With the success of the Hugs and Kisses Baby Chevron Blanket by Jeanne Steinhilber. She went on to design two more variations of this popular crochet stitch. People wanted it square and also in motif format. She went on to make it a Hugs and Kisses All-Around Square Crochet Baby Blanket and also a Hugs and Kisses Crochet Hexagon Motif Quilt for Babies.
January 16, 2024, the square baby blanket called All Around was renamed to Hugs & Kisses Baby Shower Baby Blanket. Most of the pattern was reworked to have a simpler repetition of just 8 rounds. The popcorn rounds needed an odd number with a complicated original design to make it harder to remember. The corners were reworked, and the popcorn rounds were rewritten to be easier to follow. If you struggled with the first version of Hugs and Kisses All Around, try this new reworked version, you will see it's much easier and you can put the pattern down and stitch without worrying about making a mistake.
Mikey's reworked version in the Caron Jumbo with the colour called White Water.
Of course, people also wanted the original blanket as a row, which created another version called Little Boy Blue Crochet Baby Blanket. It's a fierce race between Little Boy Blue and the original Chevron for the number of downloads between them.
The versions have something special about them. If you don't prefer to whip-stitch your motifs together for the hexagon, you can always just go to the square blanket and not worry about joining. With Caron Big Cakes, the yarn works out its colouring and is an easy repeat to remember.
Both of the patterns are below.
Pair a cute baby blanket with the Crochet City Mouse.
Blanket 1 of 2: Crochet Hugs and Kisses Baby Shower Baby Blanket
This is formerly the Hugs and Kisses All Around Blanket but was rewritten in January 2024.
Updated Version with Caron One Pound.
Original Hugs and Kisses All Around
I used 3 Caron Big Cakes to crochet this 42" lap-size blanket. I did measure, and with just 2, Big Cakes had a 34" square, making a nice baby-size blanket. Of course, you can use your favourite worsted-weight yarn and create your colour theme. I think this would also look lovely in a solid colour too.
Since this pattern is crocheted in the round rather than in rows, I changed from bobbles to popcorn stitches to represent the hugs in the blanket.
Caron Big Cakes - Cake Roll 3 Balls
Hook 5.5 mm / Size I/9
OR
Caron One Pound - Light Gray 2 Balls
Keep in mind that the Caron One Pound Version stops earlier than the original at 42" x 42" square.
Abbreviations
Beg = Beginning
Ch = Chain
Dc = Double Crochet
Rep = Repeat
RS = Right Side
Sc = Single Crochet
Sl st = Slip Stitch
Sp = Space
St = Stitch
Special Stitches
X-st: Skip next st, dc into next st, cross back and dc into skipped st; 1 X-st made.
Pc (popcorn stitch): Work 4 dc into the next st, drop the loop from the hook, insert your hook from front to back under the top 2 loops of the first double crochet of the group; 1 pc made. Ch 1 to close.
Project Size - 42” x 42”
Instructions
Notes:
Join = Half double crochet to the top of the first ch-3 or single crochet st.
Stitch counts given per side.
Ch 4, sl st to beg ch to form ring.
1st rnd: RS. Ch 3, 3 dc in ring. Ch 2. (4 dc, ch 2) 2 times in ring. 4 dc in ring. Join. 4 dc.
Tips: Hdc that was used for joining to the top of a ch-3 or single crochet stitch is the equivalent of ch-2 sp. Use hdc post as corner sp.
Every other round is a single crochet round.
2nd rnd & alternate rnds: Ch 1, 1 sc in same corner sp. 1 sc in each st across to corner. *(1 sc. Ch 2. 1 sc) in corner sp. 1 sc in each st to next corner. Rep from * around. 1 sc in beg corner sp. Join. 6 sc.
3rd rnd: Ch 3 (counts as dc now and throughout), 1 dc in same beg sp, x-st to next corner. *(2 dc. Ch 2. 2 dc) in corner. X-st across to next corner. Rep from * around. 2 dc in beg corner sp. Join. 3 x-st and 4 dc. 10 sts total.
