2 scBL in marked st, pm in first sc to mark corner, *scBL in each st across to marked st,** 3 scBL in marked st, pm in second of 3 sc to mark corner, rep from * around, ending last rep at **, scBL in first marked st, join with sl st to top of first sc. – Even number of sts on each side + 4 marked corner sts
  • If donating blanket to a neonatal intensive care unit or other organization, measure to ensure it has met the receiving organization’s minimum size requirements. If blanket is too small, continue to rep Rnd 5 until desired size is reached.

Finishing

  • Finish off.
  • With yarn needle, weave in yarn tails on Wrong Side.
© 2021 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: https://undergroundcrafter.com/2021/08/31/preemie-blanket-crochet-pattern-lullabies-blanket/. Thanks for supporting indie designers!

This pattern is featured in 40+ Quick and Easy Crochet Baby Blanket Patterns via AllFreeCrochetAfghanPatterns. See the other featured patterns HERE.

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