Pokemon #0179: Mareep

Difficulty: 2/5 

We are celebrating the start of spring today with an extra special pattern - Mareep! As you can probably gather from my fiber arts hobbies, I have a soft spot for sheepy Pokemon like Mareep and Wooloo. Mareep is always been on my team when I play Gen 2 Pokemon games, and remains one of my favorite Pokemon to this day. I can’t wait to see its evolution Ampharos's mega evolution again when Pokemon Legends Z-A releases later this year.

I’ve actually been hoping to make a Mareep doll for awhile, but designing a pattern for its wool stumped me for ages. I started experimenting with crocheting a bunch of small balls that I sewed together, but it just didn't look how I was imagining it. I really wanted a properly fluffy Mareep! So I switched tactics and tried latch-hooking loose yarn strands to give a looser, more properly fiber-y effect, but that looked more like grass than "poofs" of wool. Sewing on pom-poms didn't look quite right either. I ended up shelving the project for awhile to think on it, since I didn’t want to settle for “good enough" on one of my favorite Pokemon.

An answer finally came while I was needle felting the face onto my Kero doll. Needle felting is a technique that uses a sharp, barbed needle to entangle threads of loose wool roving. You do this over and over to gradually shape the loose wool into basically any shape or design you can imagine; I use needle felting with dyed Merino wool roving to add fine details like eyes on my crochet dolls. I was organizing my roving supply while I was finishing Kero, and noticed a big bag of undyed Corriedale sheep roving that I picked up in Maryland a few years ago. It was the obvious answer to my Mareep problem: just use actual wool! The pattern came together quickly after that. Now I’m incredibly satisfied with the results, and excited to finally be able to make all the other fluffy Pokemon!

There are two ways to attach the wool roving balls. You can use craft glue, or needle-felting like I do. If you choose the latter, I have included extensive photos in the assembly section to show how I did it. However, I HIGHLY recommend looking up a video tutorial on basic felting techniques before you try this approach. Needle felting can actually be rather dangerous if you don’t follow proper safety methods, so it is crucial that you are comfortable with it before you start a more advanced project like this. I do think it's a skill worth learning though - it’s a very versatile technique that can be used to add details to dolls, make sculptures, and even weave felted designs onto clothing.

Happy crafting!

Materials 


-Yarn. Use a worsted or aran weight in a material of your choice. I use acrylic for my doll patterns due to its firm weave, which provides the doll with some structure, but you may use any material you wish. You will need:
For regular Mareep: (A) ~150m of cobalt blue, (B) ~20m of black, (C) ~20m of yellow, (D) ~20m of orange
For a shiny Mareep: (A) ~150m of deep blue, (B) ~20m of black, (C) ~20m of hot pink, (D) ~20m of rose gold

-Roving. This is loose, unspun fiber that has been cleaned, washed, combed, carded, and sometimes dyed; in the US it is usually sold by the ounce. You can find sheep, alpaca, cashmere goat, and angora rabbit wool roving for sale at farms, fiber festivals, specialty yarn shops, or online. Cotton can also be used as a vegan-friendly alternative! The color, fiber length, water resistance, and roving texture will vary depending on the type and breed of plant or animal it came from. For animal wools, you can also find differences between roving from different individuals of the same breed - just like humans, every animal has unique hair textures and colors! For my doll, I used sheep wool roving from a Corriedale breed at Dream Weaver farm in Charlotte Hall, Maryland, USA. If you have an allergy to sheep’s wool, use cotton or a another animal's wool that you can tolerate better. Please do NOT use a synthetic fiberfill for this, even though the texture is similar to natural roving. Fiberfill is fundamentally plastic, and while it is relatively safe to stuff inside a sealed doll, you don’t want to risk inhaling or eating loose strands that might shed from the surface of a doll like Mareep. Regardless of the type of roving you choose, you will need:
For regular Mareep, ~2 oz undyed or off-white roving
For shiny mareep, ~2 oz light pink dyed roving.

-4.0 mm (size G) crochet hook


-Fiberfill or crafting scraps for stuffing


-Yarn needle


-Pins


-Scraps of yarn for round markers


-Scraps of felt or fabric for details such as eyes. I use needle felting and dyed wool roving for this, but you can also cut out pieces of fabric if you prefer.


-EITHER craft glue or a star-tipped felting needle, depending on the method you want to use to attach the wool to Mareep's body

Gauge: Gauge is not important for this work. With the given yarn and hook size, the finished doll will stand about 7 inches (17.5 cm) in height; adjust yarn and/or hook size if a bigger or smaller doll is desired. Just make sure your stitches are of a consistent size and tightness.

Notation (US crochet)


ch: chain


st: stitch


sc: single crochet


hdc: half-double crochet


slst: slip stitch


inc: increase stitch (perform 2 sc in the next stitch)


dec: decrease stitch (insert hook into next stitch, yarn over and pull through the stitch. Insert hook into next stitch, yarn over and pull through first loop. Yarn over again, pull through all 3 loops on hook.)

