Playful Penguin Easy Crochet Blanket

If you need an adorable gift for the newest baby in your life, this Playful Penguin Easy Crochet Blanket is the perfect pattern to make you smile. This simple blanket pattern creates a basic blanket with a playful penguin addition to one corner. The baby blanket pattern uses a variety of stitches to create a nice, rippled texture that baby will love to feel against their skin. You could pair this cute blanket with a penguin hat and bring the gift that is the hit of the shower.

Easy

Crochet HookH/8 or 5 mm hook

Yarn Weight(4) Medium Weight/Worsted Weight and Aran (16-20 stitches to 4 inches)

Crochet Gauge12 dc = 4” (10 cm); 9 rows = 4” (10 cm)

Finished Size36” x 36” (91.5 x 91.5 cm)

Materials List

RED HEART® Baby Hugs™ Medium: 5 balls 4909 Ladybug A, 1 ball each 4012 Ink B, 4001 Frosting C, and 4255 Orangie D

Note: Only a small quantity of D is needed for this project.
Susan Bates® Crochet Hook: 5mm [US H-8]
Yarn needle
stitch marker

Instructions:

Notes
Blanket is worked back and forth in turned rows with border worked in joined rounds.
To change color, work last stitch of old color to last yarn over. Yarn over with new color and draw through all loops on hook to complete stitch. Proceed with new color. Cut old color.
Penguin is worked in continuous (spiral) rounds with right side facing at all times. Do not join until instructed. Place marker for beginning of round and move marker up as each round is completed.

Blanket

With A, ch 112.

Row 1 (right side): Dc in 4th ch from hook (beginning skipped ch count as first dc) and in each ch across, turn—110 dc.
Row 2: Ch 3 (counts as first dc here and throughout), dc in next 4 sts, fpdc around next 5 sts, *dc in next 5 sts, fpdc around next 5 sts; repeat from * across, turn.
Row 3: Ch 3, dc in next 4 sts, bpdc around next 5 sts, *dc in next 5 sts, bpdc around next 5 sts; repeat from * across, turn.
Repeat Rows 2 and 3 until blanket measures 32” (81.5 cm).
Fasten off.

Border

Round 1 (right side): With right side facing, join A with sc in any st in center of last row, sc in each st across to last st, 3 sc in last st; working in ends of rows of side edge, sc evenly spaced across; working in opposite side of foundation ch, 3 sc in first ch, sc in each ch across to last ch, 3 sc in last ch; working in ends of rows of other edge, sc evenly spaced across, 3 sc in first st of last row, sc in each remaining st across; join with slip st in first sc—four 3-sc corners.
Round 2: Ch 1, sc in each st around, working 3 sc in center st of each 3-sc corner; join with slip st in first sc; change to B.
Round 3: Repeat Round 2; change to C
Rounds 4 and 5: Repeat Round 2; do not change color.
Fasten off.

Penguin

With B, ch 5.

Round 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in next 2 ch, 3 sc in last ch; working on opposite side of foundation ch, skip first ch, sc in next 2 ch, 2 sc in last ch—10 sc. Place marker for beginning of round and move marker up as each round is completed.
Round 2: Work 2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next 3 sts, sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next 2 sts—16 sc.
Round 3: *Sc in next st, 2 sc in next st*, sc in next 2 sts; repeat from * to * 3 times, sc in next 2 sts; repeat from * to * twice—22 sc.
Round 4: *Sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st*, sc in next 2 sts; repeat from * to * 3 times, sc in next 2 sts; repeat from * to * twice—28 sc.
Round 5: *Sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st*, sc in next 2 sts; repeat from * to * 3 times, sc in next 2 sts; repeat from * to * twice—34 sc.
Round 6: *Sc in next 4 sts, 2 sc in next st*, sc in next 2 sts; repeat from * to * 3 times, sc in next 2 sts; repeat from * to * twice—40 sc.
Round 7: *Sc in next 5 sts, 2 sc in next st*, sc in next 2 sts; repeat from * to * 3 times, sc in next 2 sts; repeat from * to * twice; join with slip st in first sc—46 sc.
Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
Head and Belly
With C, work same as Rounds 1–6 of body; at end of Round 6, join with slip st in first sc. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
Wing (make 2)
With B, ch 2. Round 1: Work 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook; join with slip st in first sc—6 sc. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
Foot (make 2)
Work same as Wing.

Finishing

Refer to photograph for placement of pieces.

With ending tails, sew head and belly, wings, and feet to body.
With B, embroider eyes with short straight stitches.
With C and straight stitches, embroider triangular beak between eyes.
Sew penguin to lower right corner of blanket or where desired.
Weave in ends.

Abbreviations

Bpdc (back post double crochet): Yarn over, insert hook from back side of work to front and to back again around the post of indicated stitch; yarn over and pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), yarn over and draw through 2 loops (2 loops on hook), yarn over and draw through 2 loops (1 loop on hook). Skip the stitch “in front of” the Bpdc.

Fpdc (front post double crochet): Yarn over, insert hook from front side of work to back and to front again around post of indicated stitch; yarn over and pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), yarn over and draw through 2 loops (2 loops on hook), yarn over and draw through 2 loops (1 loop on hook).

Join with sc: Place a slip knot on hook, insert hook in indicated stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop, yarn over and draw through both loops on hook.

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