I’m sharing a book review of a crochet pattern collection of animal-themed blocks and blankets, along with a crochet sloth pattern excerpt. As part of the Third Edition of Granny Square Month, you can also enter for your chance to win my review copies!
This post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation (at no added cost to you) if you make a purchase using these links. David and Charles provided me with free review copies of Crochet Animal Blankets And Blocks by Ira Rott (available online through independent booksellers or on Amazon). Although I accept free products for review, I do not accept additional compensation, nor do I guarantee a positive review. My reviews are based entirely on my honest opinions.
This post is part of the Third Edition of Granny Square Month, a 30-day celebration of crochet motifs, granny stripes, and granny stitches. To follow along with Granny Square Month:
- Sign up for Crochet Along updates and the Underground Crafter newsletter to get regular updates, including an email as each post goes live. When you sign up, you’ll also get access to my subscriber vault which includes exclusive free PDF patterns, a coupon code for your choice of any crochet or knitting pattern or ebook from my Ravelry shop, and coupon codes from other indie designers and crafts businesses.
- Chat with other crocheters in the Underground Crafters Facebook group or the Underground Crafter Ravelry group.
- Tag your Granny Square Month projects with #grannysquaremonth on social media. Tag me on Bluesky as @UndergroundCrafter, Facebook as @Underground Crafter, or Instagram as @ucrafter.
- Enter the giveaway HERE by July 6, 2025 for your chance to win one of eight fabulous prizes from David & Charles, GMC Publications, Krause Publications, Landauer Publishing, and Quarto.
Book Review: Crochet Animal Blankets and Blocks
Crochet Animal Blankets And Blocks by Ira Rott (available online through independent booksellers or on Amazon) is a pattern collection of 18 animal blocks including dimensional elements to add texture and vibrancy to projects. The book opens with a welcome from Ira, where she urges you to to combine the blocks as you’d like or to make an entire project from one block. How To Use This Book explains that each pattern has a skill level (Easy, Moderate, or Challenging) and that the patterns are written using US crochet abbreviations; explains the differences between crocheting in rows, in joined rounds, and in spiral (unjoined) rounds; provides an introduction to reading stitch symbol charts; and explains gauge and notes that while the patterns include some additional yardage, if your gauge is significantly different, you may need more yarn than listed to complete the project. In Tools and Materials, Ira explains that all projects in the book use medium (#4/worsted) weight acrylic yarns and a US Size H-8/5mm crochet hook, but that you may need to adjust your hook size to reach gauge with your specific yarn. (Ira explains later that she used Red Heart Super Saver for all the patterns in the book.) She also recommends other equipment including stitch markers, tapestry (yarn) needles, gauge tool or ruler, and scissors, as well as pillow forms and buttons for the cushion covers and a dowel rod for the wall hanging.
The book then transitions into the first 16 animal block patterns. Each patern includes a skill level, a short introduction, a materials list, the gauge, the finished measurements with and without the border, a tip, a chart of yarn colors and the amounts required (in yards and meters) for 1 block, 4 blocks, 9 blocks, and 16 blocks. The patterns are then written in sections including the block, embellishments, and assembly details. Each pattern includes both written and charted instructions. Each block includes at least one full-page photo of the block as well as several smaller photos including color or embellishment variations; written and charted instructions; and assembly instructions including photos. This section includes 5 Easy, 7 Moderate, and 4 Challenging patterns. The animals included are bunny, cat, cow, dog, fox, hippo, koala, lion, monkey, panda, penguin, pig, raccoon, sheep, sloth, and unicorn. All blocks measure 12 x 15in (30.5 x 38cm) without the border or 15 x 18in (38 x 45.5cm) with a border, so they can be easily interchanged.
Additional Ideas includes instructions for taking elements from the unicorn, bunny, and dog blocks to make a horse block and elements from the sloth, fox, bunny, pig, and lion blocks to make a bear block. Ira also includes instructions for a plain block.
