All About The Mandalorian Crochet Kit

My latest book and kit is out now, with twelve characters from The Mandalorian for you to make. In the book you'll find the patterns for:

The Mandalorian himself, or Mando, with the outfit he wears at the start of series 1 (during the two series so far he gradually picks up new armour).

Grogu (Baby Yoda) in his floating pram - full disclosure, despite the photo on the front of the book, the crochet pram does not actually float!

Cara Dune.

Greef Karga.

Moff Gideon, with the Darksaber.

Kuiil.

IG-11.

Grogu (Baby Yoda) at a larger scale. The first Grogu is tiny, and roughly in scale with the other characters. This version is larger, about 3" tall, compared to the humans who are generally about 4" tall.

Mudhorn, which is not in scale with the other figures but is still quite large at about 6" long.

Offworld Jawa, which as well as wearing a grey rather than brown robe, has a slightly different hood compared to the Jawa pattern you'll find in Star Wars Even More Crochet.

Bo-Katan Kryze, who comes with the option to make her with or without her helmet.

Ahsoka Tano, who is obviously the older version of the character than the one seen in The Clone Wars cartoons, with two white lightsabers.

There were some interesting challenges in coming up with these designs. It seemed like Mando would be just a variation on Boba Fett, but the fact that his helmet is all silver made it much harder to define the shape in a small crochet form. I had to try quite a few variations before I was satisfied, and it must be said that this is not an easy pattern for a beginner to amigurumi. It's included as one of the patterns in the kit, which makes sense given that he's the main character in the show, but there are a lot of colour changes and fiddly elements to the pattern. The other pattern in the kit, the smaller Grogu in his pram, is a bit easier, but it was also a challenge to make such a small character and still manage to include enough details to make it work.

I was very happy with Kuill, who was one of my favourite characters. He's a bit smaller than the human characters so I worried that I wouldn't be able to include all the details I needed to make him work, but he came out just how I wanted the first time I made him. I really wasn't sure if IG-11 would work in this format at all - it's a tall, thin, spindly robot, and these are cute, slightly chubby amigurumi versions of characters - but in the end I think this version is fun, recognisable but cute.

I started work on this in the early autumn of 2020, before series 2 of The Mandalorian had been released, so I wasn't told about all the characters I'd have to make until they'd appeared in the show. I was very happy when Ahsoka and Bo-Katan appeared, they're both colourful and interesting to look at, so they make great amigurumi. I thought I had a head start on Ahsoka since I'd already made the young version we first see at the beginning of The Clone Wars, but it was surprising how many details had to be altered, and since her head piece is so complicated it took a while to work out all the changes. With Bo-Katan I thought I knew how to make her helmet, since I'd already done Mando's, but the shape and all the details are quite different, so it took a while to get it just right. I thought it would be fun to see her without her helmet too, so I'm glad I asked to include that version too.

I hope that if you get hold of this book that you enjoy making the various characters. To help you find the right colours of yarn to make the characters, I've made a list below of all the yarns I used, and the amounts needed for each figure. I've also noted at the bottom of this post any errors in the book that I've noticed; if you come across any yourself, let me know. I work hard to make sure there aren't any errors, but some always manage to slip through!

Yarn List (approximate amounts):

I live in the UK, so that's where I get all my yarn from. I use double knitting (DK) weight yarn, equivalent to 3:light weight in the US, and 8 ply in Australia/NZ - there's a yarn thickness guide on Ravelry which is very helpful. (By the way, the yarn I used is not the same as the yarn in the kit. That isn't a particular brand, and was sourced by the publisher separately).

If you can't get hold of the yarns listed below, you can at least look at them in online stores such as Wool Warehouse or LoveCrafts, which might help you find equivalents closer to home.

I used mostly Hayfield Bonus DK (HBDK) and Robin DK (RDK). Hayfield is a great yarn for making amigurumi (toys worked in the round) as it's quite sturdy and doesn't get squashed by working tightly, which you have to do when you're crocheting like this. Unfortunately, Robin yarn is no longer available, so I have included some alternatives in Stylecraft Special DK (SSDK). Stylecraft has a great range of colours but is a little lighter in weight so you might find that parts come out a little smaller when you use it.

