OWL pattern

A cute little project to use up any leftover yarn.

Skills required

Crocheting in round, single crochet stitch, magic ring, increasing, invisible decreasing, finishing an open piece (see tutorial 3), fastening yarn tails.

Size

About 6,5cm (2.6”), with worsted weight cotton yarn and a 2,25 mm crochet hook (US size 1/B).

Materials & Tools

- Yarn. I used worsted weight cotton, 92m/50g (100yds/50g) / 10ply / 9wpi / 4: medium. You will need about 17g or 31m (34yds) of yarn – 12g for the body and 5g for details.
- 2,25 mm crochet hook (US size 1/B).
- Stuffing - polyester fiberfill, wool, wadding etc.
- 9mm (1/3”) safety toy eyes or buttons, beads, felt etc.
- Embroidery floss.
- Yarn needle, scissors, stitch marker.

Abbreviations

- mr, n = magic ring - crochet n single crochet stitches in to the loop. 
- sc = single crochet stitch 
- sc n = make n single crochet stitches, one in each stitch 
- inc = increase – make two single crochet stitches in to the same stitch 
- inc3 = double increase – three single crochet stitches in to the same stitch
- dec = decrease – crochet two stitches together 
- (sc 2, inc) x 6 = repeat the pattern between brackets six times 
- (24) = number of stitches in a round after finishing said round

Notes

- Do not join at the end of each round, work in a continuous spiral. 
- Use a stitch marker or a piece of yarn to mark the end or the beginning of a round. Move the marker up after completing each round. 
- All stitches are worked into both loops.

Body Worked from bottom to top. 1: mr, 6 = (6) 2: (sc, inc3x 2) x 2 = (14) 3: sc 3, inc3x 2, sc 5, inc3x 2, sc 2 = (22) 4: sc 4, inc x 3, sc 8, inc x 3, sc 4  (28) 5: sc 6, inc x 2, sc 12, inc x 2, sc 6  (32) Place a stitch marker (or a piece of yarn) in to the 19th stitch on round 11. This marks the center of the face. 6-12: sc in each stitch = (32) 13: sc 10, dec, sc 14, dec, sc 4 = (30) 14: sc 14, dec, sc 4, dec, sc 8 = (28) 15: sc 6, dec, sc 18, dec = (26) 16: sc 2, dec, sc 11, dec, sc 9 = (24) 17: sc, dec, sc 8, dec, sc 3, dec, sc 6 = (21) 18: sc, dec, sc 4, fasten off = (20) Make a slip stitch in to the next stitch. Cut the yarn, leaving a long tail and draw the end through the stitch. Attach safety eyes and then stuff the body. Leave the top seam open for now.

Eye patch - safety eyes Note! Join all rounds with a slip stitch (sl st) to get perfectly round eye patches. 1: mr, 7, join round with a sl st = (7) NB! Insert the safety eye in to the loop and draw the loop tightly closed around it. 2: ch 1, inc, around = (14) Fasten off cleanly and weave in the yarn tail on the wrong side. Eye patch - embroidered eyes Note! Join all rounds with a slip stitch (sl st) to get perfectly round eye patches. 1: mr, 7, join round with a sl st = (7) 2: ch 1, inc, around = (14) Fasten off cleanly and weave in the yarn tail on the wrong side.

Left wing 1: mr, 6 = (6) 2: inc x 2,[sc,hdc],[hdc,dc],[dc,tc,tc] = (11) Right wing 1: mr, 6 = (6) 2: inc x 2,[sc,hdc],[hdc,dc],[dc,tc,tc] = (11) Cut the yarn and weave in the yarn tail. Finish the edge by crocheting around it with single crochet stitches (see below).

Finishing the wings

1. Attach the yarn with a slip stitch. Continue crocheting with sc-s, increasing after every two stitches.

2. Make four sc-s in to the stitch at the tip of the wing. Finish the edge and fasten off cleanly.

Assembling the owl

1. Place the eyes to either side of the stitch marker.

2. Make sure you are satisfied with the placement before pushing the washer in to place.

3. Sew the eye patches to the body.

4. Embroider the eye(s) and beak.

  

5. Sew the wings to the body, making a few stitches through the center and around the top edge.

6. Add a bit more stuffing and close up the top seam, using the long yarn tail left on the body.

7. Fasten all yarn tails securely and hide them inside the body.

8. Draw a few yarn pieces through the top corner. Make a knot and push it close to the body. Cut off extra yarn.