Pattern

Head (Make 1)
Round 1: With A, 6 sc in starter circle. (6)
Round 2: inc in each st around. (12)
Round 3: *sc in next st, inc* Repeat from * to * around. (18)
Round 4: *sc in next 2 st, inc* Repeat from * to * around. (24)
Round 5: *sc in next 3 st, inc* Repeat from * to * around. (30)
Rounds 6-11: sc in each st around. (30)
Round 12: *sc in next 3 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (24)
Round 13: sc in each st around. (24)
Round 14: *sc in next 2 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (18)  
Round 15: sc in each st around (18) Begin to stuff, and continue to do so as you work.
Round 16: *sc in next st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (12)
Round 17: dec in each st around (6)
Round 18: continue to dec around until closed. Finish off, leaving tail.=

Body (Make 1)
Round 1: With A, 6 sc in starter circle. (6)
Round 2: inc in each st around. (12)
Round 3: *sc in next st, inc* Repeat from * to * around. (18)
Round 4: *sc in next 2 st, inc* Repeat from * to * around. (24)
Round 5: *sc in next 3 st, inc* Repeat from * to * around. (30)
Round 6: *sc in next 4 st, inc* Repeat from * to * around. (36)
Round 7: *sc in next 5 st, inc* Repeat from * to * around. (42)
Rounds 8-23 : sc in each st around. (42)
Round 24: *sc in next 5 st, dec* Repeat from * to * around. (42)
Round 25: *sc in next 4 st, dec* Repeat from * to * around. (36)
Round 26: *sc in next 3 st, dec* Repeat from * to * around. (30)
Round 27: *sc in next 2 st, dec* Repeat from * to * around. (24)
Round 27: *sc in next st, dec* Repeat from * to * around. (18) Begin to stuff, and continue to do so as you work.
Round 27: dec in each st around. (12)
Round 28: continue to dec around until closed. Finish off, and weave in tails.

Legs (Make 4)
Round 1: With A, 4 sc in starter circle. (4)
Round 2: inc in each st around. (8)
Round 3: *sc in next st, inc* Repeat from * to * around. (12)
Rounds 4-11: sc in each st around. (12)
Round 12: *sc in next 2 st, inc* Repeat from * to * around. (16)
Rounds 13-14: sc in each st around. (16) ch 1, turn.
***Switch to working in rows***
Row 15: sc in 2nd loop from hook. Continue to sc in next 7 st. (8) ch 1, turn.
Rows 16-17: Repeat Row 15. (8) Finish off, leaving tail. Stuff firmly.

Horn (Make 2)
Round 1: With B, 4 sc in starter circle. (4)
Round 2: inc in each st around. (8)
Round 3: *sc in next st, inc* Repeat from * to * around. (12) Change color to C.
Round 4: *sc in next 2 st, inc* Repeat from * to * around. (16)
Rounds 5-6: sc in each st around. (16) Change color to B.
Rounds 7-8: sc in each st around. (16) Finish off, leaving tail. Stuff lightly.

Tail (Make 1)
Round 1: With B, 4 sc in starter circle. (4)
Round 2: inc in each st around. (8)
Round 3: *sc in next st, inc* Repeat from * to * around. (12)
Rounds 4-6 : sc in each st around. (12) Change color to C.
Round 7: sc in next 2 st, inc. sc in next 2 sc, inc. sc in next st, dec. sc in next st, dec. (12)
Round 8: *sc in next 2 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (16)
Rounds 9-11 sc in each st around. (16) Change color to B.
Round 12: sc in next 3 st, inc. sc in next 3 st, inc. sc in next 2 st, dec. sc in next 2 st, dec. (16)
Round 13: *sc in next 3 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (20)
Rounds 14-16: sc in each st around. (20) Change color to C.
Rounds 17-18: sc in next 4 st, inc. sc in next 4 st, inc. sc in next 3 st, dec. sc in next 3 st, dec. (20)
Rounds 19-21: sc in each st around. (20) Finish off, leaving tail. Stuff firmly.

Light (Make 1)
Round 1: With D, 5 sc in starter circle. (5)
Round 2: inc in each st around. (10)
Round 3: *sc in next st, inc* Repeat from * to * around. (15)
Round 4: *sc in next 2 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (20)
Round 5: *sc in next 3 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (25)
Rounds 6-9 : sc in each st around (25)
Round 10: *sc in next 3 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (20)
Round 11: *sc in next 2 st, dec* Repeat from * to * around. (15)
Round 12: *sc in next st, dec* Repeat from * to * around. (10) Begin to stuff, and continue to do so until closed.
Round 13: dec in each st around (5)
Round 14: continue to dec until closed. Finish off, leaving tail.

