Pokemon#0012: Butterfree

Difficulty: 4/5

This week’s pattern is Butterfree! One of my original Pokemon favorites, it was actually the first Pokemon card I ever owned. This pattern took some time to put together, mostly because of the wings. I figured out and made every other piece of the doll within a day, but getting the color work on the wings to look good took a full week of trial and error, crocheting and unraveling, testing patterns in the round vs rows, etc. I settled on double crochet in the round with a spiraling pattern for the veins, which also gives a nice texture contrast with the body - Butterfree’s wings are supposed to be covered in dusty scales, after all. It also provides some structure to keep the wings from being too floppy.

A nice little detail I added was working the upper and lower parts of the wings separately, and only sewing them together where they meet the body. This allows the wings to retract when you want the doll to sit down, or when space is limited. I also included a pattern for an optional little scarf accessory.  I decided to whip it up since I had some extra golden yarn laying around. I'm sure the old-school Pokemon fans in the audience will appreciate why =D

 

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 some structure, but you may use any material you wish. You will need:
For regular Butterfree: (A) ~150m of royal purple, (B) ~30m of cyan blue, (C) ~20m of red, (D) ~400m white, (E) ~200m black

For shiny Butterfree: (A) ~150m of lilac purple, (B) ~30m of coral pink, (C) ~20m of neon green, (D) ~400m pale pink, (E) ~200m black.

***If you are making the optional scarf, you will also need (F) ~20m of gold***

-4.0 mm (size G) crochet hook

-Fiberfill or crafting scraps for stuffin


-Yarn needle


-Pins


-Scraps of yarn for round markers

-Materials to make the details on the face using the method of your choice. You can glue or sew on fabric or felt scraps, embroider them on, or needle felt them. I used needle felting in the doll pictured.

Gauge: Gauge is not important for this work. With the given yarn and hook size, the finished doll will stand about 13 inches (33 cm) in height from the top of the wings to the bottom; 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

dc: double crochet


slst: slip stitch


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


dc inc: double crochet increase stitch (perform 2 dc 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)
Work in the round.
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)
Rounds 9-16 sc in each st around. (48)
Round 17: *sc in next 6 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (42)
Round 18: *sc in next 5 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (36)
Round 19: *sc in next 4 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (30)
Round 20: *sc in next 3 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (24)
Round 21: *sc in next 2 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (18)
Round 22: *sc in next 2 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (24)
Round 23: *sc in next 3 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (30)
Round 23: *sc in next 4 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (36)
Round 24: *sc in next 5 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (42)
Rounds 25-33: sc in each st around. (42)
Round 34: *sc in next 5 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (36)
Round 35: *sc in next 4 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (30)
Round 36: *sc in next 3 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (24) Begin to stuff, and continue to do so as you work.
Round 37: *sc in next 2 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (18)
Round 38: *sc in next st, dec*. Repeat from * to * around. (12)
Round 39: dec in each st around. (6)
Round 40: dec around until closed. (6) Finish off, and weave in loose ends.

Feet (Make 2)
Work in the round.
Round 1: With B, 5 sc in starter circle. (5)
Round 2: inc in each st around. (10)
Rounds 3-11: sc in each st around (10). Add a small amount of stuffing inside the foot.
Round 12: dec in each st around (5)
Round 13: dec around until closed. Finish off, leaving a tail.

Arms (Make 2)
Work in rows.
Row 1: With B, ch 5. (5) ch 3, turn.
Row 2: tc, starting in 4th loop from hook. sl st, tc, sl st, tc. (5) finish off, leaving tail.

Nose (Make 1)
Work in the round.
Round 1: With B, 5 sc in starter circle. (5)
Round 2: inc in each st around. (10)
Round 3: inc in each of next 2 st, sc in each of next 3 st, inc in each of next 2 st, sc in each of next 3 st. (14) Finish off, leaving a tail.

Eyes (Make 2)
Work in the round.
Round 1: With C, 6 sc in starter circle.
Round 2: inc in each st around. (12)
Round 3: 3 sc, 3 inc, 3 sc, 3 inc. (18)
Round 4: sc in each st around. (18) Finish off, leaving tail.

Upper Wing (Make 2*)
These are made with color work in the round, using strands of D and E that are worked separately; when working with D, drop E and vice-versa. Do not join your rounds - you want the color work to make veins that spiral from the center. Do not finish off either color until the end. Use your color change method of your choice, but try to make it as seamless as possible to maintain the distinction between the different colored sections.

