MINI Sunny Sloth Knotted Lovey — Crochet Pattern

There is something undeniably magical about making a lovey for a baby. It is one of those projects that sits at the intersection of skill, love, and practicality — something small enough to finish in a weekend, yet meaningful enough to become a child’s most treasured companion for years. This MINI Sunny Sloth Knotted Lovey crochet pattern is exactly that kind of project. With its cheerful sun-yellow color, sweet sloth face, and satisfying knotted blanket base, it is the perfect handmade gift for a new baby, a toddler who loves stuffed animals, or anyone who simply cannot resist the charm of a sloth.

In this post, I am going to walk you through everything you need to know about this pattern — the materials, the techniques, the construction, and all the little tips that will help you make yours look polished and adorable. Whether you are a seasoned crocheter or someone who has just learned their basic stitches, this guide is here to help you create something truly special.

What Is a Knotted Lovey?

Before we dive into the pattern itself, let’s talk about what makes a knotted lovey different from a traditional crocheted lovey. A traditional lovey typically features a small stuffed animal head attached to a flat, square security blanket. The knotted version puts a fun textural spin on the concept by incorporating knots or bobbles into the blanket base, giving it a three-dimensional, squishy quality that babies absolutely love to touch and hold.

The knotted texture adds sensory interest, which is genuinely beneficial for infant development. Babies explore the world through touch, and a blanket that has varied texture — smooth sections alongside raised knots — gives little fingers something interesting to discover. It also makes the lovey more visually appealing when displayed in a nursery or tucked into a crib, because the texture catches the light in a way a flat blanket simply cannot.

The MINI version of this lovey keeps the blanket portion small — roughly 10 to 12 inches square — which makes it the ideal size for babies and small children to carry around without dragging it on the floor. It is manageable for you to make and manageable for a child to love.

Why a Sloth?

Sloths have become one of the most popular animals in the world of baby products and nursery decor over the past several years, and it is not hard to understand why. They are gentle-looking, round-faced, and soft in their features. A crocheted sloth has an inherent sweetness to it — the small nose, the sleepy eyes, the gentle curve of a smile — that makes it feel comforting and calm. There is also something wonderfully fitting about pairing a sloth with a lovey, since both sloths and security blankets are associated with rest, slowness, and peaceful moments.

The sunny yellow color palette in this particular version adds a brightness that lifts the overall feel of the piece. It works beautifully for any gender and pairs well with modern nursery color schemes that favor warm neutrals, dusty yellows, and earthy tones.

Materials You Will Need

Gathering your materials before you begin makes the whole process smoother. Here is what you will need for this MINI Sunny Sloth Knotted Lovey:

Yarn: Approximately 150 to 200 yards of a soft worsted weight yarn (Category 4) in a sunny yellow color. Look for something labeled as baby-safe, hypoallergenic, and machine washable, since this lovey will inevitably spend time in tiny hands and will need frequent washing. Popular options include Lion Brand Pound of Love, Paintbox Simply DK (worked held double), or Bernat Baby Blanket in a lighter weight. The most important thing is softness — if the yarn scratches your cheek even a little, it will scratch a baby’s face.

Hook: A 5.0 mm (H/8) crochet hook works well for worsted weight yarn and gives you a fabric that is neither too stiff nor too loose. Adjust up or down based on your gauge.

Stuffing: A small amount of polyester fiberfill for the sloth head. Use a high-quality, hypoallergenic stuffing and avoid overfilling — you want the head to be soft and squishy, not hard.

Safety Eyes: Two 9mm black safety eyes. If this lovey is intended for a child under three, skip the safety eyes entirely and embroider the eyes instead using black yarn or embroidery floss. Safety eyes can become a choking hazard if pulled loose.

Yarn Needle: For weaving in ends and sewing pieces together.

Stitch Markers: Helpful for marking rounds in the head construction.

Scissors: You probably already have these.

Optional: A small amount of light gray or cream yarn for the sloth’s face patch, and a tiny bit of dark brown or black yarn for the nose detail.

