# Sunshine Yellow Duckling Granny Square Blanket Free Crochet Pattern
Oh my goodness, friends, if there were ever a blanket that could bottle up pure happiness, this would be it. I designed this sunshine-yellow duckling blanket for my best friend’s baby shower, and the second I sewed on the first little duckling face, I knew I was in trouble — I wanted to keep it for myself! Each granny square is a burst of sunshine, and every other square gets the sweetest little duckling applique with a tiny orange beak.
It’s a simple, rhythmic make: cheerful yellow granny squares, a crisp white join, and those ducklings that come together in minutes each. Perfect for a nursery, a stroller blanket, or draped over the arm of a rocking chair just to make you smile.
What You’ll Need
- Worsted weight (#4) acrylic yarn: approx. 900 yds sunshine yellow, 400 yds white, small amounts of orange and black
- Size I-9 (5.5 mm) crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- Stitch markers (optional, for joining)
Finished size:
- Approximately 36 inches wide x 24 inches long
The Pattern
Granny Squares (make 24)
Each square measures about 6 inches across after 4 rounds. Use yellow for all rounds.
Round 1: Magic ring, ch 3 (counts as DC), 2 DC into ring, ch 2, [3 DC into ring, ch 2] 3 times, join with sl st to top of ch-3. (12 DC, 4 ch-2 corners)
Round 2: Sl st into ch-2 corner space, ch 3, (2 DC, ch 2, 3 DC) in same corner, ch 1, [(3 DC, ch 2, 3 DC) in next corner, ch 1] 3 times, join. (24 DC)
Round 3: Sl st into corner, ch 3, (2 DC, ch 2, 3 DC) in corner, ch 1, 3 DC in ch-1 space, ch 1, [(3 DC, ch 2, 3 DC) in next corner, ch 1, 3 DC in ch-1 space, ch 1] 3 times, join. (36 DC)
Round 4: Repeat Round 3, working (3 DC, ch 1) in each ch-1 space along the sides — each side now has 3 clusters. Join and fasten off. (48 DC)
Weave in ends on all 24 squares. Give them a quick steam block so they sit flat and square.
Duckling Appliques (make 12)
Body: With yellow, magic ring, 6 SC into ring.
Round 2: 2 SC in each st (12).
Round 3: [SC in next, 2 SC in next] 6 times (18).
Rounds 4-5: SC in each st (18). Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing.
Head: With yellow, magic ring, 6 SC into ring.
Round 2: 2 SC in each st (12).
Round 3: SC in each st (12). Fasten off, leaving a tail.
Beak: With orange, ch 4, SC in 2nd ch from hook, HDC in next ch, DC in last ch. Fasten off — a tiny triangle.
Eyes: With black, magic ring, 6 SC into ring, join. Make 2.
Sew the head to the top edge of the body, the beak to the center of the head, and an eye on each side of the beak. Sew one finished duckling to the center of 12 squares, arranged in a checkerboard.
Joining and Border
Arrange squares 6 across x 4 down, alternating plain and duckling squares. Join with white using whipstitch or a SC join through the back loops.
**Border
Round 1:** With white, join in any corner, ch 1, SC evenly around working 3 SC in each corner, join.
**Border
Round 2:** Ch 1, SC in each st around with 3 SC in corners, join.
**Border
Round 3:** With yellow, ch 1, [skip 2 sts, 5 DC in next st, skip 2 sts, SC in next st] around, join. Fasten off and weave in every end.
Sophie’s Tips
- Block your squares before joining — it makes the seams lie perfectly flat and the blanket looks so much more polished.
- Weave in ends as you finish each square. Twenty-four squares times four rounds is a lot of tails to face at the end otherwise!
- Swap the ducklings for simple flower appliques and this same layout becomes a sweet spring nursery blanket in any color.
This little blanket just radiates joy — I hope it brings as many smiles to your home as it did to mine!
