Welcome to the free pattern for my Little Love Notes crochet blanket. This blanket is made from simple crochet heart motifs, joined together and finished with a border of even more hearts. I cannot tell you how much fun I had making the motifs for this blanket. Chasing the slow, joyful colour changes of the yarn while making the hearts was an absolute delight.

When I started the border, I realised just how many small hearts I was about to crochet. To make the repetition more joyful, I decided to think of someone in my life with each heart I made, letting one name flow into the next.

Each heart became a little love note.

And the last one… was for me.

Little Love Notes Crochet Blanket Pattern

Index

Information
Heart Motifs
Joining the Motifs
Squaring Up the Blanket
- Full Triangles
- Half Triangles
Heart Border
Yarn Usage per Part
Colouring-in Template (if you choose to go rogue)

Information

Gauge

At the end of Round 5, your heart should weigh roughly 4g and measure 9cm/3.5” wide.
At the end of Round 6, your heart should weigh roughly 4.7g and measure 11cm/4.3” wide (from ch-5 to ch-5 through the widest part). If it weighs more than 5.1g, you risk running out of the recommended yarn amounts.
At the end of Round 10, your motif should weigh roughly 12.8g and measure 14cm/5.5”. If it weighs more than 14.4g, you risk running out of the recommended yarn amounts.

Size

120cm x 165cm (47” x 65”)

The finished blanket will weigh roughly 1170g.

Resources

Work in Progress Post – if you fancy finding out a bit more about how this blanket came to be…
Video Tutorials:
- Right-handed Video Tutorial for Little Love Notes Blanket
- Left-handed Video Tutorial for Little Love Notes Blanket
Hashtag: #LittleLoveNotesBlanket

If you prefer a formatted ad-free US PDF version of this pattern (with charts by the talented Masako Kawahara and limited photos), you can buy it in my Ravelry Store HERE or in my Etsy Shop HERE.

Materials and Yarn Kits

Yarn A – Yarnsmiths Pebble Haze Print DK (150g/435m, 33% acrylic, 67% cotton); 2D350 x 3 balls
Yarn B – Yarnsmiths Pebble Haze DK (50g/145m; 33% acrylic, 67% cotton); 2C050 x 18 balls*
4.5 mm crochet hook (I used 5 mm because I crochet tightly)

* Please see Yarn Usage per Part

Yarn Kits for the Little Love Notes blanket are available from my Wool Warehouse Shop. They include all the yarn needed to make the blanket (21 balls), as well as a printed copy of the pattern (US Terminology). Kits are priced at £42 each.

Buy Yarn Kit

Abbreviations

US Terms

Beg– Beginning
BP– Back post
Ch– Chain
Dc– Double crochet
Dtr – Double treble crochet
FP – Front post
Hdc– Half-double crochet
Rem– Remaining/remains
Rep – Repeat
RS – Right side
Sc – Single crochet
SM – Stitch marker
Sp/sps– Space/spaces
St/sts– Stitch/stitches
Tr– Treble crochet
WS – Wrong side
* – Repeat instructions between asterisks the number of times specified
()– Repeat instructions between brackets the number of times specified.
[] – Used to indicate stitches made into the same st/sp.

Chart Legend

Special Stitches

2dc-tr-tog

Yarn over and insert your hook into the indicated st/sp. Yarn over and pull up a loop. Yarn over and pull through 2 loops. Yarn over and insert your hook into the next st/sp. Yarn over and pull up a loop. Yarn over and pull through 2 loops. Yarn over twice and insert your hook into the next st/sp. Yarn over and pull up a loop. (Yarn over and pull through 2 loops) twice.* Yarn over and pull through all 4 loops on your hook.

2-tr Bobble

Yarn over twice and insert your hook into the indicated st/sp. Yarn over and pull up a loop. (Yarn over and pull through 2 loops) twice. Yarn over twice and insert your hook into the same st/sp. Yarn over and pull up a loop. (Yarn over and pull through 2 loops) twice. Yarn over and pull through all 3 loops on your hook.

3-tr Bobble

Yarn over twice and insert your hook into the indicated st/sp. Yarn over and pull up a loop. (Yarn over and pull through 2 loops) twice. *Yarn over twice and insert your hook into the same st/sp. Yarn over and pull up a loop. (Yarn over and pull through 2 loops) twice.* Rep from * to * once. Yarn over and pull through all 4 loops on your hook.