The next section, Project Ideas, includes instructions for making a blanket without borders in small (4 blocks/2 x 2 blocks), medium (9 blocks/3 x 3 blocks), and large (16 blocks/4 x 4 blocks) sizes; enlarging blankets with a granny square border or a shell border; creating a doll blanket or wall hanging from single blocks; and multi-block projects including a 20 x 20in/51 x 51cm pillow cover, a book bag or backpack, and a toy storage bag. The Useful Information section includes a key to translate between US and UK pattern abbreviations and international stitch symbols along with a detailed list of terminology including written instructions for common special stitches such as post stitches and decreases. The Special Stitches section includes written and illustrated instructions with photos for the backstitch, chain stitch, and whipstitch for joining and embellishment; written and photo instructions for the double crochet loop stitch; and instructions with photos for the intarsia method of colorwork. Joining Blocks provides written and photo instructions for joining with whipstitch through the front loop, mattress stitch, slip stitch through the back loop, and join-as-you-go methods. Finishing Touches provides written and photo instructions for making pom poms, tassels, and duo color twisted cord, and for crocheting on the opposite side of the foundation chain. The book closes with an About the Author profile, acknowledgements, and a list of yarn companies.
Crochet Animal Blankets And Blocks by Ira Rott (available online through independent booksellers or on Amazon) is a fun take on crocheted blocks for advanced beginner crocheters who know basic stitches and how to read patterns using charts or abbreviations. The animals are cute and with 18 variations, you are sure to find at least one favorite animal for a special kiddo in your life. The interchangeable sizes and borders allow for many, many variations on each project using blocks. The book is perfect for folks who like crocheting for kids or who enjoy vibrant home decor. The patterns have a range of skill levels, so you can make “mindless” projects or challenge yourself to make something more complex. The assembly instructions are detailed so you’ll be able to successfully reproduce the finished blocks. Don’t forget to stop by the main Granny Square Month blog post by July 6, 2025 to enter the giveaway for your chance to win a copy of Crochet Animal Blankets And Blocks by Ira Rott (available online through independent booksellers or on Amazon)! Read on for an excerpted crochet sloth pattern from the book.
Sloth Block
Crochet Sloth Pattern by Ira Rott
Reprinted from Crochet Animal Blankets And Blocks by Ira Rott (available online through independent booksellers or on Amazon) with permission from David and Charles. Text & Designs © IraRott Inc. 2022. Layout and Photography © David and Charles, Ltd 2022.
Sloth Block
- You can nap all day and sleep all night under a soft, sleepy sloth blanket. Because when it’s sloth o’clock, life is always mellow.
Skill Level
- Moderate
Materials
- To make this block, use your favorite medium weight acrylic yarn (weight 4) and a 5mm (H) hook or any hook size needed to obtain the gauge (see Tools and Materials). Use the table below to determine the amount required of each color yarn.
Gauge
- 14 dc x 8.5 rows = 4 x 4in (10 x 10cm)
Finished Measurements
- Block without border: 12 x 15in (30.5 x 38cm)
- Block with border: 15 x 18in (38 x 45.5cm)
Tip
- Make a few pretty flowers for your sloth blanket, to sleep well and have beautiful dreams. Variegated yarn is a great choice for flowers, but you can also use different colors for the center and petals.
| Color key | Color name | Yarn required for 1 block | Yarn required for 4 blocks | Yarn required for 9 blocks | Yarn required for 16 blocks |
| MC | Goldenrod | 180yd (165m) | 720yd (658m) | 1620yd (1481m) | 2880yd (2633m) |
| CC1 | Café Latte | 100yd (91m) | 400yd (366m) | 900yd (823m) | 1600yd (1463m) |
| CC2 | Buff | 30yd (27m) | 120yd (110m) | 270yd (247m) | 480yd (439m) |
| CC3 | Coffee | 30yd (27m) | 120yd (110m) | 270yd (247m) | 480yd (439m) |
| CC4 | Jazzy | 25yd (23m) | 100yd (91m) | 225yd (206m) | 400yd (366m) |
| CC5 | Tea Leaf | 15yd (14m) | 60yd (55m) | 135yd (123m) | 240yd (220m) |
Notes from Underground Crafter
- You can find photo and video tutorials and instructions for the intarsia colorwork technique Ira uses in this pattern here.
