XO Blanket: A Free Granny Square Baby Blanket Pattern
Stand out at the baby shower when you present the mom-to-be with this stunning XO Blanket, a FREE crochet granny square blanket pattern made with TL Yarn Crafts x Hobbii’s Happy Place yarn.
I’ve fully immersed myself in my “Best Auntie Ever” era. I’ve been making baby blankets for over a decade for my 3 nieces and nephews, and plenty more for the kiddos from close friends. There’s no better way to combine my love of crochet with the special occasion of a new baby on the way. The XO Blanket is my first baby blanket made with my own yarn, Happy Place. And now, you can replicate this timeless afghan using the free crochet pattern below!
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Pin It Now, Make It Later!
Make the XO Blanket
- FREE PATTERN: Keep scrolling for the FREE version of the XO Blanket
- PRINTABLE PDF: Get a printer-friendly, ad-free PDF version of the XO Blanket from Ravelry or TLYarnCrafts.com
- HAPPY PLACE YARN: Find Happy Place Solid and Happy Place Melange on the Hobbii website
Beginner Granny Square Baby Blanket
Granny squares are a timeless classic when it comes to crochet. They’re easy for beginners to learn, they allow you to explore color palettes, and you can make just about anything with them. When my Instagram timeline was flooded with nine-patch quilt blocks, I was bitten by the inspiration bug. What if I reimagined these nine little squares into a crochet masterpiece?
That one spark of inspiration nudged me toward my giant stash of Happy Place, a wool/cotton blend yarn I developed in collaboration with Hobbii. Happy Place works up beautifully in granny squares and compliments the playfulness of the XO Blanket pattern. With one granny square baby blanket pattern, you can practice making and joining granny squares, adding a border, and executing vital finishing steps to bring it all together.
The Best Yarn for Your Granny Square Baby Blanket
Finding the right yarn for that special baby blanket just got a little easier – Meet Happy Place! Hobbii’s Happy Place yarn is a thoughtful blend of wool and cotton – 50% of each fiber, to be exact. Wool brings it’s warmth and breathability to the table, while cotton brings durability and softness. This combination of natural fibers caresses baby’s sensitive skin, ensuring they’ll love their blanket for years to come.
The XO Blanket gets its character from the color combination you pick. I chose from the Melange palette of Happy Place, which offers 20 heathered shades that are perfect for spring and summer. Start with a main color – typically a neutral that matches well with several other colors. Then, have some fun creating a 4-color palette. I went with Lollipop (hot pink), Pumpkin (juicy orange), Aubergine (deep purple), and Ochre (warm yellow). The final effect is exuberant and bold, with high-contrast colors to add some energy to baby’s nursery.
Picking color palettes can be tricky. If you’re looking for the perfect combination of colors in Happy Place for your granny square baby blanket, try one of these combinations:
SHOP THESE PALETTES! All shades are from the Happy Place Melange collection.
- Playground Palette: Hunter Green, Petrol, Ochre, and Red Delicious
- Seaside Palette: Aqua, Blueberry, Pumpkin, and Maple Syrup
- Princess Palette: Lollipop, Blossom, Maple Syrup, Pumpkin
- Adventurer Palette: Blueberry, Petrol, Cinnamon, and Hunter Green
Make the XO Blanket
- FREE PATTERN: Keep scrolling for the FREE version of the XO Blanket
- PRINTABLE PDF: Get a printer-friendly, ad-free PDF version of the XO Blanket from Ravelry or TLYarnCrafts.com
- HAPPY PLACE YARN: Find Happy Place Solid and Happy Place Melange on the Hobbii website
XO Blanket Details
DESCRIPTION
Inspired by the classically chic Nine-Patch quilting block, the XO Blanket brings a touch of whimsy to your nursery décor. Wool and cotton blend yarn play nicely on your little one’s sensitive skin, keeping them cool, dry, and happy during tummy time. Generously sized for growing babies, the XO Blanket is a practical and cherished gift to be loved by generations.
MATERIALS
- Hobbii Happy Place Melange yarn. Blanket uses 4 skeins of the main color Sand (MC), and 1 skein each of the accent colors Lollipop (A), Pumpkin (B), Aubergine (C), and Ochre (D). Note – This pattern uses nearly every yard allotted for the Main Color (MC) and the color used for the Border Round 2. Consider getting an extra skein of these colors to ensure you have enough.
