Chubby Santa and Christmas Elf

It's that time of year again, when Christmas starts to invade my life. In a good way - it can be a bit hectic, but it's overwhelmingly fun. I was looking at my Chubby Gnomes pattern, when I realised that it would be very easy to adapt to make a little Chubby Santa to add to my decorations. I made him, and then I had to make him a little Chubby Elf to help him out.

They were quick and easy to make - I've added the details to the Chubby Gnome pattern that's available in my Etsy shop and on Ravelry. If you already bought the pattern, just contact me with all the details of your order, and I'll send you the updated version.

Happy 50th Doctor Who!

My crocheted Daleks are getting in on the Doctor's 50th anniversary celebrations today - they've got their party hats on and they're having a great time! I've been enjoying all the celebrations so far - I loved the wonderful 'Adventures in Space and Time' about the beginnings of the series, and I'm looking forward to 'The Day of the Doctor' that's on tonight.

If you want to make yourself a Dalek, you can find the pattern in my shops on Etsy or Ravelry

If your Daleks want to get in on the celebrations, here's the pattern to make them tiny party hats:

Party Hat

Abbreviations:
ch = chain
st = stitch or stitches
sc = single crochet (US), double crochet (UK)
FO = fasten off

General instructions:
Work in rounds and use a stitch marker to mark the start of a round - a small piece of different coloured yarn placed under the stitch at the start of the round will do. To start a round, you can use the magic ring method, but I prefer (ch 2, work 6 sc into 1st ch). If you work the 6 sc over the tail of yarn as well you can use that to pull the hole tight. Work through both loops of stitches.
You will need: 
Small amounts of two bright colours of yarn.
3.5mm (E) hook.
Tapestry needle.

Leave a short length of yarn when you start each colour.

Start using colour 1.
Round 1: Ch 2, work 6 sc into 1st ch - 6 st.
Round 2: [2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 st] 2 times - 8 st.
Change to colour 2.
Round 3: Sc in each st around - 8 st.
Round 4: [2 sc in next st, sc in next 3 st] 2 times - 10 st.
Change to colour 1.
Round 5: Sc in each st around - 10 st.
Round 6: [2 sc in next st, sc in next 4 st] 2 times - 12 st.
Change to colour 2.
Round 7: Sc in each st around - 12 st.
Round 8: [2 sc in next st, sc in next 5 st] 2 times - 14 st.
Change to colour 1.
Round 9: Sc in each st around - 14 st.
Round 10: [2 sc in next st, sc in next 6 st] 2 times - 16 st.
FO. Pull the start of the yarn for both colours and the end for colour 2 through the top of the hat to make little streamers. Cut to length.
Weave in the end of colour 1 or use it to sew the hat on (I just pinned mine on).

Dalek at the Doctor Who Prom

This summer there was a concert of Doctor Who music as part of the Proms season at the Royal Albert Hall. Sadly, I didn't get to go, but a crocheted Dalek made from my pattern did! Luckily, the person who made it for her friend's little boy let me know that it might have been filmed, so when the prom came on television I was watching with eagle eyes. I was so chuffed to have spotted it, and I took a photo of the Dalek menacing a Judoon (or was it the other way round?). It's not great quality, but hopefully you can see it.

 

Here's my original Dalek so you can see it a bit more easily:

 



Fantasy Amigurumi - Elves

You may have seen from my previous post that I'm working on a series of Fantasy amigurumi characters. I've already designed a pattern to make Halflings, and now my pattern to make Elves is finished. Elves originally came from European mythology and folklore and have now become part of modern fantasy books, films and games.

I've made four different Elves, two male and two female, to give a selection of options for people who want to make their own Elves.

Elf Warrior: He has long blond hair, pulled back into a braid, and a green tunic. He also has a separate hooded cloak and a sword.

 

 

 Elf Archer: He has dark, mid-length hair and a tunic with wrist guards. I made him a cloak and a bow with a quiver full of arrows.