- This pattern uses standard US crochet pattern abbreviations. You can find a master list here. The charts uses standard international stitch symbols. You can find a list here.
- You can find a helpful video tutorial demonstrating the dc2tog decrease below.
- If you can’t see the dc2tog video above, click HERE to watch it on YouTube.
- Ira Rott recommends joining blocks with the whipstitch through the front loops, the mattress stitch, the slip stitch through the back loops, or join-as-you-go. The video below demonstrates all four of these joins.
- If you can’t see the video above demonstrating crochet joins, click HERE to watch it on YouTube.
- You can find a video tutorial demonstrating the backstitch for sewing and embroidery at the end of this blog post.
Block
- Work in rows using the Intarsia colorwork technique. For the background, use MC from a skein and wind 1 butterfly-bobbin. For the sloth head, use CC1 from a skein.
- To beg: With MC from skein — ch 45
- Row 1: (RS) Dc in fourth ch from hook (the skipped chs count as dc), dc in each ch across; turn = 43 sts
- Rows 2 – 8: Ch 2 (counts as dc now and throughout), skip first st, dc in each st across; turn = 43 sts
- With RS facing, place Marker in the center stitch of the row just made to indicate the bottom edge of the head. Continue to work in rows, changing colors through the final stage of a stitch before new color indication.
- Row 9: (RS) With MC from skein — ch 2, skip first st, dc in next 5 sts, dc2tog changing to CC1 from skein; with CC1 — 2 dc in next st, dc in next 25 sts, 2 dc in next st changing to MC from butterfly-bobbin; with MC — dc2tog, dc in next 6 sts; turn = 43 sts
- Rows 10 – 12: With MC — ch 2, skip first st, dc in each st until 2 sts left before color change, dc2tog changing to CC1; with CC1 — 2 dc in next st, dc in each st until 1 st left before color change, 2 dc in next st changing to MC; with MC — dc2tog, dc in each st to the end; turn = 43 sts
- Rows 13 – 20: With MC — ch 2, skip first st, dc in next 3 sts changing to CC1; with CC1 — dc in next 35 sts changing to MC; with MC — dc in next 4 sts; turn = 43 sts
- Rows 21 – 24: With MC — ch 2, skip first st, dc in each st until 1 st left before color change, 2 dc in next st changing to CC1; with CC1 — dc2tog, dc in each st until 2 sts left before color change, dc2tog changing to MC; with MC — 2 dc in next st, dc in each st to the end; turn = 43 sts
- Break off CC1 and MC from the butterfly-bobbin, and use MC from the skein for the rest of the block.
- Rows 25 – 32: With MC — ch 2, skip first st, dc in each st across; turn = 43 sts
- Do not fasten off, work 3 rnds of Granny Square Border with MC (see Penguin Block Granny Square Border below).
Penguin Block Granny Square Border
- Work in the round around the entire edge of the block using MC. To prevent distortion in the corners, you will be changing direction every round, so the odd rounds are always on RS and the even rounds are on WS.
