The Textured Cuddle is a micro blanket pattern that I’ve designed as part of the charity spotlight series to meet the donation requirements of Comfort & Cuddle. This is a great charity crochet pattern for you to make if you enjoy trying out different stitches and small, achievable projects.
This post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation (at no added cost to you) if you make a purchase using these links. I am a King Cole Brand Ambassador and this post is part of our ongoing collaboration.
This Month’s Featured Organization: Comfort & Cuddle
Comfort & Cuddle is a non-profit organization founded in 2022 to provide very small comfort blankets to children and teens experiencing distress, including those who are hospitalized, homeless, and in crisis centers or foster care homes.
Comforts (as these small blankets are called) aren’t in the standard blanket sizes because the idea is that the recipient can carry a Comfort in their pocket or keep it under their pillow. The purpose of these blankets isn’t to keep someone warm; instead, it’s to share something handmade and heartening that can be held and squished in times of need. You can learn more about Comforts here.
You can ship your Comforts directly to Comfort & Cuddle, or distribute locally. More details are available on the Contact page here. If you’d like to chat with fellow crafters, join the Comfort & Cuddle Ravelry group or Facebook group.
How To Make Great Comforts for Comfort & Cuddle
Comfort & Cuddle has several guidelines for making great Comforts. An “Original Comfort” measures approximately 10″ (25.5 cm) x 15″ (38 cm) and should be made using a bulky (#5/chunky) weight yarn or two strands of medium (#4/worsted/aran) weight yarn held together. A “Pocket Comfort” is even smaller, measuring approximately 4″ (10 cm) x 5″ (13 cm) and should be made using super fine (#1/fingering/sock) weight yarn.
- Comforts do not have to be exactly sized, so they are great projects for beginner crocheters or folks who don’t like to check gauge first (you know who you are!). Original Comforts can be a few inches larger or smaller on each side, and Pocket Comforts can be an inch smaller or larger on each side.
- Textured stitches are appreciated for a comforting tactile experience for the recipient.
- Comforts can be hand knit or crocheted, but not machine knit.
- Comforts should be machine washable and use smooth yarns.
- Avoid using novelty and art yarns and embellishments (buttons, beads, sequins, tassels, etc.).
- Weave in yarn tails very securely. Stitches n Scraps has helpful tutorials including three ways to weave in yarn tails here.
Scroll down for the free crochet pattern for the Textured Cuddle, or use any of the free crochet and knitting patterns for Comforts available on the Comfort & Cuddle website.
About the Textured Comfort
I’ve partnered with King Cole, who has generously provided yarn for this year’s charity spotlight series. I used Drifter Chunky for the Textured Comfort. Drifter Chunky is available at your local yarn shop or online at Love Crafts or Wool Warehouse UK. Drifter is a very soft cotton blend yarn that works up beautifully with gentle color changes. It is available in multiple weights, so you can also use Drifter 4Ply (LoveCrafts | Wool Warehouse UK) for Pocket Comforts, or two strands of Drifter Aran (LoveCrafts | Wool Warehouse UK) held together for an Original Comfort. If you’d prefer a solid color, Subtle Drifter is the single-color version of this yarn and it is also available in 4Ply and Chunky weights.
If you’re looking for more charity crochet patterns using the Drifter and Subtle Drifter yarns, check out my free patterns for the Salvatore Slouch or the Triumphant Textures Beanie.
If you make your own Textured Comfort, 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!
Add the Textured Comfort to your favorites or queue, or buy the ad-free PDF on Ravelry.
Textured Comfort
Charity Crochet Pattern by Underground Crafter
The Textured Comfort is a charity crochet pattern designed as part of Underground Crafter’s Charity Spotlight series. This Comfort includes four different textured stitch patterns and is designed to meet the donation requirements of Comfort & Cuddle, and organization that distributes handmade, small comfort blankets to children and teens in need.
Finished Size
- Original Comfort: 11” (28 cm) x 16” (40.5 cm) after blocking.
Materials
- King Cole Drifter Chunky (25% cotton/6% wool/69% acrylic, 3.5 oz/100 g/170 yd/156 m) – 2 skeins in 3700 Canberra, or approximately 205 yd (187.5 m) in any cotton blend, bulky weight yarn.
- Drifter Chunky is available at your local yarn shop or online at Love Crafts or Wool Warehouse UK.
- US Size I-9/5.5 mm crochet hook, or size needed to obtain gauge.
