This crochet hooded baby blanket was supposed to be a quiet baby wrap project, but my niece was too darn cute and fell in love with it the second she saw it — she insisted on modeling! The crochet hooded baby blanket features a soft 24-inch square design with a sweet lion-mane fringe trim along the hood, perky ears, paws, and the cutest curling tail finished with a tassel. It’s the kind of handmade baby gift that becomes a forever keepsake. ❤️🦁

The crochet hooded baby blanket uses a soft alpaca-blend yarn that’s perfect for anything made for kiddos — soft to the touch, squishy in those little hands, and durable enough to stand up to years of cuddles. Worked in a geometric textured stitch pattern with three coordinating colors for the body, mane, and paws. The finished size is a 24-inch square, making it perfect as a stroller wrap, photo prop, or play mat for babies and toddlers alike.

Why You’ll Love This Crochet Hooded Baby Blanket

✔ Adorable lion design with hood, ears, mane fringe, paws, and tail
✔ Perfect 24-inch square — fits babies and toddlers beautifully
✔ The crochet hooded baby blanket uses a soft alpaca-blend yarn that’s gentle on little hands
✔ Beginner-intermediate friendly with simple sc, dc, and hdc stitches
✔ Geometric textured stitch pattern adds visual interest
✔ Use as a stroller wrap, photo prop, or play mat
✔ Makes an unforgettable baby shower or newborn gift
✔ Three-color palette — easily customize to any nursery

Pattern Details

Materials You’ll Need

• 🧶 4 skeins Lion Brand Touch of Alpaca in Mimosa (or main color)
• 🧶 1 skein Lion Brand Touch of Alpaca in Lace (white) for the mane
• 🧶 1 skein Lion Brand Touch of Alpaca in Leather (brown) for the paws
• 🪝 6mm crochet hook (Size J)
• 🧵 Embroidery needle
• ✂️ Scissors
• 🧸 Polyfil stuffing for paws

This crochet hooded baby blanket shines in a soft alpaca-blend yarn — Lion Brand Touch of Alpaca is dreamy to work with, holds up to lots of love, and comes in vibrant baby-friendly colors. Lion Brand has the full color range. The Craft Yarn Council has great reference info on worsted weight yarn.

The Crochet Hooded Baby Blanket Pattern

Start with the Body

Start with a foundation row (a multiple of 3 chains). Ch 99 sts.

Row 1: Make 2 double crochets in the 3rd chain from the hook. *Skip 2 ch. Make 1 sc in next ch. Make 2 dc in the same ch. Repeat from * to the end of Row 1, ending with 1 sc in the last ch.

Row 2: Ch 2, turn, make 2 dc in first sc. **Skip the next 2 dc. Make sc and 2 dc in next sc. Repeat from ** across ending with 1 sc in the top of the ch-2.

Repeat Row 2 until desired length is made. Do not bind off.

Form the Hood

Row 1: Working in front loops only, repeat Row 2 from the body for 10 inches (approx 42 sts), ending with the 1 sc.

Row 2: As Row 2 from body. Once you have returned to the side of the work, attach with a sl st to the side.

Row 3: As Row 2 from body, finishing 3 stitches shorter than Row 1 from Hood.

Repeat Rows 2 & 3, decreasing 3 sts each round and attaching to the side of the work until no stitches remain.

Make the Ears (Make 2)

With yellow (main color), start with a magic circle.

Row 1: 6 sc in the loop created. Ch 1, turn.

Row 2: 2 dc in every sc. Ch 2, turn.

Row 3: (2 dc in next st, dc) in next 2 dc. Repeat to end. Ch 2, turn.

Row 4: (2 dc in next st twice, 2 dc) in next 4 dc. Repeat to end. Ch 2, turn.

Row 5: 5 sc, 3 hdc, 8 dc, 3 hdc, 5 sc. Bind off.

Inner Ears (Make 2): With white, repeat Rows 1-3 from Ears above.

Make the Paws (Make 2)

With brown, ch 13.

Row 1: Hdc in 2nd ch from hook across, ch 1, turn (12 sts)

Row 2: 2 hdc in first hdc, hdc to last st, 2 hdc in last hdc, ch 1, turn (14 sts)

Row 3: Hdc across, ch 1, turn (14 sts)

Repeat Rows 2-3 until there are 22 hdc.

Next 3 rows: Hdc across, ch 1, turn (22 sts)

Row 14: Hdc2tog, hdc to last 2 sts, hdc2tog, ch 1, turn (20 sts)

Row 15: Hdc across, ch 1, turn (20 sts)

Repeat Rows 14-15 until there are 13 hdc. Bind off.

Assembly

Sew the inner white ear to the larger yellow ears and attach to either side of the hood.

Form the paws by folding the piece in half, stuffing with polyfil, and sewing along either side. Attach to the corner of the body. With an embroidery needle, pucker the hand to form 3 “fingers” and pull yarn through to hold in place.

For the mane: Attach white with a sl st at the base of the hood, ch 15, sl st in the following stitch around. Repeat once more with ch 20 immediately behind the first row — there should be two rows of ch loops with the back set being slightly longer than the first.

Tail

With main color and larger hook, ch 30. Work 3 sc in 2nd ch from hook, then 3 sc in each ch to end. Fasten off. It will curl all on its own!

Tassel

Wrap A yarn around a 4½” piece of cardboard 82 times. At one end, slip a 5″ piece of MC under the loops and knot tightly. Cut the loops at other end and remove cardboard. Loop and tightly wrap a 36″ strand of MC around the tassel, about 1″ down from top. Secure the yarn ends and tuck them into the tassel. Attach to one end of tail. Fasten other end of tail to outside of wrap approximately 13″ from lower edge in center. Weave in ends and enjoy your finished crochet hooded baby blanket! 🦁

Tips for the Perfect Crochet Hooded Baby Blanket

• Choose soft yarn: the crochet hooded baby blanket is touching baby skin, so prioritize softness. Alpaca blends like Lion Brand Touch of Alpaca are perfect.
• Block the body before adding appliques: blocking helps the 24-inch square sit flat and makes the hood look polished.
• Stuff paws firmly: firmly-stuffed paws hold their shape and look more polished. Under-stuffed paws sag.
• Use embroidery floss for the eyes/nose: if adding facial features, embroidery floss gives crisp lines and stays cleanly in place.
• Customize the color palette: swap the yellow for cream, pink, or grey for a different vibe. The crochet hooded baby blanket looks great in any color combo.
• Wash before gifting: a gentle machine wash on delicate (or hand-wash) primes the wrap for baby use and helps the stitches relax.
• Pair with a stuffed lion: for the ultimate gift, package the crochet hooded baby blanket with a coordinating stuffed lion toy.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the crochet hooded baby blanket take to make? About 20-30 hours total — 12-18 hours for the body and hood, plus 4-6 hours for the ears, paws, mane, tail, and assembly.

Is this beginner-friendly? Beginner-intermediate. The crochet hooded baby blanket uses sc, dc, hdc, hdc2tog, and magic circle. The assembly steps require some patience but no advanced techniques.

What size does it come out? 24 inches square — perfect for newborns, infants, and toddlers as a wrap or play blanket.

What yarn substitutes work? Any worsted weight wool or alpaca blend — Lion Brand Touch of Alpaca, Caron Simply Soft, or Bernat Softee Baby all work for the crochet hooded baby blanket.

Can I make it bigger? Yes — increase the starting chain in multiples of 3 stitches and add more rows to scale up to a child-size blanket.

Can I sell finished wraps? Yes — small batch sales are allowed for personal income with this crochet hooded baby blanket pattern. Please credit SeeLoveShare as the designer.

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