Elf Princess: She has long dark hair with a silver head-dress, and a long blue dress.

Elf Sorceress: She is wearing a short top, a long skirt with splits, arm protectors and shoulder armour. She has pale mid-length hair and long pointed ears, and she carries a staff with a magical orb at the top.

 

 

All the Elves are about 6.5" tall, compared to the Halflings that are 5.5" tall. I'm now working on a Dwarf pattern, but I'm not sure whether to make a female Dwarf. As a Discworld fan, I always think female Dwarfs should look the same as male ones, but I don't think this is the case in various games, or in The Hobbit from the glimpses we saw of Dale at the start of An Unexpected Journey. I'd really appreciate hearing people's views on this.

The Elf pattern is available to download from my Etsy shop.

Fantasy Amigurumi - Halfling

For quite a while now I've been wanting to design some patterns for various fantasy characters; peoples and creatures that appear in all sorts of folklore, books, films and games. I decided they needed to be a bit bigger than my Star Wars characters (about 3.5" tall) so they would have a bit more detail, but it's taken a bit of experimentation to come up with the right body shape.

 

I made myself a little Frodo some time ago (see him in this post) and so the first pattern I started work on was for a Halfling. This is a generic name for the 'little folk' that appear in folklore, that often keep themselves hidden and can either be helpful or mischievous towards humans. In modern fantasy stories and games these little people often live alongside other fantasy races and have a variety of names and customs. Usually they are good-natured, not too war-like, and enjoy their food and home comforts. They are often portrayed with curly hair and wearing slightly more modern clothes - waistcoats and jackets rather than tunics - than other fantasy races. I think this comes from the fact that belief in hobs, brownies and similar creatures was still around relatively recently, so they are imagined in clothes from the 17th and 18th Century rather than the more medieval costumes favoured by Elves and Dwarfs. I've noticed that Halflings in games often appear as engineer or rogue-type characters; due to their size they're not obviously great warriors but they are quick and good with their hands so those sorts of professions suit them better.

 

My Halfling pattern, available now in my Etsy shop contains all the information needed to make a male or female Halfling, about 5.5" tall, with a choice of clothing. You can make a male Halfling with or without a waistcoat, and with a separate jacket, hat or cloak.

The female Halfling comes with the option of the traditional look with a bodice and skirt, or you can go for the engineer/steampunk look and make a Halfling with spiky hair and goggles.

 

 

I'm now working on a pattern to make Elves, again with a selection of looks, and then I will probably work on a pattern for Dwarfs. After that I welcome any suggestions, though I'd like to do orcs/goblins, perhaps some classical creatures such as minotaurs and fauns, and some human warriors, maybe with a few historical ones (Roman, Viking) mixed in with the fantasy.

Mini Frog - Free Amigurumi Pattern

Here's another one of the patterns I've made in the past for my children's school Christmas bazaar. However, a bright green frog seems more of a spring thing to me, so now is the perfect time to make one. This friendly little frog is easy to make with no parts to sew on, and is just 1.5"/4 cm tall. 

 

 

Abbreviations:

ch = chain
st = stitch or stitches
sc = single crochet (US), double crochet (UK)
dc = double crochet (US), treble crochet (UK)
hdc = half double crochet (US), half treble crochet (UK)
BLO = back loop only
FLO = front loop only
tog = together
sc2tog = decrease by working two sc together
bob = bobble (see special stitch instructions)
pop = popcorn (see special stitch instructions)
FO = fasten off

General instructions:

Work in rounds unless otherwise stated and do not join rounds unless told to. Use a stitch marker to mark the start of a round - a small piece of different coloured yarn placed under the stitch at the start of the round will do. To start a round, you can use the magic ring method, but I prefer (ch2, work 6 sc into 1^st ch). If you work the 6 sc over the tail of yarn as well you can use that to pull the hole tight.