Assembly
1. Pin and whip stitch the head and legs to the body, as pictured.

2. Sew the light to the end of the tail. Then pin and whip stitch the tail and horns to the body.

 3. Make and attach the roving balls using the following steps. The number you will need will vary depending on your doll and personal preferences. If you are using cotton balls, you can skip Steps 1 and 2 and use them as-is.

Step 1: Take a handful of roving and roll or pinch it into a log.

Step 2: Roll the log into a fluffy curl; it should be ~1-2" in diameter, though you don't need to make them the exact same size each time. You can make them bigger or smaller, depending on your preference for how fluffy the final doll will be.

Step 3: Place the curl with its "opening" facing down towards the doll. Secure it into place with a pin.

Step 4: Attach the curl to the doll, using one of the following methods:

-Method 1, craft glue: Apply a small dot of craft glue between the curl and the doll. Keep the pin in place as the glue dries, and remove it once it's ready.

-Method 2: Needle felting.

Place the doll onto a thick, hard, secure surface (table, floor, desk, etc) and ALWAYS work on it there. Do NOT do this on your lap! If the needle goes through the doll while you work, you WILL sustain a serious, bloody, painful puncture wound due to the sharp tip and barbs on felting needles. Seriously, be careful doing this. I jabbed my thumb with a felting needle once, and to this day it is the most painful injury I have ever sustained while crafting. I ended up needing a tetanus shot afterwards, and the heavy bleeding ruined the project I was working on.

When you are ready to begin, pick up the felting needle in your dominant hand, and hold the doll steady from a spot well clear of the area you are about to felt. NEVER work in a way that moves the needle towards your other hand or any other part of your body. 

Carefully jab the felting needle through the edges of the roving curl and into the doll below. The barbs on the needle will entangle the roving with the fibers in the yarn of the body, meshing them together. Do this repeatedly around each curl this as many times as needed to secure the curl so it doesn't fall off.  

Don't panic if you mess up - the enmeshed fibers can be disentangled by gently pulling up on the curl; as seen in the picture below.

Continue to apply curls of roving all over Mareep’s body. If you see any spots that look too thin, you can add a smaller curl to add extra fluff

Step 4: Make a larger curl and attach it to Mareep's head. If using needle felting, you can shape it a bit as I did here by manipulating the fibers with the felting needle.

4. Apply remaining details (eyes, nostrils) to Mareep’s face using the method of your choice. You can cut them out from felt or fabric and sew them on, embroider, use buttons, etc. I used needle felting in the doll pictured, which I highly advise trying on this doll since it already requires needle felting anyway. Remember to follow the same safety steps you used for assembling the wool: be aware of how you handle and move the needle and NEVER felt on your lap or towards yourself.

 

Conclusions

If you liked this pattern, please feel free to make it and post on your blog of choice! All I ask is that you please provide credit to me (2DCrochet) as the pattern author, and if you’re on Ravelry to add your photos to the pattern’s page here - the more the merrier! Please do not sell dolls made from this pattern, to respect the intellectual property rights of the original artist that conceived the character. If you like my work and would like to support future pattern-making, please consider subscribing to my Patreon here.

Cardcaptor Sakura: Kero

 

Difficulty: 1/5
Today’s pattern is Kerberos from Cardcaptor Sakura! I was obsessed with the Cardcaptors anime when I was a kid, and eventually read almost everything else Clamp put out. The other day I found some of my old Tsubasa Chronicle books while I was cleaning and decided to re-read the series all over again. One thing led to another after that, and I ended up also reading all of Tsubasa World Chronicle, xxxholic:Rei, and Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card to catch up on all of Clamp’s more recent stuff.
 

I just had to make Kero after that all-night manga binging session. He’s got a nice, simple design that was a pleasant breather after the complicated assembly I did for the Corsola pattern. It was also great to have an opportunity to use the pom-pom technique for his tail! I think it ended up super cute, and felt fitting given how he pretends to be a doll as his disguise.

Happy Crafting!

Materials
-Yarn. Use a worsted or aran weight in a material of your choice. I use acrylic for my doll patterns due to its firm weave, which provides the doll with some structure. Regardless of the material you choose, you will need:

(A) ~150m of yellow

(B) ~50m of white

-4.5 mm crochet hook
-Fiberfill or crafting scraps for stuffing
-Yarn needle
-Pins
-Scraps of yarn for round markers
-Scraps of felt or fabric for details such as eyes. I use needle felting for this, but you can also cut out pieces of fabric if you prefer.

Gauge: Gauge is not important for this work. With the given yarn and hook size, the finished doll will stand about 7 inches (17.7 cm) in height; adjust yarn and/or hook size if a bigger or smaller doll is desired. Just make sure your stitches are of a consistent size and tightness.

