August 4, 2021

Wenona Preemie Cocoon | Preemie Crochet Challenge

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Here we are with another fabulous year of doing the Preemie Crochet Challenge and this year, I am including something that means a lot to me: Wenona Preemie Cocoon. This has my daughter’s middle name and is super cute and super tiny for those itty bitty preemies.

The Preemie Crochet Challenge means so much to me because my daughter, Paige, was born at 35 weeks and 6 days. We had a very scary, near death experience. But both of us perservered and Paige is a super smart, beautiful 5 year old girl now. You can read more about my story here.

Paige as “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” Ballet Costume after performance

Paige and Nick Halloween 2020 at the Zoo

Paige as a “Pea” in the Princess and the Pea Ballet performance, 3 years old

The NICU

Paige had a lot of issues with feeding, breathing, keeping her blood sugar at a good level, all kinds of issues. This meant all kinds of wires, a pic line, just…. so scary and overwhelming. And I had my own health issues with contend with too (which you can read about here) Paige spent nearly 2 weeks in the NICU. My husband and I went to see her from sun up to way past sun down each day. My mother also went to see her every day. Both Nick and I cried on the way home each night we had to leave her there.

The Wenona Preemie Cocoon

The cocoon I made with Paige’s middle name, Wenona, to me represents the snuggling and hugging I wanted to do so badly. The shells along the top represent the pretty little girly things I love about my daughter. The stitch I used, the N Stitch, sort of looks like an arm wrapped around someone, so I felt I had to use it for this one.

The pattern includes instructions for increasing the size for up to 6 months. We provide written instructions and video tutorial for the N stitch as well, if you’re not familiar with it.

We do have a video tutorial for the N Stitch in both right and left handed versions.

Crochet Preemie Challenge

You can check out the other patterns that featured in the 2021 challenge by clicking the button below! Many of them are still free on the designer’s blogs.

Pattern links

There are a couple of ways of getting this pattern:

Scroll down for the free preemie version. This post does contain ads which we will get paid for so helps support Sunflower Cottage Crochet at no cost to you.
Purchase the ad free pdf pattern. The pdf pattern includes instructions on how to make this bigger for bigger babies. Links to this are below.

You can get this pattern as a pdf download, with instructions on how to make it for bigger babies, in all of our shops:

Wenona Preemie Cocoon Pattern Information:

Materials:

About 200 yards of #4 worsted weight yarn
5mm hook
Stitch markers (optional)
Scissors
Tapestry needle

Gauge:

15 dc and 9 rows = 4×4” square

Sizing:

11-11.5 inches at longest point

Abbreviations:

Ch(s)–chain(s)
St(s)–stitch(es)
rep–repeat
Hdc—Half-double crochet
MR—Magic Ring
Ss—slip stitch
SC—single crochet
NST—N stitch

Written in US terms
Ch3 count as DC stitches.
Read the instructions for how to do the special stitches!
Ch2 does not count as a stitch

Special Stitches:

Crab Stitch –

Working from left to right (instead of towards the left like usual), complete a single crochet in the next stitch to the RIGHT. This will create a slightly twisted stitch that makes a great border. Video here.

Magic Ring –

This is the alternative to the ch4 ring method. As it is difficult to put into words, we have a video here.

N Stitch –

Skip next stitch, hdc in next, insert hook into skipped stitch, yo and pull up a loop, yo, pull thru 1 loop, yo, insert hook back into the next st (where you did the hdc), yo, pull up a loop, yo, pull thru all loops on the hook.

Videos linked further up in the post for this stitch!

The Wenona Preemie Cocoon Pattern:

Rnd 1— MR and chain 3 (counts as a dc)

Complete 7 more dc’s in the ring. SS to join to top of ch3. (8)

Rnd 2— Ch3, dc in same as join (counts as 2dc), 2dc in each st around, ss to top of ch 3 to join. (16)

Rnd 3— Ch3, *2dc in next st, dc in next; rep from * to end—ending with 2dc in final st. SS to top of ch3 to join. (24)

Rnd 4— Ch3, dc in next, 2dc in next, *dc next 2 sts, 2dc in next; rep from * to end—ending with 2dc in final st. SS to top of ch3 to join. (32)

Rnd 5— Ch3, dc in next 2 sts, 2dc in next, *dc next 3 sts, 2dc in next; rep from * to end—ending with 2dc in final st. SS to top of ch3 to join. (40)

Rnd 6— Ch3, dc in next 3 sts, 2dc in next, *dc next 4 sts, 2dc in next; rep from * to end—ending with 2dc in final st. SS to top of ch3 to join. (48)

Rnd 7-– Ch3, dc in next 4 sts, 2dc in next, *dc in next 5 sts, 2dc in next; rep from * to end—ending with 2dc in final st. SS to top of ch3 to join. (56)

Rnd 8– Ch3, dc in next 5 sts, 2dc in next, *dc in next 6 sts, 2dc in next; rep from * to end—ending with 2dc in final st. SS to top of ch3 to join. (64)

Rnd 9— Ch1, hdc in same as join, NST around, hdc in final stitch. SS to ch1 to join. (64)

Rnd 10— Ch1, sc in same as join, sc in each stitch around. SS to ch1 to join. (64)

Rnds 11-24—Repeat rows 9 & 10.

Border– You can do the simple crab stitch border or the shell border. Instructions for both as follows:

Crab stitch border: Ch1, crab st in first and in each st around (please read the

instructions for crab stitch). FO and weave in ends.

Shell Border: Ch1, sc in same, sk2, 5dc in next st, *sk2, sc in next st, sk 2, 5dc in

next; rep from * to end, join to first sc.

FO and weave in ends.