4th rnd: 12 sc.
5th rnd: Ch 3, 1 dc in same corner sp. [Pc in next st, 1dc in next st.] Rep from [ ] to corner. *(2 dc. Ch 2. 2 dc) in corner sp. Rep [ ] to next corner. Rep from * around. 2 dc in beg corner sp. Join. 6 popcorn and 10 dc. 16 sts total.
6th rnd: 18 sc.
7th rnd: Ch 3 (counts as dc now and throughout), 1 dc in same beg sp, x-st to next corner. *(2 dc. Ch 2. 2 dc) in corner. X-st across to next corner. Rep from * around. 2 dc in beg corner sp. Join. 9 x-st and 4 dc. 22 sts total.
8th rnd: 24 sc.
9th rnd: Ch 3, 1 dc in same corner sp.1 dc in each st to next corner. *(2 dc. Ch 2. 2 dc) in corner sp. 1 dc in each st to next corner. Rep from * around. 2 dc in beg corner sp. Join. 28 dc.
Rep rnds 2 to 9 until 49 rnds are complete. Stitch counts provided below.
Edging rnd: Ch 1, reverse sc in each st around with 3 rsc in each corner. Fasten off.
Stitch Counts for Repeating
(added st count from previous rnd for your reference)
10 - 30 sc (+ 2)
11 - 15 xst & 4 dc. 34 sts (+ 4)
12 - 36 sc (+ 2)
13 - 18 pc & 22 dc. 40 sts. (+ 4)
14 - 42 sc (+ 2)
15 - 21 xst & 4 dc. 46 sts (+ 4)
16 - 48 sc (+ 2)
17 - 52 dc. (+ 4)
Tips
Each time you do X-sts, the next time you do the x-st round, you will have 6 more x-sts.
Each time you complete a popcorn round, the next time you do the popcorn round, you will have 12 more popcorn.
18 - 54 sc
19 - 27 xst & 4 dc. 58 sts
20 - 60 sc
21 - 30 pc & 34 dc. 64 sts
22 - 66 sc
23 - 33 xst & 4 dc. 70 sts
24 - 72 sc
25 - 76 dc.
26 - 78 sc
27 - 39 xst & 4 dc. 82 sts
28 - 84 sc
29 - 42 pc & 46 dc. 88 sts
30 - 90 sc
31 - 45 xst & 4 dc. 94 sts
32 - 96 sc
33 - 100 dc.
34 - 102 sc
35 - 51 xst & 4 dc. 106 sts
36 - 108 sc
37 - 54 pc & 58 dc. 112 sts
38 - 114 sc
39 - 57 xst & 4 dc. 118 sts
40 - 120 sc
41 - 124 dc.
Caron One Pound Version stops here and the blanket will be 42" x 42" square here. Block the blanket for best results.
42 - 126 sc
43 - 63 xst & 4 dc. 130 sts
44 - 132 sc
45 - 66 pc & 70 dc. 136 sts
46 - 138 sc
47 - 69 xst & 4 dc. 142 sts
48 - 144 sc
49 - 148 dc.
Pattern official ends here with a final edging round but you can continue and use my tips for the stitch counts.
Block the blanket for best results.
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Tutorial
Blanket 2 of 2: Crochet Hexagon Baby Hugs and Kisses Quilt
Color A - Caron Big Cakes 2 Balls - Cherry Cake (One Caron Big Cake makes 11 hexagons.)
Color B - Caron One Pound - White
Hook 5.5 mm / Size I/9
Abbreviations
Beg = Beginning
Ch = Chain
Dc = Double Crochet
Hdc = Half Double Crochet
Rep = Repeat
Sc = Single Crochet
Sl st = Slip Stitch
Sp = Space
St = Stitch
Tr = Treble Crochet
Special Stitches
X-st: Skip next st, dc into next st, cross back and dc into skipped st; 1 X-st made.