Notation (US crochet)
ch: chain
st: stitch
sc: single crochet
hdc: half-double crochet
slst: slip stitch
inc: increase stitch (perform 2 sc in the next stitch)
dec: decrease stitch (insert hook into next stitch, yarn over and pull through the stitch. Insert hook into next stitch, yarn over and pull through first loop. Yarn over again, pull through all 3 loops on hook.)

Pattern
Head and Body (Make 1)
Round 1: With A, 6 sc in starter circle. (6)
Round 2: inc in each st around. (12)
Round 3: *sc in next st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (18)
Round 4: *sc in next 2 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (24)
Round 5: *sc in next 3 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (30)
Round 6: *sc in next 4 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (36)
Rounds 7-12: sc in each et around. (30)
Round 13: *sc in next 4 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (30)
Round 14: *sc in next 3 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around (24)
Round 15: *sc in next 2 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around (18)
Round 16: *sc in next st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around (12)
Round 17: *sc in next st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around (18)
Round 18: *sc in next 2 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (24)
Round 19: *sc in next 3 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (30)
Rounds 20-31: sc in each st around (30)
Round 32: *sc in next 3 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (24)
Round 33: *sc in next 2 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (18)
Round 34: *sc in next st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (12)
Round 35: dec in each st around. (6)

Ears (Make 2)
Round 1: With A, 6 sc in starter circle (6)
Round 2: inc in each st around. (12)
Round 3: *sc in next st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (18)
Round 4: *sc in next 2 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (24)
Rounds 5-7 : sc in each st around. (24)
Round 8: “sc in next 2 st, dec* Repeat from * to * around. (18)
Round 9: “sc in next st, dec* Repeat from * to * around. (12) Finish off, leaving tail.

Arms (Make 2)
Round 1: With A, 4 sc in starter circle (4)
Round 2:  inc in each st around. (8)
Round 3: *sc in next st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (12)
Rounds 4-9: sc in each st around. (12) ch 1, turn. begin working in rows.
Row 10: sc in 2nd loop from hook. continue to sc in next 5 st. (6) ch 1, turn.
Row 11: sc in 2nd loop from hook. continue to sc across the row. (6) Finish off, leaving tail, and stuff lightly.

Legs (Make 2)
Round 1: With A, 5 sc in starter circle (5)
Round 2:  inc in each st around. (10)
Round 3: *sc in next st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (15)
Rounds 4-8: sc in each st around. (15) ch 1, turn. Switch to working in rows.
Row 9: sc in 2nd loop from hook. continue to sc in next 6 st. (7) ch 1, turn.
Rows 10-11: Repeat row 9.
Row 12: 3 dec, starting in 2nd loop from hook. sl st in final st of row (4).
Row 13: 2 dec, starting in 2nd loop from hook. (2) Finish off, leaving tail, and stuff lightly.

Feet (Make 2)
Round 1: With A, 4 sc in starter circle (4)
Round 2:  inc in each st around. (8)
Rounds 3-5: sc in each st around (8) Add a small amount of stuffing.
Round 6: dec in each st around (4)
Round 7: dec around until closed. Finish off, leaving tail.

Tail (Make 1)
*Work in rows*
Row 1: ch 31. Turn.
Row 2: sl st in 2nd loop from hook. Continue to sl st across the row (30) Finish off, leaving tail.

Tail Pom-pom (Make 1)
With B, make a pom-pom about 1” in diameter to attach to the end of the tail. You can do this with a pom-pom tool if you have one, otherwise it is VERY easy to do by hand. Follow the instructions below:
1. Wrap B around three fingers on one of your hands, as pictured below.
2. Continue wrapping the yarn around your fingers. The number of times you wrap it will determine the number of strands on the pom-pom; I went around 30 times for mine.
3. Carefully slide the wrapped yarn off your fingers. Cut a ~5” length of B and use it to tie the wrapped yarn into a bundle. Make sure this knot is as tight as you can make it - otherwise the pom-pom will fall apart.
4. Cut the loops on each half of the bundle in half. When you’re finished, fluff them out and spread them around to make the pom-pom fluffy.

Large Feather (Make 2)
Round 1: With B, ch 5 in starter circle. (5)
Round 2: inc in each st around. (10)
Rounds 3-14: sc in each st around. (10)
Round 15: dec in each st around. (5)
Round 16: dec around until closed. Finish off, leaving tail.

Medium Feather (Make 2)
Round 1: With B, ch 5 in starter circle. (5)
Round 2: inc in each st around. (10)
Rounds 3-12: sc in each st around. (10)
Round 13: dec in each st around. (5)
Round 14: dec around until closed. Finish off, leaving tail.

Small Feather (Make 2)
Round 1: With B, ch 5 in starter circle. (5)
Round 2: inc in each st around. (10)
Rounds 3-10: sc in each st around. (10)
Round 11: dec in each st around. (5)
Round 12: dec around until closed. Finish off, leaving tail. 