 

The Mandalorian:
5g light grey yarn - HBDK Light Grey Mix (814).
5g black yarn - HBDK Black (965).
10g dark grey yarn - HBDK Slate Grey (633).
5g mid brown yarn - HBDK Chocolate (947).
5g dark brown yarn - RDK Brown (051), alternative SSDK Dark Brown (1004).
Small amount of yellow yarn - HBDK Sunflower (978).
Small amount of beige yarn - HBDK Walnut (927).
Small amount of light beige yarn - HBDK Oatmeal (964).
Small amount of blue yarn - HBDK Denim (994).

 
Grogu in pram:
5g green yarn - HBDK Grass (825).
10g light beige yarn - HBDK Oatmeal (964).
10g light grey yarn - HBDK Light Grey Mix (814).

 
Cara Dune:
10g pale peach yarn - HBDK Biscuit (963).
10g teal yarn - HBDK Petrol (829), alternative Peacock (560).

5g dark teal yarn - HBDK Teal (691), alternative Royal Teal (558).
5g dark grey yarn - HBDK Slate Grey (633).
10g black yarn - HBDK Black (965).
10g dark brown yarn - RDK Brown (051), alternative SSDK Dark Brown (1004).
Small amount of light grey yarn - HBDK Light Grey Mix (814).

 
Greef Karga:
5g black yarn - HBDK Black (965).
10g light brown yarn - HBDK Walnut (927).
10g mid brown yarn - HBDK Chocolate (947).
10g dark brown yarn - RDK Brown (051), alternative SSDK Dark Brown (1004).
5g golden brown yarn - RDK Honey (129), alternative SSDK Camel (1420).

 
Moff Gideon:
20g black yarn - HBDK Black (965).
5g light brown yarn - HBDK Walnut (927).
5g red yarn - HBDK Soft Red (617).
Small amount of white yarn - HBDK White (961).
Small amount of dark grey yarn - HBDK Slate Grey (633).

 
Kuiil:
5g pale peach yarn - HBDK Biscuit (963).
5g mid brown yarn - HBDK Chocolate (947).
5g dark brown yarn - RDK Brown (051), alternative SSDK Dark Brown (1004).
5g khaki green yarn - HBDK Olive Green (634).
5g light brown yarn - HBDK Walnut (927) or Taupe (601).
Small amount of silver grey yarn - HBDK Light Grey Mix (814).
Small amount of black yarn - HBDK Black (965).
 

IG-11:
15g grey yarn - HBDK Dark Grey Mix (790).
5g black yarn - HBDK Black (965).
Small amount of red yarn - HBDK Signal Red (977).
 

Grogu (larger version):
10g green yarn - HBDK Grass (825).
15g light beige yarn - HBDK Oatmeal (964).
 

Mudhorn:
30g mid brown yarn - HBDK Chocolate (947).
10g dark beige yarn - HBDK Walnut (927).
 
Offworld Jawa:
5g black yarn - HBDK Black (965).
15g dark grey yarn - HBDK Slate Grey (633).
Small amount of dark brown yarn - HBDK Chocolate (947).
 
Bo-Katan Kryze:
10g pale peach yarn - HBDK Biscuit (963).
10g dark grey yarn - HBDK Slate Grey (633).
10g light grey yarn - HBDK Light Grey Mix (814).
10g russet yarn - HBDK Fox (779).
15g turquoise yarn - HBDK Turquoise (998).
5g black yarn - HBDK Black (965).
10g mid brown yarn - HBDK Chocolate (947).
5g white yarn - HBDK White (961).
 
Ahsoka Tano: 
10g russet yarn - HBDK Fox (779).
10g black yarn - HBDK Black (965).
5g mid brown yarn - HBDK Chocolate (947).
10g dark grey yarn - HBDK Slate Grey (633).
10g blue yarn - HBDK Denim (994).
10g white yarn - HBDK White (961).
5g light grey yarn - HBDK Light Grey Mix (814).
Small amount of maroon yarn - HBDK Claret (841).
 