Gauge

Gauge matters in this project primarily for the blanket base. For the sloth head, gauge is less critical — if your head comes out slightly larger or smaller than the pattern intends, it will still look adorable.

For the blanket, aim for approximately 14 stitches and 16 rows to equal 4 inches in single crochet using your chosen yarn and hook. Work a small swatch, wash and dry it as you would the finished piece, and measure again before starting.

Understanding the Knotted Stitch

The knotted texture in this lovey is created using a simple bobble-style technique worked on right-side rows. Here is how the basic knotted stitch works:

To make a knot (also sometimes called a bobble or popcorn in different patterns), you will work five double crochet stitches all into the same stitch, then close them together at the top by pulling through all the loops. The knot pops forward on the right side of the fabric, creating that raised, bumpy texture that gives the blanket its cozy character.

The knots are spaced evenly across the blanket — typically every other stitch — and are offset on alternating rows so that they create a checkerboard-like pattern across the surface. This staggering is what gives the blanket its dimensional, almost cloud-like appearance when held up.

The Pattern

Blanket Base

Foundation: Chain 35. This gives you a foundation for a blanket that measures approximately 10 to 11 inches wide after blocking.

Row 1 (Wrong Side): Single crochet in the second chain from the hook and in each chain across. (34 sc) Chain 1, turn.

Row 2 (Right Side — Knot Row): Single crochet in the first stitch. Make a knot stitch in the next stitch, single crochet in the following stitch. Repeat from to across to the last stitch, single crochet in the last stitch. Chain 1, turn.

To make the knot stitch: Insert hook into the stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through 2 loops. Do this 4 more times in the same stitch (5 loops total on hook), yarn over and pull through all 6 loops. The knot pops to the front (right side) of your work.

Row 3 (Wrong Side): Single crochet across all stitches. Chain 1, turn.

Row 4 (Right Side — Offset Knot Row): Single crochet in the first two stitches. Make a knot stitch in the next stitch, single crochet in the following stitch. Repeat from to across to the last stitch, single crochet in the last stitch. Chain 1, turn.

Row 5: Single crochet across all stitches. Chain 1, turn.

Repeat Rows 2 through 5 until the blanket measures approximately 10 to 11 inches from the foundation chain, ending with a plain single crochet row. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Border: Join yarn to any corner of the blanket. Work 3 single crochets in the corner stitch, then single crochet evenly around the entire blanket, working 3 single crochets in each remaining corner. When you reach your starting point, slip stitch to the first stitch and fasten off. Weave in ends.

Sloth Head

The sloth head is worked in continuous rounds. Place a stitch marker at the beginning of each round and move it up as you go.

Round 1: Magic ring, work 6 single crochet into the ring. (6 stitches)

Round 2: Increase in every stitch. (12 stitches) — To increase, work 2 single crochets into the same stitch.

Round 3: Single crochet in 1, increase in 1. Repeat around. (18 stitches)

Round 4: Single crochet in 2, increase in 1. Repeat around. (24 stitches)

Round 5: Single crochet in 3, increase in 1. Repeat around. (30 stitches)

Round 6: Single crochet in 4, increase in 1. Repeat around. (36 stitches)

Rounds 7 through 12: Single crochet in every stitch. (36 stitches per round)

If you are using safety eyes, attach them now between Rounds 9 and 10, approximately 7 to 8 stitches apart. If you are embroidering the eyes, you will add them at the very end before closing the head completely.

Round 13: Single crochet in 4, decrease in 1. Repeat around. (30 stitches) — To decrease, insert hook into next stitch, pull up a loop, insert hook into following stitch, pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through all 3 loops.

Round 14: Single crochet in 3, decrease in 1. Repeat around. (24 stitches)

Begin stuffing the head now, adding fiberfill gradually as you continue decreasing.

