Baby Blanket Knit & Crochet Pattern Showcase

Recently, I was researching baby blankets since I made one for my partner's sister. There are so many great ones out there, and you don't need a baby to enjoy them. So, I thought I'd do a post highlighting some of the ones that caught my eye! I have three crochet and three knitted patterns, with a free option included for both. Happy making!

Crochet: Sleep Tight, Little Bear by BebaBlanket

This is the pattern that inspired this post. I recently crocheted this for my partner's sister and her baby and I just loved the result. It's great if you want a cutesy option. Also, if you have never done mosaic crochet and want to expand your horizons a little bit, this pattern is perfect. I never had, and it took a bit of adjusting, but after viewing a few tutorials I was ready to go. Another bonus of this pattern is that, as I think it was originally a CAL (crochet-along), the designer has very detailed videos on YouTube going through the make step-by-step! It's a DK weight pattern and it's so customisable, you can use any colours in any part of the pattern. The calculation of the yarn amounts can be a bit of a pain, but it's worth it. My make is documented here, including the yarns I used, the amounts I purchased, and how much was left!

My finished Sleep Tight, Baby Bear Blanket

Crochet: Cuddle and Play Cow Baby Blanket by Aneta Wawro

Oh my goodness, this is the cuuuutest blanket-cum-soft toy. I fell in love when I saw this. It's a blanket with an adorable attached cow's head and legs, and you can fold and drape it over a cot to look like a cow. Just the cutest. Another pattern that seems so adjustable, with different head options and configurations. You can even buy a 10 pattern bundle with almost any animal you can think of, such as sheep, giraffe, monkeys, bunnys. Just amazing. I will say though, no cat in the bundle?? I wonder if this was a requested pattern since I now see the designer has a cat available on Ravelry here. This is recommended to be made with bulky yarn. Genuinely thinking of making one myself now! Just LOVE.

Left: Rising Star Baby Blanket, image from Ravelry. Right: Cuddle and Play Baby Blanket, image from Ravelry.

Free Crochet Option: Rising Star Baby Blanket by The Loophole Fox

If you're looking for a more modern, chic option in a crochet blanket, this one is for you. And has been on my personal queue for a while now. It's a pattern made up of concentric stars which, again, can be customised to be colored as you like. I think it looks so sleek and the shape makes it interesting. I'd love one to throw over an armchair I have at home. You could also probably easily edit the pattern to include more colours, reduce the number of rows between colour changes, change the weight of the pattern, and so much more. This is a DK weight pattern, and is available for free from the designer's website. Or you can purchase an ad-free version from Ravelry or Etsy to support the designer.

Knit: Marled Magic Blanket (and others) by Stephen West

Are you ready for a challenge? Because this one has just been released and would certainly fit that bill. I grant you this skews more blanket than baby blanket; it is HUGE. It's made up of different parts knitted in different direction using different wool and different stitches. It would certainly bust a massive stash. In the projects that have been posted, knitters say they used up almost 3 kg of yarn for completed blankets. This one is definitely an investment. I know myself, and I know it would be too much for me, but the result would be something you'd treasure I have no doubt. For smaller (and more baby-friendly alternatives), Stephen West also offers the Vertices Unite Baby Blanket and the Jigsaw Puzzle Blanket, which are more attainable.

Knit: Flock of Sheep Blanket by Denny Gould

Adorable blanket featuring an intarsia flock of sheep, knit up in aran weight. And the designer has a whole load of other sheep-based coordinating patterns, including cushions, bags and childrens clothes. Now, I've never tried intarsia since it seems so daunting what with the bobbins and all. I've never really understood what's going on there. But if you've also never done intarsia and you're braver than me and want to dip your toes in, this would be a fun one I'm sure.

Left: Flock of Sheep Blanket, image from Ravelry. Right: Chevron Baby Blanket, image from purlsoho.com

Free Knit Option: Chevron Baby Blanket by Purl Soho

I couldn't do a free knit option without it being Purl Soho. I love their free patterns. They have a ton of blanket patterns for free, and this one caught my eye. Kinda vintage with a bold chevron design. It's worked up in aran weight; they recommend 2 strands of DK held together, but you could use any aran weight yarn. This one would make another great stashbuster.