Luv My Bunny Blanket in Red Heart Baby Hugs Medium - LW5496 - Downloadable PDF

Luv My Bunny Blanket in Red Heart Baby Hugs Medium (LW5496) – Free Crochet Pattern by Michele Wilcox

The Luv My Bunny Blanket (LW5496) is an adorable, beginner-friendly crochet pattern designed by Michele Wilcox and published by Red Heart. The finished blanket measures a generous 38" x 38" (96.5 x 96.5 cm), making it a perfect size for a baby or toddler. The design is built from nine individual squares that are sewn together, each embellished with dimensional crocheted bunny faces and ears, giving the finished piece a charming, playful character ideal for nurseries and baby gifts. This is a free downloadable PDF pattern, making it an accessible project for crocheters of all experience levels.

Construction and Design Overview

Rather than working the blanket in one large piece, the pattern uses a modular, square-by-square construction. A total of nine squares are made individually and then joined together. The squares are worked in three colorways:

• 4 squares in color A (Pool)
• 4 squares in color B (Pinkie)
• 1 square in color C (Frosting)

This color arrangement creates a balanced, visually appealing layout when the squares are assembled. The modular approach is particularly well suited to beginners, as each square is a manageable, self-contained unit that can be completed in a single sitting.

Stitches and Special Techniques Used

The pattern draws on a focused set of crochet stitches and techniques, keeping it approachable for newer crocheters while still producing a textured, professional-looking result.

Primary Stitches

• Double crochet (dc) – The main body of each square is worked in a repeating double crochet shell pattern, creating a dense, lofty fabric well suited to a baby blanket.
• Single crochet (sc) – Used extensively in the construction of the bunny ears and head appliqués.
• Half double crochet (hdc) – Used in the ear shaping to create smooth, rounded transitions between single and double crochet sections.
• Slip stitch – Used for joining and finishing.

Special Stitches and Techniques

• sc2tog (single crochet two together) – A standard decrease stitch worked by inserting the hook into the next stitch, pulling up a loop, repeating in the following stitch, then drawing the yarn through all three loops on the hook. This technique is used in shaping the bunny appliqué elements.
• Join with sc – A special joining technique where a slip knot is placed on the hook, the hook is inserted into the indicated stitch, and a single crochet is completed. This creates a neat, seamless-looking join without a visible slip stitch seam, and is a useful skill for any crocheter to learn.
• 2-dc shell pattern – The square body is worked in a repeating stitch pattern of skipping two stitches and working two double crochets, creating a subtle shell or fan texture across the fabric.
• Incremental increases in the square – The square body is built up through a series of rows with strategic double crochet increases, growing from an initial chain of 44 through rows that add stitches systematically (for example, reaching 36 dc by Row 6, 42 dc by Row 7, and continuing to grow through Row 8 and beyond).

Bunny Appliqué Details

The defining decorative feature of this blanket is the set of crocheted bunny appliqués that are attached to the squares after the main fabric is complete. These three-dimensional elements are what transform a simple granny-style blanket into a whimsical baby keepsake.

Bunny Ears

A total of eight ears are made (two per bunny face, with four bunny faces on the blanket). Each ear begins with a foundation chain of 13 and is worked in single crochet across both sides of the chain, with a 3-sc increase at the tip to create the rounded ear shape. The second row introduces shaping with a