Round 15: Single crochet in 2, decrease in 1. Repeat around. (18 stitches)

Round 16: Single crochet in 1, decrease in 1. Repeat around. (12 stitches)

Round 17: Decrease in every pair of stitches. (6 stitches)

Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Use the tail and your yarn needle to close the remaining opening by weaving through the front loops of the remaining 6 stitches and pulling tight. Weave in the end securely.

Face Patch (Optional but Recommended)

The sloth’s face patch is a small oval or rounded shape worked in a contrasting color — cream, light gray, or tan — that you sew onto the front of the head before adding the facial features. This gives the sloth that characteristic two-toned look.

Round 1: Magic ring, work 6 single crochet. (6 stitches)

Round 2: Increase in every stitch. (12 stitches)

Round 3: Single crochet in 1, increase in 1. Repeat around. (18 stitches)

Round 4: Single crochet in all stitches. (18 stitches)

Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Sew the face patch to the front of the head, centering it over where the safety eyes are placed (or will be embroidered). The patch should sit centered between the eyes and extend slightly below and above them.

Ears (Make 2)

Round 1: Magic ring, work 6 single crochet. (6 stitches)

Round 2: Increase in every stitch. (12 stitches)

Round 3: Single crochet in all stitches. (12 stitches)

Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Do not stuff. Flatten each ear slightly and sew it to the top sides of the head, one on each side, positioned symmetrically.

Arms (Make 2 — Optional)

Small, simple arms can give your sloth extra character.

Round 1: Magic ring, work 6 single crochet. (6 stitches)

Rounds 2 through 6: Single crochet in all stitches. (6 stitches per round)

Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Lightly stuff if desired. Sew to the sides of the head, angled downward and slightly forward.

Facial Embroidery

Using a small length of dark yarn or black embroidery floss, embroider a small oval or teardrop-shaped nose just below center on the face patch. For the mouth, embroider a gentle upward curve — just a few stitches — below the nose. Keep the expression soft and simple. The goal is sleepy and sweet, not exaggerated.

If you are embroidering the eyes rather than using safety eyes, work two small circles or ovals in black, placing them above the nose and spaced comfortably apart.

Assembling the Lovey

Once all your pieces are complete, it is time to bring everything together. Lay your finished blanket flat and find the center of one edge — this is where the sloth head will be attached.

Using your yarn needle and a length of your main yarn, sew the sloth head securely to the center of the blanket edge. Work your stitches all the way around the base of the head, catching both the head and the blanket edge in each stitch. You want this attachment to be very secure, since it will be tugged and pulled by little hands many times over.

Go around the perimeter of the head base at least twice with your stitching, and finish with several knots worked close to the surface of the blanket before weaving in your end deeply through several stitches.

Finishing Tips

Weave in all your ends carefully and securely. For a baby item, ends that work loose over time are both a nuisance and a safety concern. After weaving in each end, pass your needle back through the yarn several stitches in the opposite direction before trimming.

Block your blanket base lightly if your yarn responds well to blocking. Wet blocking — soaking the blanket briefly in cool water, gently squeezing out the excess, and laying flat to dry — can soften the fabric and even out any uneven tension without flattening the knot texture entirely.

Wash the finished lovey before gifting it, both to preshrink the yarn and to ensure it is completely clean and fresh.

Caring for Your Lovey

Because this lovey will likely become a beloved companion that goes everywhere, it needs to be easy to wash. Most acrylic and acrylic-blend yarns can be machine washed on a gentle cycle in cool water and tumble dried on low. Check the care label on your specific yarn before washing.

Store the lovey away from direct sunlight when not in use to prevent the yellow color from fading over time.

Final Thoughts

The MINI Sunny Sloth Knotted Lovey is the kind of project that reminds you why you started crocheting in the first place. It is small enough to be approachable, detailed enough to be satisfying, and meaningful enough to matter. Whether you are making it as a baby shower gift, a birthday present for a toddler, or simply because you cannot resist the idea of a tiny crocheted sloth holding a knotted blanket, I hope this pattern brings you as much joy to make as it will bring to whoever receives it.

Happy crocheting, and may your yarn never tangle.