How to Crochet a Lovey

Would you like to know how to crochet a lovey? These lovey toys are perfect gifts for babies and toddlers especially when it is handmade with love for the child.

These toys combine a small blanket (10 pointed granny) and arms and a head crocheted using amigurumi techniques. The fox lovey pictured above was made using 100% premium acrylic. It is soft to the touch and has a beautiful colours that will not fade or stain with washing.

The head is filled using a polyester fill (hypoallergenic).

This particular lovey has safety eyes and a safety nose, all of which are securely fixed. If you are worried about choking hazards, you can embroider or crochet the eyes and nose instead.

This type of toy can be made using acrylic, cotton or polyester yarn.  I used 8 ply acrylic yarn for mine. The blanket is made using 4 Seasons Printed Marvel 8 Ply Yarn from Spotlight and 4 Seasons Marvel 8 Ply Yarn in White, and Peach.  The fox toy also has black yarn, polyester fill, a pair of safety eyes and a safety nose.

The hooks I used were a 4.00mm for the blanket and a 3.50mm hook for the head and arms. 

The pattern I used for the head was adapted from one I had purchased from ©YarnWave.  The head is straight out of her Lucy the Fox amigurumi pattern and the arms are similar but I reduced the number of rounds for the paws and made the arms slightly longer.  If you are looking for easy to follow patterns for amigurumi toys, this designer is a great choice.

The stitches/techniques you need to master to complete this or a similar lovey include:

• magic ring
• single crochet (us)
• half double crochet (us)
• double crochet (us)
• slip stitches
• chain stitches

How to Crochet a Lovey 10 Point Blanket Base

Working in rounds. Using 4.00 mm crochet hook and 8 ply yarn.

Make a magic ring:

Round 1: ch2 (counts as 1 st), 9hdc in magic ring, sl st on top of ch2 (10)

Round 2: ch2 (counts as 1 st), dc in same st you sl st, 2dc in next 9 sts, sl st on top of ch2 (20)

Round 3: ch3 (counts as 1 st), 2dc in same st you sl st, sk next st, *3dc in next st, sk next st* repeat from * to * 8 more times, sl st on top of ch3 (30)

Round 4: sl st in next 2 sts, sl st in between dc sp, ch3 (counts as 1 st), dc, ch2, 2dc in between dc sp, sk next 3 sts, *2dc, ch2, 2dc in between dc sp, sk next 3 sts* repeat from * to * 8 more times, sl st on top of ch3 (40)

Round 5: sl st in next st, ch3 (counts as 1 st), 2dc, ch2, 2dc in next ch2 sp, dc in next st, sk next 2 sts, *dc in next st, 2dc, ch2, 2hdc in next ch2 sp, dc in next st, sk next 2 sts* repeat from * to * 8 more times, sl st on top of ch3 (60)

Round 6: sl st in next st, ch3 (counts as 1 st), dc in next st, 2dc, ch2, 2dc in next ch2 sp, dc in next 2 sts, sk next 2 sts, *dc in next 2 sts, 2dc, ch2, 2dc in next ch2 sp, dc in next 2 sts, sk next 2 sts* repeat from * to * 8 more times, sl st on top of ch2 (80)

Round 7: sl st in next st, ch3 (counts as 1 st), dc in next 2 sts, 2dc, ch2, 2dc in next ch2 sp, dc in next 3 sts, sk next 2 sts, *dc in next 3 sts, 2dc, ch2, 2dc in next ch2 sp, dc in next 3 sts, sk next 2 sts* repeat from * to * 8 more times, sl st on top of ch3 (100)

Round 8: sl st in next st, ch3 (counts as 1 st), dc in next 3sts, dc, ch2, dc in next ch2 sp, dc in next 4 sts, sk next 2 sts, *dc in next 4 sts, dc, ch2, dc in next ch2 sp, dc in next 4 sts, sk next 2 sts* repeat from * to * 8 more times, sl st on top of ch3 (100)

Round 9: sl st in next st, ch3 (counts as 1 st), dc in next 4 sts, 2dc, ch2, 2dc in next ch2 sp, dc in next 5 sts, sk next 2 sts, *dc in next 5 sts, 2dc, ch2, 2dc in next ch2 sp, dc in next 5 sts, sk next 2 sts* repeat from * to * 8 more times, sl st on top of ch3 (120)

Round 10-17: Continue patt as set increasing the number of dc by 1 before and after each ch2 space.

The 1st color change is on round 11 (2 rounds), 2nd on round 13 (2 rounds), 3rd on round 15 (4 rounds) and final on round 19 (1 round).

Now that you know how to crochet a lovey blanket, you get to decide what type of animal/figure you want to add to your lovey. Most of the heads/arms I use are taken from crochet patterns for baby rattles or small toys.  These patterns tend to use finer yarns (like 4 plys) and are a perfect size for a lovey when you crochet them in a heavier yarn and a crochet hook a couple of sizes smaller than specified by the yarn manufacturer.