Make Any Amigurumi Pattern Into A Lovey Blanket

Need a baby gift? Take these steps to turn ANY amigurumi pattern into an adorable baby lovey. 

Finding a pattern for a crochet lovey or a crochet security blanket can be difficult. But creating the perfect baby gift can be as simple as tweaking your favorite amigurumi pattern. With a few simple steps, any stuffed animal pattern can be made into an adorable lovey blanket.

What is a Lovey?

A lovey blanket or security blanket is a small blanket with a stuffed animal attached at the middle point. Lovies are a great baby gift. They can be used as car seat blankets to cover the baby’s lap, and they give the baby something to grab and hold onto. 

Babies love to squeeze a tactile object, so why not keep it attached to their blanket? You can now tuck in the blanket around the baby and keep that beloved toy right in front where the baby can always grab a hold. 

A lovey can quickly become a baby’s favorite cuddle buddy, whether in their car seat, a bouncy seat, or a swing. 

Make A Few Changes

Unlike a standard amigurumi, baby lovies often lack safety eyes that could be a choking hazard for a baby. They are also lacking bodies (obviously) and only need simple front legs. 

The most obvious difference between some amigurumi and baby lovies is the size. For tiny amigurumi, you will need to increase the size of the head. For large ones, like Vincent, the size will need to be decreased. 

For this tutorial, I will be making a Vincent the Dragon security blanket/lovey. 

Change Size

First, don’t change any of the stitches in the pattern. 

You heard me. 

The pattern needs to stay exactly the same in order to keep proportions just like the original. 

To change the size, increase or decrease your hook size and/or your yarn size.

In the case of Vincent, his head is 7 inches long in the original pattern — a few inches too big for a baby lovey.

Most baby lovey toppers are between four and five inches in diameter, so shoot for that.

So I changed my hook size from a G(4.00mm) to an E(3.5mm). I continued to use a worsted weight yarn because it is rather forgiving with size, but in most cases, you will also need to go down a size in yarn from a worsted weight to a DK. 

For increasing size, you will have the choice to either hold two strands together of the original recommended yarn or use a yarn that is much larger. 

Again, DO NOT change the pattern! 

If you are not getting the size you want, adjust your hook further rather than trying to add or subtract stitches or rows. 

Do Away With Safety Eyes

The easiest way to do away with safety eyes on a project is to leave them off and put “sleepy eyes” in their place. 

Sleepy eyes can be as simple as a downward-facing curved line where the eyes should be. 

I prefer to add 3D sleepy eyes by making basic eyelids to sew to the face. 

Eyelid Pattern

(Count ch-3 as a dc)

Ch 4. 

Row 1: Dc 6 in the fourth ch from hook, turn. (7)

Row 2: Ch 1, 7 sc. 

Bind off, leaving a long tail for sewing. 

Attach to head along back edge (dc edge), sc row facing down. Sew the front edge of the eyelid down through the back loops only. Sew at about a 45-degree angle. The eyelid’s face should be positioned where the eyes would have been on the amigurumi.   

If the pattern calls for eyebrows, make those and attach them over the eyelids. 

Add Simple Arms

Lovey arms do not need to be complex. Often, the feet and arms of amigurumi are complex and full of curves and color changes. 

Instead of repeating these complex arms, consider creating a simple arm or wing for your lovey instead. Leave off anything that could be too complex. The more complexity, the more ends there are to risk coming out or pieces to risk pulling off. 

Keep them simple. 

Simple Arm Pattern

Ch 2. 

Rnd 1: 6 sc in second ch from hook. (6)

Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12)

Rnd 3: [Sc, inc] 6 times. (18)

Rnds 4-8: Sc evenly around. 

Rnd 9: [4 sc, dec] 3 times. (15)

Rnds 10-14: Sc evenly around. 

Rnd 15: [3 sc, dec] 3 times. (12)

Rnds 16-20: Sc evenly around.

Bind off leaving long tail for sewing. 

Stuff. 

Press last round flat before attaching to blanket. 

