Free Pattern: Crocheted Baby Snuggle

this isn’t a pattern of my own creation, but something i copied down YEARS ago.  it’s become my favorite baby gift because it’s just absolutely beautiful once completed.  i’ve made it so many times over the years that i now only use my notes as a rough guide.

For the Pattern…

yarn:
bernat’s cottontots – pastel dreams (approx 5 skeins? it’s yarn i usually have on hand so i’ve not ever really kept track of how much i used. 5 seems about right.)
1 skein of a contrasting cotton yarn (yellow, blue, pink, green, white?) for the trim.

hook:
size h

(i have never ever worried about gauge on this blanket.)

pattern:

blanket:
ch 115
row 1: work dc in 5th chain from hook and in each remaining, ch 3 and turn.
row 2: in 3rd dc, make a shell (2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) *skip 3 sts, shell in next dc, repeat from *, dc in last dc, ch 3 and turn.
row 3 – 6: make a shell in the center st of each shell below, dc in last dc, ch 3 and turn.
row 7: increase shell to (3 dc, ch 1, 3 dc) across, dc in last dc, ch 3 and turn.
row 8 – 12: repeat row 7.
row 13: increase shell to (4 dc, ch 1, 4 dc) across, dc in last dc, ch 3 and turn.
row 14 – 30: repeat row 13.
Fasten off.

hood:
in beginning row of blanket, join yarn with a sl st in the 28th dc. (7 shells on blanket extend beyond either side of hood.)
row 1: ch 3, *skip 3 dc, make a shell (2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc), repeat from *, dc in last dc, ch 3 and turn. (13 shells)
row 2 – 10: repeat row 1 from *.
Fold hood in half, sew across top edge, fasten off.

trim:
worked in contrasting color.
join yarn with sl st in beginning sl st of hood.
hood: skip the starting ch 3 of the 1st row, *make shell (3 dc, picot (ch 3, sl st through 1st st of chain), 3 dc) in ch 3 of next row. repeat from * around hood.
left side: sc in each dc along front edge of blanket, 3 sc in corner, increase *shell (4 dc, picot, 4 dc), sc in starting ch of next row. repeat from * down side of blanket, 3 sc in corner.
bottom: make shell over shell along bottom edge of the blanket (5 dc, picot, 5 dc), 3 sc in corner.
right side: repeat left side, *shell (4 dc, picot, 4 dc), sc in starting ch of next row, 3 sc in corner, sc across each dc along front edge.
attach where joined, fasten off.

drawstring:
worked in contrasting color.
double yarn and ch 120.
thread through first row of dc on blanket, going over and under 2 dc at a time.
make 2 tassels, attach to ends of drawstring.

(to make the tassels: i wrap lots and lots of yarn around my outspread fingers (making the tassel roughly 3 or 4 inches or so?), then feed a piece of yarn through the middle and tie it tightly at the top. wrap another piece of yarn around the body of the tassel about a half-inch from the top, tie that tightly, then cut the yarn at the bottom and trim the ends even.) – made in same color as blanket.