Updated 4-8-2008

I'm pretty new to crochet toys so this is my first written pattern for the ones I do make. I've been into an animal fetish lately and this is just one of the animals I am in love with. I made this squirrel from a picture I found in a Nature Photography Book. I am really bad at enhancing my creations 'personality' so don't feel you have to use exactly what I did. You can embroider, cut out felt features, use buttons, or whatever you feel with bring out your Squirrels personality.

Cocoa Caron Yarn 1 skein(150 yds) WW 4ply
Size G hook
Stuffing (fiberfill stuffing)
Google eyes (2)
Felt (for features)
Pipe Cleaner (for legs and arms)
Hot glue gun and glue
Tapestry needle

4inches tall (not including ears)
2inches wide

Not important for this pattern.

Back Loop (bl) - The stitch is worked into the back loop

Marck Stitch (ms) - Move stitch marker

Weave in any loose ends

Use tight stitches

Decrease Single Crochet (dec sc) - insert in first stitch, yo, pull up a loop,insert in second stitch, yo, pull up a loop, 3 loops on hook, pull through all three loops dec sc made.

Stuffing - It is better to take a little stuffing at a time and stuff instead of taking big pieces. When you think you've stuffed enough, stuff a bit more. Tight.

Head:
Chain 2
1: Single crochet 6x's into the first chain(ms)circle made
2: 2 Single crochet in each stitch around(12sc)(ms)
3: 1 single crochet in first stitch, 2 single crochet in next stitch repeat around 6xs (18sc)(ms)
4: 1 single crochet in first 2 stitches, 2 single crochet in next stitch repeat around 6x's. (24sc)(ms)
5 - 6: single crochet in each stitch around (24sc)(ms)
7: Dec sc in first two stitches, single crochet in next stitch, repeat around 8x's. (8decsc, 8sc) (ms)
8: 1 single crochet in each stitch around.(16sc)
stuff firmly
9: Decrease single crochet around to last 3 stitches. Fasten off. Leave at least a 12" tail to sew closed.

Body:
Chain 2
1: 6 single crochet in first ch. Circle made. (ms)
2: 2 single crochet in each stitch around. (12sc)(ms)
3: 1 single crochet in first stitch, 2 single crochet in next stitch. Repeat around.(18sc)(ms)
4: 1 single crochet in first 2 stitches, 2 single crochet in next stitch. Repeat around.(24sc)(ms)
5: 1 single crochet in the bl of each stitch around.(24sc)(ms)
6 - 10: single crochet in each stitch around.(24sc) (ms)
7: 1 dec sc in first 2 sts, 1 single crochet in next stitch, around.(8x's) (ms)
8: 1 single crochet in each stitch around. (18sc) (ms)
9: 1 dec sc in next two stitches, 1 sc in next stitch (5x's), 1sc in last st.(11sc)(ms)
Stuff firmly
10: dec sc in each stitch around to the last 3 sts.
Fasten Off leaving a long tail.

Sew head to body.

Ears:(make 2)
chain 5 (Leave a long tail so you can sew to head later)
1: 1 single crochet in each stitch across, ch1 turn (4sc)
2. dec sc 2x's (2 dec sc, 2sc) ch, 1 turn
3: dec sc over last 2 stitches
Fasten off

Sew Ears to head.

Tail:
chain 30 (leave a tail for latter)
1: 1 single crochet in the 5th stitch from the hook, [chain 5, 1 sc in next stitch]Repeat across to the end. Fasten off, leave a long tail 12" - 18" to sew to body.

Take the beginning tail and weave into the foundation row and then pull. This will scrunch up the tail. Fasten off. Weave in ends.

Take the other tail and sew to the back of the body.

Arms: (Make 2)
ch 6
1: 1sc in each stitch across. ch1 turn (5sc)
2 - 4: repeat row 1
5: fold in half length wise and matching up stitches sl st each stitch across and around corner. (5 sl st + 2sl st)
Finish off. weave in ends. Sew to body.

Feet: (Make 2)
ch 5
1: 4 sc in 2nd ch from hook, 1 sc in next 3 st. Finish off

Sew to body.

Personality:
(Original)
I just hot glued some google eyes on as well as a felt nose and teeth. On the ears and the belly I put some felt accents. The arms I just took a chenelle pipe cleaner and stuck it into the body. The legs are a half circle chenelle pipe cleaner hot glued to the bottom.

New:
Add some safety eyes. Embroider nose and mouth.

(C) Momwithahook
You are free to use the product you make from this pattern for fun or profit just note a link to this pattern with 'Momwithahook'.