Assembly
1. Assemble the wings. Stack a large, then medium, and then small feather as pictured, and sew together with whip stitch. You will want to make 2 of these, one pointing left and one pointing right.

2. Assemble the legs. Whip stitch the feet to the leg pieces. Just like with the wings, you will want to make left- and right-oriented pieces for either side of the doll.

3. Assemble the tail. Sew the pom-pom to one end of the tail piece.

4. Pin down and whip switch the ears, arms, wings, legs, and tail to the head and body piece.

5. Add the details to Kero’s face with your preferred method of choice. Small buttons and craft eyes work well for the eyes since they’re are so tiny, but you can also embroider them on or make them from cut pieces of fabric. I used needle felting in the pictured doll.

Pokemon #0222: Corsola

Difficulty: 2/5

Today's pattern is Corsola! This squishy pink sweetie is one of my favorites from Gen 2, so I've been looking forward to making a pattern for it. It's a beginner-friendly pattern made from simple shapes, but the assembly is just tricky enough that I bumped up the difficulty a point. Make one or make a bunch - you can make your own Corsola reef if you'd like! 

As a side note, I made the branches thicker in this pattern to go for a slightly more chibi look. If you want thinner branches to make a shape more consistent with the in-game models, use a smaller starter circle for the branch pieces (4 st instead of 8 st) and adjust the pattern accordingly. This is a good pattern to practice adjusting patterns so you can learn how to customize to your preferences.

Happy Crafting! 

 

Materials
-Yarn. Use a worsted weight in a material of your choice. I use acrylic for my doll patterns due to its firm weave, which provides the doll with some structure. You will need:

For regular Corsola: (A) ~150m of coral pink, (B) ~20m of white

For a shiny Corsola: (A) ~150m of aqua blue, (B) ~20m of white

-4.5 mm (size 7) crochet hook
-Fiberfill or crafting scraps for stuffing
-Yarn needle
-Pins
-Scraps of yarn for round markers
-Scraps of felt or fabric for details such as eyes. I use needle felting for this, but you can also cut out pieces of fabric if you prefer.

Gauge: Gauge is not important for this work. With the given yarn and hook size, the finished doll will stand about 6.5 inches (16.5 cm) in height; adjust yarn and/or hook size if a bigger or smaller doll is desired. Just make sure your stitches are of a consistent size and tightness.

Notation (US crochet)
ch: chain
st: stitch
sc: single crochet
hdc: half-double crochet
slst: slip stitch
inc: increase stitch (perform 2 sc in the next stitch)
dec: decrease stitch (insert hook into next stitch, yarn over and pull through the stitch. Insert hook into next stitch, yarn over and pull through first loop. Yarn over again, pull through all 3 loops on hook.) 

Pattern

Body (Make 1)
Round 1: With A, 6 sc in starter circle (6)
Round 2: inc in each st around (12)
Round 3: *sc in next st, inc* Repeat from * to * around. (18)
Round 4: *sc in next 2 st, inc* Repeat from * to * around. (24)
Round 5: *sc in next 3 st, inc* Repeat from * to * around. (30)
Round 6: *sc in next 4 st, inc* Repeat from * to * around. (36)
Round 7: *sc in next 5 st, inc* Repeat from * to * around. (42)
Round 8: *sc in next 6 st, inc* Repeat from * to * around. (48)
Round 9: *sc in next 7 st, inc* Repeat from * to * around. (54)
Rounds 10-18: sc around. (54) Switch to color B.
Round 19: *sc in next 7 st, inc* Repeat from * to * around. (48)
Round 20: *sc in next 6 st, inc* Repeat from * to * around. (42)
Round 21: *sc in next 5 st, inc* Repeat from * to * around. (36)
Round 22: *sc in next 4 st, inc* Repeat from * to * around. (30)
Round 23: *sc in next 3 st, inc* Repeat from * to * around. (24) Begin to stuff, and continue to do so as you work.
Round 24: *sc in next 2 st, inc* Repeat from * to * around. (18)
Round 25: *sc in next st, inc* Repeat from * to * around. (12)
Round 26: dec around (6)
Round 27: dec around until closed. Finish off, and weave in ends.

Small horn (Make 1)
Round 1: With A, 8 sc in starter circle (8)
Round 2: inc in each st around (16)
Rounds 3-8: sc around. (16)
Round 9: *sc in next st, inc* Repeat from * to * around. (24)
Round 10: sc around. (24) Finish off, leaving tail. Stuff firmly, but do not overstuff.

Medium horn (Make 2)
Round 1: With A, 8 sc in starter circle (8)
Round 2: inc in each st around (16)
Rounds 3-14: sc around. (16)
Round 15: *sc in next st, inc* Repeat from * to * around. (24) Finish off, leaving tail. Stuff firmly, but do not overstuff.

