What Makes a Lovey Loveable?

Simply WHAT MAKES A LOVEY LOVEABLE?  To answer that question you  might have to ask my 5 1/2 month old granddaughter.  When presented with an array of crocheted loveys, she grabbed onto the brightly colored Teddy Bear with blanket and has enjoyed it ever since.

Loveys, cuddlers security blankets, or blanket buddies are a joy to make because they are especially designed for their intended users, our babies and toddlers.  Loveys are composed of a animal or creature head that is attached to the middle of a 12" crocheted or knitted mini-blanket.
Unlike the larger crib blankets that my son and daughter trailed on the ground, the loveys can easily be grasped, cuddled and carried by infants and toddlers.  They are small and personal, just waiting to be hugged and loved.  The colors, patterns, animals, or other creatures are limited only by your imagination.  Some children will be attracted by the colors, others by their favorite creature.  Although you may want to use some of the softer less scratchy yarns like Caron Soft or Red Heart's BabyHugs or Baby Soft, you can pre-wash and dry some of the other brightly colored yarns to make them softer and fluffier.

I just had to make another  bright Teddy Lovey to replace the one my granddaughter chose.  The colors are from Red Heart Stripes, and since each varigated skein begins or ends in a different place, the placement of the colors on each lovey is different and unique.

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Some of my favorite loveys are bears and bunnies, but I have seen elephants, bumble bees, lions, cows, funny monsters, mice, hippos, action figures, and many more.

The Internet is an excellent source for designs and patterns.  My own Pinterest board,
https://www.pinterest.com/lillianmalkus/loveable-lovies/,includes more than 50 unique images.  All Free Crochet offers delightful patterns for Rainbow Sunshine Lovey Blanket and Cuddley Crochet Koala Baby Lovey.

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 Although loveys can be crocheted or knitted, I prefer to crochet mine.  I can crochet the extended granny square in about an hour, but it takes me several hours to knit a blanket with similar dimensions. I also prefer making the figures from crocheted pieces,  I did knit the white "blankie."  Then I decided to crochet the lovely tulip border which softens the look. I am in the process of selecting a figure for the piece.  Should it be white or pink?  a bunny, cat, teddy, or flower with a face?  The blankie with the tulip border came from an enlarged washcloth.  There are so many crocheted and/ or knitted versions of these cloths.  Just extend your favorite stitch pattern to 12" by12" and you have your unique piece.  You can even mix knitted or  crocheted bottoms with knitted or crocheted tops. While most basis are squares, I have also seen rectangles, hexagons, and stars.

The lovey bases are a snap for me and have proved to be one of my favorite road trip past-times.
However, the heads, arms, and crocheted faces can be time consuming.  When I produce a truly adorable lovey figure, I am so pleased.  Still at times, I have to remake some parts to get both arms the same size  or redo a crooked smile. This is an intricate process with a variety of yarns, hooks, stuffing, needles, and props spread all over the table.  This is where the loveable part comes in. What figure and blanket would be most appealing  to a baby or toddler? Which lovey will your little girl or boy carry about kiss, cuddle, and lick?

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 I have worked up several samples form my print and on-line sources.  I still have several that I want to try, but it is time to publish this week's post.  We know which one s my granddaughter's favorite.  Which one would you like to create as a gift to a baby in your life?