- 5mm crochet hook (like this one!)
- Scissors
- Tapestry needle
- Blocking supplies (learn more about blocking your projects in this post)
FINISHED SIZE
41″ x 41″, including the border
GAUGE
One square is approximately 3″ when measured across the center, unblocked
ABBREVIATIONS
Ch = chain
Dc – double crochet
Fan = fan (see Special Stitch)
MC = main color
MR = magic ring
Rep = repeat
Sk = skip
Sl St = slip stitch
Sp(s) = space(s)
St(s) = stitch(es)
Tch = turning chain
SPECIAL STITCH
Fan (fan): [(dc, ch 1) 4 times, dc] in the same space
NOTES
-Starting ch-3 counts as first dc of the round.
-This pattern results in a lot of ends – consider weaving them in as you go.
-Portions of this pattern are written in crochet shorthand. For example, 2dc means to place 2 double crochet stitches in the same stitch or space.
XO Blanket Pattern
Need to brush up on your granny square skills? Here’s my foolproof tutorial to help you master these little motifs:
Granny Square Pattern
ROUND 1: In MR, [Ch 3, dc 2, ch 1, (3dc, ch 1) 3 times], close ring, join with a sl st in top of tch.
ROUND 2: Ch 3, 2dc in sp at base of ch, [sk next 3 dc, (3dc, ch 1, 3dc) in the next ch-1 sp] 3 times, sk next 3 dc, (3dc, ch 1) in last ch-1 sp, join with a sl st in top of tch.
ROUND 3: Ch 3, 2dc in sp at base of ch, 3dc in sp after next 3dc group, [(3dc, ch 1, 3dc) in next ch-1 sp, 3dc in sp after next 3dc group] 3 times, (3dc, ch 1) in last ch-1 sp, join with a sl st in top of tch. Fasten off.
Blanket Assembly
STEP 1: Create 16 9-square blocks as shown in the diagram below. Use the join-as-you-go method to join squares to one another (tutorial).
STEP 2: Add a border to each 9-square block as follows –
- With MC, join with a standing double crochet (tutorial) in the ch-1 sp of any corner, dc in each st and ch-1 sp to the next corner, [(dc, ch 1, dc) in the corner, dc in each st and sp to next corner] around to last corner, dc in last corner, ch 1, sl st in top of starting dc. Fasten off.
STEP 3: Arrange blocks based on the diagram below. With MC, join the blocks using a slip stitch (tutorial) through the inside loops only.
Proceed to Border.
Border
NOTE: You will have an equal amount of each accent color left. Choose the colors you prefer for each round of the border. Pattern is written for the original colors used in the sample.
ROUND 1: With D, join with a standing single crochet (tutorial) in the ch-1 sp of any of the 4 blanket corners, *(ch 4, sk 2 sts, sc in next st) to last 3 sts before next blanket corner, ch 4, sk 1, sc in next st, ch 4, sk 1**, (sc, ch 1, sc) in corner ch-1 sp; rep from * around, ending last rep at **, sc in last corner ch-1 sp, ch 1, join with a sl st in first sc of the round. Fasten off D.
ROUND 2: With B, join with a standing single crochet in the ch-1 sp of any corner, ch 1, *(fan in next ch-4 sp, sc in following ch-4 sp) to last ch-4 sp before corner, fan in the next ch-4 sp, ch 1**, sc in corner ch-1 sp, ch 1; rep from * around, ending last rep at **, join with a sl st in the first sc of the round. Fasten off B.
Finishing
- Weave in all remaining ends.
- Steam block to final dimensions.
Before you know it, your XO Blanket is all done! Granny squares are like addictive pieces of candy I can’t get enough of, so I zoomed through my blanket. I hope you enjoyed seeing each motif fall into place while crocheting your granny square baby blanket.
Be sure to share your project with me on Instagram by tagging @TLYarnCrafts – I can’t wait to see your outstanding blanket. Then pop over to the Yarn Hive Community and show off there, too! Let us hype you up for your next crochet project.
Try these other baby blanket favorites:
Pilson Blanket (FREE PATTERN) // Daphne Afghan (FREE PATTERN) // Gumball Afghan (FREE PATTERN)