*Errata:
On page 47 in the pattern for IG-11, round 3 should read:
Rnd 3: [2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 st] 2 times – 8 st.

On p19 of the pattern for the Mandalorian, the text after round 22 starting "In the following 3 rounds..." should go before round 22.

On p20 of the pattern for the Mandalorian, under the 'Left Shoulder Armor' and the 'Right Shoulder Armor', the second section in brackets on row 1 should be ignored.

On p53 in the pattern for Grogu, 'Cowl Neck of Robe', row 1 should read: 

Row 1: skip ch next to hook, sc in next 25 st, ch 1, turn.
 

Chubby Bunnies - free patterns

It's a week to go until Easter, and I've been working on some cute Chubby Bunnies and Baby Chubby Bunnies. You can find the free patterns on my Ravelry page and I've made a few different types to show you some options.

You can make them in natural rabbit colours, or use colourful or striped yarn for a fun look. Crochet the tails, or make a great big pom-pom instead. The Baby Chubby Bunnies are so quick and easy to make, you could crochet lots of them and use them in an Easter Egg hunt as an alternative to chocolate.

I hope you have fun with the patterns, let me know if you make any!

Yeti and Bigfoot pattern - new method to make arms

I recently had a message from someone who was having problems making the arms for the Yeti from my Yeti and Bigfoot pattern, They are made from the fingers upwards and the technique can be quite fiddly to get to grips with. Otherwise the pattern is quite a straightforward one for people fairly new to making amigurumi, so I thought it would be good to try to make the arms easier to crochet. 

So, the pattern now includes the additional information on how to make the arms from the top down, which makes the fingers much easier to crochet. I still slightly prefer the way the original method looks, but there's not very much in it. If you've already bought the pattern you should be able to download it again and get the new version of the pattern. Contact me on the site where you bought it if you have any problems with this.

The new versions of the hands, small at top, big at bottom.

Super Quick Snake - Free Crochet Pattern

 

These little snakes are quick and easy to crochet, they don't need stuffing and there's hardly any sewing to finish them off. They naturally curl around your fingers and are great for anyone who loves snakes. They would also make cool and creepy decorations for Halloween.

You will need:

Small amounts of 2 different colours of DK weight yarn to work together - green and black, or green and yellow make nice snake colours mixed together (thinner or thicker yarn is fine, just use a thinner or thicker hook).

Small amount of red yarn for the mouth and eyes.

Tapestry needle.

4.5mm crochet hook.

Finished size: approximately 18 cm/7” long.

Abbreviations:

ch = chain

st = stitch or stitches

ss = slipstitch

dc = double crochet (US), treble crochet (UK)

hdc = half double crochet (US), half treble crochet (UK)

tog = together

dc2tog = decrease by working two dc together (see special stitch instructions)

FO = fasten off

General instructions:

This pattern is written using US crochet terms. For the UK equivalents, see abbreviations list.

The head is worked in rounds and is not joined. To start a round, you can use the magic ring method, but I prefer to work into the  1^st chain stitch, working over the tail of yarn and using that to pull the hole tight.

Special stitch instructions:

Dc2tog: YOH (yarn over hook), insert hook into next stitch, YOH and pull through loop, YOH, pull through 2 loops, YOH, insert hook into next stitch, YOH and pull through loop, YOH, pull through 2 loops, YOH, pull through all 3 loops on hook.

Starting at the head, holding both strands of yarn together:

Round 1: ch 3, work 8 dc into 1^st ch - 8 st.

Round 2: dc2tog 4 times - 4 st.

Ch 21, sc into 2^nd ch from hook, sc into next ch, 2 hdc into next 18 ch.

Ss into next st on head, FO leaving some yarn.

Using the red yarn sew one eye with three short lines. Take the yarn out of the small hole where you started the head and make a tiny stitch to secure it. Make a loop for the tongue and secure it with another tiny stitch, then sew the other eye and secure the end of the yarn. Cut the loop of yarn to look like a forked tongue (if it frays put a tiny bit of glue on the strands). Use the ends of yarn from the snake’s body to sew up the back of its head and weave in any ends.