Large horn (Make 2)
Round 1: With A, 8 sc in starter circle (8)
Round 2: inc in each st around (16)
Rounds 3-15: sc around. (16)
Round 16: *sc in next st, inc* Repeat from * to * around. (24)
Rounds 17-18: sc around. (24)
Round 19: *sc in next 2 st, inc* Repeat from * to * around. (32)
Rounds 20-22: sc around. (32) Finish off, leaving tail. Stuff firmly, but do not overstuff.

Horn branches (Make 8)
Round 1: With A, 4 sc in starter circle. (4)
Round 2: inc in each st around. (16)
Round 3: *sc in next st, inc* Repeat from * to * around. (12)
Rounds 4-6: sc in each st around (12)
Round 7: *sc in next 2 st, inc* Repeat from * to * around. (16) Finish off, leaving tail. Stuff firmly, but do not overstuff.

Arms (Make 2)
Round 1: With A, 8 sc in starter circle (8)
Round 2: inc in each st around (16)
Rounds 3-8 sc around. (16) Finish off, leaving tail. Stuff firmly, but do not overstuff.

Legs (Make 4)
Round 1: With B, 8 sc in starter circle (8)
Round 2: inc in each st around (16)
Rounds 3-6 sc around. (16) Finish off, leaving tail. Stuff firmly - these will support the weight of the doll, so they need to be sturdy.

 

Assembly
1. Pin and whip stitch the legs to the body. You’ll want to space them out equally in the shape of a square, to evenly distribute the doll’s weight.

 2. Pin and whip stitch the arms and small horn to the body, as pictured.

 3. Pin and whip stitch the large horns on the top of the body. You’ll want to point them outwards and back a bit, as symmetrically as you can. Then pin and whip stitch the medium horns to the back of the body. Their base can partially overlap the base of the large horns to get the angle you like best.

5. Pin and whip stitch 2 horn branches onto each of the large and medium horns. I angled mine a bit to make a slight “V” shape on each branch, but attach them wherever looks best on your doll.

6. Finish the details of Corsola’s face by adding eyes and a mouth using whatever method you’d like. I use needle felting and loose wool roving, but you can also cut the shapes for these details out of felt or fabric and sew them down.

Pokemon #0298: Azurill

Difficulty: 1/5

This little cutie was a Valentine's Day request from my husband this year! This is a cute and simple pattern that can be made up in a day or two. I used a chevron stitch, which is used to add zig-zag textures in crochet, to add a bit of a curl to the tail. I'm really happy with how it came out, and so is he!

Materials
-Yarn. Use a worsted weight in a material of your choice. I use acrylic for my doll patterns due to its firm weave, which provides the doll with some structure. You can use 

For regular Azurill: (A) ~100m of cobalt blue, (B) ~2m of black

For a shiny Azurill: (A) ~100m of mint green, (B) ~2m of black

-4.5 mm (size 7) crochet hook
-Fiberfill or crafting scraps for stuffing
-Yarn needle
-Pins
-Scraps of yarn for round markers
-Scraps of felt or fabric for details such as eyes. I use needle felting for this, but you can also cut out pieces of fabric if you prefer.

Gauge: Gauge is not important for this work. With the given yarn and hook size, the finished doll will stand about 3 inches (7.6 cm) in height; adjust yarn and/or hook size if a bigger or smaller doll is desired. Just make sure your stitches are of a consistent size and tightness.

Notation (US crochet)
ch: chain
st: stitch
sc: single crochet
hdc: half-double crochet
slst: slip stitch
inc: increase stitch (perform 2 sc in the next stitch)
dec: decrease stitch (insert hook into next stitch, yarn over and pull through the stitch. Insert hook into next stitch, yarn over and pull through first loop. Yarn over again, pull through all 3 loops on hook.)

Pattern

Body (Make 1)
Round 1: With A, 6 sc in starter circle (6)
Round 2: 2 sc in each st around. (12)
Round 3: *sc in next st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (18)
Round 4: *sc in next 2 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (24)
Round 5: *sc in next 3 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (30)
Round 6: *sc in next 4 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (36)
Round 7: *sc in next 5 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (42)
Rounds 8-13: sc around (42)
Round 14: *sc in next 5 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (36)
Round 15: *sc in next 4 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (30)
Round 16: *sc in next 3 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (24)
Round 17: *sc in next 2 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (18) Begin stuffing, and continue to do so until finished.
Round 18: *sc in next st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (12)
Round 19: dec around (6)
Round 20: continue to dec until closed. Tie off and weave in loose ends.

Ears (Make 2)
Round 1: With A, 6 sc in starter circle (6)
Round 2: 2 sc in each st around (12)
Round 3: *sc in next st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (18)
Rounds 4-6: sc around (18)
Round 7: *sc in next st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (12)
Round 8: dec around (6)

Feet (Make 2)
Round 1: With A, 5 sc in starter circle (5)
Round 2: 2 sc in each st around (10)
Rounds 3-7: sc around (10) Add a small amount of stuffing at the end of row 7.
Round 8: dec around (5)
Round 9: dec around until closed.

