Tuesday 18 September 2012

Dalek Amigurumi Pattern


I'm a long time fan of Doctor Who - I started watching Jon Pertwee in the 1970s when I was very little, and I've loved it ever since, old series and new. The Daleks are a brilliant creation, scary and iconic, and I just had to crochet them. I made three a few years back, two for swaps and one for a present, but I never made any for myself. With the new season of Doctor Who just starting (and with the first episode featuring a selection of different types of Daleks) I knew I had to make them again.




I tweaked my original pattern a bit and came up with a design I'm really happy with. It's quite fiddly to make, but it has most of the essential details. I've made a classic grey and black Dalek from the 1970s and a bronze and gold one from the new series. However fearsome the real Daleks are, when they're reduced to 7 inches tall and made of yarn, they're suddenly much more cute and cuddly, and fun to play with. One of mine found a wig I'd made for something else and decided he'd look good in it. I can't decide if he looks like Boris Johnson or if it's one of Captain Kirk's!


You can download the PDF of the pattern from Etsy or Ravelry

at

43 comments:

  1. Mariella18 September 2012 at 20:53

    I am a Doctor Who fan too and my childrens too.
    They will go crazy with a crochet dalek.
    Thank you so much for creating it!

    Mariella

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  2. Susie - secondhandsusie.blogspot.com18 September 2012 at 23:48

    THANK YOU SOOO MUCH for the pattern, I'm going to make myself one, then some more for my Dr-Who-loving friends!

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  3. Anonymous19 September 2012 at 06:08

    ahh ahh ahh! Too excited for words!

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  4. LucyRavenscar19 September 2012 at 14:15

    Thanks guys! Have fun with the pattern, I'd love to see the Daleks you make.

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  5. Teena21 September 2012 at 16:21

    I love these!!! I love that two of my favorite amigurumi artists are doing Dr. Who. Did you see that Crafty is Cool is starting a series of all the Doctors? So far she's done up to number two (http://instagram.com/p/Puch_lG6dG/).

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  6. LucyRavenscar21 September 2012 at 16:36

    Thanks! I hadn't seen Crafty is Cool's first and second Doctors - they're amazing! I love the detail she puts in.

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  7. Jenny24 September 2012 at 19:50

    I LOVE it! I have been wanting a crochet Dalek but have no idea how to make a pattern. You're awesome!

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  8. LucyRavenscar27 September 2012 at 11:08

    Thank you very much Jenny!

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  9. Anonymous2 February 2013 at 19:52

    Thank you,, thank you!

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  10. brombap6 May 2013 at 13:47

    I'm so, so happy to find this pattern - thank you for sharing it!. It will be great present for a dr who fan-friend!!!!

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  11. Claudette15 May 2013 at 08:49

    Thanks a lot for sharing this pattern! I'm working on it right now...

    I have a question... I'm ready with row 20 and beginning with round 21... But, do I have to work in the back loop remaining from row 20? from the ss row?
    Or the back loop remaining from row 19? Because, it is not mentioned and it is so difficult to work in de back loop from the slip stitches... I hope my question is clear enough... hoping you can answer this... Thanks again!

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  12. LucyRavenscar15 May 2013 at 11:45

    Hi Claudette,

    Row 21 should be worked into the back loops of round 20, but round 20 is sc, not ss, so it shouldn't be too difficult. The last ss round was 17, so perhaps you've jumped a few lines on the pattern.

    Hope that helps!

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  13. Claudette15 May 2013 at 12:11

    Thanks Lucy so much for your quick answer... You are right! I made a mistake! I was jumping lines :) Now I can continue the right way... This one is gonna be for my little new born nephew... I hope for a nice result... I'm so excited! Thnx!!