*You will want to make 2 pieces of this pattern. HOWEVER! There are 2 slightly different versions of this pattern that you will work for each piece. The purpose of this is to make the colored spiral of veins turn clockwise in one piece and counterclockwise in the other.
-Version 1: Work with dropped threads towards you, or rather towards the inside of the circle. The outside of the wing will be the “right” side and the inside will be the “wrong,” so plan accordingly when and where you drop your threads.
-Version 2:  Work with dropped threads away from you, or rather towards the outside of the work. The “wrong” side of the wing will be on the outside, and the “right” side will be on the inside, so plan accordingly when and where you drop your threads.

Round 1: With D and E, ch 29. Start with a ch of D, and alternate colors with each ch. - your last ch should be D. Use a sl st to join the last ch with the first to make a loop. The D ch you end in is the last st of Round 1, and the first st of Round 2 will be in an E st. (28 st total; 14 in color D and 14 in color E.)
Round 2: dc in each st around. Use D in D stitches and E in E stitches. (28 st total, 14 in color D and 14 in color E)
Round 3: *dc in next st, dc inc* Repeat from * to * around. Use D in D stitches and E in E stitches. (42 st total, 28 in color D and 14 in color E)
Round 4: *dc in next st, dc inc in each of following 2 st.* Repeat from * to * around. Use D in D stitches and E in E stitches. (70 st total, 56 in color D and 14 in color E)
Rounds 5-9: dc in each st around. Use D in D st and E in E st. (70 st total, 56 in color D and 14 in color E)
Round 10: *dc in each of next 2 st, dc inc, dc in next st, dc inc.* Repeat from * to * around. Use D in D stitches and E in E stitches.
(98 st total, 84 in color D and 14 in color E)
Rounds 11-13: dc in each st around. Use D in D st and E in E st. (98)
Rounds 14-15: *dc, sc, hdc, dc, dc, hdc, dc.* Repeat from * to * around. Use D in D stitches and E in E stitches. (98 st total, 84 in color D and 14 in color E)
Round 16. Change color to E, and work only with it from here on. dc in each st around. (98 st total, all in E)
Round 17: *sc, sc, hdc, dc, dc, hdc, sc.* Repeat from * to * around. (98 st total, all in E)  If you worked Version 2 of this pattern, turn the wing inside out so that the “right” side is on the outside. Flatten the wing and line up the curves on the large side. Run a sl st along the edge to seal it shut. Finish off, and weave in loose ends.

Lower Wing (Make 2*)
Like the upper wings, these are made with color work in the round, using strands of D and E that are worked separately. 

 

*There are also 2 versions of this pattern, to produce spirals that turn in opposite directions. Make one of each version.

-Version 1: Work with dropped threads towards you, or rather towards the inside of the circle. The outside of the wing will be the “right” side and the inside will be the “wrong,” so plan accordingly when and where you drop your threads.
-Version 2:  Work with dropped threads away from you, or rather towards the outside of the work. The “wrong” side of the wing will be on the outside, and the “right” side will be on the inside, so plan accordingly when and where you drop your threads. When you finish this version of the pattern, turn it inside out so the “right”

Round 1: With D and E, ch 19. Start with a ch of D, and alternate colors with each ch. - your last ch should be D. Use a sl st to join the last ch with the first to make a loop. The D ch you end in is the last st of Round 1, and the first st of Round 2 will be an E st. (18 st total; 10 in color D and 8 in color E.)
Round 2: dc in each st around. Use D in D stitches and E in E stitches. (18 st total, 10 in color D and 8 in color E)
Round 3: *dc in next st, dc inc* Repeat from * to * around. Use D in D stitches and E in E stitches. (28 st total, 20 in color D and 8 in color E)
Round 4: *dc in next 2 st, dc inc.* Repeat from * to * around. Use D in D stitches and E in E stitches.(38 st total, 30 in color D and 8 in color E)
Round 5: *dc in next 3 st, dc inc.* Repeat from * to * around. Use D in D stitches and E in E stitches.(48 st total, 40 in color D and 8 in color E)
Round 5: *dc in next 4 st, dc inc.* Repeat from * to * around. Use D in D stitches and E in E stitches.(58 st total, 50 in color D and 8 in color E)
Round 6: *dc in next 5 st, dc inc.* Repeat from * to * around. Use D in D stitches and E in E stitches.(68 st total, 60 in color D and 8 in color E)
Rounds 7-12: dc in each st around. Use D in D stitches and E in E stitches. (68 st total, 60 in color D and 8 in color E) Change color to E, and only work with it from here on.
Rounds 13-14: dc in each st around. (68) If you worked Version 2 of this pattern, turn the wing inside out so that the “right” side is on the outside. Flatten the wing and line up the curves on the large side. Run a sl st along the edge to seal it shut. Finish off, and weave in loose ends.

