Category: Christmas

Hi there!

After publishing my latest owls on the Facebook I got an overwhelming response of likes and requests for patterns. I endeavour to write down them all (follow this blog for the updates 😉) but I will start with the teeny weeny one first.

(My original owls below were made using yarn bought in a charity shop without labels. It looks like brushed Mohair yarn 12 ply, and the result is so soft and warm and fluffy! I tried to find it on the internet and it looks like a very expensive wool from New Zealand 😳. The nearest affordable equivalent that I could find is Sirdar Bouffle soft and chunky yarn)

You will need:

• Sirdar Bouffle soft and chunky yarn (of similar, something fluffy) for the body . I like the uneven colours of this yarn for the ‘feathery’ feel. (This yarn, however, really tests you to find the next stitch. Half of it was done by intuition..)
• Whitish, brown and grey yarns of Rowan Kids silk (or similar lacy fluffy wool) for feathers
• white fluffy wool (DK) for around the eyes (thicker than the kidsilk above)
• hooks 3mm, 1.25mm, 0.75mm
• yarn needle
• hollow fill
• 2 small safety eyes
• wire (for one of the owls I reused a wire from an old ring bound notebook)
• Beige crochet cotton no.8 for the beak (I used Anchor thread)
• Thin jute rope
• Super glue
• (Optional) a brush to fluff up the owl

Seems like a lot, but not really

Forgot to include these guys in the class photo

This pattern uses US terms
:

• ch – chain
• ss – slip stitch
• sc – single crochet
• hdc – half double crochet
• dc – double crochet
 increase
• tr – treble crochet
• dec – decrease
• st/sts – stitch/stitches
• stitches into one stitch are separated by commas, ie. , hdc, – means 1 half double crochet in one stitch; , (hdc, dc), means 1 half double crochet, 1 double crochet together in one stitch

The body and the beak are crocheted in continuous spiral.

3mm hook, Sirdar bouffle yarn. Stuff the body as you crochet.

1. 6sc into magic ring (6)
2. 2sc in each st around (12)
3. sc in each st around (12)
4. Repeat step 3 for the next 5 rounds (12)
5. dec around (6)
6. Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing. Stuff with hollow fill.
   Put a needle through the front loops only and tighten.

Tip: I leave longer staring and finishing ends of the yarn and instead of hiding and cutting them off I use them to crochet the owl ears later.

The result 

Use the grey and the brown Rowan kids silk yarns together. 1.25mm hook. I left the ends of the yarns long (about 50cm) when starting the surface crochet chain on the owl’s back and did 9 chains in step 1 using 4 strands. Do I make sense? Hope the pictures can help.

1. Surface crochet 9 ch onto the owls back in the shape of U, ch1, turn
2. Sc, sc, 2 hdc, hdc, 2hdc, hdc, 2hdc, sc, sc, ch1, turn
3. Sc, 2 hdc, (hdc, dc), 1tr, 1tr, 1tr, 1tr, 1tr, 1tr, (dc, hdc), 2hdc, sc. Fasten off

Using two strands of white Rowan kids silk yarn sc around the edge of the wings in a fairly loose manner, starting from the top of the U shape.

Making 4 strands

Step 1 – Surface chain 9

Making 2 strands of white

I use the ends to embroider straight feathers on the back.

Tip: I leave longer strands ends after finishing the wings and instead of hiding and cutting them off I embroider straight feathers on the back, to add colour and ‘variegation’.

Using a thicker white wool and 3mm hook crochet the eyes.

• 6sc into magic ring (6). Close with ss.
• Fasten off and leave a longer end for sewing the eyes on and also to embroider white feathers on her tummy.
• Attach the safety eyes and sew the eyes on

Legs

Using pliers and a wire make up a foot (like a 4 leaf flower). Wrap around jute thread around each toe tightening the wire bends in the process. Wrap the jute up the leg for about 4mm and cut jute off, securing the end with super glue. Hopefully it is quite clear on the pictures. (Please, excuse the state of my fingers – I was doing an oil painting in the morning).. Bend the toes’ tips down to look like little claws.

Push the open end of the wire through the bottom part of the owl’s body and repeat the steps making the second foot.

Wrap the Sirdar bouffle yarn around each foot where it meets the body and secure the end with the needle. (No crocheting here!)

Beige Anchor yarn no.8 and 0.75mm hook.

• 4sc into magic ring (4)
• sc, sc, sc, 2sc in last st (5)
• sc, sc, sc, sc, 2sc in last st (6)
• sc, sc, sc, sc, sc, 2sc in last st (7)

Fasten off and leave enough thread for sewing the beak on.

Ears and circles around the eyes

• Surface chain 2 on the side of the owl’s head, turn
• sc, sc, turn
• sc, fasten off

To finish the guy off sc around outside of the eyes (about 1/3d of the whole circle) with the grey Rowan kids silk yarn (2 strands, 1.25 mm hook). Use the yarn ends to embroider darker feathers on his tummy.

Fluff him up with a brush (I use a speciality brush used to clean sewing machines, but anything bristly would do).

Voila!