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  14. Anonymous24 May 2013 at 19:10

    Hi Lucy,
    I'm doing this pattern but everything seems to turn out inside out :/ what am I doing wrong?
    For example when doing the black and grey dalek head with the grey stripes, the correct stitches turn out in the inside rather than the outside... If you could help that would be great!!
    Thanks, Duana

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  15. LucyRavenscar25 May 2013 at 09:09

    Hi Duana,

    It sounds like you might be working inside-out. When you work in the round and you start crocheting a round shape, like the top to the Dalek, the right side is the side facing you. As it turns into a bowl shape you should be working at the edge of the 'bowl' with most of the 'bowl' away from you. If you work inside-out, a lot of the details just won't work properly.

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  16. Zeneth Thobarony8 June 2013 at 04:13

    Hi Lucy,,

    I'm a huge fans of Dalek also Whovian and I got struck in first sight. lol. Though I started enjoy Doctor Who in new series.
    When I found your blog from Doctor Who Tumblr, I just like "WHOOOWWWWW" so exciting.
    Thx for your pattern sharing, I'll try making one dalek.

    Regards, Zeneth

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  17. LucyRavenscar14 June 2013 at 11:37

    Thanks Zeneth! Have fun making your Dalek.

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  18. Unknown24 June 2013 at 00:32

    Thank you for the Pattern!! Mine didn't turn out quite as well as yours did, but he still turned out super cute.I'm not too experienced with amigurumis, but even so your pattern was easy to read and very helpful! Thank you again! <3

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  19. LucyRavenscar27 June 2013 at 08:52

    Thanks Amanda! I think it's quite a complicated pattern, so you obviously did a good job with it.

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  20. Megan30 June 2013 at 22:31

    Hi! What a cute pattern! Do you use anything to weight the bottom of your bigger creations so that they sit upright more easily?

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  21. DMC7 July 2013 at 00:39

    Hi when I get to the row 23 I get loads more than 90 stitches at the end instead of 52 - I have counted them several times from the pattern and it still seems to add up to more than 52. Please tell me what I am doing wrong:)

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  22. LucyRavenscar9 July 2013 at 17:28

    Megan - thanks! I don't weight them, they stand up just fine on their own, but it might depend on where you want to put them. Of course, you could weight them a lot and use them as door stops!

    DMC - my first thought is that you're consistently working the fpsc around a stitch, then doing a sc into the same stitch (or the other way around.) Read the section before the pattern that explains the fpsc and be sure you're following it carefully. Let me know if that doesn't help.

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  23. Anonymous24 September 2013 at 19:58

    hy,
    Just for say thanks !!!
    My family and me are Doctor Who fan ; and a friend of my mother, who have the shop "Décorama", asks me if I can do Daleks for pub in her shop... Imagine, your Daleks for pub in a shop ! They don't be sell of cours.

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  24. LucyRavenscar29 September 2013 at 15:10

    That sounds really cool!

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  25. Dieuwke24 September 2014 at 11:43

    Wow! Thank you so much for offering us this pattern for free!! It is so incredibly detailed, that must have cost a lot of work. I am certainly going to try this one out! Again, thank you!
    Dieuwke

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  26. LucyRavenscar24 September 2014 at 18:10

    Thanks, have fun making it!

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  27. Lbarlow6 December 2014 at 18:24

    Hi on round 23 and 24 there is 90 not 52 On rounds 25 there is 69 not 54 And round 26 there is 70 not 54. How did you get the figures when if you add the stitches up you get what I got can you please explain thanks

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  28. LucyRavenscar10 December 2014 at 14:13

    Hi, I think you're reading the pattern wrong. When it says something like "[fpsc, fpsc, 2 sc in
    next st], [fpsc, fpsc, sc in next st] 3 times," the "3 times" only refers to the instructions in square brackets just before it. So, you do "[fpsc, fpsc, 2 sc in
    next st]" once, and "[fpsc, fpsc, sc in next st]" three times. Look out for the commas that divide the instructions.

    I know these are very complicated instructions, so I hope it makes sense now.

