Holiday Baby Cocoon in Red Heart Super Saver Economy Solids - LW2611

Holiday Baby Cocoon – Crochet Pattern Summary (LW2611)

The Holiday Baby Cocoon (LW2611) is a beginner-friendly crochet pattern designed by Kristine Mullen and published by Red Heart. It creates a snug, sack-style infant cocoon perfect for newborn holiday photos and keeping baby warm during the Christmas season. The finished cocoon measures 20 inches in circumference and 18 inches long, and is sized to fit most newborns. Its festive design combines a rich red body with a sparkly white pompom border, making it an ideal prop for capturing baby's first Christmas memories.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a baby cocoon — a closed-bottom, open-top sack that wraps snugly around an infant. Cocoons are popular for newborn photography sessions because they keep babies comfortable and posed while creating an adorable, gift-like appearance. This particular design is holiday-themed, featuring a classic red body accented with a fluffy, sparkly white border reminiscent of a Santa suit or winter wonderland aesthetic.

Materials Used

• Red Heart Super Saver Economy Solids in 319 Cherry Red (Color A) – 1 skein; an aran weight yarn known for its durability, wide color range, and affordability
• Red Heart Spark-a-Doodle™ in 9001 White Cloud (Color B) – 1 ball; a novelty yarn featuring built-in pompoms and sparkle for a festive, textured border
• Crochet Hook: 5.5mm [US I-9] – used for the main cocoon body
• Crochet Hook: 6mm [US J-10] – used for the border rounds
• Stitch marker and yarn needle for finishing

Techniques and Construction Method

The cocoon is worked in the round from the bottom up, beginning with a small foundation ring and gradually increasing to create a flat circular base before transitioning into the straight tubular body. This seamless, circular construction is a hallmark of crochet cocoon and hat patterns and requires no seaming. The designer specifies working in the spaces between stitches rather than into the tops of stitches for much of the body, which creates a slightly different fabric texture and stitch definition.

The border is worked separately with the wrong side facing, then turned right side out so the pompoms from the Spark-a-Doodle™ yarn are pushed to the right side, creating a three-dimensional, fluffy trim effect without any additional embellishment needed.

Stitches Used

• Chain stitch (ch) – used for the foundation ring and turning chains
• Slip stitch (sl st) – used to form the initial ring and to join each round
• Double crochet (dc) – the primary stitch used throughout the cocoon body; worked in rounds with strategic increases to shape the base
• Single crochet (sc) – used exclusively for the border rounds with Color B
• Increases (2 dc in one space) – worked at regular intervals across multiple rounds to shape the circular bottom of the cocoon

Pattern Structure and Shaping

The cocoon begins with a magic ring or foundation chain ring of 5 chains joined with a slip stitch. From there, the pattern works through a series of increase rounds to build the flat base:

• Round 1 establishes 10 double crochet stitches in the ring
• Round 2 doubles the count to 20 dc by working into both the stitches and the spaces between them
• Round 3 increases to 30 dc
• Round 5 increases to 40 dc
• Round 7 increases to 50 dc
• From Round 8 onward, the stitch count holds at 50 dc per round, and the body is worked straight until the piece measures 16 inches from the beginning

This gradual increase sequence is a classic croc