Squishy Blanket - Free Crochet Pattern For Kids in Paintbox Yarns Chenille by Paintbox Yarns

Squishy Blanket – Free Crochet Pattern for Kids in Paintbox Yarns Chenille by Paintbox Yarns

The Squishy Blanket is a cozy, colorful crochet blanket designed specifically for children, created by Paintbox Yarns and worked in the irresistibly soft Paintbox Yarns Chenille. As the name suggests, this blanket has a wonderfully plush, squishy texture that makes it ideal for little ones — whether used as a play mat, a nap-time throw, or a nursery accent piece. The finished blanket measures approximately 23½in/60cm wide and 26½in/68cm long, making it a generous lap or cot-sized throw perfectly proportioned for kids.

This is a free, downloadable PDF pattern rated as easy, making it an excellent choice for beginner crocheters who want to create something beautiful and practical without tackling complex construction. The straightforward design means you can focus on enjoying the process while still producing a polished, professional-looking finished piece.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a children's crochet blanket worked in bold, cheerful stripes of four colors. The stripe layout gives the blanket a playful, vibrant look that appeals to kids and complements bright nursery or bedroom décor. Despite its eye-catching appearance, the construction is refreshingly simple, relying on clean color changes and a flat, rectangular layout rather than any complicated shaping or joining.

Techniques Used

• Worked flat: The blanket is crocheted back and forth in rows on a flat plane, meaning no working in the round is required. This is one of the most beginner-friendly approaches to blanket construction, as it involves straightforward turning at the end of each row.
• Stripes: Color is introduced through a classic striped technique, alternating between the four yarn colors — Paper White (A), Sky (B), Sunshine (C), and Peony (D). Stripe work in crochet involves changing yarn at the end of a row, typically by drawing up the new color on the last yarn-over of the final stitch before the turn. This creates clean, defined color bands across the width of the blanket.

Stitches Used

While the full stitch list is contained within the downloadable PDF, the overall construction and the easy difficulty rating strongly indicate that the blanket relies on fundamental crochet stitches well-suited to beginners. The chunky chenille yarn and the squishy, textured result are characteristic of patterns built around stitches such as chain (ch), single crochet (sc) / double crochet (UK), or double crochet (dc) / treble crochet (UK) — all foundational techniques that create a dense, soft fabric. The pattern is written in US crochet terminology, with UK terminology provided in italics within round brackets throughout, making it accessible to crocheters on both sides of the Atlantic.

Materials – Yarn and Hook

• Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Chenille — a chunky weight chenille yarn, sold in 3½oz/100g balls and available exclusively at lovecrafts.com. The pattern calls for a total of 4 balls across four colors:
  • 2 balls in Paper White (A)
  • 1 ball in Sky (B)
  • 1 ball in Sunshine (C)
  • 1 ball in Peony (D)
• Hook: A US J/10 (6mm) crochet hook is recommended to achieve the correct gauge and fabric density.
• Notions: A large-eyed needle is required for weaving in ends upon completion.

About Paintbox Yarns Chenille

Paintbox Yarns Chenille is a chunky-weight yarn with a