Small Owls

Kristi Tullus, http://sidrun.spire.ee

This tutorial provides a detailed description, with clear step-by-step photos,to make a 6,5 cm (2.6”) tall owl.

Pattern is written in English, using standard US crochet terminology.

Skills required: Single crochet stitch, double crochet stitch, triplecrochet stitch, chain stitch, slip stitch, increasing and decreasing.

In this tutorial I will explain starting a piece with magic ring (adjustable loop), finishing a piece, joining pieces, knotting and hiding yarn tails.

Difficulty: easy+

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Copyright © 2013 TÜ Spire. You MAY publish this pattern on your website or blog, use as a teaching aid in any free class or e-course, or as part of a free crochet pattern. Please link back to http://sidrun.spire.ee/

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Small Owl 2

Tip! You can use the same pattern to make larger or smaller toys by using finer or bulkier yarn. Pick a crochet hook at least a size smaller than suggested on yarn label. Use a hook as small as possible in order to achieve a tight gauge that retains stuffing and does not allow it to show through the fabric.

Materials & Tools:

• Yarn. I used worsted weight cotton, 92m/50g (100yds/50g) / 10 ply / 9 wpi / 4: medium. You will need about 17g or 31m (34yds) of yarn – 12g for the body and 5g for details.

• Crochet hook, 2,25 – 2,75 mm (US size 1/B – 2/C)or according to the yarn.

• Stuffing – polyester fiberfill, wool, wadding etc.• 9 mm (1/3”) safety toy eyes or buttons, beads, felt.• Embroidery floss.• Yarn needle, scissors, stitch marker.

Abbreviations:

• 1: = number of the round• mr, n = magic ring – crochet n single crochet stitches into the adjustable loop• sc = single crochet stitch• sc n = make n single crochet stitches, one in each stitch• hdc = half double crochet stitch• dc = double crochet stitch• tc = triple crochet stitch• ch = chain stitch• inc = increase – make two single crochet stitches from the same stitch• inc3 = double increase – make three single crochet stitches from the same stitch• dec = decrease – crochet two stitches together using the invisible decrease method• [hdc, dc, dc] – crochet all these stitches into one stitch• sc 4, inc, repeat (36) – number of stitches in a round after finishing said round

Notes:

• Do not join at the end of each round, work in a continuous spiral (except eye patches).• Use a stitch marker or a piece of yarn to mark the end or the beginning of a round.

Move the marker up after completing each round.• All stitches are worked into both loops, unless stated otherwise in the pattern.

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Small Owl 3

BODY

1: mr, 6 (6)2: sc, inc3 x 2, repeat (14)3: sc 3, inc3 x 2, sc 5, inc3 x 2, sc 2 (22)4: sc 4, inc x 3, sc 8, inc x 3, sc 4 (28)5: sc 6, inc x 2, sc 12, inc x 2, sc 6 (32)

Place a stitch marker (or a piece of yarn) into the 19th stitch on round 11. This marks the center of the face.

6-12: sc in each stitch (32)13: sc 10, dec, sc 14, dec, sc 4 (30) 14: sc 14, dec, sc 4, dec, sc 8 (28)15: sc 6, dec, sc 18, dec (26)16: sc 2, dec, sc 11, dec, sc 9 (24)17: sc, dec, sc 8, dec, sc 3, dec, sc 6 (21)18: sc, dec, sc 4, fasten off (20)

Make a slip stitch into the next stitch. Cut the yarn, leaving a long tail and draw the end through the stitch. Attach safety eyes and then stuff the body. Leave the top seam open for now.

EYE PATCH – embroidered eyes

Note! Join all rounds with a slip stitch (sl st) to get perfectly round eye patches.

1: mr, 7, join with sl st (7)2: ch 1, inc, around (14)

Fasten off cleanly (see page 4) and weave in the yarn tails on the wrong side.

EYE PATCH - safety eyes

Note! Join all rounds with a slip stitch (sl st) to get perfectly round eye patches.

1: ch 5, join with a sl st to form a ring 2: ch 1, sc 7, join with sl st (7)

Make sure your safety toy eyes will fit through the center snugly. You may need to increase or decrease the number of chain stitches in the first round.

3: ch 1, inc around (14)

Fasten off cleanly (see page 4) and weave in the yarn tails on the wrong side.

LEFT WING

1: mr, 6 (6)2: inc x 2, [sc, hdc], [hdc, dc], (11) [dc, tc, tc]

RIGHT WING

1: mr, 6 (6)2: [sl st, ch 2, tc, dc], [dc, hdc], (11) [hdc, sc], inc x 2

Cut the yarn and weave in the yarn tail. Finish the edge by crocheting around it with single crochet stitches (see page 5).

Eye patches

a) For safety eyes, start with a chain and form a ring. For embroidered eyes, start with a magic ring.

1. Chain 5, join with a slip stitchthrough the first chain to form a ring.

2. Start the second round with a chain stitch. Crochet 7 single crochet stitches into the ring.

3. Make sure the back bar of your safety eye will fit through the center snugly.

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Small Owl 4

b) Use this method for a clean finish – eye patches, wings.

