Blankets & Home · Baby Blankets
A free, easy crochet baby blanket pattern in half double crochet stripes, plus the safest yarns, standard sizes, border ideas, and safe-use tips.
A crochet baby blanket is one of the most meaningful things you can make, and it doesn’t need to be complicated to be beautiful. This free pattern uses one stitch, half double crochet, in soft stripes. It’s dense enough that there are no big holes for little fingers, simple enough for a beginner, and calming enough to make in the quiet moments before (or after) a baby arrives.
For baby items, choose yarn that’s soft, machine-washable, and doesn’t shed. DK-weight baby acrylic, cotton blends, and superwash merino are all excellent. Skip mohair, eyelash yarn, and anything labeled hand-wash only.
Three colors in stripes looks polished with almost no effort. See the palette ideas at the end of this article.
The whole blanket is hdchdc = half double crochetUK: half treble (htr)Yarn over, insert hook, pull up a loop (3 loops), yarn over, pull through all three. worked in rows. Each row starts with a ch 2 that does not count as a stitch, so your first hdc goes into the very first stitch.
Put a stitch marker in the first and last stitch of every row for the first few rows. It’s the easiest way to keep the edges perfectly straight.
To change colors, work the last hdc of a row until the final yarn over, then pull through with the new color. Cut the old color, leaving a 15 cm tail, and carry on.
Tick as you go
0 / 11 done
Along the side edges, work about 3 sc for every 2 rows of hdc to keep the border flat.
Finished! Fasten off and admire it.
Baby blankets get pulled, chewed, and washed constantly. Weave each tail for at least 5 cm, change direction, then weave back a little. Never knot and snip short.
Tip: with stripes, you can carry the unused colors up the side edge instead of cutting them, then hide the carried strands inside the border. That leaves far fewer ends.
The two-round single crochet border in the pattern is clean and sturdy.
For something prettier, add a third round of shellshell = shell stitchUK: shell stitchSeveral stitches (often 5 dc) worked into one stitch so they fan out like a shell.: [sk 2 sts, 5 dc in next st, sk 2 sts, sl st in next st] around. Adjust at the corners so a shell lands on each corner stitch.
The finished blanket is about 70 × 85 cm: a stroller, car-seat, and playtime size. For a bigger blanket, add 14 chains for every extra 10 cm of width.
About sleep: pediatric safe-sleep guidance recommends no loose blankets in a baby’s sleep space during the first year. Crochet blankets are perfect for supervised floor time, strollers, cuddles, and as a keepsake. If you’re gifting one, a small care card with washing instructions and that note is a thoughtful touch.
Wash it once before gifting (it softens most yarns), fold it with a ribbon, and include the yarn label so the parents know how to wash it.
Want to add an appliqué? A small crochet flower sewn securely to one corner looks lovely (skip buttons and beads on baby items). For more blanket styles, browse our crochet blanket ideas, or make a matching granny square lovey.
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A soft, machine-washable yarn labeled for babies: baby acrylic, a cotton blend, or superwash merino. Avoid fuzzy mohair or eyelash yarns (they shed), and anything that must be hand-washed. Parents won't have time.
Crochet Hooks & Yarn Guide →Pediatric safe-sleep guidance recommends no loose blankets in a baby's sleep space for the first year. Use your crochet blanket for supervised tummy time, the stroller, the car seat (over the straps, never under), and cuddles, and add a note saying so if you're gifting it.
Chain any number you like: the blanket is width = chains minus 2 hdc. At this gauge, every 14 stitches adds about 10 cm of width. Keep working rows until it's the length you want.
Crochet Blanket Size Chart →Usually a changing stitch count at the ends of rows. In this pattern the ch 2 does not count as a stitch, so your first hdc goes into the very first stitch, and the last hdc goes into the last stitch (not the turning chain). Markers in both end stitches help a lot.
Yes. It's one stitch, repeated, with no shaping. If you can make the practice square in our beginner guide, you can make this blanket.
How to Crochet for Beginners →
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