- Rnd 1: (RS) Work across the top edge – ch 3 (counts as dc now and throughout), 2 dc in first st, *[skip 2 sts, 3 dc in next st] 13 times, skip 2 sts, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next sp before last st**; work across the side edge – [skip dc of next row, 3 dc in ch-2 sp of next row] 15 times, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in last sp; work across the bottom edge – repeat from * to **; work across the side edge – [3 dc in dc of next row, skip ch-2 sp of next row] 15 times, 3 dc in dc of last row; ch 1, hdc in top of beg ch-3 (counts as last corner sp); turn = 64 groups of 3-dc and 4 corner sps
- Rnd 2: (WS) Ch 3, 2 dc in same sp, *[skip 3 sts, 3 dc in next sp] to next corner, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in corner; repeat 2 more times from *; [skip 3 sts, 3 dc in next sp] to next corner, ending in hdc sp; ch 1, hdc in top of beg ch-3 (counts as last corner sp); turn = 68 groups of 3-dc and 4 corner sps
- You can join blocks as-you-go while working the next round (JAYGO) or finish Rnd 3 as described for all of the other joining methods.
- Rnd 3: (RS) Ch 3, 2 dc in same sp, *[skip 3 sts, 3 dc in next sp] to next corner, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in corner; repeat 2 more times from *; [skip 3 sts, 3 dc in next sp] to next corner, ending in hdc sp; ch 2, sl st in top of beg ch-3 = 72 groups of 3-dc and 4 corner sps
- Fasten off and weave in ends.
Branch
- Make 1. Work in rows with CC5.
- To beg: Ch 4
- Row 1: (RS) Sc in second ch from hook (the skipped ch does not count as a st), sc in next 2 chs; turn = 3 sts
- Row 2: Ch 1 (does not count as a st now and throughout), sc in first st, sc in next 2 sts; turn = 3 sts
- Row 3: Ch 8, sl st in second ch from hook, sc in next ch, hdc in next ch, dc in next 2 chs, hdc in next ch, sc in last ch; sc in next 3 sts; turn = 10 sts
- Rows 4 – 5: Repeat Rows 2 – 3
- Rows 6 – 7: Same as Row 2
- Rows 8 – 25: Repeat Rows 2 – 7 three more times
- Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
Eye Patches
- Make 2. Work in the round with CC3.
- To beg: Ch 10
- Rnd 1: Sc in second ch from hook (the skipped ch does not count as a st), sc in next 7 chs, 3 sc in last ch; work across the opposite side of the foundation ch — sc in next 7 chs, 2 sc in last ch; join = 20 sts
- Rnd 2: Ch 1 (does not count as a st now and throughout), 2 sc in same st as join, sc in next 7 sts, 2 sc in each of next 3 sts, sc in next 7 sts, 2 sc in each of next 2 sts; join = 26 sts
- Rnd 3: Ch 1, sc in same st as join, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 7 sts, [sc in next st, 2 sc in next st] 3 times, sc in next 7 sts, [sc in next st, 2 sc in next st] 2 times; join = 32 sts
- Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. Thread the needle with CC2 and chain stitch a line across the foundation row on RS to represent sleepy eyes (fig 1). Finish off and weave in the end.
Paws
- Make 2. Begin by working in the round with CC1.
- To beg: With CC1 — ch 9
- Rnd 1: Dc in third ch from hook (the skipped chs do not count as a st), dc in next 5 chs, 6 dc in last ch; work across the opposite side of the foundation ch — dc in next 5 chs, 5 dc in last ch; join = 22 sts
- Rnd 2: Sc in same st as join, sc in next 6 sts, 2 sc in each of next 4 sts, sc in next 7 sts, 2 sc in each of next 4 sts; join changing to CC2; fasten off CC1 leaving a long tail for sewing = 30 sts
- Row 3: With CC2 — skip st with join, [ch 6, sc in second ch from hook, sc in next ch, hdc in next 2 chs, dc in last ch, skip next st, sl st in next st] 3 times (leave the remaining sts unworked) = 3 claws
- Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. You should have 2 long tails (CC1 and CC2).
Face
- Make 1. Work in the round with CC2.