Extended Double Crochet (Edc)

Yarn over, insert your hook into the indicated st, yarn over and pull up a loop. Yarn over and pull through ONE loop. (Yarn over and pull through two loops) twice.

Heart

You will make these Hearts in Border Round 3. I am using a contrasting colour for Row 3 and the sl sts so that you can clearly see where the stitches are placed.

Row 1: Make 3 dc in the indicated st {Photo 1}, TURN. {3 dc}

Row 2: Ch 2 (doesn’t count as a st), make 2 dc in each of the 3 sts {Photo 2}, TURN. {6 dc}

Row 3: Skip the first dc. [hdc, 2 dc, hdc] in the next st. Sl st in the next 2 sts. [Hdc, 2 dc, hdc] in the next st {Photo 3}. Make a sc in the last st {Photo 4}. {4 hdc, 4 dc, and 1 sc, not including 2 sl sts}

Sl sts: Working down the side of the heart, sl st in the side of the ch-2 from Row 2, sl st in the top of the last st of Row 1 {Indicated with arrows in Photo 4 and illustrated in Photo 5}.

Modified Back Post Single Crochet (MBPsc)

This is the same as a Back Post Sc, but instead of inserting your hook around the post of the stitch BELOW the loops, you will insert your hook INTO the loops – which will already contain sl sts from Row 3 of the Heart. Please see the arrows in Photo 1 below.

Insert your hook from back to front into the top of the fourth dc from Row 2 of the Heart {Photo 2}, then insert it from front to back into the top of the fifth dc from Row 2 of the Heart {Photos 3 and 4}. Yarn over and pull up a loop. Yarn over and pull through both loops {Photo 5}. This will create two lines (like an equation mark) on the front of your work {Photo 6}.

Notes

Making the Blanket Bigger or Smaller – If you want to make the blanket bigger or smaller, you will need an uneven number of squares along each side for the border to work out.
Adding the Border to an Existing Blanket – If you would like to add the border to an existing blanket, you will have to make sure that you have a multiple of 10 + 5 stitches along each side of your blanket, at which point you can continue with Border Round 2.
Photo Tutorials – I sometimes use contrasting colours in the photos to make it easier for you to see stitch placement.

Heart Motifs

You will need to make 59 of these motifs.

The first 2 rounds of the Heart are joined at the end. Rounds 3 – 6 are worked in a spiral.

Round 1

With Yarn A (starting from the inside out) and working into a magic ring, ch 3 (counts as hdc + ch-1), (hdc, ch 1) 7 times. Join between the beg ch-3 and the first hdc with a sl st.

Stitch Count: 8 hdc and 8 ch-1 sps.

Round 2

Ch 1 (doesn’t count as a st throughout), sc in the same ch-1 sp {Photo 1}. If you are going to find this sc hard to identify in Round 4, mark it with a SM. [Hdc, 3 dc] in the next ch-1 sp, 2 hdc in the next ch-1 sp, 2 sc in the next ch-1 sp {Photo 2}. [Hdc, dc, ch 2, dc, hdc] in the next ch-1 sp. This is your pointy corner made {Photo 4}. [Hdc, sc] in the next ch-1 sp, 2 hdc in the next ch-1 sp, make 4 dc in the last ch-1 sp {Photo 4}. Join to the first sc with a sl st.

Stitch Count: 4 sc, 8 hdc, 9 dc, and 1 ch-2 sp

Round 3

Sl st in the next hdc, ch 2 (counts as ch-2 sp) {Photo 1}. Make 2 dc in each of the next 3 sts. Hdc in the next 6 sts {Photo 2}. [2 hdc, ch 2, 2 hdc] in the next ch-2 corner sp {Photo 3}. Hdc in the next 6 sts, make 2 dc in each of the next 3 sts. Ch 2, sl st in the next st {Photo 4}.

Stitch Count: 16 hdc, 12 dc, and 3 ch-2 sps

Round 4

FPsc around the sc from Round 2 that already contains a sl st (you may have marked it with a SM, in which case you can remove the SM) {Photo 1}. Ch 1, make 3 sc in the next ch-2 sp. Sc in the next dc. Make 2 hdc in the next st. Make 2 dc in each of the next 4 sts. Hdc in the next 8 sts {Photo 2}. [2 hdc, ch 2, 2 hdc] in the next ch-2 corner sp {Photo 3}.