Gittle was inspired by the Dastardly Bear I completed from a Stitch-n-Bitch pattern. At first I thought stuffed animals were one of the most horrid things to do. I had almost resigned myself to sticking to hats, scarfs, shawls and purses. Than I started tinkering around with a brown scrap skein and the Puff Puff Puffin was born. Gittle was a bit of an homage to my friend and turtle lover Michelle. Gittle is also my inaugural free pattern for my blog! So - here goes nothing. If the directions are way skewed or something seems amiss email me and I will try and adjust it post haste.

Yarn: You can use any brand. I used generic acrylic scrap pieces from my own collection. The soft kind from the baby section works really well. The body is a sage green (color 1) and standard black (color 2). The head, tail and legs are a butter cream yellow with a touch of ruby red for eyes. I don't have numbers because the tags are long gone.

Quantity: I would have to estimate less than 6 oz of each would probably suffice.

Hook & Needle: Size 5 or F American hook and a yarn needle.

Stuffing: Enough to fill all the pieces. Possibly 1 oz. You can use cluster fill, polyester fill or go natural and organic.

Cluster fill is downy and feathery. It's also very loose and fluffy for stuffing. Will shed a little bit.

Polyester fill is stringing and stuck together. It does fill tightly and doesn't shed as much as cluster fill.

Organic or Natural. Rice, legumes or precooked popcorn. If going more natural the piece will need stitched very tightly with slip stitches instead of single crochets and possibly lined so the "stuffing" doesn't fall out.

Smaller than a football. It's a stuffed animal so the size isn't really an exact science.

(Not applicable.)

Please Note: The exact stitches I used or size hook isn't that instrumental as long as the stitches are increased evenly as noted. If they aren't done evenly it will look a bit oblong like an overstuffed sausage in places. The bigger the hook the larger apart the holes where stuffing could fall out. For an extremely tight piece slip stitch in place of the single crochets. I also did this entire piece by crocheting in the back loop only for a ribbed effect. If you want a more knobby look crochet through both stitches.

Overall Assembly: Stitch the legs, tail and head first. (All as separate pieces.) As you work on the body you will join the legs, tail and head pieces. The tail is attached with the piece correct side out. The legs are attached with the torso inside out. The head is attached last, after all the stuffing.

The Jargon:
sc = single crochet.
sc2tog (decrease) = single crochet two together. put hook in stitch, pull yarn through the stitch, leave loop on hook. put hook into next stitch. pull yarn through that stitch. 2 loops should be on the hook. yo, pull through both stitches.
2sc (increase) = 2 single crochets in same stitch.
hdc = half double crochet.
sts = stitches
sl sts = slip stitch
ch = chain

LEGS: CROCHET (Make 4)
Row 1: Ch 13, turn
R2-11: Ch 1, sc in next 10 stitches, turn (11 sts total)
R12: Ch 1, sl sts entire row. Tie off.
Leave 18 inch to 2 feet sewing length.

LEGS: ASSEMBLE-N-STUFF
Fold piece in half. Whip stitch narrow end and adjoining long end.
Fill with stuffing. Finish sewing last side. Tie off.
Sew in all loose ends and cut off excessive yarn. (Should look like a bean)

TAIL: CROCHET
Row 1: Ch 20, turn
R2: (Hdc in first stitch, sc in 2nd stitch, sl sts in 3rd stitch*) *repeat until end. Tie off yarn. (Remember to stitch piece tight and it will make a curly loop.)

HEAD: CROCHET
Row 1: Ch 15 stitches, sl sts to close ring
R2-5: Ch 1, sc 14 stitches, sl sts to close ring

Bobby Blue was one of the first toys I crocheted using my own pattern. I wanted something simple and unique at the same time. I guess he turned out OK :) So, please do enjoy this pattern and let me know if you have any comments.

acrylic yarn, polyfill, crochet hook, tapestry/yarn needle, scissors

Height : 3.5 inches
Width : 2.8 inches

The finished size will depend on the type of yarn used, the size of the crochet hook and the crocheting tension.

All single crochet stitches, both working in the rounds and in rows.

ORIGINAL PATTERN BY MELBANGEL © 2007

Pattern for a Crocheted Toy – Bobby Blue

Materials

• Acrylic Yarn (light blue, dark blue, orange, black, neon pink and off-white)
• Polyfill

This pattern Was created for my grandmothers Birthday. She had a much loved pug when she was newly married and has collected pug things ever since it passed away all those years ago.
She was feeling down on her birthday and I wanted to cheer her up. I made her two and she loved them!
The best kind of dog is the kind you don't have to feed, or clean up after!