Antennae (Make 2)
Work in rows.
Row 1: With E, ch 15. (15)
Row 2: sl st in 3th loop from hook. Finish off.

Scarf (Optional, Make 1)
Work in rows.
Row 1: With F, ch 50. (50) ch 3, turn.
Row 2: dc in each st across, starting in 4th st from hook. (50) ch 1, turn.
Row 3: sl st in each st across. (50) Finish off, and weave in loose ends.

 

 

Assembly
1. Assemble the body. Pin and whip stitch the eyes, antennae, and mouth to the head, and the arms and legs to the head and body piece. Add a small amount of stuffing under the eyes and mouth as you sew to make them puff up a bit.

2. Assemble the wings by sewing together an upper and lower wing piece. It's a bit difficult to see in the pictures below due to the wings' pattern, but you should offset the lower wing a bit so that only half of its small, inner edge lines up with about half of the inner edge of the upper wing. Use a whip stitch to connect the two pieces in this overlap area. Make sure to pair pieces with spirals running in the same direction on each side. The side with the spirals facing downward will be "front" of the finished wing that attaches to the doll.

3. Use a whip stitch to sew the wings to the back of the body.

4. Add the details (eyes, fangs) to Butterfree’s face using the method of your choice. I used needle felting, but you can use whatever material and method you prefer - sewing down cut pieces of felt or fabric will work well.

5. If you made the scarf piece, tie it around Butterfree’s neck with a simple knot of your choice.

Conclusion 

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 (Danielle Delp) as the pattern author, and if you’re on Ravelry to add your photos to the pattern’s page - the more the merrier! Please do not sell dolls made from this pattern, to respect the intellectual property rights of the original artist that designed the character. If you like my work and would like to support my pattern-making, please consider subscribing to my Patreon or following me on Tumblr! Links to Ravelry, Tumblr, and Patreon are in the About Me section.

See you next time!

Pokemon #0840: Applin

Difficulty 2/5

This week’s pattern is Applin! Generation 8 of Pokemon is probably my least favorite. The Pokemon themselves are probably the least interesting for me, even though the world and character designs were genuinely great. I have very few favorite Pokemon from this generation, but Applin was definitely one of the best. Hydrapple even became one of my regular Pokemon in generation 9!

This is a small doll, but it's deceptively complex to put together due to the number of colors and bit of color work crochet needed to required to make it. The good news is you don't need much of each color, so it's a good doll for using up leftover yarn from other projects. I also used fabric scraps from other projects instead of fiberfill for stuffing, which gave the added benefit of a firm, rigid structure that helps the doll sit upright. He's a great addition to any desk!

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 some structure, but you may use any material you wish. You will need:
For regular Applin: (A) ~30m of bright red, (B) ~30m of dark red, (C) ~30m of orange-red, (D) ~30m neon green, (E) ~30m of dark green, (F) ~10m of pale green, (G) ~10cm of black.
For shiny Applin: (A) ~30m of emerald green, (B) ~30m of leaf green, (C) ~30m of tan, (D) ~30m neon green, (E) ~30m of dark green, (F) ~10m of pale green, (G) ~10cm of black.

-4.0 mm (size G) crochet hook


-Fiberfill or crafting scraps for stuffing (I used shredded up fabric scraps from making curtains this time, like those pictured below)


-Yarn needle


-Pins


-Scraps of yarn for round markers

-Materials to make the details on the eyes using the method of your choice. You can glue or sew on fabric or felt scraps, embroider them on, or needle felt them. I used needle felting in the doll pictured.