Skip the first (hidden) st. Hdc in the next 7 sts. [Hdc, dc] in the next st. Make 2 dc in each of the next 3 sts. Make 2 hdc in the next st, sc in the next st. Make 3 sc in the next ch-2 sp {Photo 4}.

Stitch Count: 8 sc, 1 FPsc 24 hdc, 15 dc, and 1 ch-2 sp

Round 5

Mark the first BPhdc of this round with a SM.

FPsc around the FPsc from Round 4 {Photo 1}. BPhdc around the next 24 sts, being careful not to skip the first one {Photo 2}. [Hdc, ch 2, hdc] in the next ch-2 corner sp {Photo 3}. BPhdc around the next 23 sts. The last one will be a bit tricky to make {Photo 4}.

Stitch Count: 1 FPsc, 2 hdc, 47 BPhdc, and 1 ch-2 sp.

Round 6

Skip the first FPsc of Round 5, which will be hidden anyway. Sl st in the first 3 BPhdc, the first of which will contain a SM {Photo 1}. (Ch 5, skip the next st, sl st in the next 2 sts) 7 times. Ch 5, skip the last st {Photo 2}.

Sc in the ch-2 corner sp, ch 1, sc in the next (hidden) st. This is your corner made {Photo 3}.

(Ch 5, skip the next st, sl st in the next 2 sts) 7 times. Ch 5, skip the next st, sl st in the next st. Fasten off and work away your ends {Photo 4}.

Stitch Count: 2 sc, 16 ch-5 sps, and 1 ch-1 sp, not including sl sts.

Round 7

In this round, you will find the skipped sts from Round 5 in the middle of each ch-5 sp from Round 6. When working into these sts, you will work behind the ch-5 sps from Round 6 so that they lie in front of Round 7.

With Yarn B, join your yarn by making a standing sc in the ch-1 corner sp from Round 6. Ch 2, sc in the same ch-1 corner sp. This is your first corner made {Photo 1}.

Make 3 sc in the next skipped st from Round 5, make 3 hdc in each of the next 2 skipped sts from Round 5, make 3 dc in the next skipped st from Round 5. [Edc, tr, ch 2, tr, edc] in the next skipped st from Round 5. This is your second corner made {Photo 2}.

[Dc, 3 hdc] in the next skipped st from Round 5. [Hdc, 3 sc] in the next skipped st from Round 5. [Hdc, dc, edc, tr] in the next skipped st from Round 5. Working into the first (marked) BPhdc of Round 5: [2 dtr, ch 2, 2 dtr]. Remove the SM. This is your third corner made {Photo 3}.

[Tr, edc, dc, hdc] in the next skipped st from Round 5. [3 sc, hdc] in the next skipped st from Round 5. [3 hdc, dc] in the next skipped st from Round 5. [Edc, tr, ch 2, tr, edc] in the next skipped st from Round 5. This is your fourth corner made {Photo 4}.

Make 3 dc in the next skipped st from Round 5, make 3 hdc in each of the next 2 skipped sts from Round 5, make 3 sc in the last skipped st from Round 5. Join to the first sc with a sl st {Photo 5}. Sl st into the next ch-2 corner sp.

Stitch Count: 14 sc, 22 hdc, 10 dc, 6 edc, 6 tr, 4 dtr, and 4 ch-2 sps

Round 8

Ch 2 (counts as hdc). [Hdc, ch 2, 2 hdc] in the same ch-2 sp. This is your first corner made {Photo 1}.

Hdc in the next 15 sts. [2 hdc, ch 2, 2 hdc] in the next ch-2 sp. This is your second corner made {Photo 2}.

Skip the first (hidden) st. Hdc in the next 3 sts, sc in the next 6 sts, hdc in the next 5 sts, dc in the last st. [2 edc, ch 2, 2 edc] in the next ch-2 sp. This is your third corner made {Photo 3}.

Skip the first st. Dc in the next st, hdc in the next 5 sts, sc in the next 6 sts, hdc in the last 3 sts. [2 hdc, ch 2, 2 hdc] in the next ch-2 sp. This is your fourth corner made {Photo 4}.

Hdc in the next 15 sts. Join to the top of the beg ch-2 with a sl st. Sl st in the next st and in the ch-2 corner sp {Photo 5}.

