Lilac Penguin Sneaker Lovey Crochet Free Pattern
Lilac Penguin Sneaker Lovey Crochet Free Pattern
Introduction
This lilac penguin sneaker lovey is the sweetest little comfort project for a new baby, a baby shower gift, or anyone who loves soft, squishy things. It is a beginner-friendly pattern built from simple shapes — a flat blanket, a round body, a little head, a tiny beak, two feet, and two tiny sneakers — all worked in basic single crochet. Because it is worked in one monochrome lilac palette in velvet chenille yarn, there is no colorwork to worry about and every piece feels silky and plush in your hands. The finished lovey looks like a cozy little penguin standing on a soft blanket, and it feels exactly as huggable as it looks.
Materials Needed
- Yarn: Super bulky (weight 6), 100% polyester velvet/chenille. Lilac (A) 150 yd, Pale Lilac (B) 50 yd, Deep Lilac (C) 20 yd.
- Hook: 5.0 mm (H-8) crochet hook.
- Notions: Stitch marker, tapestry needle, scissors, polyester fiberfill stuffing.
- Finished size: Blanket 12" (30 cm) long x 8" (20 cm) wide; penguin 6" (15 cm) tall.
Abbreviations
- ch — chain: yarn over and pull through the loop on your hook.
- sc — single crochet: insert hook, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through both loops.
- inc — increase: work 2 single crochet into the same stitch.
- dec — decrease: work 2 single crochet together into one stitch.
- MR — magic ring: an adjustable loop you crochet into to start a round piece.
- sl st — slip stitch: insert hook, yarn over, pull through everything on the hook.
- sts — stitches.
- R / Rnd — row / round.
Gauge
12 sc x 14 rows = 4" (10 cm) in single crochet. Work a small swatch in single crochet and measure a 4" square; if you have more stitches than 12, go up a hook size, and if you have fewer, go down.
Tips Before You Start
- Velvet chenille yarn can "worm" and shed, so keep your tension relaxed and avoid frogging too often — pull gently and rework slowly.
- Use a stitch marker in the first stitch of every round on the penguin pieces so you never lose your place.
- Stuff the body firmly but the head only lightly, so the head stays round and the body holds its shape.
- Pin all pieces in place before sewing, and use the long yarn tails to sew so you have fewer ends to weave in.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Blanket (A)
Row 1: Ch 37, sc in 2nd ch from hook and each ch across (36 sts).
Rows 2-28: Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across (36 sts). Do not fasten off.
Edging Rnd 1: Ch 1, turn, sc evenly around the entire blanket, working 3 sc in each corner. Join with sl st to first sc. Fasten off.
Penguin Body (A)
Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc (6 sts).
Rnd 2: inc x6 (12 sts).
Rnd 3: [sc, inc] x6 (18 sts).
Rnd 4: [2 sc, inc] x6 (24 sts).
Rnds 5-12: sc in each st around (24 sts).
Rnd 13: [2 sc, dec] x6 (18 sts).
Rnd 14: [sc, dec] x6 (12 sts). Stuff firmly.
Rnd 15: dec x6 (6 sts). Close.
Penguin Head (A)
Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc (6 sts).
Rnd 2: inc x6 (12 sts).
Rnd 3: [sc, inc] x6 (18 sts).
Rnds 4-7: sc in each st around (18 sts).
Rnd 8: [sc, dec] x6 (12 sts). Stuff lightly.
Rnd 9: dec x6 (6 sts). Close, leaving a long tail for sewing.
Beak (C)
Rnd 1: MR, 4 sc (4 sts).
Rnd 2: sc in each st around (4 sts).
Rnd 3: [sc, inc] x2 (6 sts). Fasten off, leave a tail.
Feet (B) — make 2
Row 1: Ch 4, sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next ch, 3 sc in last ch, turn, sc in next ch, sc in last ch (8 sts).
Row 2: sc in each st around (8 sts). Fasten off.
Sneakers (C) — make 2
Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc (6 sts).
Rnd 2: inc x6 (12 sts).
Rnd 3: sc in each st around (12 sts).
Rnd 4: [sc, dec] x4 (8 sts). Fasten off.
Assembly and Finishing
Sew the head to the body. Sew the beak to the front of the head. Sew the feet to the bottom of the body, then sew the sneakers over the feet. Sew the penguin to the center of the blanket. With B, work one more edging round: sc around the blanket edge again, sl st to join, and fasten off. Weave in all ends with the tapestry needle. Lightly steam or hand-shape the blanket flat and let it dry to block it into a neat rectangle.
Pro Tips and Variations
- Swap the lilac palette for mint, blush, or gray for a different nursery theme.
- Add a small embroidered or safety-eye face before sewing the head on for extra personality.
- Make a second sneaker in a contrasting shade, or add a tiny sc "lace" stripe across each sneaker for detail.
