Blanketscrochet duck baby blanket

Crochet Duck Baby Blanket

October 5, 202612 min read

Free pattern · Step by stepJump to the crochet steps

Crochet duck baby blanket pattern: a soft baby blue crochet blanket in rows of V-stitch with a white single crochet border, draped over the arm and seat of a cream bouclé nursery armchair, with a large yellow duck and two little yellow ducklings with orange beaks and pink cheeks walking in a row along the bottom edge, next to a beige knit cushion and a blush pink vase

This free crochet duck baby blanket pattern makes a soft blue blanket in easy V-stitch rows, with a white border and a little parade of yellow ducks in one corner. It's a one-row repeat, so it's relaxing to make and very hard to get wrong. You need DK yarn, a 4 mm hook, and about 650 yards for the pram size.

Key Takeaways

One row repeat: a V-stitch (dc, ch 1, dc) in every V of the row below.

Two sizes: pram 24 × 30 in and crib 30 × 36 in.

Five rounds of white sc make a neat, flat border.

Three duck appliqués, a mama and two ducklings, with embroidered eyes and beaks.

Why I love this blanket

A baby blanket is the gift that gets used every single day: in the pram, on the play mat, over the knees in the car seat. The V-stitch makes a light, soft fabric that drapes beautifully and still feels cozy. The little holes let it breathe, and the rows grow fast.

The ducks are the part everyone notices. They're small flat pieces, sewn on along the bottom edge, so they don't get in the way when you fold the blanket over. A mama duck leads the way and two ducklings follow her.

Would the blanket be lovely without them? Of course. But a row of ducks turns it into the blanket the family keeps.

Skill level. Easy. You need ch, sc, dc, a magic ring, increases in the round and some simple sewing and embroidery.

What you'll need

Yarn: DK #3 baby yarn, such as Stylecraft Special DK or Paintbox Yarns Simply DK (both soft acrylic, machine washable), or a DK cotton blend.

Color	Used for	Pram	Crib
Baby blue	Blanket body	480–560 yd	750–850 yd
White	Border	130–150 yd	160–190 yd
Lemon yellow	Ducks	about 15 yd	about 15 yd
Orange, pink, dark grey	Beaks, cheeks, eyes	a few yards each	a few yards each

I worked those amounts out from the stitch counts, with a margin. The pram size takes about two 100 g balls of blue, and the crib size about three. Buy all the blue from the same dye lot.

Hook and notions

4 mm (US G-6) hook.
4 stitch markers.
A tapestry needle and scissors.
Pins, for placing the ducks.

Sizes and gauge

Size	Body (before border)	Finished	Foundation chain	V-stitches per row	Rows
Pram	22 × 28 in	24 × 30 in (61 × 76 cm)	ch 136	44	63
Crib	28 × 34 in	30 × 36 in (76 × 91 cm)	ch 172	56	77

The pattern is written for the pram size, with the crib size in parentheses.

Gauge: 8 V-stitches and 9 rows = 4 in (10 cm) in V-stitch with a 4 mm hook. Gauge changes the size, not the look. If you'd like a different size, chain 3 × the number of V-stitches + 4, and work rows until the blanket is about 2 in shorter than you want. The border adds about 1 in all around.

Abbreviations (US crochet terms)

ch = chain
sl st = slip stitch
sc = single crochet
hdc = half double crochet
dc = double crochet
V-st = V-stitch: (dc, ch 1, dc) in the same stitch or space
sp = space
inc = 2 sc in the same stitch
MR = magic ring
st(s) = stitch(es)
rnd(s) = round(s)

UK crocheters: this pattern uses US terms. US single crochet = UK double crochet, and US double crochet = UK treble crochet.

The pattern — step by step

Part 1 — The blanket body

With blue.

Foundation: Ch 136 (172).