Worsted weight yarn (I used simply soft)
Crochet Hooks in size H and E
Stuffing
Amigurumi eyes (or buttons)
Scraps of Black Felt
Pink embroidery Floss
6 Inch Pipe Cleaner
Embriodery needle
Black thread
Darning needle
Pattern Piece:
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n61/MrsHallsCrafts/tinypuugpattern-1....

About 4 inches tall and 4-5 inches long.

Not important. This is a toy so if it comes out slightly bigger than my finished size that's ok! Changing the hook to a larger size and using a bigger yarn will also make the toy bigger.
You can also change the hook to a smaller size and use thread if you are really ambitious.

The Head and Body are made using the Magic Adjustable ring. If you do not wish to do this simply Chain 2 and make the amount of single crochets into the second stitch instead of the ring.

Head:
With H hook

Using magic Ring method Single Crochet 5 Times into ring, Pull tail and join with a slip stitch. (5 sc)

A week or so ago my lovely kitten Rogetts reminded me that every once in a while kitties need a new toy. Or they might riffle through your purse, steal you headphones out and pull the insulation off while leaving a big mess in at least 3 rooms of your house. Oh well I reward the little brat with a new set of toys made that day before she could find anything else to destroy.

I had been thinking about making toys for a while now and had been doing some research on the way the cats see and interact with the world. Cats do not see colors the same as people. Contrast and pattern are more important so I picked colors that contrasted with each other. I read that acrylic yarn taste bad to cats from some website of unknown credentials. But the idea stuck in my head and I have noticed that the cats only run off with wool and cotton. So they get cotton toys because it is so durable. Oh and the cats love to move there toys around so I topped it all off some monk cords on each end. The cats seem to love them. I am sure that catnip stuffing has something to do with it too.

• Small amount of two colors of cotton sport weight yarn (the photos is show with saucy sport yarn and sinfonia)
• size c crochet hook, or the smallest size hook you can use with your yarn (you want the stitches to be very tight so the cat nip does not fall out)
• yarn needle
• cotton balls
• catnip

1 inch

Gauge is not very important, just make sure that your stitches are tight enough to keep the catnip from falling out.

Mauritius is an island in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Madagascar. In its isolation, many species developed that would be found nowhere else in the world – most famously, the Mauritius Dodo. Standing three feet high and unable to fly, how strange it must have looked to the sailors who discovered it! To Europeans it seemed stupid, a bird without the sense to run when humans came near and that laid its one, large egg on the ground without any precautions against predators.

Of course, the dodo was not stupid. There were simply no predators on the island to guard against before the arrival of humans – and while the extinction of the dodo is often laid at the feet of hunters, numerous references to the disgusting taste of dodo meat make it unlikely that the dodo was hunted to its infamous extinction. At least – it wasn’t hunted down by humans, but by the creatures they brought with them. Rats, dogs, and pigs all contributed to the dodo’s doom by hunting their chicks or eating their vulnerable eggs. Less than 100 years after its discovery, the dodo bird was extinct.

The dodo became famous as one of the earliest and most dramatic examples of extinction in recorded human history. Now you can bring the dodo back to life with a little bit of yarn and some stuffing – but remember, folks: extinction is forever.

• MC: Red Heart Super Saver (100% acrylic, 278 yds/ 254 meters per 141 g/5 oz.), Grey Heather – about 30 yds
• CC1: Black – about 5 yds
• CC2: White – about 5 yds
• CC3: Carrot – about 5 yds
• US G/6 4.25mm crochet hook
• Yarn needle
• Small amount Fiberfill or other stuffing
• 2 black 11mm (7/16”) shank buttons
• Sewing needle and black thread (to attach buttons)
• Stitch marker, to keep track of rounds

4¼” tall x 5½” long x 3½” wide

14 sc x 15 rows in sc = 4 inches (10cm)

Note: This pattern may be made in any gauge and yarn combination that produces firm, tight stitches. Using a significantly different yarn weight or hook size will produce a dodo of a different size than the one pictured.

Do not join rounds unless directed.

When assembling a stuffed animal made with small parts, sometimes it is helpful to leave long yarn ends on the pieces themselves and use those ends to sew pieces together. (That is the technique used here.) This is merely one possible method and, as always, your favorite method of assembly may be used.

To help keep track of rounds, place a stitch marker in the first stitch of the round. Move the marker up as your work progresses.

Body

With MC, ch 2.

Rnd 1: Work 6 sc in the second ch from the hook.

