Pokemon #661: Fletchling

Difficulty: 2/5 (Beginner)

For this week's pattern, check out Fletchling! This cute little flying Pokemon was introduced not too long ago in Gen VI. This doll is on the small size, so it's perfect for a cuddle or to keep you company while it sits on your desk. It's a bit complicated due to the amount of detail work involved, but simple enough that beginners who've tried one or two dolls should be fine. If you have any questions or corrections, feel free to contact me at 2DCuttlefish@gmail.com!

Materials

-Yarn (I didn't include quantities, since the small size of the doll makes it difficult to judge quite how much you need. Suffice to say, it isn't much; less than 1/8 of a 6-oz skein for each color)

• For regular Fletchling: (A) orange, (B) grey, (C) off-White, and (D) black.
• For shiny Fletchling: (A) orange, (B) gold, (C) yellow, and (D) brown.

-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, black, and gold (white, brown, and gold for the shiny alternate-color version) 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 3.5 inches (8.9 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.

Head

Round 1: With A, 8 sc in starter circle

Round 2: 2 sc in each st around

Round 3: *sc in next st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around.

Round 4: *sc in next 2 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around.

Round 5: *sc in next 3 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around.

Rounds 6-12: sc in each st around.

Stuff firmly. Finish off, leaving trail.

Body

Round 1: With B, 7 sc in starter circle (7)

Round 2: 2 sc in each st around (14)

Round 3: *sc in next st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (21)

Round 4: *sc in next 2 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (28)

Round 5: *sc in next 3 st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (35)

Rounds 6-12: sc in each st around. (35)

Round 13: *sc in next 3 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (28)

Rounds 14-15: sc in each st around. (28)

Round 16: *sc in next 2 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (21)

Rounds 17-18: sc in each st around. (21)

*Begin to stuff firmly, and continue to do so until finished.

Round 19: *sc in next st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (14)

Round 20: sc in each st around (14)

Round 21: dec around until closed

Finish off, leaving trail.

Wings, Base (Make 2)

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 4-7 : sc in each st around. (18)

Round 8: *sc in next st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (12)

Round 9: dec around until closed.

Finish off, leaving trail. Do not stuff.

Wings, Tip Feathers (Make 4)

Round 1: With C, 4 sc in starter circle (4)

Round 2: 2 sc in each st around (8)

Round 3: *sc in next 2 st, dec.* Repeat from * to * around. (6)

Round 4: dec around until closed.

Finish off, leaving trail. Do not stuff.

Tail

Round 1: With D, 6 sc in starter circle (4)

Round 2: 2 sc in each st around. (12)

Round 3: sc in each st around (12)

Round 4: *sc in next st, inc.* Repeat from * to * around. (18)

Round 5: sc in each st around. (18)

*Now we will make the first of the small spikes on either side of Fletchling's tail. Turn the work and sc in 3^rd st from hook. sc in a spiral around the enclosed area once. slst the spike closed. Finish off, leaving a short tail. Insert your hook into the same st where you turned to start the spike. Yarn over hook and pull through to resume the round.

Round 6: sc in next 9 st.

*Pause Round 6 to make the second spike the same way you made the first. Turn the work and sc in 3^rd st from hook. St in a spiral around. slst the spike closed. Finish off, leaving a short tail. Insert your hook into the same st where you turned to start the spike. Yarn over hook and pull through to resume the round.

Round 6 (cont.): sc in last 6 st of the round. There should be 12 st remaining in the original round. (12)

Round 7: sc in each st around (12)

Round 8: 2 sc in first st. sc, dec, sc. 2 sc in next 2 st. sc, dec, sc. 2 sc in last st. (14)

Round 9: 2 sc in first st. sc in next 5 st. 2 sc in next 2 st. sc in next 5 st. 2 sc in last st. (18) Change to C at the end of the round.

Rounds 10-11: sc in each st around (18) At the end of row 11, change to D.

Round 12: sc in each st around (18)

Round 13: sc in first 13 st.

*Pause Round 13 to make the first of the two spikes at the end of Fletchling's tail. Turn the work. In the 9^th st from the hook (which should be almost directly across from your current st) sc. Sc once in each st around the spike (9 st) and then dec until the spike is closed. Finish off, leaving trail. Insert hook into st where you began to make the spike. Yarn over hook and pull through to resume the round.

Round 13 (cont.): sc in last 5 st. (5)

Round 14: sc in first 4 st. dec until closed.

Finish off, leaving tail.

Beak

Round 1: With D, 6 sc in starter circle (6)

Round 2: *sc in next st, 2 sc in following st.* (9)

Round 3: *sc in next 2 st, 2 st in following st.* (12)

Rounds 4-5: sc in each st around. (12)

Round 6: dec in each st around until closed.

Finish off, leaving trail.

Leg/Claw pieces (Make 4)

*Note: This part is worked in normal crochet rows, instead of a spiral round.

Row 1: With D, ch 10. (10) Turn.

Row 2: In 2^nd ch from hook, sc. Continue to sc until end of row (9) ch 1, turn.

Row 3: Repeat Row 2. (9)

Fold each of the four pieces in half and use a yarn needle to firmly whipstitch the top of Row 3 to the bottom of Row 1.

Assembly: Sew two of the wing tip feathers to each wing, as shown in the photo below. They should be side by side in a "V" shape, where the bottom of the "V" is the spot where the feathers are sewn to the wings.

Bend two of the leg/claw pieces in half to form a "V"; these will be the claws, while the pieces left straight will be the legs. Sew the end of a leg piece to the spot at the bend at the center of a claw piece. An image of this is shown below.

Pin all of the completed pieces together. When you are happy with the placement, sew everything together firmly using a whipstitch and clean up any loose threads. Images of the doll for assembly reference are available at the end of this pattern.

Finishing Touches: Fletchling's eyes may be made from scraps of black (or brown, if you're making a shiny Fletchling), white, and yellow material and then sewed to the finished doll. An alternative means that I like to use (and that I used for the example doll) is needle-felting, which I recommend only if you have experience with it since it's easy to hurt yourself if you don't. Whichever way you choose, the eye will be structured with a circular black (or brown) base beneath a smaller white pupil. A small triangle of gold extends backward from the back of each eye. A rough diagram of the left eye design is shown below for reference. Simply mirror the design to make the right eye.

Further images have been provided below for you to reference while creating your doll.