Tail (Make 1)
Round 1: With A, 6 sc in starter circle (6)
Round 2: 2 sc in each st around. (12)
Round 3: *sc in next st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (18)
Round 4: *sc in next 2 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (24)
Round 5: *sc in next 3 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (30)
Round 6: *sc in next 4 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (36)
Round 7: *sc in next 5 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (42)
Rounds 8-13: sc around (42)
Round 14: *sc in next 5 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (36)
Round 15: *sc in next 4 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (30)
Round 16: *sc in next 3 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (24)
Round 17: *sc in next 2 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (18) Begin stuffing, and continue to do so until finished.
Round 18: *sc in next st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (12)
Round 19: dec around (6)
Round 20: continue to dec until closed. Switch color to B in final stitch.
****Switch to working in rows****
Row 1: ch 40, turn. (40)
Row 2: sc in the first 4 ch, starting in 2nd ch from hook. *inc. sc in next 4 st. dec. sc in next 4 st.* Repeat from * to * until the end of the row. Secure the tail rows by finishing off with a sl st under where they connect to the ball. Finish off and weave in ends.

Tail connection (Make 1)
Round 1: With A, 5 sc in starter circle (5)
Round 2: 2 sc in each st around. (10)
Round 3:  *sc in next st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (15)
Round 4: *sc in next 2 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (20)
Round 5 sc around (20). Finish and tie off, leaving tail.

Assembly

Step 1: Sew the ears and feet to the body. If you want the body to be able to balance on top of the tail, attach the feet at an angle as shown. Weave in loose ends.
Step 2: Sew the loose end of the tail to the tail connection piece. Sew the tail connection piece to the body, adding small amount of stuffing under the connection piece as you go. Weave in loose ends. 

Step 3: Add the ear and face details (eyes, mouth, and blush marks) using the method of your choice. I use needle felting to finish my dolls, but you can also cut the details out from fabric and sew them on, if you prefer.

Pokemon #0001: Bulbasaur

 Difficulty: 3/5 (Intermediate)

After a long decade away from crafting and blogging, I decided to begin my comeback with the very beginning of Pokemon! I've always loved Bulbasaur, even though I almost always picked Squirtle as my first Pokemon in the games. He's fairly straightforward to make, but the bulb is a bit tricky to assemble. Take your time, and be sure to pin everything in place before you sew so you can adjust positioning as needed.

Materials
-Yarn. Use a worsted weight in a material of your choice. I use acrylic (Caron Simply Soft brand) for my doll patterns due to its firm weave - this provides the doll with some structure when it's meant for display. I'd recommend using a natural material such as cotton or wool if you are planning to give the doll to a child.

For a regular Bulbasaur, you will need (A) ~150 yds (144m) of blue-green, and (B) ~150 yds (144m) of leaf-green

For a shiny Bulbasaur, you will need (A) ~150 yds (144m) of light green, and (B) ~150 yds (144m) leaf-green

-4 mm (size G) crochet hook
-Fiberfill or crafting scraps for stuffing
-Yarn needle
-Pins
-Scraps of yarn for round markers
-Materials for detailing work, such as eyes. I use needle felting for this, but you can also crochet them or cut them out of scraps of fabric or felt. Use whatever method works best for you!

Gauge: Gauge is not important for this work. With the given yarn and hook size, the finished doll will stand about 6.5 inches (10.6 cm) in height; adjust yarn and/or hook size if a bigger or smaller doll is desired. Just make sure your stitches are of a consistent size and tightness.

Notation (US crochet)
ch: chain
st: stitch
sc: single crochet
hdc: half-double crochet
slst: slip stitch
inc: increase stitch (perform 2 sc in the next stitch)
dec: decrease stitch (insert hook into next stitch, yarn over and pull through the stitch. Insert hook into next stitch, yarn over and pull through first loop. Yarn over again, pull through all 3 loops on hook.)

Pattern
Head (Make 1)
Round 1: With A, 8 sc in starter circle. (8)
Round 2: 2 sc in each st around. (16)
Round 3: *sc in next st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (24)
Round 4: *sc in next 2 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (32)
Round 5: *sc in next 3 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (40)
Round 6: *sc in next 4 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (48)
Rounds 7-13: sc in each stitch around. (48)
Round 14: 23 sc, inc, 24 sc (49)
Round 15: 23 sc, inc, sc, inc, 23 sc (51)
Round 16: 12 sc, inc, inc,  11 sc, inc, 11 sc,  inc, inc, 12 sc. (56)
Rounds 17-18: sc around (56)
Round 19: “sc in next 5 st, dec” Repeat from * to * twice. Switch to back loops only, repeat from * to * 3 times. Return to working both loops to repeat from * to * twice. This will create a subtle line in the crochet for Bulbasaur’s mouth (48)
Round 20: *sc in next 4 st, dec* Repeat from * to * around. (40)
Round 21: *sc in next 3 st, dec* Repeat from * to * around. (32)
Round 22: *sc in next 2 st, dec* Repeat from * to * around. (24) Begin stuffing, and continue to do so as you work.
Round 23: *sc in next st, dec* Repeat from * to * around. (16)
Round 24: dec around (8)
Round 25: dec around until closed. Cut off and finish. 

