Easy Crochet Baby Blanket Pattern

Styled for the photo only: for babies under 12 months, keep blankets out of the sleep space.

The easiest free crochet baby blanket pattern for beginners uses one repeating row of the moss stitch worked in chunky #5 yarn on an 8 mm hook. You chain an even number, alternate single crochet and chain-one across every row, and stop when the blanket measures 30 × 35 inches. Most beginners finish in 8–10 hours of stitching — a full weekend.

Pattern at a glance

• Stitch: moss stitch (single crochet + chain-1 alternating), also called linen stitch.
• Yarn: chunky #5 weight, about 700 yards total.
• Hook: 8 mm (US L-11).
• Gauge: 12 stitches = 4 in (10 cm), counting each single crochet and each chain-1 as one stitch.
• Foundation: chain 92 for a 30-inch-wide blanket.
• Row 1: single crochet in 4th chain from hook, then chain 1, skip 1 chain, single crochet in next chain across.
• Every row after: chain 2, single crochet in each chain-1 space with a chain 1 between, ending in the turning-chain space.
• Finished size: 30 × 35 inches (76 × 89 cm).
• Time to complete: 8–10 hours over one weekend.
• Skill level: absolute beginner — no counting after row 2.

Key takeaways

• One-row repeat — after row 2, you never count again.
• ~700 yards of chunky (#5) yarn and an 8 mm (US L-11) hook.
• Finished size 30 × 35 in — fits a car seat, stroller, or play mat.
• Works up in a weekend — no counting after row 2.

Why moss stitch is the perfect first blanket

Moss stitch has a two-stitch memory: single crochet, chain one, single crochet, chain one. That's the whole song. Chunky yarn makes every stitch big enough to see, so you spot a mistake before it compounds — a huge advantage on your first blanket. The texture also hides tension inconsistencies, so uneven early rows blend in by the time you finish.

I taught my niece this exact pattern last spring. She'd never held a hook on Saturday morning. She finished the blanket by Sunday night. That's the honest bar for "beginner-friendly."

What you'll need

Yarn (chunky #5 weight, roughly 700 yd / 640 m total)

• Any soft, machine-washable chunky yarn with a 5 on the label. Check the number: many "baby blanket" yarns are super bulky #6, which will make a bigger, heavier blanket with these stitch counts.
• Choose an OEKO-TEX certified yarn — it has been tested for harmful substances, which matters for anything that touches baby's skin.

Hook

• 8 mm (US size L-11). A tapered handle helps with chunky yarn — I use a Clover Amour.

Other

• Scissors and a tapestry needle with a large eye for weaving in ends.
• Optional: stitch markers (you probably won't need them).

The pattern (US crochet terms)

Step 1 — Foundation chain

Foundation: Chain 92. Moss stitch always needs an even number of chains. (For a larger throw blanket, chain any even number between 112 and 142.)

Row 1: Single crochet in the 4th chain from hook. Chain 1, skip one chain, single crochet in the next chain. Repeat across. You should end with a single crochet in the last chain. Turn.

The three chains you skipped at the start act as the first chain-1 space and the edge.

Step 2 — The one row you repeat forever

Row 2 and every row after: Chain 2. Single crochet in the first chain-1 space. Chain 1, skip the next single crochet, single crochet in the next chain-1 space. Repeat across, working the last single crochet into the space under the turning chain at the end of the row. Turn.

Every row now starts and ends the same way: chain 2 at the start, single crochet into the turning-chain space at the end.

Continue until the blanket measures 35 inches from the foundation edge. Fasten off and weave in your two ends.

That's the whole pattern. You will refer back to Row 2 the most.

How long does an easy crochet baby blanket take?

A confident beginner finishes this pattern in 8–10 hours of stitching, spread across two evenings and a Sunday morning. Chunky yarn doubles your speed compared to worsted weight — every stitch covers more ground. If you crochet for 90 minutes a night, you're finished before the next weekend.

How much yarn do I really need?

Plan for 700 yards for the 30 × 35 in size. Buy one extra skein — running out mid-blanket and finding a matching dye lot online is the fastest way to abandon the project. Any leftovers become the matching hat.

Finishing touches that make it look handmade

Weave ends into the same row you finished on — the moss-stitch texture hides the tail perfectly. Skip a border on your first blanket. A single round of single crochet around all four sides looks tidy if you want one, but the raw moss-stitch edge already lies flat.

What size crochet baby blanket should I make?

The three baby-blanket sizes worth knowing, at the gauge above:

• Lovey (14 × 14 in) — grabbing size, chain 44.
• Car-seat / stroller (30 × 35 in) — the one in this pattern, chain 92.
• Crib (36 × 52 in) — chain 110, work until 52 in long.

For your first blanket, the 30 × 35 size is the sweet spot — big enough to feel like a real gift, small enough to actually finish.