Gauge: Gauge is not important for this work. With the given yarn and hook size, the finished doll will stand about 10 inches (25 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

dc: 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) Join the rounds with a sl st. ch 1, turn.
Round 3: Working in front loops only, *sc in next st, then inc in following st.* Repeat from * to * around. (18) Return to working in whole loop at the end of the round, but continue working in the same direction for the remainder of the body - this will produce a small divet at the top where Applin’s eyes will go.
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 8-10: *sc in each st around. (42)
 

From here, we will be doing a bit of color work. Drop colors when not in use towards the center of the doll.
 

Round 11: *With B, sc in next st. With A, sc in next 5 st. With B, sc in next st.* Repeat from * to * to the end of the round. (42)
Round 12: *With B, sc in next 2 st. With A, sc in next 3 st. With B, sc in next 2 st.* Repeat from * to * to the end of the round. (42) Finish off A, and continue on working only with B.
Rounds 13-16: sc in each st around. (42)
Round 17: *With B, sc in next 3 st. With C, sc in next st. With B, sc in next 3 st.* Repeat from * to * to the end of the round. (42)
Round 18: *With B, sc in next st. With C, sc in next 3 st. With B, sc in next 3 st.* Repeat from * to * to the end of the round. (42)
Round 19: *With C, sc in next 5 st. With B, sc in next 2 st.* Repeat from * to * to the end of the round. (42) Finish off B, and continue working only with C.
Round 20: *sc in next 5 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (36)
Round 21: *sc in next 4 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (30)
Round 22: *sc in next 3 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (24) Begin to stuff, and continue to do so as you work.
Round 23: *sc in next 2 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (18)
Round 24: *sc in next st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (12)
Round 25: dec in each st around. (6)
Round 26: dec around until closed. Finish off, and weave in ends.
 

Eyes (Make 2)
Round 1: With D, 6 sc in starter circle. (6)
Round 2: sc in each st around. (6)
Round 3: inc in each st around. (12)
Round 4: sc in each st around. (12)
Round 5: *sc in next st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (18)
Rounds 6-10: sc in each st around. (18)
Round 11: *sc in next st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (12)
Round 12: dec in each st around. (6)
Round 13: dec around until closed. Finish off, leaving tail. Do not stuff.
 

Main tail piece (Make 1)
Round 1: With E, 5 sc in starter circle. (5)
Round 2: sc in each st around (5)
Rounds 3-4: inc in each st around. (10)
Round 5-9:  *sc in next st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (15)
Round 10: *sc in next 2 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (20)
Rounds 11-13: sc in each st around. (20) Finish off, leaving tail. Stuff firmly.
 

Top tail piece (Make 1)

Work in rows.
Row 1: With F, ch 5. (5) ch 1, turn.
Row 2-7: sc in each st across. (5) ch 1, turn.
Row 8: dec, sc, dec. (3) ch 1, turn.
Rows 9-11: sc in each st across. (3) Finish off, leaving tail.

Assembly
1. Sew the eyes together by whip stitching along ~1cm of the bottom edge of each, as shown in the picture below.

 

2. Use a whip or applique stitch to attach the top tail piece to the main tail piece.

3. Pin and whip stitch the completed eyes and tail to the body.

 

4. Use your yarn needle to pull a ~10cm strand of G through around a stitch post near the tip of the tail. Remove the needle, then tie two simple loop knots to secure the strand in place. This will produce the "hairs" on the end of Applin's tail. Trim the "hair" until it is approximately 3cm long on each side.

5. Add details to Applin’s eyes using the method of your choice. I used needle felting in the doll pictured.

 

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 (Danielle Delp) as the pattern author, and if you’re on Ravelry to add your photos to the pattern’s page - the more the merrier! Please do not sell dolls made from this pattern, to respect the intellectual property rights of the original artist that designed the character. If you like my work and would like to support my pattern-making, please consider subscribing to my Patreon! Links to Ravelry and Patreon are in the About Me section above.

See you next week!

Pokemon #0121: Starmie

Difficulty: 2/5

I know, I know. I just did Staryu in my last post. But work as been SUPER crazy these past two weeks (end of the semester working at a college) and it was really easy to modify the Staryu pattern to make this one. It's a bit larger than the Staryu doll and a little trickier to assemble due to the extra set of arms, which bumps the difficulty up a notch.

