Katie's Comfy Sleeping Bag

Katie's Cozy Sleeping Bag (AKA, a sleep sack for an 18-inch doll)



Materials:

Bernat Blanket (Polyester) - I used leftovers from the Comfy Throw
8mm hook

(Make 2):

Row 1.     Ch 21
Row 2.     Hdc in second chain from hook, and across (20), ch 1, turn
Row 3.     Hdc across (20), ch 1, turn
Rows 4-25. Hdc across, ch 1, turn, cut yarn, weave in end.



Put two sides together (I did rs out) and, starting in the top left corner, sc the two pieces together almost all the way around (with 3 sc in corners).

I stopped about 2/3 of the way up the right side, separated the two to leave a "turned-down" opening in the bag, and continued the sc up the side and around the top, ss in the starting sc.



*My daughter LOVES it! (And Katie looks pretty cozy too).

My First Pattern: The Comfy Throw

This pattern makes a blanket that is cozy and warm and airy enough to breathe. This yarn is soft, super easy care, and works up fast.

I improvised this blanket using a couple of the stitches I enjoyed using for making cowls over the winter months, using a super-soft yarn I had never used before (Bernat Blanket). I originally chained enough for it to match a much-loved baby blanket we had here, but as long as you chain it to an even number it can be as wide and as long as the lap you want to warm, the couch you want to cover, or the body you want to wrap...

Gauge doesn't really matter; nor does the hook. Using a 10mm hook makes the stitches much more open and airy than the 8mm, and I usually decide which hook I'm going to use based on the recipient.

Here’s what I do:

Ch to whatever length you desire: keep it even, Steven.

Row 1: hdc in second ch from the hook, hdc across to end, turn.

Row 2: ch 2, dc in the next st, dc in the first st (backtrack - in to the bottom of the ch 2), skip one st, dc in the next st, dc in the st you skipped (backtrack) and repeat. Dc in the last st, turn.

Row 3: ch 1, hdc in first st and every stitch across to end, turn.

Row 4 to infinity and beyond: repeat Rows 2 and 3. Finish on the row of hdc.

Finishing: hdc all the way around, with 3 hdc in the corners, for posterity’s sake.

The end.

Here is a close-up of what the pattern ends up looking like:

Every time I make one of these someone asks if they can have one too. I know it has a lot to do with the squishy comfy nature of this yarn...once you cuddle under it, you don't want to leave!