Crochet Hooded Baby Blanket - Free Charity Pattern

This crochet hooded baby blanket pattern makes an easy and inexpensive project to crochet for children's charities. The oversized hood and playful tassels will give any kid a safe, warm place to escape to. 

 This hooded baby blanket pattern is a collaboration with my friends at Lion Brand Yarn. This post contains affiliate links.

Cozy. Safe. Carefree. All babies and kids deserve to feel this way. So when Lion Brand Yarn invited me to join in their Yarn Heroes charity project, I knew a crochet hooded baby blanket would make a wonderful project for kids that need a little extra love or security in their lives.

Now let me introduce to you the maker behind this blanket...

Enter: Miss Make & Do! She's a super hero! She's a crocheter! She's a slightly odd woman who wrapped herself in a pom pom rug and took hilarious photos with her husband and daughter "creative directing" the shoot.

During this season of thoughtfulness, Lion Brand is helping to encourage all knit and crochet lovers to use their creativity to help others with some charitable crafting. I've teamed up with 14 of my favorite crochet and knit bloggers for a month of benevolent stitching. We've got a whole lot of free patterns and free yarn for you in the coming weeks!

Learn more about how Lion Brand is creating a more giving world by crafting for a good cause on LionBrand.com and see each Yarn Hero's free pattern on Lion Brand's blog, The Notebook.

In the coming weeks, I'll share which charity I'll be donating my hooded blanket to and tell you how you can contribute too. Plus, I'm going to have some free yarn coming at you next week!

In the mean time, feel free to get started on this quick and gratifying blanket pattern and use the hashtag #yarnheroes on social media so we can follow along!

My "Granny Gives Back" crochet hooded baby blanket pattern is based on a basic granny square with a modern twist--tassels! Well, these tassels or more like pom pom tassels (pom-sels?) because they're pretty fluffy, but I think that they're a fun accent for little fingers to play with.

The pattern included two sizes: newborn - 6 months and 6 months - child. The hood is intended to be oversized on both, but I wanted to give you a slightly less bulky option if the afghan you're making is intended for a very young baby. The hooded blanket pictured is the 6 months - child size.

The entire afghan can be made with less than one skein of Lion Brand Pound of Love and one skein of Vanna's Choice. My hope is that this makes it an economical gift for charity crocheting. Perhaps you'll even make a few?! I know you all are a generous bunch! The blanket can be easily customized for a boy or girl or remain gender neutral based on the colors you choose.

And to make your charitable crocheting even more doable, Lion Brand is offering $5 off for every purchase at or above $20 until December 15th on LionBrand.com! Just use the code YARNHEROES2016 at checkout. Show your "moral fiber" and go big!

Please do not publish or share this pattern as your own. You may make items to sell or donate with this pattern. In exchange, please link back to this post. View my policies for more info. Do NOT use my photos as your own sales photos. ­­Now go make something awesome!

Related: 40+ Best Crochet Crochet Stitches for Blankets

“Granny Gives Back” Hooded Baby Blanket

Purchase the printable, ad-free PDF here.
Add this pattern to your Ravelry favorites here.

Finished Measurements:
Newborn – 6 months size: approx. 25 x 25 inches
6 months – child size: approx. 35 x 35 inches

Supplies:
So you can spend more time making blankets and less time shopping, this pattern contains affiliate links at no extra cost to you.
• (1) Lion Brand Pound of Love in Oxford Grey – approx. 850 yards (MC)
• (1) Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice in Rose Shocking – approx. 130 yards (BC)
• Tapestry needle
• Size J/10 [6.0 mm] crochet hook (I really like this affordable set!)
• 4 inch x 7 inch piece of cardboard
• Sharp scissors
• Stitch markers/safety pins

Gauge:
3 granny clusters + 3 spaces = 4 inches (horizontally)
4 granny rows + 3 spaces = 4 inches (vertically)

Abbreviations:
MC – main color
BC – border color
sc – single crochet
sk – skip
sl st – slip stich
dc – double crochet
RS – right side
WS – wrong side
ch – chain
Approx. – approximately

Blanket (all sizes)

Notes:
Do not turn at end of rounds, but continue with RS always facing you.