1. Finish the last sc. Cut the yarn and pull the yarn tail through the loop.

2. Thread the yarn tail onto a needle. Inset it through the next stitch from back to front.

3. Insert the needle into the previous stitch from the top,between the loops and behindthe stitch (the vertical bar).

4. Grab the yarn and pull until the top loop is the same size as other stitches.

The face

b) Attach safety eyes, sew on the eye patches and embroider the beak and eye(s).

1. Place a stitch marker into the19th stitch on round 11. This marks the center of the face.

2. Attach the eyes to either side of the stitch marker. Pushthe safety eyes through the eye patches and the body fabric.

3. Make sure you are satisfied with the placement of the eyes before pushing the washer to place.

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Small Owl 5

4. Leave the top seam open. This way you can fasten yarnends securely with knots on the wrong side.

5. Sew the eye patches to the body. Pull the yarn tigh afterech stitch to make the stitches smaller.

6. Embroider the eye(s) and beak with cotton embroidery floss or a yarn that will not bleed color.

Wings

a) Make the wings and finish the edge by crocheting around it with single crochet stitches. Sew the wings to the body.

1. Finish the last stitch, cut theyarn and draw the end through the loop. Weave it in on the wrong side.

2. Insert the hook through the first stitch, draw up a loop, yarnover, draw through both loops.Continue crocheting with sc-s.

3. Increase after every two stitches. Finish off cleanly and weave in the yarn tails.

4. Make four single crochet stitches into one stitch at thetip of the wing.

5. Sew the wings to the body with matching yarn. Make a fewstitches through the center and sew over the top edge.

NB! If you are left handed and crochet from left to right, you will have to switch the wings.

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Small Owl 6

Finishing touches

a) Close up the seam. Fasten the yarn tail with a knot and hide it inside the body. Add ear tufts to the corners of the body.

1. Add a bit more stuffing and close up the top seam, using thelong yarn tail left on the body.

2. Bring the yarn to the side ofthe body. Fasten with a knot and hide the yarn tail inside the body.

8. Cut a few pieces of yarn, split them and draw through the corner. Push the knot close to the body. Cut off long ends.

b) Squeeze and squash the owl to redistribute the stuffing and coax it back into a perfect shape.

Tip! Use a large yarn needle or a fine knitting needle to help redistribute the stuffing. Be careful not to stretch a large hole into the fabric.

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Small Owl 7

BASIC AMIGURUMI TECHNIQUES.

1. Magic Ring – Starting a piece with an adjustable loop:

A magic ring is a way to begin crocheting in the round by crocheting over an adjustable loop and then pulling the loop tight. Alternatively you can chain 2, crochet n single crochet stitches into the 2nd chain from hook.

1. Make a loop an inch from the yarn end. Grab the join with your thumb and forefinger.

2. Insert the hook through the loop from front to back, grab theyarn and draw up a loop.

3. Yarn over and draw through the loop.

4. Pull the yarn tight. This doesnot count as the first single crochet stitch.

5. Start the first sc. Insert the hook through the starting loopfrom front to back.

6. Draw up a loop. Yarn over and draw through the loop.

7. Continue crocheting over theloop and the yarn tail until you have the required number of scfor the first round, usually six.

8. Grab hold of the yarn tail andpull until the center is tightly closed.

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Small Owl 8

2. Finishing an open piece that will be attached to another piece:

This is a way to finish an open piece that will later be sewn to another closed or open piece. If you need to leave a yarn tail for sewing, stop after step 2.

1. Make a slip stitch in the next stitch. Cut the yarn and pull theyarn tail through the loop. Insertthe hook through the next stitch.

2. Grab the yarn and draw the yarn tail through the stitch from back to front.

3. Insert the hook through the next stitch and draw the yarn tail through the stitch from front to back.

3. Stuffing the pieces:

Stuffing is what gives shape to your finished amigurumi, so take your time. Loosen the stuffing between your hands and add a little bit at a time. Keep adding until your piece is firm and holds shape. If you start getting lumps, pull out all the stuffing, loosen it and start over. If you can see the stuffing through the fabric, you have overstuffed. Then it is best to start over and stuff more lightly.

4. Sewing an open piece to a closed piece:

This is a method for sewing an open piece to a closed piece. When pieces are different color, use the yarn you used for the open piece to sew it to the closed piece.

1. Bring the needle up through thefabric under a stitch of the openpiece. Go down through both loops of the stitch and into the same hole.

2. Bring the needle back up directly under the next stitch.Pull the yarn tight. This makes the stitch almost invisibly small.

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Small Owl 9

5. Fastening with a knot and hiding the yarn tail:

This tutorial will show how to knot the yarn tail and hide it inside a piece. This method can be used when the yarn tail and the main piece are the same color.

1. Bring the yarn up through thefabric after you have finished sewing.

2. Insert the needle under oneloop of a stitch right next to the hole.

3. Pull until you have a small loop.

4. Make a double knot. Do notpush the first knot close to the fabric.

5. Cut off the loop end with. 6. Insert the needle into the same hole, going up and through the piece.

7. Pull lightly until the knot disappears into the fabric.

8. Pull lightly on the yarn tail andcut it off close to the fabric.

9. Yarn tail will completely disappear into the fabric

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