Pc (popcorn stitch): Work 4 dc into the next st, drop the loop from the hook, insert your hook from front to back under the top 2 loops of the first double crochet of the group; 1 pc made.
Project Size - 47” at the widest section.
Make 19 Hexagons
Rnd 1: With color A, ch 2, 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook, sl st to 1st sc. - 6 sc.
Rnd 2: Ch 3 (counts as dc now and throughout), (tr, dc) in same st as ch 3, [(dc, tr, dc) in next st] 5 times, sl st to beg ch, sl st to next tr. - 12 dc, 6 tr.
Rnd 3: Ch 1, (sc, hdc, sc) in tr, *sc in next 2 st **, (sc, hdc, sc) in next tr; rep from * 4 more times, then from * to ** once, sl st to beg sc, sl st to next hdc. - 24 sc, 6 hdc.
Rnd 4: Ch 3, (tr, dc) in same st, X-st, twice*, (dc, tr, dc) in next hdc; rep from 4 more times, then from * to ** once, sl st to beg dc, sl st in next tr. - 12 X-st, 12 dc, 6 tr.
Rnd 5: Ch 1 (sc, hdc, sc) in tr, *sc in next 6 st **, (sc, hdc, sc) in next tr; rep from * 4 more times, then from * to ** once, sl st to beg sc, sl st to next hdc. - 48 sc, 6 hdc.
Rnd 6: Ch 3, *hdc, hdc, PC, hdc, hdc, PC, hdc, hdc ** dc in next hdc; rep from 4 more times, then from * to ** once, sl st to beg dc. - 12 PC, 36 hdc, 6 dc.
Rnd 7: Ch 1 (sc, hdc, sc) in same st, *sc in next 8 st **, (sc, hdc, sc) in next dc; rep from * 4 more times, then from to ** once, sl st to beg sc, sl st in next hdc. - 60 sc, 6 hdc.
Rnd 8: Ch 3, (tr, dc) in same st, X-st 5 times*, (dc, tr, dc) in next hdc; rep from 4 more times, then from * to ** once, sl st to beg dc, sl st in next tr. - 30 X-st, 12 dc, 6 tr.
Rnd 9: Ch 1 (sc, hdc, sc) in tr, *sc in next 12 st **, (sc, hdc, sc) in next tr; rep from * 4 more times, then from * to ** once, sl st to beg sc. Break color A. - 84 sc, 6 hdc.
Rnd 10: Join color B in next hdc, ch 3, (tr, dc) in same st, *dc in next 14 st
**, (dc, tr, dc) in next hdc; rep from * 4 more times, then from * to ** once, sl st to beg dc, sl st in next tr. - 96 dc, 6 tr.
Rnd 11: Ch 1 (sc, hdc, sc) in tr, *sc in next 16 st **, (sc, hdc, sc) in next tr; rep from * 4 more times, then from * to ** once, sl st to beg sc. Finish off. - 108 sc, 6 hdc.
Assembly
Whip stitch the hexagons together with the front sides together and in the back loop only. You can use your favorite joining method.
- One Caron Big Cake makes 11 hexagons.
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Kristine G says
VIDEO, VIDEO, VIDEO! lol I've had to frog the first few rounds a couple times....ok, maybe more than a couple...but I am determined to get this beautiful blanket done right! I couldn't even begin to explain why I'm having such difficulties. Some I've read already in the comments from other hookers (that made me feel less silly). I'll keep on trying. Thinking positive...this time is the charm! 🙂
carol says
printed the pattern...started & ripped out multiple times until I watched the video......first, I assumed on Rnd 1 I chain 4, join, THEN ch4 in 4th ch and Rnd 5 video has 2hdc between popcorn but written states 1hdc ... also had issues with one corner but think I figured that out...time will tell 🙂 attempt number 5 coming up
Mary Abshier says
The pattern is lovely. Stitch counts on all the rows would be helpful. I've gotten to row 21 and there's no way to fit 18 pic per side. I'd really hate to have to frog back to row 13 to ascertain my stitch counts are correct.