Row 1: V-st in the 5th ch from the hook. *Skip 2 ch, V-st in the next ch. Repeat from * to the last 2 ch. Skip 1 ch, dc in the last ch. (44, 56 V-sts, plus 1 dc at each end)

The 4 skipped chains at the start count as the first dc.

Row 2: Ch 3 (counts as a dc), turn. V-st in the ch-1 sp of each V-st across. Dc in the top of the turning ch. (44, 56 V-sts)

Repeat Row 2 until the blanket has 63 (77) rows, or measures about 28 (34) in from the foundation chain. Don't fasten off at the end of the last row: the border starts here.

Each new V sits right in the middle of the V below it, so the stitches line up in neat little columns. If a row ends with a V too many or too few, you've missed a space. Count the Vs every few rows.

Step 1 of the crochet duck baby blanket pattern: a blue foundation chain on a 4 mm hook, the first row of V-stitches, a close-up of a V-stitch worked into the chain space of the V below, the turning chain at the start of a row, the blanket body growing in neat rows of V-stitch, and the finished blue body laid flat

Part 2 — The white border

Change to white on the last yarn over of the last row. The border is worked in joined rounds. Ch 1 at the start of a round doesn't count as a stitch.

Rnd 1: Ch 1, turn. Work along the top edge: 3 sc in the first st (a corner), sc in each dc and each ch-1 sp across, and 3 sc in the last st (the next corner). Rotate and work down the side: 2 sc in each row end. At the next corner, 3 sc in the first ch of the foundation. Along the bottom: sc in each ch across, with 3 sc in the last ch. Up the last side: 2 sc in each row end. Sl st to the first sc. (about 530, 658 sc)

Put a marker in the center sc of each 3-sc corner. Move the markers up every round.

Rnds 2–5: Ch 1, sc in each st around, with 3 sc in each marked corner st. Sl st to the first sc. (8 sts more each round)

Fasten off and weave in the ends. The border is about 1 in (2.5 cm) wide.

Is the border flat? If the sides ruffle, you have too many stitches: work 3 sc in every 2 row ends instead of 2 sc in each. If the sides pull in, add a few more. The exact count doesn't matter, but the edge should lie flat.

Step 2 of the crochet duck baby blanket pattern: white yarn joined at the end of the last blue row, the first white round of single crochet along the top, two single crochet worked into each row end down the side, a three-stitch corner with a stitch marker, the border growing to five rounds, and the finished white border lying flat

Part 3 — The ducks

Make 1 large duck and 2 small ducks, in yellow. Each one has a body, a head and a wing. Work the rounds in a spiral, without joining, and move a marker up each round.

Large duck body.

Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc in the ring. (6)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12)
Rnd 3: [Sc, inc] 6 times. (18)
Rnd 4: [Sc 2, inc] 6 times. (24)
Rnd 5 (tail): Sc in the next 19 sts. In the next st: (hdc, dc, ch 2, sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook, dc, hdc). Sc in the last 4 sts. Sl st in the next st. (27 sts and a little picot at the tail)

Fasten off, leaving a 16-in (40 cm) tail for sewing.

Large duck head.

Rnds 1–3: Work as Rnds 1–3 of the body. (18) Sl st in the next st.

Fasten off, leaving a 12-in (30 cm) tail.

Large duck wing.

Ch 4. Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook, hdc in the next ch, 5 dc in the last ch. Working along the other side of the chain: hdc in the next ch, sc in the next ch. Sl st to the first sc. (a small teardrop)

Fasten off, leaving an 8-in (20 cm) tail.

Small duck body (make 2).

Rnds 1–3: Work as Rnds 1–3 of the large body. (18)
Rnd 4 (tail): Sc in the next 14 sts. In the next st: (hdc, dc, ch 2, sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook, dc, hdc). Sc in the last 3 sts. Sl st in the next st. (21 sts and a picot)

Fasten off, leaving a 12-in (30 cm) tail.

Small duck head (make 2).

Rnds 1–2: Work as Rnds 1–2 of the large body. (12) Sl st in the next st.