Stitch Count: 12 sc, 58 hdc, 2 dc, 4 edc, and 4 ch-2 sps

Round 9

Ch 3 (counts as dc). [Dc, edc, ch 2, edc, 2 dc] in the same ch-2 sp. This is your first corner made.

*Skip the first (hidden) st, dc in the next 18 sts.** [2 dc, edc, ch 2, edc, 2 dc] in the next ch-2 sp.* Rep from * to * 3 times, and from * to ** once. Join to the top of the beg ch-3 with a sl st.

Stitch Count per Side: 22 dc and 2 edc, not including ch-2 corner sps

Round 10

Ch 1. Sc in the same st as the sl sts join. Sc in the next 2 sts, the first of which will be tricky to get into.

([Sc, ch 2, sc] in the next ch-2 sp. Skip the first st, sc in the next 23 sts) 3 times. [Sc, ch 2, sc] in the last ch-2 sp. Skip the first st, sc in the next 20 sts. Join to the first sc with a sl st. Fasten off and work away your ends.

Stitch Count Per Side: 25 sc, not including ch-2 corner sps

Joining the Motifs

If you are left-handed, you will need to flip these instructions. Every time I say right, you go left. Every time I say left, you go right.

You will join your Heart Motifs in a grid as pictured below. Because this blanket is made with a colour-change yarn, you may have to play with the layout a little bit, depending on where your colour changes fall.

I was fortunate to get 11 Hearts from each complete colour change, so I chose to lay them out in the order I made them (as per A below). I also toyed with layout B, which is LOVELY but less playful than A. You are, of course, welcome to arrange the coloured Hearts however your heart desires.

For the joining, you can use whichever method you prefer. I chose to use my Granny’s (sc, ch 1, skip 1) method, creating the joins as a zigzag starting with the bottom two rows… so that is what I will explain below.

Joining Row 1

Hint: You may find it easier to clip the squares together with stitch markers before crocheting or sewing them together.

Lay the last two rows out in order of your colour preference, with RS facing you.

Starting on the right with a standing st in Yarn B:

*Fold the top square over onto the one diagonally to the right of it so that the RS are facing each other.

Starting in the ch-2 corner sp on the right and working through both layers: Make a sc in the ch-2 corner sp. (Ch 1, skip the next st, sc in the next st) 12 times. Ch 1, skip the last st. Sc in the next ch-2 corner sp. Ch 2 before joining the next side.

Unfold your work so that you can see the RS of both squares.

Fold the same top square onto the one diagonally to the left of it so that RS are facing each other.

Sc in the ch-2 corner sp. (Ch 1, skip the next st, sc in the next st) 12 times. Ch 1, skip the last st. Sc in the next ch-2 corner sp. Ch 2 before joining the next side.

Unfold your work so that you can see the RS of the joined squares.*

Repeat from * to * for each of the top squares until the whole row is joined, omitting the last ch-2 on the last repeat. Fasten off and work away your ends.

Joining Row 2

Lay the next row out as per the template below.

Starting on the right with a standing st in Yarn B:

*Fold the top square over onto the one diagonally to the left of it so that the RS are facing each other.

Unfold your work so that you can see the RS of both squares.

Fold the next top square onto the same square from the second row so that RS are facing each other.

Sc in the ch-2 corner sp. (Ch 1, skip the next st, sc in the next st) 12 times. Ch 1, skip the last st. Sc in the next ch-2 corner sp.** This will bring you to the junction where four of the squares meet. Make a sc in the ch-2 from the previous joining row.

Unfold your work so that you can see the RS of the joined squares.*

Repeat from * to * 2 more times, and from * to ** once. Fasten off and work away your ends.

Joining Row 3

Lay the next row out as per the template below.

Starting on the right with a standing st in Yarn B:

*Fold the top square over onto the one diagonally to the right of it so that the RS are facing each other.

Unfold your work so that you can see the RS of both squares.

Fold the same top square onto the one diagonally to the left of it so that RS are facing each other.

Sc in the ch-2 corner sp. (Ch 1, skip the next st, sc in the next st) 12 times. Ch 1, skip the last st. Sc in the next ch-2 corner sp. Ch 2 before joining the next side.

Unfold your work so that you can see the RS of the joined squares.*

Repeat from * to * for each of the top squares until the whole row is joined, omitting the last ch-2 on the last repeat. Fasten off and work away your ends.