Ears (Make 2)
Round 1: With A, 4 sc in starter circle (4)
Round 2: 2 sc in each st around. (8)
Round 3: *sc in next st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (12)
Round 4: *sc in next 2 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (16)
Rounds 5-7: sc around (16). Sl st after final sc, tie off, and stuff lightly. Leave thread tail for sewing later. 

Body (Make 1)
Round 1: With A, 8 sc in starter circle (8)
Round 2: 2 sc in each st around. (16)
Round 3: *sc in next st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (24)
Round 4: *sc in next 2 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (32)
Round 5: *sc in next 3 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (40)
Round 6: *sc in next 4 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (48)
Round 7: *sc in next 5 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (56)
Round 8-24: sc in each stitch around (56)
Round 25: *sc in next 5 st, dec* Repeat from * to * around. (48)
Round 26: *sc in next 4 st, dec* Repeat from * to * around. (40)
Round 27: *sc in next 3 st, dec* Repeat from * to * around. (32)
Round 28: *sc in next 2 st, dec* Repeat from * to * around. (24) Begin stuffing, and continue to do so as you work.
Round 29: *sc in next st, dec* Repeat from * to * around. (16)
Round 30: dec around (8)
Round 31: dec around until closed. Cut off and finish, weaving in all tails.

Legs (Make 4)
Round 1: With A, 5 sc in starter circle (5)
Round 2: 2 sc in each st around. (10)
Round 3: *sc in next st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (15)
Round 4: *sc in next 2 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (20)
Rounds 5-10: sc around. ch 1 and turn, and change to working in rows.
Row 1: 10 sc. ch 1, turn.
Row 2: 10 sc, ch 1, turn.
Row 3: 10 sc, ch 1, turn.
Row 4: dec, 6 sc, dec. ch 1, turn.
Row 5: dec, 4 sc, dec. ch 1, turn.
Row 6: dec, 2 sc, dec. ch 1, turn.
Ro 7: dec, dec. Cut off and finish, leaving a tail.

Leaves (Make 6)
Round 1: With B, 6 sc in starter circle (6)
Round 2: 2 sc in each st around. (12)
Round 3: *sc in next st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (18)
Round 4: *sc in next 2 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (24)
Round 5: *sc in next 3 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (30)
Rounds 6-10: sc around (30)
Round 11: *sc in next 3 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (24)
Rounds 12-13: sc around (24)
Round 14: *sc in next 2 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (18)
Rounds 15-16: sc around (18)
Round 17: *sc in next st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (12)
Rounds 21-23: sc around (12)
Round 24: dec around (8)
Round 25: dec around until closed. Cut off and finish, leaving a tail.

Assembly
Part 1: Body Assembly
Step 1: Pin the ears to either side of the head and sew down. Weave in all loose ends.
Step 2: Pin the head to the body. It will look best if you offset it slightly up from the center of the body.

Step 3: Pin and sew the legs into place, then weave in all loose ends.

 

Part 2: Bulb Assembly
Step 1: Flatten each leaf piece.

 

Step 2: Pin two leaves together, and tightly whip stitch a seam along one side. Turn and backstitch to reinforce this seam. Leave a small amount (~1/2 inch) at the top of the leaves open.

 

Step 3: Repeat Step 2 until all six leaves are together in a loop. Leave the small gaps at the bottom and top of the bulb open for now.

 

Step 4: Turn the bulb inside-out, so the stitched seams are inside. Press out the seams to inflate the bulb. Finish sewing the tops of the leaves together. 

Step 5: Flip the bulb over and stuff firmly through the bottom hole until it is filled out. Leave the bottom hole open.

 

Step 6: Sew the bulb to the back of the body, as pictured. Weave in all loose ends.

NOTE: This method will produce a tightly shut bulb. If you prefer a more layered look, you can assemble the leaves into the bulb using a method similar to the one in my Bellossom pattern. If you go this route, you may need to make a few extra leaf pieces. Feel free to experiment!

Part 3: Detailing
Finish the doll by adding details to the face (eyes) and body (spots, claws) using the method of your choice. I use needle felting to finish my dolls, but you can also cut the details out from fabric and sew them on, if you prefer. I modeled the spots on mine after May's Bulbasaur from the TV series, but you can position yours wherever you'd like. You can also add fangs at the edges of the mouth if you'd like - some Bulbasaur art includes those as well. Play around a bit, and decide what you like best. Happy crafting!