Owl pattern

Small Owl Crochet pattern by Kristi Tullus This tutorial provides a detailed description, with clear step-by-step photos, to make a 6,5 cm (2.6 in) tall owl.

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

Skills required: Single crochet stitch, double crochet stitch, triple crochet 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+ Free crochet tutorials are available on my blog. Join me on Facebook to keep up with the latest news, ask advice, share photos and ideas.

Feel free to email me with any questions. kristi@spire.ee

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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

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 100% cotton, 92m/50g (100yds/50g).

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.

• Safety toy eyes (9 mm, 1/3 inch in diameter) or buttons, beads, felt etc.

• Embroidery floss.

• Yarn needle. scissors, stitch marker.

Abbreviations: • • • • • • • • • • • • •

1: - number of the round mr, n – crochet n sc into the adjustable loop sc – single crochet stitch sc 4 – make four 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 sc from the same stitch inc3 – make three sc from the same stitch dec – decrease, use invisible decreasing [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 each round.

Move the marker up every round.

• All stitches are worked into both loops, unless stated otherwise in the pattern. http://sidrun.spire.ee

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EYE PATCH - safety eyes

Make the eye patches.

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

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

1: ch 5, join with a slip stitch 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 and weave in the yarn tails on the wrong side.

EYE PATCH – embroidered eyes 1: mr, 7, join with sl st 2: ch 1, inc, around

(7) (14)

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

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

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

4. If you plan to embroider the eyes, start with a magic ring.

Fasten off and weave in the yarn tails on the wrong side.

BODY 1: mr,6 2: sc, inc3 x 2, repeat 3: sc 3, inc3 x 2, sc 5, inc3 x 2, sc 2 4: sc 4, inc x 3, sc 8, inc x 3, sc 4 5: sc 6, inc x 2, sc 12, inc x 2, sc 6

(6) (14) (22) (28) (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 13: sc 10, dec, sc 14, dec, sc 4 14: sc 14, dec, sc 4, dec, sc 8 15: sc 6, dec, sc 18, dec 16: sc 2, dec, sc 11, dec, sc 9 17: sc, dec, sc 8, dec, sc 3, dec, sc 6 18: sc, dec, sc 4, fasten off

(32) (30) (28) (26) (24) (21) (20)

Make a slip stitch into the next stitch, cut the yarn leaving a long tail and draw the end through the stitch. Stuff the body.

Leave the top seam open for now.

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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.

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LEFT WING 1: mr,6 (6) 2: inc x 2, [sc, hdc], [hdc, dc], [dc, tc, tc] Cut the yarn and weave in the yarn tail.

Finish the edge by crocheting around it with single crochet stitches.

RIGHT WING 1: mr,6 (6) 2: [sc, ch3, tc, dc], [dc, hdc], [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.

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

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

Make the body. Attach safety eyes after finishing round 15. Stuff the body firmly.

Sew on the eye pathes. Embroider the eye(s) and the beak.

1. Place a stitch marker into the 19th stitch on round 11. This marks the center of the face.

2. Attach the eyes to either side of the stitch marker. Push the 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.

4. Leave the top seam open.

This way you can fasten yarn ends securely with knots on the wrong side.

5. Sew the eye pathes to the body. Pull the yarn tigh after ech stitch to make the stitches smaller.

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

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Small Owl Make the wings, fasten off and weave in the yarn tails. Sew the wings to the body.

Sew up the seam. Add a bit more stuffing to the top before closing the seam.

1. Finish the last stitch, cut the yarn 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, yarn over, 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 the tip of the wing.

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

6. Add a bit more stuffing and close the top seam.

7. Bring the yarn to the side of the body. Fasten with a knot and hide the 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.

9. Cut off the long yarn ends.

Tip! Squueze the owl to coax it back into a perfect shape. 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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BASIC AMIGURUMI TECHNIQUES. 1. Magic Ring – Starting a piece with 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. The advantage of the magic ring method is that, unlike the regular “chain 2, x single crochet in 2nd chain from hook” method, there is no hole left in the middle of your starting round.

1. Make a loop a few inches from the end of the yarn. Grab the join with your thumb and forefinger.

2. Insert the hook from front to back and draw up a loop.

3. Pick up the yarn with the hook and pull through.

4. Pull tight. This does not count as a single crochet stitch.

5. Start the first sc. Insert the hook through the loop from front to back.

6. Draw up a loop. Grab the yarn

7. Continue to crochet over the loop and the yarn tail until you have the required number of sc for the first round, usually six.

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

Avoid pulling too hard, because this also tightens the first sc.

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with the hook and pull through.

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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. It is not a very neat finish, but it is simple and quick. If you need to leave a tail for sewing, stop after step 2.

1. Finish the piece with a sl and pull the tail through. Insert the hook to the next st and grab the yarn.

2. Pull the tail through the stitch from back to front.

3. Insert the hook to the next st and grab the yarn with the hook.

Pull the tail through from front to back and hide the tail.

3. Stuffing the pieces: Loosen the stuffing between your hands and add a little bit at a time. Stuffing is what gives your finished piece the shape. Keep adding the stuffing 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. When using dark or very bright colored yarn the pieces should be stuffed more lightly or colored stuffing should be used to get a neat finish.

4. Sewing an open-ended 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-ended piece to sew it to the closed piece.

1. Bring the needle up through the fabric under a stitch of the open piece. Go down through both loops of the stitch and into the same hole.

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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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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 the fabric after you have finished sewing.

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

3. Pull until you have a small loop.

4. Make a double knot. Do not pull the first knot tightly closed.

5. Cut off the loop end with scissors.

6. Insert the needle into the same hole, going through the piece.

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

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

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9. Yarn tail will completely disappear into the fabric.

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