Work through both loops of stitches unless otherwise indicated.

Special stitch instructions:

4 dc pop: popcorn stitch for eyes and feet. Work 4 dc into 1 st, take hook out leaving loop, put hook through 1st dc & pull loop through.

3 dc bob: bobble stitch for hands. YOH (yarn over hook), insert hook into next stitch, YOH and pull through loop, YOH, pull through 2 loops, *YOH, insert hook into same stitch, YOH and pull through loop, YOH, pull through 2 loops, repeat once from*, YOH, pull through all 4 loops on hook.

You will need:

Small amount of green yarn, double knitting or worsted weight.
Small amount of red yarn for the mouth.
Small of black yarn for the eyes.
Small amount of stuffing.
3.5mm (E) hook.
 

Round 1: Ch 2, work 6 sc into 1^st ch - 6 st.
Round 2: 2 sc in each st around - 12 st.
Round 3: [2 sc in next st, sc in next st, 2 sc in next st, 4dc pop in next st, 2 sc in next st, sc in next st] 2 times – 18 st.

Round 4 - 6: (3 rounds) Sc in each st around - 18 st.
Round 7: [Sc2tog, sc in next st] 6 times – 12 st.
Round 8: Sc in next 4 st, [arm: ss into next st, ch 6, 3dc bob into 3rd ch from hook, ss into next 3 ch, ss back into original st], sc in next 5 st, [arm], sc in next st - 12 st.
Round 9 - 10: (2 rounds) Sc in each st around - 12 st.
Round 11: [2 sc in next st, sc in next 3 st] 3 times – 15 st.
Round 12: Sc in each st around - 15 st.
Round 13: Sc in next 8 st, 4dc pop, sc in next 4 st, 4dc pop, sc in next st - 15 st.
Round 14: [Sc2tog, sc in next 3 st] 3 times – 12 st.
Round 15: [Sc2tog] 6 times – 6 sc. FO, leaving a length of yarn.

Stuff head and body. Embroider black eyes on the popcorn stitches on the head and use the red yarn to sew a wide mouth. Use length of yarn to sew up hole at bottom.

Mini Monkeys - Free Amigurumi Pattern

If you've been following my blog you'll know that every year I make lots of little amigurumi for our school's Christmas Bazaar. I've been gradually putting the patterns on here, but I've still got quite a few to go.

 

 

I've made mini monkeys over several years, and tried all sorts of variations of the pattern, but this is the one I'm happiest with. You can make these little monkeys in two ways: either follow the main pattern to give them long legs or use the alternative instructions to have them sitting down with their little feet sticking out. Either way they're about 2"/5.5mm tall, not including legs. Make them in natural browns like mine or use any colour you like.

Abbreviations:

ch = chain
st = stitch or stitches
sc = single crochet (US), double crochet (UK)
dc = double crochet (US), treble crochet (UK)
hdc = half double crochet (US), half treble crochet (UK)
BLO = back loop only
FLO = front loop only
tog = together
sc2tog = decrease by working two sc together
bob = bobble (see special stitch instructions)
pop = popcorn (see special stitch instructions)
FO = fasten off

General instructions:

Work in rounds unless otherwise stated and do not join rounds unless told to. Use a stitch marker to mark the start of a round - a small piece of different coloured yarn placed under the stitch at the start of the round will do. To start a round, you can use the magic ring method, but I prefer (ch2, work 6 sc into 1^st ch). If you work the 6 sc over the tail of yarn as well you can use that to pull the hole tight.

Work through both loops of stitches unless otherwise indicated.

The faces for these monkeys are made by changing the yarn colour as you crochet. Carry the body colour yarn under the face colour by crocheting over it every couple of stitches. Don't carry the face yarn under the body yarn, just leave it hanging and pick it up when you need it in the next round.

Special stitch instructions:

4 dc pop: popcorn stitch for ears and alternative feet. Work 4 dc into 1 st, take hook out leaving loop, put hook through 1st dc & pull loop through.

