SaveA newborn blanket has requirements a normal blanket does not. It will be washed constantly, often at higher temperatures than you would choose. It will be near a face that cannot move away from it. And it will be handed to someone who has not slept and will not read a care label.
Part of our blankets library.
That narrows the yarn choice to machine-washable, and it rules out anything with a loose open stitch that small fingers can catch in. Everything below respects both.
No buttons, no beads, no ribbon ties and no long fringe on anything a newborn sleeps under. Nothing that can come off, and nothing more than a few centimetres long.
Simple single crochet square
Beginner12 hours
The safest possible fabric, dense and with no gaps at all. Slow and worth it for a first baby blanket.
Moss stitch baby blanket
Beginner10 hours
Two stitches alternating, easy to memorise, and the texture hides uneven tension.
Granny square blanket, 30 squares
Easy14 hours
Portable, made in pieces, and the squares are small enough that the gaps stay safe.
Shell stitch blanket
Easy12 hours
Looks intricate, is four rows repeating. Check the shell gaps are under a centimetre.
Ripple blanket
Easy13 hours
The classic zigzag in soft colours. More forgiving than it looks.
Corner to corner
Easy11 hours
Grows on the diagonal, which makes it satisfying to watch.
Waffle stitch
Easy15 hours
Deep texture and warm. Uses about a third more yarn than a flat stitch.
Chevron in three colours
Easy13 hours
Stripes that follow the zigzag. Carry the yarn rather than cutting.
Star blanket
Intermediate16 hours
Worked in the round from the centre out into a six point star.
Hexagon blanket
Easy14 hours
Motifs joined as you go, so there is no separate seaming stage.
Bobble heart blanket
Intermediate15 hours
A bobble motif forms a heart in the centre. The one people photograph.
Textured stripe
Beginner11 hours
Alternating bands of single and double crochet. Nothing to learn.
Lacy shell for summer
Easy9 hours
Open and light. For a pram in July, not for sleeping under.
Chunky quick blanket
Beginner5 hours
Bulky yarn on a 8 mm hook. The fastest here by far.
Crocodile stitch edging blanket
Intermediate16 hours
Plain body, dramatic scaled border.
Basketweave
Intermediate15 hours
Front and back post stitches woven into squares. Dense and heavy.
Rainbow stripe
Beginner12 hours
One colour per two rows, in whatever order you like.
Cloud stitch
Easy12 hours
A soft puffy texture that suits baby yarn particularly well.
Pram blanket, small
Beginner5 hours
Sixty by eighty centimetres. Finishes in a weekend.
Car seat blanket
Beginner6 hours
Shaped narrower at one end so it does not bunch under straps.
Heirloom lace
Advanced25 hours
Fine yarn, fine hook, a christening blanket rather than a daily one.
Personalised name blanket
Intermediate18 hours
A plain body with a name worked in surface slip stitch along one edge.
Sizes
| Type | Size | Worsted yarn | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lovey | 40 x 40 cm | 1 skein | 3 |
| Pram | 60 x 80 cm | 2 to 3 skeins | 5 |
| Receiving | 75 x 90 cm | 3 to 4 skeins | 10 |
| Cot | 100 x 120 cm | 6 to 7 skeins | 16 |
Yarn
Machine washable, and soft enough that you would put it against your own face. Test that literally before buying ten skeins of it.
| Fibre | Washes | Softness | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acrylic, baby weight | Machine, warm | Good | The practical default |
| Cotton | Machine, hot | Good, gets softer | Excellent for summer, heavy |
| Superwash merino | Machine, cold | Excellent | Lovely and expensive |
| Bamboo blend | Machine, cold | Excellent | Drapes beautifully, less warm |
| Untreated wool | Hand wash | Varies | Will be felted by accident. Avoid. |
Questions
What is the best yarn for a newborn blanket?
Machine-washable acrylic in a baby weight, or superwash merino if budget allows. Untreated wool will be ruined in a warm wash, which will happen.
What size should a baby blanket be?
Seventy five by ninety centimetres for a receiving blanket, or sixty by eighty for a pram.
Are open stitch patterns safe for newborns?
Keep gaps under about a centimetre. Small fingers catch in anything larger, and a lacy blanket is better as a pram cover than as bedding.
How long does a baby blanket take?
About ten hours for a receiving blanket in worsted, or five in bulky yarn.
How much yarn do I need?
Three to four standard skeins of worsted for a receiving blanket, six or seven for a cot size.
Can I add a ribbon or buttons?
Not on anything a baby sleeps under. Nothing that can detach and nothing longer than a few centimetres.