Pokemon #100: Voltorb

Difficulty: 1/5 (Beginner)

We've got an easy pattern today, for a Voltorb doll! The shape is a basic sphere, and is well-suited for a beginner's first amigurumi. This is a small doll too - it will easily fit in the palm of your hand. At some point, I'm going to adapt this pattern to make a bunch of Pokeball patterns; when they're done, they'll be put up on the blog.

If you have any questions about this or the pattern, or have a request for a doll you'd like me to make a pattern for, please feel free to contact me at 2DCuttlefish@gmail.com

Materials

-Yarn (I didn't include quantities because this is a small doll; you will need less than an 1/8 of a 6-oz skein in each color. In addition to the quantities below, you will also need a small amount of black yarn for detail embroidery)

• For regular Voltorb: (A) dark red and (B) white
• For shiny Voltorb: (A) blue and (B) white

-4.5 mm (size 7) crochet hook

-Fiberfill – I recommend a nice, soft variety that's good for stuffed animals

-Yarn needle

-Pins

-Scraps of felt, loose fabric, etc. in white and black to make the eyes. You can also make them using needle felting, if you know how – that's the way I did it for the example doll shown in the photos.

-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 2.5 inches (6.35 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 of the work)

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.)

*Note: You do not need to use the same brand or colors of yarn I used, but you should try and pick a 100% acrylic yarn for this doll. Acrylic yarn is generally best for amigurumi dolls as it holds the stiff weave required to maintain the structure of the doll. This is especially true for large dolls like this one, whose weight may cause non-acrylic yarns to sag and lose shape over time.

Body
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)
Rounds 8-11: sc in each st around. (56) Switch to B at the end of Round 11.
Rounds 12-15: sc in each st around.
Round 16: *sc in next 5 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (48)
Round 17: *sc in next 4 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (40)
Round 18: *sc in next 3 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (32)
Round 19: *sc in next 2 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (24)
Begin stuffing firmly, and continue to do so as you work.
Round 20: *sc in next st, dec.* (16)
Round 21: dec around until closed.
Finish off. Clean up ends.

Finishing Touches: The only detail you need to add to Voltorb is his eyes. They are a simple shape, as shown below:

The base is white, with a black slit for an iris. You can use cut felt or fabric to make them. As usual, my doll's details are made with needle-felting, since I like the look of it better. Once you've made the eyes, using some black yarn and a yarn needle to embroider Voltorb's angry eyebrows on.