3 dc bob: bobble stitch for face, hands and feet. YOH (yarn over hook), insert hook into next stitch, YOH and pull through loop, YOH, pull through 2 loops, *YOH, insert hook into same stitch, YOH and pull through loop, YOH, pull through 2 loops, repeat once from*, YOH, pull through all 4 loops on hook.

You will need:

Small amount of double knitting or worsted weight yarn for the body of your monkey, any colour you like.
Small amount of double knitting or worsted weight yarn for the face of your monkey, pale brown or any colour you like.
Small of black yarn for eyes and mouth.
Small amount of stuffing.
3.5mm (E) hook.

Start with yarn for body.

Round 1: Ch 2, work 6 sc into 1^st ch - 6 st.
Round 2: 2 sc in each st around - 12 st.
Round 3: [2 sc in next st, sc in next st] 6 times – 18 st.
Round 4: Sc in each st around - 18 st.
Round 5: Sc in next 6 st, change to face yarn, sc in next 5 st, change to body yarn, sc in next 7 st – 18 st.
Round 6: Sc in next 4 st, 4dc pop in next st, sc in next st, change to face yarn, sc in next 5 st, change to body yarn, sc in next 2 st, 4dc pop in next st, sc in next 4 st – 18 st.
Round 7: Sc in next 7 st, change to face yarn, 3dc bob in next 4 st, change to body yarn, sc in next 7 st – 18 st.
Round 8: [Sc2tog, sc in next st] 6 times – 12 st.
Round 9: [Sc2tog, sc in next 2 st] 3 times – 9 st.
Round 10: [2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 st] 3 times – 12 st.
Round 11: Sc in next 4 st, [arm: ss into next st, ch 7, 3dc bob into 3rd ch from hook, ss into next 4 ch, ss back into original st], sc in next 4 st, [arm], sc in next 2 st - 12 st.
Round 12 - 15: (4 rounds) Sc in each st around - 12 st.
Round 16: Sc in next 5 st ,[leg: make as arm], sc in next 4 st, [leg], sc in next st - 12 st.
Round 17: Sc in next 2 st, [tail: ss into next st, ch 13, miss ch next to hook, ss into next 12 ch, ss back into original st], sc in next 9 st - 12 st.
Round 18: [Sc2tog] 6 times – 6 sc. FO, leaving a length of yarn.

Stuff head and body. Push the bobbles on the face outwards and embroider eyes and mouth using black yarn. Use length of yarn to sew up hole at bottom.

Alternative sitting monkey

Make as above up to round 14.
Round 15: [2 sc in next st, sc in next 3 st] 3 times – 15 st.
Round 16: Sc in next 8 st, 4dc pop, sc in next 3 st, 4dc pop, sc in next 2 st - 15 st.
Round 17: Sc in next 3 st, [tail: ss into next st, ch 13, miss ch next to hook, ss into next 12 ch, ss back into original st], sc in next 11 st - 15 st.
Round 18: [Sc2tog, sc in next 3 st] 3 times – 12 st.
Round 19: [Sc2tog] 6 times – 6 sc. FO, leaving a length of yarn.

Finish off as above.

 

Keep watching this space, I'll put up a pattern for a mini frog tomorrow.

 

Boris The Tiny Lion - Free Amigurumi Pattern

I've posted about this pattern before, it was part of a pattern exchange here, but I thought I'd put the pattern here on my blog so it's easy to find.

Boris The Tiny Lion 
Amigurumi Pattern

 

Abbreviations:
ch = chain
st = stitch or stitches
sc = single crochet (US), double crochet (UK)
dc = double crochet (US), treble crochet (UK)
hdc = half double crochet (US), half treble crochet (UK)
BLO = back loop only
FLO = front loop only
tog = together
sc2tog = decrease by working two sc together
FO = fasten off

General instructions:

Work in rounds unless otherwise stated and do not join rounds unless told to. Use a stitch marker to mark the start of a round - a small piece of different coloured yarn placed under the stitch at the start of the round will do. To start a round, you can use the magic ring method, but I prefer (ch2, work 6 sc into 1^st ch). If you work the 6 sc over the tail of yarn as well you can use that to pull the hole tight.

