A beautiful lovey to bring comfort to a preemie
The Wee One Lovey crochet pattern is a beginner friendly project for the smallest of preemies.
I love making baby blankets. They’re such satisfying projects to work on because of their size and portability. Baby blankets are wonderful handmade gifts for expectant parents.
But, what if the baby receiving the blanket is premature? Many times, a preemie will spend time in the hospital in an incubator. That environment can be cold and stressful for both the babies and the parents.
A lovey is a smaller version of a full-sized baby blanket. For the smallest babies, ones who might be experiencing distress in the NICU or babies newly arrived home from the hospital, a lovey is the perfect size. They provide a bit of comfort and calm in the incubator or crib and don’t take up a lot of space.
Inspiration + Design for the lovey
My inspiration came from Helen of Sunflower Cottage Crochet who hosts an annual event called “Preemie Crochet Challenge”. All of the crochet featured in this event is meant for premature infants appropriate for use either in the hospital or at home. You’ll find more details about this event below.
Traditional sized baby blankets are often too large for babies at this stage. So, the lovey size provides all the comfort and calm without taking up a lot of space. Loveys make a great transition piece from hospital and home and can grow into a baby’s favorite snuggly once she begins to move about.
This small baby blanket is a quick project, only 12” square in this case, so it’s an ideal last minute gift. Because it doesn’t take much yarn to make, you can shop your stash.
Many times a small snuggly like this will include an amigurumi animal head as part of the design, making it more of a toy. For the Wee One Lovey, I’ve chosen a simple blanket design.
As the main stitch pattern, I chose the 3-dc cluster, alternating with a row of single crochet for an easy 2-row repeat. The 3-dc cluster, a beautiful stitch, provides enough coverage without creating large holes for little fingers and toes.
About the yarn
I’m always on the lookout for a new (to me) yarn so I decided to give Hobbii’s “Acacia Print” a try. Here’s what I found:
The yarn is so soft, something that’s so important for a preemie’s delicate skin. It’s easy to work with. “Acacia Print” comes in beautiful muted colors with vivid stitch definition, bringing out the charming qualities of the 3-dc cluster.
The cotton ensures that the yarn feels soft against your skin and has good breathability, while the acrylic makes the yarn lighter and extra flexible. The yarn is OEKO-TEX® certified.
Any DK weight yarn will work as long as it’s soft and hypo-allergenic. You might try one of the following:
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Why buy the PDF
- Detailed crochet chart showing the 2-row repeat and stitch placement for the border
- Detailed written instructions
- Inexpensive, ad-free PDF
The Preemie Crochet Challenge 2022
I’m honored that the Wee One Lovey is featured in the Preemie Crochet Challenge 2022, hosted by Helen of Sunflower Cottage Crochet.
Beginning Friday, June 17, and continuing through to the end of the month, the PDF is free to download with the promo code you’ll find on the event post. Click on the button below to get the code.
Return here and click on the button below. Use the code at checkout.
A bundle of all of the featured patterns is available. All proceeds from the bundle sales will go to 2 charities in the UK.
The Wee One Lovey crochet pattern
Yarn: Hobbii “Acacia Print” 51% acrylic, 49% cotton DK weight (3.5oz/273yd; 100g/250m)
Color #14 – Candy Store (approx. 2oz)
Hook: US size H-8 (5mm) or size needed to achieve gauge
Finished size: Approx. 12” square with edging
Gauge: Approx. 5 repeats of Rows 2-3 x 8 3-dc clusters = 4”
This pattern uses US crochet terminology.
Skill level: Confident beginner
Abbreviations
beg – beginning
ch – chain
dc – double crochet
pm – place marker
rm – remove marker
rnd – round
sc – single crochet
sk – skip
sp – space
st(s) – stitch(es)
YO – yarn over
Pattern Notes
- A ‘ch-3’ may be substituted for any STsc throughout. If it’s too tall, work a ‘ch 2’ instead.
- A ‘ch-1’ at the beginning of any row or round does not count as a st.
Written Instructions
Body
Ch 42.
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, turn. (41 sc)
Row 2: STsc, dc in next st, (ch 1, sk 1 st, cluster in next st) to last 3 sts, ch 1, sk 1 st, dc in last 2 sts, turn. (4 dc, 19 ch-1 sp, 18 clusters)
Row 3: Ch 1, sc in same st and in each st and ch-1 sp across, turn. (41 sc)
Rows 4-25: Repeat Rows 2-3 11 times.
Row 26: Repeat Row 2.
Do not turn; proceed to Edging.
Edging
Note: To make the shell pattern of Rnd 2 work correctly, 39 sts must be worked along each edge between the corner sts. When working in the ends of the rows of the Body, place 2 sc at the end of a cluster row and 1 sc in each sc row. A marker is placed in the center sc of the 3 worked in each corner.
Rnd 1: Ch 1, 2 sc in the same st (partial first corner), pm in 1st sc worked, 39 sc evenly spaced along side, 3 sc in the corner st, 39 sc along bottom edge, 3 sc in the corner st, 39 sc evenly spaced along side, 3 sc in the corner st, 39 sc along top edge, 1 sc in same st as first 2 sc to complete the first corner, join with slip st to beg sc. DO NOT TURN.
Rnd 2: STsc, 3 dc in the same st (partial 7-dc shell), [sk 1 st, sc in next st, (sk 1 st, 5-dc shell in next st, sk 1 st, sc in next st) 9 times, sk 1 st, 7-dc shell in st with marker, rm] 3 times, sk 1 st, sc in next st, (sk 1 st, 5-dc shell in next st, sk 1 st, sc in next st) 9 times, sk 1 st, 3 dc in same st as first 4 dc to complete the 7-dc shell, join with slip st to beg STsc.
Fasten off and weave in ends.
Find other baby blanket patterns in all my shops.
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