The design did take some trial and error to get right. In the games, Starmie's model is basically two Staryu on top of each other, but that doesn't translate well to 3d. My Staryu doll pattern makes arms that look good, but are too chunky to just stack on top of one another. Flattening them out by removing stuffing worked, but also didn't look great. I ended up taking inspiration from the real-world crown of thorns starfish, whose many branches that stick out in all directions, more like a sea urchin. The result is something that I'm really proud of, although I worry the photos don't quite do it justice - my phone camera seems to hate this purple yarn, no matter what lighting or background I use. I promise though, it looks MUCH better than the pictures make it seem - give it a try and you'll see!

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 Starmie: (A) ~20m of scarlet, (B) ~30m of yellow gold, (C) ~250m of royal purple
For shiny Starmie: (A) ~20m of sky blue, (B) ~30m of red-gold, (C) ~250m of cobalt blue

-4.0 mm (size G) crochet hook


-Fiberfill or crafting scraps for stuffing


-Yarn needle


-Pins


-Scraps of yarn for round markers




Gauge: Gauge is not important for this work. With the given yarn and hook size, the finished doll will stand about 10 inches (25 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

dc: 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
Core (Make 1)
Round 1: With A, 8 sc in starter circle. (8)
Round 2: inc 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: Working in front loops only, *sc in next 3 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (40) Return to normal crochet at the end of the round.
Rounds 6-7: sc in each st around (40) Change color to B.
Round 8: Working in back loops only, *sc in next 4 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (48) Return to normal crochet at the end of the round.
Round 9: *sc in next 5 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (56)
Round 10: *sc in next 6 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (64) Change color to C.
Round 11: Working in front loops only, sc in each st around. (64) Return to normal crochet at the end of the round.
Rounds 12-20: sc in each st around. (64)
Round 21: *sc in next 6 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (56)
Round 22: *sc in next 5 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (48)
Round 23: *sc in next 4 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (40)
Round 24: *sc in next 3 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (32)
Round 25: *sc in next 2 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (24) Begin to stuff, and continue to do so as you work.
Round 26: *sc in next 1 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (16)
Round 27: dec in each st around. (8)
Round 28: continue to dec until closed. Finish off, and weave in loose ends.

Front Arms (Make 5)
Round 1: With C, 4 sc in starter circle. (4)
Round 2: inc in each st around. (8)
Round 3: sc in each st around. (8)
Round 4: *sc in next st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (12)
Round 5: sc in each st around. (12)
Round 6: *sc in next 2 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (16)
Round 7: sc in each st around. (16)
Round 8: *sc in next 3 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (20)
Round 9: sc in each st around. (20)
Round 10: *sc in next 4 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (24)
Round 11: sc in each st around. (24)
Round 12: *sc in next 5 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (28)
Round 13: sc in each st around. (28)
Round 14: *sc in next 6 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (32)
Round 15: sc in each st around. (32)
Round 16: *sc in next 7 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (36)
Round 17: sc in each st around. (36)
Round 18: *sc in next 8 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (40)
Round 19: sc in each st around. (40) Finish off, leaving a tail, and stuff with fiberfill.

Back Arms (Make 5)
Round 1: With C, 4 sc in starter circle. (4)
Round 2: inc in each st around. (8)
Round 3: sc in each st around. (8)
Round 4: *sc in next st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (12)
Round 5: sc in each st around. (12)
Round 6: *sc in next 2 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (16)
Round 7: sc in each st around. (16)
Round 8: *sc in next 3 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (20)
Round 9: sc in each st around. (20)
Round 10: *sc in next 4 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (24)
Round 11: sc in each st around. (24)
Round 12: *sc in next 5 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (28)
Round 13: sc in each st around. (28)
Round 14: *sc in next 6 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (32)
Round 15: sc in each st around. (32) Finish off, leaving a tail, and stuff with fiberfill.

Ridges (Make 8)
Work in rows.
Row 1: With B, ch 7. (7) ch 3, turn.
Row 2: dc in 4th st from hook. Continue to dc to the end of the row (7). ch 1, turn.
Row 3: sl st in 2nd st from hook. Continue to sl st in each st across. (7) Finish off, leaving a tail.

Assembly
1. Pin and whip stitch the 5 front arms around the core to make the primary star shape. As you can see in the picture below, you’ll want to do this one arm at a time and overlap the sides of each arm a bit to make them fit together smoothly. This assembly is identical to the construction of my Staryu doll, so if you’ve made that doll already you should be familiar with the method.

