Florian Preemie Cocoon

Good morning beautiful people!

I've been playing more and more lately with textured stitches. I just love how you can create so many various looks from nothing more than a handful of stitches. It's pretty amazing right?

Today, I have a wonderfully textured cocoon pattern for you all! It's so sweet, and I think would look fantastic in any colour, or even a long colour change variegated/self striping yarn to get some lovely colour changing effects. This one will fit 24-26 weeks gestation and is completely side opening, allowing for ease of use. Now I know, I know, it's only small, and this would also be fantastic for a newborn, so I promise I'll have a larger version done soon! Because I know I definitely want a larger version too!

If you wanted to jazz it up some, you could do stripes, blocks of various colours, or simply change the colour for the last 4 rows!

Florian Cocoon

You Will Need:
DK Weight/Light Worsted Weight/8Ply Yarn
4mm Hook
3-4 Buttons

1: Into a magic ring, ch3, dc 12 times, join to the first dc. -12

2: Ch3, 2dc into the first stitch, 2dc into each remaining stitch, join to the first dc. - 24

3: Ch3, 2dc in the first stitch, dc in the next stitch, *2dc in the next stitch, dc in the next stitch*, repeat around, join to the first dc. - 36

4: Ch3, 2dc in the first stitch, dc in the next 2 stitch, *2dc in the first stitch, dc in the next 2 stitches*, repeat around, do not join. - 48

5: Ch6, turn, dc into the 3rd chain from hook and the next 3 chains, dc in the next 48 stitches. - 52

NOTE: When making the front post double crochets 2 rows below, do not pull tightly, allow your yarn to come up to the height of the first dc. Also, remember that because you are working around the stitch from 2 rows below, the stitch you would usually work into will be left un-worked, and the next dc into the next stitch. Sometimes it's easy to forget to leave it un-worked and you'll end up with too many stitches.

6: Ch3, turn, dc into the first stitch, fpdc around the dc 2 rows below, *dc into the next stitch, fpdc around the stitch 2 rows below*, repeat until you have 4 stitches left, dc in the last 4 stitches.

7: Ch3, turn, dc in each stitch across.

8: Ch3, turn, dc in the first stitch, fpdc around the fpdc from 2 rows below, *dc in the next stitch, fpdc in the fpdc from 2 rows below*, repeat across (the last fpdc will be on the little flap, and will be around a regular dc as there was no fpdc there for that row), dc in the last 2 stitches. - 52

9: Ch3, turn, dc in each stitch across. - 52

10: Ch3, turn, dc in the first stitch, fpdc around the fpdc from 2 rows below, *dc in the next stitch, fpdc in the fpdc from 2 rows below*, repeat across, dc in the last 2 stitches. - 52

11-34 Repeat rounds 9 and 10.

35-37: Ch1, turn, sc in each stitch across.

38: Ch1, turn, sc in each stitch across, when you reach the last stitch, make 2sc into it, then working in the ends of the rows, sc evenly down the side of the cocoon opening, around the bottom of the flap and then back up the other side if the opening. Join to the first sc from this row. End off

Flatten out your cocoon with the split to the right side, and make sure the flap is UNDER the front edge. This gives a neater finish than having the flap on top. Position your buttons into place and sew them on. You won't need button holes as the gaps in the end stitches are big enough to just pass the buttons through. I used large buttons 20mm (2cm) buttons, and I think you'd struggle with anything smaller with the side of the dc ends.

Once your buttons are in place weave in all ends and you are done.

For an alternating look, you could make the last sc round in a contrasting colour, or even complete it using a crab stitch.