Sophie’s Little Blessing Lovey – Free Preemie Crochet Pattern

I’m so happy to share Sophie’s Little Blessing Lovey with you today — the newest design in my Sophie’s Little Blessing series, and my final contribution to this year’s Preemie Crochet Challenge. 💛

A lovey is a baby’s very first comfort object — small enough for tiny hands to hold onto, soft enough to tuck in beside them, and the kind of thing that gets loved threadbare over the years. This one works up side to side in simple textured rows, so it is genuinely beginner friendly even though the finished fabric looks anything but.

The Sophie’s Little Blessing Collection

This lovey joins the Bonding Square and the Preemie Hat to complete the set — three tender little makes, all worked in the same soft stitches, designed to go together. Stitch one, or make all three as a gift set for a family who needs a little comfort. 💛

Why This Project Matters to Me

This series is named after my granddaughter Sophie, who arrived in this world far too early. My own daughter was a preemie too — born six weeks early and in the NICU for a few weeks — so I have sat on both sides of that isolette, first as a mother and then as a grandmother.

There is a particular kind of helplessness in loving a baby you cannot simply pick up and hold. You want to give them something of yourself to keep. That is what this whole series is really about, and why I keep coming back to it.

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About Sophie’s Little Blessing Lovey

The lovey is worked side to side in back loop and front loop single crochet, with a simple slip stitch and half double crochet texture through the middle and a clean border worked right into the beginning and end of every row. No separate edging to add at the end — when you fasten off, you are finished.

Project details at a glance:

• Skill level: Beginner Friendly
• Size: 10" wide by 12½" long
• Stitches used: Chain, single crochet, half double crochet, slip stitch, back loop only, front loop only
• Materials: Soft #4 worsted yarn (approx. 160 yards), 4.5mm (G+) hook, yarn needle, scissors, stitch marker

Join the Preemie Crochet Challenge

This design is part of the Preemie Crochet Challenge hosted by Helen of Sunflower Cottage Crochet — a whole community of makers stitching for the tiniest babies all September long. Thirty free patterns, thirty chances to make something that matters to a family in a hard season.

Learn more about the challenge:

Why Loveys Matter

A lovey is more than a small blanket. It is the thing a child reaches for at bedtime, carries to the doctor, and refuses to leave the house without. It becomes familiar — and familiar is exactly what a little one needs when everything else feels big and strange.

For a family whose baby started life in the NICU, that softness arrives at a moment when very little feels soft. And because it is handmade, it carries something a shop-bought one never can: the knowledge that a stranger sat down and made it for them.

Always check with your NICU or charity before donating — many have specific requirements for fiber, color, and washing.

Make the Whole Set

Stitching more for the tiniest babies? The Preemie & NICU Comfort Bundle gathers five of my preemie patterns — the Little Luminary Hat, all three bonding squares, and Levi’s Gentle Stitches Burp Cloth — into one printable set, a $21 value for just $13. 💛

Pattern Details

Skill Level: Beginner Friendly

Terms: US crochet terms

Yarn: #4 worsted weight (approx. 160 yards) — I used Hobby Lobby Baby Bee Stork Struck in Puppy Kisses

Hook & Notions

• Size Hook: G+ (4.5 mm)
• Scissors
• Blunt yarn needle
• Stitch marker
• Measuring tape

Finished Size: 10" wide by 12½" long

Gauge: 9 sc = 2"

Abbreviations

• Ch/chs = chain/chains
• Sl st = slip stitch
• st(s) = stitch(es)
• sc = single crochet
• hdc = half double crochet
• BLO = back loop only
• FLO = front loop only

📝 Pattern Notes

• The lovey is worked side to side, starting at the bottom and working up.
• The side borders are worked at the beginning and end of each row — there is no separate edging to add at the end.
• Ch 1 at the beginning of a row does NOT count as a stitch unless otherwise noted.
• This lovey is meant to be soft and cozy — no blocking needed. For a flatter finish, a light steam is all it takes.

Sophie’s Little Blessing Lovey

Ch 38

Row 1: (Working in the back bumps) sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each st across. (37 sts)

Row 2: Ch 1, * BLO sc, FLO sc in next st, * rep from * to * across. (37 sts) You should end with a FLO sc.

Rows 3–5: Repeat Row 2

Row 6: Ch 1, BLO sc in same st and in next 3 sts, * sl st in next st, hdc in next st, * rep from * to * across to the last 4 sts, BLO sc in the last 4 sts. (37 sts)

Row 7: Ch 1, BLO sc in same st and in next 3 sts, * hdc in next st, sl st in next st, * rep from * to * across to the last 4 sts, BLO sc in the last 4 sts. (37 sts)

Rows 8–44: Repeat Rows 6 and 7

Row 45: Ch 1, * BLO sc, FLO sc in next st, * rep from * to * across. (37 sts) You should end with a FLO sc.

Rows 46–48: Repeat Row 45

Fasten off and weave in ends.

Would you like the clean, ad-free printable version to keep? It is free this week while the Preemie Crochet Challenge wraps up. 💛

Engage with Us

If you make Sophie’s Little Blessing Lovey, I would love to see it. Share your finished make in the group or tag me — seeing where these little blankets end up is my favourite part. 💛