Work through both loops of stitches unless otherwise indicated.

You will need:

Small amount of yellow/gold yarn.
Small amount of brown yarn.
Small amount of black yarn.
Small amount of stuffing.
3.5mm (E) hook.

Special stitch instructions:

5 dc pop: popcorn stitch for legs. Work 5 dc into 1 st, take hook out leaving loop, put hook through 1st dc & pull loop through.

3 dc bob: bobble stitch for mane. YOH, insert hook into next stitch, YOH and pull through stitch, YOH, pull through 2 loops, *YOH, insert hook into same stitch, YOH and pull through stitch, YOH, pull through 2 loops, repeat from*, YOH, pull through all 4 loops on hook.

Body:

Start using yellow/gold yarn.
Round 1: Ch 2, work 6 sc into 1^st ch - 6 st.
Round 2: [2 sc in next st, sc in next st] 3 times – 9 st.
Round 3: Sc in each st around - 9 st.
Round 4: [2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 st] 3 times – 12 st.
Round 5: [2 sc in next st, sc in next st] 6 times – 18 st.
Round 6: Sc in each st around - 18 st.
Change to brown yarn.
Round 7: [Sc in next st, 3 dc bob in next st] 9 times – 18 st.
(Push the bobbles outwards after each round.)
Round 8: Sc in next st, [sc in next st, 3 dc bob in next st] 8 times, sc in next st – 18 st. (Optional: to make ears do the 2nd and 5th bobbles in the yellow/gold yarn).
Round 9: [Sc in next st, 3 dc bob in next st] 9 times – 18 st.
Change to yellow/gold yarn.
Round 10: [2 sc in next st] 2 times, sc in next 12 st, [2 sc in next st] 4 times – 24 st.
Round 11: 5 dc pop in next st, sc in next 19 st, 5 dc pop in next st, sc in next 3 st – 24 st.
Round 12: Sc2tog, sc in next 18 st, [sc2tog] 2 times – 21 st.
Round 13 - 15: (3 rounds) Sc in each st around - 21 st.

Stuff as far as you can and embroider face with black yarn. Use French knots to make eyes.

Round 16: Sc in next st, 5 dc pop in next st, sc in next 16 st, 5 dc pop in next st, sc in next 2 st – 21 st.

Round 17: Sc in each st around - 21 st.
Round 18: [Sc2tog, sc in next 5 st] 3 times – 18 st.
Round 19: [Sc2tog, sc in next st] 6 times – 12 st.
Round 20: [Sc2tog] 6 times – 6 st.
FO, leaving length of yarn. Finish stuffing and sew up hole at end.

Tail:

Ch 5, turn, miss ch next to hook, ss in next 4 ch.
FO and sew to bottom. Sew or knot a little bit of brown yarn to the end to make a tuft.

Wee Mousies

 

My Wee Mousie pattern, which has been published in Inside Crochet and their 'bookazine' The Complete Guide To Crochet, is now available in my Etsy shop

I was very much inspired by my childhood when I made these - I loved tiny toys, but I wasn't very keen on dolls, I much preferred animals to play with, and reading things like Beatrix Potter and watching Bagpuss added to that.

The pattern has all the details to make either a little girl mouse with a dress, or a little boy mouse in a sweater. They're pretty much mouse-sized, just 9 cm (3.5") tall, so they're perfect as a little friend to carry around, or to play with in a doll's house. I can just imagine making them a home out of a shoebox, with furniture made from matchboxes and cotton reels, a bit like the Borrowers. Oh, and I'm sure they'd need a bed with a tiny crocheted blanket!