Tree Folk and Fungus Folk Amigurumi Pattern

I love my walk every day through local fields and woods, getting to see beautiful trees and spot toadstools popping up through the earth at this time of year. These two patterns celebrate, in cute amigurumi form, my fondness for these elements of nature. 

These two types of creature are not in scale with each other - true Tree Folk are much more mighty than these little fellows, whereas Fungus Folk are small and unexpected, brightening the woods with their colourful caps.

If you need a little friendly Tree Folk or Fungus Folk in your life, this pattern has all the details you need to make them, with lots of photos to illustrate the more complicated elements. Depending on the yarn you use (I used DK weight, but slightly thinner or thicker yarn will work just fine) the Tree Folk will end up about 12cm/5" tall, and the Fungus Folk will be 10cm/4" tall.

For the Tree Folk you can use a range of yarn colours: different greens for the crown (variegated colours look good) or russet if you want an autumnal tree, and various browns and grey for the trunk. For the Fungu Folk the instantly recognisable red with white spots of the Amanita muscaria or fly agaric is a great choice, but you can make it in any colour, or to look like any mushroom you like.

Find the pattern in my Etsy shop, or on Ravelry.

Fuzzy Troll Amigurumi

Whenever I go into a yarn store, I can't help but be tempted by those fuzzy fun fur-type yarns, they look so fluffy and tactile. The sort of yarns I'm talking about, sometimes called eyelash yarn, have a thread base with strands sticking out from this. Back when I had just started making amigurumi I bought quite a lot of them, in all sorts of different colours, and then I had to work out what to do with them. I ended up using them to make Fuzzy Trolls for my children, but until now I hadn't got round to turning this design into a pattern.

These trolls are friendly little creatures, who love nothing more than relaxing in a meadow filled with wildflowers. They are brightly coloured, with horns and long fuzzy-ended tails, and the pattern gives you all the details you need to make either a large (15cm/6" tall) or small (12cm/5" tall) fuzzy troll.

My new pattern is available on Etsy and Ravelry, and because using fuzzy yarn can be a bit challenging, I have created a series of videos to take you through the whole process of making a Fuzzy Troll, which you can find on this playlist on my YouTube channel. 

Here is the first video, which tells you how to choose the fuzzy yarn you need.

Along with the pattern, you can work your way through all the videos in order and they will guide you through everything you need to do, or you can just check out any elements that you are unsure of.

This is my first time making video crochet tutorials, so I hope you find them helpful. They show a lot of tips and tricks as to how to make various elements of amigurumi, so you might find it useful to watch them, even if you're not making a troll. In the future I'd like to make some more, perhaps showing how to make some of my small free patterns in detail, hopefully that will be helpful to anyone who's new to making amigurumi.

Ahsoka Tano Amigurumi Pattern

My latest pattern, to make Ahsoka Tano from The Clone Wars, is now available to buy in my Etsy and Ravelry shops. The Clone Wars series has been responsible for some great serialised story-telling in the Star Wars universe, and for creating a character in Ahsoka who has become a fan favourite. She's introduced as Anakin's young padawan and is enthusiastic and honest, with a good moral compass. She's not perfect, she makes mistakes, but she has great character development over the series, and goes on to appear in Star Wars Rebels as well.

Ahsoka is a Togruta, with orange skin and blue and white head parts, consisting of two pointed montrals at the top and three tails, or lekku, at the bottom. Creating this at a relatively small scale (she's only 11 cm/4.5” tall) was quite the challenge, and it took quite a few attempts to get it right. Because of the complicated structure of the head piece I've added lots of photos into the pattern to explain each stage clearly, so I hope it won't be too difficult for people to follow.

I based this pattern on her look at the start of The Clone Wars, but it would be easy to alter it slightly to look like the outfit she wears from series 3. To make her with the dress and leggings rather than top, skirt and leggings, just crochet the orange skin section in the middle in brown instead, and use two chains of russet brown/dark orange yarn to make her belt. You can also make her an extra lightsaber. Her later grey/blue costume would just need changes in colour for the different parts, and white lightsabers.

I've listed the yarn I used to make her at the end of this post: Star Wars Crochet - yarn used. I hope those of you who are fans of Ahsoka will enjoy making this mini version of her!