2. Flip the doll over, and pin and whip stitch the 5 back arms to make Starmie’s secondary star, as shown in the pictures below. Position the legs such that they stick slightly backwards rather than straight up and down or straight back - aim for something that looks a bit like the arms of a sea urchin. Overlap the edges of the legs as you sew, just like with the arms for the primary star.

3. Pin and whip or appliqué stitch the ridges around the core to sew them down. Weave in all loose ends.

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 (Danielle Delp) as the pattern author, and if you’re on Ravelry to add your photos to the pattern’s page - the more the merrier! Please do not sell dolls made from this pattern, to respect the intellectual property rights of the original artist that designed the character. If you like my work and would like to support my pattern-making, please consider subscribing to my Patreon! Links to Ravelry and Patreon are in the About Me section above.

See you next week!

Pokemon #0120: Staryu

Difficulty: 1/5 

I'm back from my little break with a very simple pattern this week - Staryu! Like many young Pokemon fans, Misty was my favorite character in the original Pokemon anime and games. And Starmie is really fantastic on  I had a lot of fun making this little doll of one of her signature Pokemon. I'll be making Starmie pattern soon too!

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 Staryu: (A) ~20m of scarlet, (B) ~50m of yellow gold, (C) ~150m of light brown
For shiny Staryu: (A) ~20m of sky blue, (B) ~50m of pale gold, (C) ~150m of white 

-4.0 mm (size G) crochet hook


-Fiberfill or crafting scraps for stuffing


-Yarn needle


-Pins


-Scraps of yarn for round markers




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

dc: 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

Core (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 each st around. (24) Switch color to B.
Round 6: working in back loops only, *sc in next 3 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (30) Return to normal crochet at the end of the round.
Round 7: *sc in next 4 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (36)
Round 8: *sc in next 5 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (42)
Round 9: *sc in next 6 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (48) Switch color to C.
Round 10: Working in front loops only, sc in each st around. (48) Return to normal crochet at the end of the round.
Rounds 11-15 : sc in each st around. (48)
Round 16: *sc in next 6 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (42)
Round 17: *sc in next 5 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (36))
Round 18: *sc in next 4 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (30)
Round 19: *sc in next 3 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (24)
Round 20: *sc in next 2 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (18) Begin to stuff, and continue to do so as you work.
Round 21: *sc in next st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (12)
Round 22: dec in each st around. (6)
Round 23: dec around until closed. Finish off, and weave in ends.

Arms (Make 5)
Round 1: With C, 4 sc in starter circle. (4)
Round 2: inc in each st around. (8)
Round 3: sc in each st around. (8)
Round 4: *sc in next st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (12)
Round 5: sc in each st around. (12)
Round 6: *sc in next 2 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (16)
Round 7: sc in each st around. (16)
Round 8: *sc in next 3 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (20)
Round 9: sc in each st around. (20)
Round 10: *sc in next 4 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (24)
Round 11: sc in each st around. (24)
Round 12: *sc in next 5 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (28)
Round 13: sc in each st around. (28) Finish off, leaving tail. Stuff firmly.

Ring (Make 1)
Work in rows.
Row 1: With B, ch 32. (32) ch 1, turn.
Row 2: sc in 2nd st from hook. Continue to sc to the end of the row. (32) ch 1, turn.
Row 3: sc in 2nd st from hook. Continue to sc to the end of the row. (32) ch 1, turn.
Row 4: sl st in each st across. (32) Finish off, leaving a long tail.

Ridges (Make 6)
Work in rows.
Row 1: With B, ch 6. (6) ch 3, turn.
Row 2: dc in 4th st from hook. Continue to dc to the end of the row (6). ch 1, turn.
Row 3: sl st in 2nd st from hook. Continue to sl st in each st across. (6) Finish off, leaving a tail.

Assembly
1. Pin and whip stitch the arms around the core to make a star shape. You will want to overlap the edges of the arms a bit, as in the picture below.

2. Lay the ring piece flat around one of the legs. Whip or appliqué stitch around all edges of the ring to down.

3. Pin the six ridge pieces around the center of the core. Whip or appliqué stitch around their edges to sew them down. Weave in and trim all loose ends.

Conclusion

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 (Danielle Delp) as the pattern author, and if you’re on Ravelry to add your photos to the pattern’s page - the more the merrier! Please do not sell dolls made from this pattern, to respect the intellectual property rights of the original artist that designed the character. If you like my work and would like to support my pattern-making, please consider subscribing to my Patreon.

See you next week!

 

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.