- To beg: Ch 13
- Rnd 1: Dc in third ch from hook (the skipped chs do not count as a st), dc in next 9 chs, 6 dc in last ch; work across the opposite side of the foundation ch — dc in next 9 chs, 5 dc in last ch; join = 30 sts
- Rnd 2: Ch 2 (does not count as a st now and throughout), 2 dc in same st as join, dc in next 9 sts, 2 dc in each of next 6 sts, dc in next 9 sts, 2 dc in each of next 5 sts; join = 42 sts
- Rnd 3: Ch 2, dc in same st as join, 2 dc in next st, dc in next 9 sts, [dc in next st, 2 dc in next st] 6 times, dc in next 9 sts, [dc in next st, 2 dc in next st] 5 times; join = 54 sts
- Rnd 4: Ch 2, 2 dc in same st as join, dc in next 11 sts, [2 dc in next st, dc in next 2 sts] 6 times, dc in next 9 sts, [2 dc in next st, dc in next 2 sts] 5 times; join = 66 sts
- Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
Nose
- Make 1. Same as Nose in Fox Block below using CC3.
Fox Block Nose
- Make 1. Work in the round with CC3.
- To beg: Ch 5
- Rnd 1: Sc in second ch from hook (the skipped ch does not count as a st), sc in next 2 chs, 3 sc in last ch; work across the opposite side of the foundation ch – sc in next 2 chs, 2 sc in last ch; join = 10 sts
- Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
Flower & Leaves
- Optional — Make 1. Same as Flower and Leaves in Sheep Block below using CC4 for the flower and CC5 for leaves.
Sheep Block Flower
- Optional – Make 1. Work in the round with CC3.
- To beg: Ch 3, sl st in third ch from hook to form a ring (or start with a magic ring)
- Rnd 1: Ch 1 (does not count as a st), 6 sc in ring; join = 6 sts
- Rnd 2: Beg PC in same st as join, ch 2, [PC in next st, ch 2] 5 times; join = 6 PC
- Rnd 3: [Ch 6, sc in second ch from hook, sc in next ch, hdc in next 2 chs, dc in last ch, sc in next ch-2 sp; ch 6, sc in second ch from hook, sc in next ch, hdc in next 2 chs, dc in last ch, sl st in next PC] 6 times = 12 petals
- Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
Sheep Block Leaves
- Optional – Make 1 set of 3 leaves. Work in rows with CC4.
- Row 1: (RS) Ch 8, sl st in second ch from hook (the skipped ch does not count as a st), sc in next ch, hdc in next ch, dc in next 2 chs, hdc in next ch, sc in last ch; do not turn = 7 sts
- Rows 2 – 3: Same as Row 1.
- Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
Finishing Block
- Depending on the joining method and your project, you can finish the face before or after joining blocks.
- Position the face on the block, centering it 3 rows above the Marker and backstitch around onto the block using CC2 tail from the face (fig 2). Finish off and weave in the end.
- Position the nose in the center of the face and backstitch around onto the face using CC3 tail from the nose (fig 2). Finish off and weave in the ends.
- Position the eye patches on each side of the head, placing them at a slight angle over the head and covering the face. Using CC3 tail from each eye patch, backstitch around onto the block (fig 3). Finish off and weave in the ends.
- Position the branch below the head, centering it with the Marker and remove the marker. Backstitch around onto the block using CC5 tail, leaving the leaves unstitched (fig 3). Finish off and weave in the ends.
- Thread the needle with CC3 and stitch a V-shaped smile on the face 1 rnd below the nose (fig 4). Finish off and weave in the ends.
- Position the paws on each side of the branch, placing them at a slight angle. Using CC1 tail from each paw, backstitch around onto the block, then backstitch around the claws using CC2 tail (fig 4). Finish off and weave in the ends.
- Optional — Position the flower as you like and backstitch around the center onto the block using CC4 tail (fig 4). Position the leaves under petals of the flower and whipstitch across the raw edge onto the block with CC5 tail (fig 4). Finish off and weave in the ends.