Base ring: Using MC, ch 4 and join with a sl st to first ch to form a ring.

Round 1 (RS): Ch 5 (counts as 2-ch sp and 1 dc), [3 dc in ring, ch 2] 3 times, 2 dc in ring, join with a sl st to top of third ch from beginning of round.

Round 2: Sl st into first 2-ch sp, ch 5 (counts as 2-ch sp and 1 dc), [3 dc in same 2-ch sp], *ch 1, [3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc] in next 2-ch sp, repeat from * twice more, ch 1, 2 dc in sl st from beginning of round, join with a sl st to top of third ch from beginning of round. 

Round 3: Sl st into first 2-ch sp, ch 5 (counts as 2-ch sp and 1 dc), [3 dc in same 2-ch sp], *[ch 1, 3 dc] in next 1-ch sp, ch 1, [3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc] in next 2-ch sp, repeat from * twice more, ch 1, 2 dc in sl st from beginning of round, join with a sl st to top of third ch from beginning of round.

(Newborn – 6 months)
Repeat Row 4 until hood measures 6 inches from initial round to top point (approx. 8 rows total).

(6 months – child)
Repeat Row 4 until hood measures 11 inches from initial round to top point (approx. 13 rows total).

 

Border

Notes:
While crocheting border stitches, work over tails from fastening off blanket and hood to avoid weaving them in.

With WS of blanket and WS of hood facing, line up one corner of the blanket with the hood. Use stitch markers or safety pins to secure pieces together. (See photo A.) Keep RS of hood facing you to work the border. Using BC, make a slip knot around your crochet hook, enter hook through 2-ch sp at top of hood, pull yarn through 2-ch sp and through slip knot to join yarn to hood.

Border Round: Ch 1, sc in each st including 1-ch sps. 2 sc in each 2-ch sps at corners. Join with a sl st to first sc of round. Fasten off.

Repeat slip knot process to attach yarn to bottom right corner of hood. 3 sc in each dc along bottom edge of hood. Join with a sl st to border on left side of hood. Fasten off.
 

Finishing

To make a tassel:
Watch this :60 video see exactly how I made my tassels or read the written instructions below.

Using BC, lay a 15 inch piece of yarn parallel to the 7 inch edge of your cardboard piece. Working perpendicularly to that piece of yarn, wrap yarn around cardboard approx. 50 times. Tie the 15 inch piece of yarn around the 50 strands of yarn and secure with several knots. At opposite edge of cardboard from the gathered wrap, cut all fifty strands of yarn. Fold strands in half into a tassel, with gathered wrap at top. Approx. ½ inch below gathered wrap, wrap a new piece of yarn around the tassel and secure with several knots. Thread tapestry needle using what’s left of the original 15 inch length of yarn and sew tassel into 2-ch sp of blanket corner, taking care to wrap yarn through tassel and 2-ch space several times and securing well with a few knots. Make 4 tassels. Weave in any remaining ends.

Pop this cozy cloak on the nearest kid—you’ve just made their world a whole lot warmer, comfier and more yarn-tastic!

Thanks so much to Lion Brand Yarn for providing the awesome yarn for this project. I'm so proud to be part of this generous and creative group of bloggers. Be sure to check out my fellow yarn heroes for more inspiration. 

Moogly • Mama In A Stitch • All About Ami • One Dog Woof • Sewrella • Delia Creates

Underground Crafter • Sh*t That I Knit • Kristy Glass • Two of Wands • Twinky Chan

A Crocheted Simplicity • Little Red Window • B-Hooked Crochet

I love to see your finished projects! Use #MakeAndDoCrew and #yarnheroes and tag me Instagram (@MakeAndDoCrew) to show off your stitches and have a chance to be featured.