Crochet "My Unicorn" Blanket/Pillow

This morning I finally completed "My Unicorn" Blanket/Pillow in soft/pastel colors.  I'm sure my little granddaughter, Miss Arielle, is going to enjoy her blanket.  And, I used Bernat Blanket Yarn so it's going to keep her super warm.  Now, I chose to do the blanket portion in multiple colors, however, you may do this in one color, if so desired, and it would still look pretty...

Size:  35" wide x 43" long; however this can easily be adjusted to be made bigger or smaller by increasing or decreasing the number of increase rows

Difficulty Level:  Intermediate

Materials:
--8mm hook
--3 skeins of the Bernat Blanket Yarn 72 yds/skein in Baby Teal
--2 skeins of the Bernat Blanket Yarn 72 yds/skein in Baby Pink
--1skein of the Bernat Blanket Yarn 220 yds/skein in White (I had a small amount of thus leftover)
--292 yds of the Bernat Blanket Yarn in Purple (I had bought a 220 yd skein and a 72 yd skein and if you look closely, you will see a slight variation in the color -- I think one was Baby Purple and the other Purple)
--small amount of worsted weight yarn for the eyes and black yarn for nostrils
--small amount of polyfil to stuff horn and for the pink nose portion
--tapestry needle
--optional button (I just crocheted a button but you can use a button or omit it)

Abbreviations:
Ch:  chain
Sl st:  slip stitch
St:  stitch
MR:  magic ring
SC:  single crochet
HDC:  half double crochet
Dec:  decrease
FO:  fasten off

Special Stitch:  The blanket portion was made using the Corner-2-Corner (C2C) method with HDC stitches and Ch5.  If you are not familiar with this procedure, you can make the blanket portion however you want.  Here is a link to a website that has a great tutorial on C2C.  This is by far the best video tutorial in learning to do it.

http://thecrochetcrowd.com/cornertocorner/

Directions:

Blanket:

1.  I completed the blanket portion as follows:

--12 rows Baby Teal

--7 rows Baby Pink

--1 row White

--19 rows Purple

--1 row White

--7 rows Baby Pink

--12 rows Baby Teal

--I worked my increase rows up to 30 ( 12 rows Baby Teal, 7 rows Baby Pink, 1 row White and 10 rows  Purple)
--Then, I started my decrease rows (9 rows Purple, 1 row White, 7 rows Baby Pink and 12 rows Baby Teal)

And, then with Baby Teal, I SC around the entire blanket, with 3 SC in each corner.  On the last stitch, before completing, I switched to white yarn.  I completed 2 rounds of SC in white.

Hood:

On a short side, I counted in 15 stitches and placed a stitch marker on each end.  The hood is worked in the stitches between the stitch markers and not the two stitches that has the stitch marker.

1.  Starting with stitch 16, sl st to join white yarn, Ch1.  HDC in same stitch as Ch1 and work across to the last stitch before the second stitch marker.  Ch1 and turn.  

2-12.  HDC in each stitch across.  Ch1 and turn.  At the end of Row 12, don't Ch1.  You can do one of two things:  you can leave a long tail and fold the rectangle shape you just made in half and whipstitch half of Row 12 to the other half of Row 12 to form the hood shape OR you can do what I did.  I folded it in half with RS facing each other and I slip stitched the half of Row 12 to the other half of Row 12.

Ears (make 2):

1.  With white yarn, 6 SC into MR.  Sl st to join.  Ch 1.  (6)

2.  2 SC in each st around.  Sl st to join.  Ch1.  (12)

3.  2 SC in first st, 1 SC in next.  Repeat around.  Sl st to join.  Ch1.  (18)

4-5.  1 SC in each st around.  Sl st to join.  Ch1.  (18)

6.  Dec, then 1 SC in next st.  Repeat around.  Sl st to join.  Ch1.  (12)

7.  1 SC in each st around.  Sl st to join.  FO, leaving a long tail for attaching.  (12)

Inner portion of Ear (make 2):

1.  With pink yarn, Ch2.  1 SC in second ch from hook.  Ch1 and turn.  (1)

2.  2 SC in st.  Ch1 and turn.  (2)

3.  2 SC in first st and 1 SC in next st.  Ch1.

4.  SC all around.  Sl st to first sc and FO.  Leave a long tail for attaching inner part to center of ear.

Curlicues:  

I used pink, white and teal colors.  

1.  Ch31.  2 SC in second chain from hook and into each ch across.  FO, leaving a long enough tail to attach to the top of the hood.  (60)

Horn:

1.  With teal yarn, 6 HDC into MR.  Sl st to join and Ch1.  (6)

2-8.  For remaining rows, you will add 1 additional HDC stitch (into any stitch of previous round) to each round (for example, round 2 will have 7 stitches and round 8 will have 13 stitches).  At the end of Round 8, FO, leaving a tail long enough for attaching.  Stuff with polyfil.

Nose:

1.  With pink yarn, Ch5.  1 SC into second chain from hook and into the next 2 chains, 3 SC into the last chain.  Turn and work on opposite side of base chain.  1 SC into the next 2 chains and 2 SC in the last chain.  Sl st to join to first SC and Ch1.  (10)

2.  2 SC in the first st, 1 SC in the next 2 st, 2 SC in next st, 3 SC in next st, 2 SC in next st, 1 SC in next 2 st, 2 SC in next st and 3 SC in last st.  FO.  Leave long tail for attaching.  (18)

For the nostrils, I used black yarn to embroider.  

Cheeks (make 2)

1.  With pink yarn, 6 SC into MR.  Tighten.  Sl st to join.  Ch1.  (6)

2.  2 SC in each st around.  Sl st to join.  FO, leaving a long tail to attach.  (12)

Eyes (make 2):

1.  With 5.5 hook, and black yarn, 6 SC into MR.  Before completing last st, switch to blue yarn.  Sl
st to join and Ch1.  (8)

2.  2 HDC in first st, 1 sc in next 2 st, 2 HDC in next st, 2 HDC in next st, 1 SC in next 2 st and 2 HDC in last st.  Before completing last st, switch to white yarn.  Sl st to join.  Ch1. (8 HDC & 4 SC)

3.  SC around.  Sl st to join.  FO, leaving a long tail to attach.  (12)

With white, I embroidered a small stitch into the black portion of the eye.  

Optional Button:  

I used white blanket yarn and 8mm hook and made 8 HDC into a MR.  FO, leaving a long tail to
\
attach to the top vertical side of the white yarn portion of the blanket so that my granddaughter could button her blanket and wear as a cape.  On the opposite side, I joined the white yarn, Ch1, SC in same st as Ch1, then Ch4 and sc in last st and FO.  Weave ends.  

Assembly:

See pics for placement of eyes, ears, horn, curlicues, cheeks and nose.  When I attached the nose, before completing, I added a small amount of polyfil.  

To make pillow:

Fold up about halfway, fold each side inward (like a paper airplane) so it will mirror the hood and slip under the hood.  

Hope you enjoy this.

Happy Crocheting...

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