- Locking stitch markers.
- Yarn needle.
Gauge
- 14 hdc = 4” (10 cm) across. Exact gauge is not critical for this pattern.
Abbreviations Used in This Pattern
- BL – back loop only – Fiber Flux has a helpful video tutorial for identifying the back loop here.
- BPdc – back post double crochet – Yo, insert hook from back around front to back 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 available below.
- If you can’t see the video tutorial for the BPdc above, click HERE to watch it on YouTube.
- 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 available below the pattern abbreviation list.
- FPsc – front post single crochet – 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. A helpful video tutorial for this stitch is available below the pattern abbreviation list.
- pm – place marker
- rep – repeat
- rm – remove marker
- Rnd(s) – Round(s)
- RS – right (front) side
- sc – single crochet
- sl st – slip stitch
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- tr – treble (triple) crochet
- WS – wrong (back) side
- yo – yarn over
- A helpful video tutorial for FPdc and FPsc stitches is available below.
- If you can’t see the video tutorial for the FPdc and FPsc above, click HERE to watch it on YouTube.
Pattern Notes
- If you plan to donate your Textured Comfort to Comfort & Cuddle, check their website for updated needs and guidelines.
- If you’re new to blocking, find more details including helpful videos here.
Pattern Instructions
Comfort
- Ch 17 (or any multiple of 3 ch, + 2 ch).
- Row 1: Turn, skip 1 ch, sc in next 16 sts. (16 sts)
Mock Bobbles
- Row 2: Turn, ch 1, starting in first st [sc in next st, tr in next st] across.
- Row 3: (RS) Turn, ch 1, starting in first st [FPsc around next tr, sc in next sc] across.
- Row 4: Turn, ch 1, starting in first st [tr in next st, sc in next st] across.
- Row 5: (RS) Turn, ch 1, starting in first st [sc in next sc, FPsc around next tr] across.
- Rep Rows 2-5 until piece measures approximately 3” (7.5 cm) across, ending after a repeat of Row 3 or Row 5 on RS.
Single Crochet Ribbing
- Row 6: Turn, ch 1, sc in first st and in each st across.
- Row 7: Turn, ch 1, scBL in first st and in each st across.
- Rep Row 7 until piece measures approximately 6” (15 cm), ending on WS. Pm on first and last st of this Row to mark position.
Post Stitch Columns
- Row 8: (RS) Turn, ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in next st and in each st across.
- Row 9: Turn, ch 3 (counts as dc), starting in first st [BPdc around next st, dc in next 2 sts].
- Row 10: (RS) Turn, ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in next st, [FPdc around next st, dc in next 2 sts] across to last 2 sts, FPdc around next st, dc in next st.
- Rep Rows 9-10 until piece measures approximately 9” (23 cm), ending after Row 9 on WS.
Border
- Rnd 1: Turn to RS, ch 1, sc in first st and in each st across row, ch 2, turn to work along long edge, 2 sc in side of each row (see video below) across to marked row, rm, sc in side of each row across to foundation chain, ch 2, turn tow work along short edge, sc in each st across, ch 2, turn to work along long edge, sc in side of each row across to marked row, rm, 2 sc in side of each row across, ch 1, join with sc (counts as second ch in ch-2 sp) to first sc.
- If you can’t see the video above demonstrating how to crochet around the side of your project, click HERE to watch it on YouTube.
- Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in ch-2 sp, *scBL in next st across to ch-2 sp,** (sc, ch 2, sc) in ch-2 sp; rep from * around, ending last rep after **, sc in first ch-2 sp, ch 1, join with sc (counts as second ch in ch-2 sp) to first sc.
- Rep Rnd 2 (if necessary) until longer edge measures approximately 10” (25.5 cm).
Lemon Peel Stitch (See video below)
- If you can’t see the video tutorial for the Lemon Peel stitch above, click HERE to watch it on YouTube.
- Begin working along longer edge in rows.
- Row 1: Turn to WS, ch 1, (sc, dc) in first ch-2 sp, work [sc in next st, dc in next st] across evenly to ch-2 sp, (sc, dc) in ch-2 sp. Skip remaining 3 sides.
- Row 2: Turn, ch 1, sc in first dc, [dc in next sc, sc in next dc] across to last st, dc in next sc.
- Rep Row 2 until piece measures approximately 15” (38 cm) on longest side. Fasten off.
Finishing
- With yarn needle, weave in ends on WS.
- Spray block (see Pattern Notes).