Rnd 2: Work 2 sc in each st around. (12 sc)

I love the moon and the stars. Any time we’re out after dark (and it’s dark enough to see them – darn you, light pollution) I love to stop and identify constellations, planets, the current phase of the moon, or whatever else is there to see. My husband is very tolerant of this. At any rate, I was in the middle of making scads of things for my new baby when I realized that I had a few celestial-themed pieces for him, and wouldn’t a little crescent moon and star just go perfectly with them? Of course they would.

So here they are, simply crocheted in a pleasingly soft baby yarn. For those looking for something a little different, the pattern could be worked in worsted weight yarn for something a little larger, or you could work the star in a larger hook for a softer fabric and enlarge it to make a cute star-shaped afghan. I hope you enjoy them!

• Red Heart Soft Baby (575 yd/525 m per 7 oz/198 g skein) in Powder Yellow; approx. 1 ¾ oz/132 yds/121 m for Star, approx. 2 oz/165 yds/151 m for Moon
• F/5 hook (3.75mm)
• Stuffing
• Stitch markers
• Yarn needle

Star – 7.5"/19 cm tall
Moon – 10.5"/27 cm tall

Gauge is unimportant in this pattern.

Special Stitches

sc3tog = Draw up a loop through each of the next three stitches. Yarn over, and pull through all four loops on hook.

Star (make 2)

Note: Do not join rounds unless indicated. To help keep track of rounds, place a stitch marker in the first stitch of the round to mark the beginning of the round.

After being introduced to amigurumi by this fabulous ‘zine, I went out and bought Japanese pattern books and played with making them. I then was asked to teach an Amigurumi class at my LYS’s annual Knit & Crochet retreat. I created this pattern for my class and it was so much fun to make and teach.

• Yarn requirements & hook size are dependent on the weight of the yarn you choose to use. You want your stitches to be as tight as possible so stuffing does not leak out. You may need to use a hook size smaller than what is recommended on the yarn label.
• Yarn needle
• Poly-fil or other stuffing
• Cat eyes (Optional. If you can’t find these at your local independent craft store you can buy them on eBay for very cheap.)
• Stitch marker

Depends on yarn weight.

Gauge is unimportant in this pattern. Be sure to make your stitches tight. Use a smaller hook than recommended, if necessary.

Body

Make adjustable ring

Round 1: Work 7 sc into ring, tighten ring by pulling on end of yarn. (7 sts)

I am a mother of 4-year-old twin boys, and boy are they ALL BOY. They don’t go for  finger puppets, frilly hearts, or anything girly. I made this project with them in mind. The frog’s mouth opens up so you can put “treasures" inside. Prevents many treasures from ending up in pants pockets and ruining a batch of laundry -- trust me, I speak from some experience here!

I also home school my boys, and often look for fun things to use as math manipulatives. So inside this frog are some flies: you can make as many as you want and then count them, add and subtract them, and so on.

And finally, with summer holidays coming up, this is a nice little toy to pack in a suitcase.

If you really have adventurous little ones, they could put real bugs inside the frog since it does provide some air holes, yet most insects can not get out. I don't encourage the capturing of creeping, crawly things but it could be done…

• Approximately 50 yards (about 46m) of a green worsted weight yarn (I used Red Heart) (MC)
• Small amounts of red (A), white (B), and black (C) worsted weight yarn.
• 5.0mm (size US 8-H) hook
• Yarn needle for weaving in ends

Gauge is not critical.

Due to the small size of the flies, this toy is not recommend for children who may still put things in their mouth. Please use common sense and your best judgment when making this, or any, toy for young children. Adult supervision is recommended.

What is it that makes fungus so compelling? Mushrooms. They're yummy, they're deadly, they're an adventure at every step on the wet ground. And, darnit, they're cute. This one has a flip-top, which is a nifty added bonus.

• Worsted weight scraps of yarn
• Size G/7 (4.50mm) hook to make a 5” Shroom
• Size I/9 (5.50mm) hook to make a 7” Shroom
• 5/8” button
• Buttons of various sizes
• Sewing thread and needle
• Fiberfill/stuffing
• Stitch marker

If worked with a single strand of worsted weight yarn and smaller hook, 5".

If worked with a double strand of worsted weight yarn and larger hook, 7".

Gauge is not critical.

Shroom is worked in continuous rounds. To help keep track of rounds, place a marker in the first stitch of the round. Move the marker to the first stitch of each round as you go. 

Ch - chain
Sc - single crochet
St - stitch
Sc2tog - single crochet two stitches together