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  29. Anonymous22 January 2015 at 13:08

    Hi Lucy,

    I'd like to feature your daleks in my yet-to-be-composed list of amigurumi patterns of creatures from tv.
    I would use your picture to go with the link - if you are not ok with that, just send me an email to bastelschaf @ gmx.de

    Thanks!
    Conny

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  30. LucyRavenscar22 January 2015 at 19:02

    Hi Conny,

    Yes, that would be great, thank you!

    Lucy

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  31. Rena26 July 2016 at 00:12

    I'm almost done with this amazing project!!! am i doing the base in the round? i'm so confused.

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  32. LucyRavenscar26 July 2016 at 13:35

    Yes, for round one you work into one side of the chain, then continue round and work into the other side of the chain, that completes the round. It's long and thin rather than circular, but it allows you to make the irregular oval shape you need for the base of the dalek.

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  33. Keela11 May 2017 at 21:59

    Hi, Lucy! I am wanting to make this in the red/black/grey dalek. (Link to photo: http://www.thedoctorwhosite.co.uk/wp-images/daleks/svg/26-2010.svg) I am so confused on what color I'm suppose to be using as I read the instructions! Do you have a pattern written for the red one? I've seen other patterns, but yours is so much better. If you can help, please let me know!!!

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  34. Keela13 May 2017 at 16:38

    After a good night sleep and a clear head, I figured it out. :) Thank you for the pattern!!!!!!!!!

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  35. LucyRavenscar13 May 2017 at 17:33

    Ah, good! I don't have a variation for different coloured Daleks, and I hadn't had the chance to look at my pattern and see where to change it.

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  36. Anonymous29 October 2017 at 17:54

    Hiya Lucy!! Great pattern!! I am making the grey n black Dalek for my daughter!! We are both devoted Whovian and this Dalek looks fantastic!! I am having a problem however...I did not notice until I got to this point in the pattern...I downloaded it on my computer and printed it to take with me... (I have no way to recheck my download as I will not be around a computer again for quite a while) anyway this is my problem...I got to round 30...turned the page and the pattern goes right from round 30 to 33 with no 31 or 32 in between... (sigh) I am hoping you can help me with this...ty for your time.....)o (dEb)o(

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  37. LucyRavenscar29 October 2017 at 19:44

    Thanks! The info for rounds 31-32 is right at the bottom of page 6, maybe it just didn't print? Anyway, after round 30 it says:
    "Round 31 - 32: (2 rounds) Sc in each st around - 60 st.
    Change to black or gold yarn for every 4 dc bob in rounds 33, 38, 43 and 48."

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  38. Anonymous30 October 2017 at 17:09

    Omgds thank you for your speedy reply....You are probably right indeed...it is my printer as I note the missing lines are at the end of the pg...Thank you for replying with the missing rounds...now my Dalek will get done today and be able to EXTERMINATE!! lol...Thanks Again for this Most Excellent Pattern!! )o(dEb)o(

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  39. Susana13 July 2020 at 21:40

    Hi, Lucy! First of all, thank you for your patterns. I thought it would be impossible to find a Dalek's pattern and here it is, and sobre on, it's gorgeous!!
    I have a question about the step from round 13 to 14, or 17 to 18. Do I have to cut the yarn when round 13 is finished? And then, start with new yarn on the back loops from round 12? These back loops are inside the head?? Thank you so much!!

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  40. LucyRavenscar14 July 2020 at 15:00

    Yes, you do need to cut the yarn after round 13 and round 17. When it says FO (fasten off) it means to cut the yarn. Rounds 13 and 17 stick out a little bit, when you work into the back loops you're carrying on with the normal shape.

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  41. Anonymous17 August 2020 at 18:57

    I LOVE this. My family is a long-time Doctor Who fan. Thank you so much for making this!

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  42. LucyRavenscar18 August 2020 at 14:23

    Thanks! I'm glad you like it.

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  43. Anonymous9 October 2022 at 21:12

    been looking for this patter for a friend has she loves doctor who

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