Attach the arms to the blanket a few rounds from the center so the last round is hidden under the head of your lovey, but still independently attached to the blanket. 

Attach the Head

Sew the completed head to your blanket in the very center, so the arms are sticking out at an angle on either side. 

Be sure to sew in a small square around the starting round of the blanket to ensure it is firmly attached. 

Keep in mind, this is where the lovey will be picked up and pulled most of the time. This attachment needs to be a good one. 

Blankets

I like the classic, vintage look of granny square blankets for lovies. Typically, a baby lovey is about 18” x 18”. They are not intended to be a full-size blanket for a baby, just a lap blanket or car seat blanket.

I use the same weight of yarn as the lovey to create the blanket, but I often go up a few hook sizes to help with drape so the blanket isn’t stiff. 

In the case of the Vincent the Dragon security blanket, I did the plushy with an E(3.50 mm) hook, but I did the blanket with an H(5.00 mm) hook. 

Classic Continuous Granny Square Pattern

Read the Granny Square Post HERE!

Ch 5, sl st in 5th ch from hook to form a ring.

Rnd 1: Ch 3, (2 dc, ch 3, 3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc, ch 3) inside the ring, sl st in top of ch-3. (4 clusters)

Rnd 2: Ch 3, (2 dc, ch 3, 3 dc) in next ch sp, ch 2, [(3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc) in next ch sp, ch 2] 3 times, sl st in top of ch-3 to join, sl st 3 times to reach ch-3 sp. (8 clusters)

Rnd 3: Ch 3, (2 dc, ch 3, 3 dc) in next ch sp, ch 2, 3 dc in next ch sp, ch 2, [(3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc) in next ch sp, ch 2, 3 dc in next ch sp, ch 2] 3 times, sl st in top of ch-3 to join, sl st 3 times to reach ch-3 sp. (12 clusters)

Rnd 4: Ch 3, (2 dc, ch 3, 3 dc) in next ch sp, ch 2, 3 dc in next ch sp, ch 2, 3 dc in next ch sp, ch 2, [(3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc) in next ch sp, ch 2, 3 dc in next ch sp, ch 3, 3 dc in next ch sp, ch 2] 3 times, sl st in top of ch-3 to join, sl st 3 times to reach ch-3 sp. (16 clusters)

Repeat pattern with [3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc] in each corner and [3 dc, ch 2] on the straight sections.

Continue until blanket measures 18” x 18” or 46 cm x 46 cm.

Modified Granny Square

Ch 5, sl st in 5th ch from hook to form a ring. 

Rnd 1: Ch 3, (2 dc, ch 3, 3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc, ch 3) inside the ring, sl st in top of ch-3. (4 clusters)

Rnd 2: Ch 3, (2 dc, ch 3, 3 dc) in ch-3 sp, skip 1, dc, skip 1, [(3 dc, ch-3, 3 dc] in ch-3 sp, skip 1, dc, skip 1] 3 times, sl st in top of ch-3 to join, sl st 3 times to reach ch-3 sp. (8 clusters, 4 dc)

Rnd 3: Ch 3, (2 dc, ch 3, 3 dc) in ch-3 sp, skip 1, dc, skip 1, 3 dc in next st, skip 1, dc, skip 1, [(3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc) in ch-3 sp, skip 1, dc, skip 1, 3 dc in next st, skip 1, dc, skip 1] 3 times, sl st in top of ch-3 to join, sl st 3 times to reach ch-3 sp. (12 clusters, 8 dc)

Repeat pattern with (3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc) in each corner, dc in center st of each 3-dc cluster and 3 dc in each dc on the straight edges. 

Get creative with your blankets! As long as it is 18” x 18”, you can use any pattern or design you like for the blanket, as well as any of your favorite borders. 

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Your sources of patterns for baby security blankets can be endless just by using these steps to create your gift. Now, every amigurumi pattern, from Vincent the Dragon to the Elephants in Love, can be made into an adorable lovey. 

Get out there, and get creative! Change up the arms into wings or flippers! Mount a jelly fish on the middle of a blankie! Let your creative juices flow!

Yarn on, 

Kati