Fasten off, leaving a 10-in (25 cm) tail.

Small duck wing (make 2).

Ch 3. Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook, 5 hdc in the last ch. Working along the other side of the chain: sc in the next ch. Sl st to the first sc.

Fasten off, leaving an 8-in (20 cm) tail.

Put the ducks together.

Lay each head so it overlaps the top of its body a little, on the side opposite the tail. Sew it on with small whipstitches around the overlap.
Sew the wing in the middle of the body, with the pointed end toward the tail.
With orange, embroider a small triangle beak at the front of the head with a few satin stitches.
With dark grey, make the eye with 2 or 3 small stitches in the same place, above the beak.
With pink, make the cheek with 2 short stitches under the eye.

Sew the ducks on. Lay the blanket flat, right side up. Pin the ducks in a row along the bottom edge, about 1 in (2.5 cm) above the white border, all facing the same way: the large duck first, then the two ducklings. Sew all around the edge of each duck with small, close stitches through the blanket, then go around the head and wing once more. Weave the ends in on the back.

Step 3 of the crochet duck baby blanket pattern: a yellow magic ring for the duck body, the round body with its pointed tail, the head and the teardrop wing, the head and wing sewn on with an embroidered orange beak, dark eye and pink cheek, the three ducks pinned along the bottom of the blanket, and the finished crochet duck baby blanket with its white border

Safety and care. For babies under 12 months, safe-sleep advice from the American Academy of Pediatrics is to keep the crib bare: no blankets, pillows or soft toys. Use this blanket for supervised time, such as in the pram, on the play mat or for cuddles, and not for sleep. The ducks have no buttons or safety eyes, but check that they're firmly sewn every time you wash the blanket. Machine wash the acrylic on a gentle cool cycle and dry flat.

Make it yours — quick variations

Variation	Change from base pattern
Mint and ducks	Work the body in mint green and keep the white border and yellow ducks.
Striped	Change color every 4 rows, for example blue and white, and keep the border white.
Duck parade	Sew 5 ducks all along the bottom edge: 1 large and 4 small.
Personalized	Embroider the baby's name above the ducks in chain stitch with white or yellow yarn.

Troubleshooting

The blanket is getting narrower

You're missing the last dc of the row, in the top of the turning chain. Without it, the row loses its edge stitch. Count the Vs every few rows and check that each row ends with a dc.

The edges are wavy

The turning chain is too loose or too tight. Ch 3 should be the same height as a dc. If it's loose, try ch 2 plus a dc instead, or keep a little more tension on the yarn as you chain.

The ducks pucker the blanket

They're sewn too tightly. Sew with the blanket flat on a table, and don't pull each stitch tight. Small, close stitches hold better than a few tight ones.

The duck looks lumpy

Rounds worked in a spiral make the circle a little uneven. Give the ducks a light steam (don't touch the iron to acrylic yarn), and pat them flat before you sew them on.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the crochet duck baby blanket take? A few weekends for the pram size. The V-stitch grows fast because it's mostly double crochet. Each duck takes about 20 minutes, plus the sewing.

How much yarn do I need? For the pram size, about 480–560 yd of blue and 130–150 yd of white DK. For the crib size, about 750–850 yd of blue and 160–190 yd of white. The ducks need about 15 yd of yellow.

Can I use worsted yarn instead of DK? Yes. Worsted makes a thicker, bigger blanket. Use a 5 mm hook and fewer V-stitches. Work the foundation as 3 × the number of Vs + 4, and measure as you go.

Can my baby sleep with this blanket? Not under 12 months. The AAP advises keeping soft bedding out of the crib, so use the blanket for supervised time: in the pram, on the play mat or for cuddles.

Can I sell blankets made from this pattern? Yes, you're welcome to sell finished blankets made from this free pattern at markets, on Etsy or as gifts. Please credit "Pattern by Wavode" in your listing and link back to this page. What you can't do is republish this write-up or my photos as your own pattern.