Joining Subsequent Rows

Keep joining your rows like this, repeating Joining Row 2 and Joining Row 3 until all your squares are joined.

Squaring Up the Blanket

Now we will fill in the gaps on the sides of the blanket (Full triangles), after which we will create four corners (Half triangles). Here is a sample version showing what you are aiming for:

Full Triangles

First, we will fill in the gaps along the sides of the blanket by making triangles into them. The triangles will be worked back in forth in rows, into the ‘valleys’ between squares.

Row 1

With RS facing, join Yarn B with a sl st in the pointy-out ch-2 corner sp of any square. Ch 3, skip the next st, dc2tog in the next 2 sts. This counts as a tr-2dc-tog {Photos 1 and 2}.

Dc in next 22 sts {Photo 3}. Skip the ch-2 corner sp. Dc in next ch-2 corner sp {Photo 4}. This ch-2 sp will be the ch-2 corner of the square between squares, and will already contain two joining sc. Skip the ch-2 corner sp of the next square AND the first st. Dc in the next 22 sts {Photos 5 and 6}. 2dc-tr-tog in the last 2 sts and the ch-2 corner sp {Photo 7}. TURN.

Stitch Count: 45 dc, 1 tr-2dc-tog, and 1 2dc-tr-tog

Row 2

With WS facing, ch 3, dc2tog over the next 2 sts. This counts as your tr-2dc-tog, here and throughout {Photos 1 and 2}.

Dc in the next 16 sts {Photo 3}. Make 2 dc in the next st {Photo 4}. Skip the next 3 sts, BPdc around the next st, which will be the dc made into the ch-2 sp of the square between squares {Photos 4 – 6}. Skip the next 2 sts, dc in the next 18 sts {Photos 7 and 8}, 2dc-tr-tog in the last 3 sts {Photo 9}. TURN.

Stitch Count: 36 dc, 1 BPdc, 1 tr-2dc-tog, and 1 2dc-tr-tog

Row 3

With RS facing, ch 3, dc2tog over the next 2 sts {Photos 1 and 2}, dc in the next 14 sts {Photo 3}. Skip the next 2 sts, FPdc around the next st, which will be the BPdc {Photos 4 and 5}. Skip the next 2 sts, dc in the next 14 sts {Photos 6 and 7}, 2dc-tr-tog in the last 3 sts {Photo 8}. TURN.

Stitch Count: 28 dc, 1 FPdc, 1 tr-2dc-tog, and 1 2dc-tr-tog

Row 4

With WS facing, ch 3, dc2tog over the next 2 sts, dc in the next 8 sts. Make 2 dc in the next st. Skip the next 3 sts, BPdc around the next st, which should be the FPdc. Skip the next 2 sts, dc in the next 10 sts, 2dc-tr-tog in the last 3 sts. TURN.

Stitch Count: 20 dc, 1 BPdc, 1 tr-2dc-tog, and 1 2dc-tr-tog

Row 5

With RS facing, ch 3, dc2tog over the next 2 sts, dc in the next 6 sts. Skip the next 2 sts, FPdc around the next st, which will be the BPdc. Skip the next 2 sts, dc in the next 6 sts, 2dc-tr-tog in the last 3 sts. TURN.

Stitch Count: 12 dc, 1 FPdc, 1 tr-2dc-tog, and 1 2dc-tr-tog

Row 6

With WS facing, ch 3, dc2tog over the next 2 sts, make 2 dc in the next st. Skip the next 3 sts, BPdc around the next st, which will be the FPdc {Photo 1}. Skip the next 2 sts, dc in the next 2 sts, 2dc-tr-tog in the last 3 sts {Photo 2}. TURN.

Stitch Count: 4 dc, 1 BPdc, 1 tr-2dc-tog, and 1 2dc-tr-tog

Row 7

With RS facing, ch 2, skip the next 2 sts. FPdc around the BPdc {Photo 1}, ch 1, skip the next 2 sts, sl st into the last st {Photo 2}. Fasten off and work away your ends.

Stitch Count: 1 FPdc, 1 ch-1 sp, and 1 ch-2 sp

The triangle will dip in a little bit where you have made the FPdc/BPdc stitches. Just give it a good tug to stretch those post stitches. You may even hear a satisfying little ‘crrrrr’ as they stretch into place.

Repeat these Full Triangles until you have worked into every gap along the sides of the blanket.