Saturday 31 December 2011

A free pattern for 2012


Another year is coming to an end, and I want to thank all of you for following me and encouraging me to keep up my blog. When I started it almost two years ago, I never imagined I would still be crocheting and writing new patterns today. I wish you all a very happy and successful 2012.

I know there are already lots of owl amigurumi patterns available, but I like to think that this one is a little different. Its oval bottom gives it a nice cushiony shape, great for cuddling. And the crocheted eyes cannot be pulled off. It's made from the bottom up and the wings are crocheted in as you go. I tried several yarns for this pattern, but the best result by far comes by using a 4mm hook and aran yarn (the owl on the right). I particularly love the Debbie Bliss eco aran yarn and will be buying some more of it to make lots more owls that I hope to sell at our local organic market

Organic yarn and the fact that this pattern does not use any buttons or beads makes this a suitable toy for babies and young children. I always line my amigurmis to stop any stuffing from escaping, and the organic owls have a lining made from a recycled cotton sheet.

-- Note added on 10th July when I found someone had copied this pattern and said she had written it herself:

Please do not sell this pattern. Do not post this pattern to any website, but link directly to my blog. No file sharing of this pattern.

Are you ready? Here's the pattern:

Stitches used:

sc single crochet
ss slip stitch
dc double crochet


I recommend Debbie Bliss 100% organic cotton eco aran fair trade yarn and I used a 4 mm crochet hook for the main body. For the eyes and beak I used Debbie Bliss ecobaby 100% cotton fairtrade yarn and a 3mm hook.

You can can use one, two, three or several colours for your owl. Just remember to make the wings before starting on the rows in the body of the owl using the same colour so that you don't need to cut off and start over again! I'd even suggest you make the wings first, so that's what I'll begin this pattern with.


Wings (make 2) (using aran yarn)

Rnd 1 - ch 14, join to first ch with a ss to make a ring.

Rnd 2 - 2ch, 1 dc in each chain to end , join to the top of 2 ch (14 dc)

Rnd 3 - 1 sc in each st (14 sc)

Rnd 4 - [sc2tog, 1 sc in next 5 st] twice (12 sc)

Rnd 5 - [sc2tog, 1 sc in next 4 st] twice (10 sc)

Rnd 6 - sc around

Rnd 7 - sc2tog 5 times.

Finish off leaving a tail of yarn, weave the yarn through the last 5 sts, pull tight to close.  Weave in ends.


Eyes (make 2) (using baby yarn)

Rnd 1 - With dark colour, sc 6 into a magic circle, don't join with a slipstitch

Rnd 2 - Join light colour and slst into first sc of the magic circle, then work 2 sc into each st  (12 sc)

Rnd 3 - *2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next st, rep from * to end. Fasten off, leaving a long tail of yarn to sew the eyes on to the owl's face.

Pull the ends tight so that the "pupil" looks OK.


Beak (using baby yarn)

Rnd 1 - make a magic circle,  ch 3 and then work 5 dc into the magic circle, join with a slst to the top of the 3 ch

Rnd 2 - * 1 dc in next st, 2 dc in next st, rep from * to end  (9 sts)

Rnd 3 -  1 sc in each st around  (9 sc)

Fasten off, leaving a long tail of yarn to sew the beak on to the owl's face.



Body (worked from the bottom up)

Rnd 1 - ch 10. 1 sc in 3rd chain from hook (and mark this st), 1 sc in each of next 6 ch. 3sc in next ch, then work down the other side of the length of ch, with 1sc in each of the next 7 ch and 3 sc in the space made by the 2 missed ch you started with. (20 sts)

Rnd 2 - * 1 sc in each of next 7 sts, 2sc in each of next 3 sts, rep from * once again (26 sts)

Rnd 3 - * 1 sc in each of next 7 sts, [2sc in next st, 1 sc in next st] 3 times, rep from * once again (32 sts)

Rnd 4 - * 1 sc in each of next 7 sts, [1 sc in each of next 2sts, 2sc in next st] 3 times, rep from * once again (38 sts)

Rnd 5-16 - sc around, changing colours at rnd 14 and 16 (optional)

Rnd 17 - sc 14, join the first wing with 7sc, working through the two layers of the wing and the layer of the body, sc 12, join the second wing with 7sc (the 5th , 6th and 7th sc are the first three sts of the next rnd). Make sure the 1st st of the rnd is still marked.

Flatten the body to make sure that the wings are symmetrical (there are more stitches at the front, for the owl's tummy, than at the back, this is normal).  If it's not symmetrical you might have to add or remove a sc before of after starting the 2nd wing.

Rnd 18-22 - sc around

Rnd 23 - * 1 sc in each of next 5 sts, sc2tog, continue from * to end

Rnd 24 - sc around

Sew on the eyes and the beak now.

Flatten your owl to make sure that when you join it at the top it will look right. If necessary, sc 1 or 2 extra stitches.

Line (optional) and stuff your owl.

Rnd 25 - (working through both layers of the top of the owl) ch 2, 1 dc in next 2 sts, sc to last 3 sts, 1 dc in each of last 3 sts, fasten off and weave in ends.

Please let me know if you have any questions or if I have made any mistakes. I always read all comments so don't hesitate!

And I would very much like to see photos of your owls!

Here are some more of mine:



61 comments:

  1. Wow thank you fantastic pattern. hope you have a fantastic New YEar!

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  2. Really cute...can't wait to make a little family!!

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  3. Really cute! I want to make these. These would be wonderful in a giant pillow size to sit on beds...

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  4. I love your owls a lot! Thank you so much for the pattern!
    I wish you and your family a wonderful New Year filled with creativity and happiness!
    Many hugs! Barbina

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  5. Oh sooo cute! :) I will make these for my son...

    I just have a question... can I sell the objects I make using your patterns?

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  6. I made this owl for a friend's god daughter and every single child that saw it is begging for one of their own! Thank you so much for sharing!

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  7. I'm so glad you like the owls. And yes Laura, you can sell the things you make with my patterns, but not the pattern itself. I would love to see your versions of the owl.

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    1. Ive never crocheted before but I want to start:)! Is this too difficult of a pattern for beginners?:(
      -sandra

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    2. Hi Sandra,
      I've replied to you further down the page :-)

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  8. These owls are so cute. I pinned them to my must do crochet projects.

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  9. I love them but is round 23 right, there arebt enough stitches to work 5 then dec all round

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    1. I was freaking out about this! glad i wasnt the only one. i was so convinced i kept messing up lol. i kept ended with 3 SC. LOVE this pattern tho!! i did purple on bottom, light pink for the center and dark pink on top for my niece. SO CUTE!!!!

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  10. Hi, round 23 is just a decreasing round to achieve the right shape. It doesn't matter that you finish the round with a few sc to spare, your owl will look fine :-)

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  11. Thanks, I also decided to sew my owls wings on as crocheting them in in rounds made one higher than the other. I cant wait to finish him now and put him on my desk as work with my other owl. Lou x

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    1. Hi, I tried to make the pattern so that the wings would be at the same level, but sewing them on is fine too :-) Enjoy your owl friends, I'm sure they'll keep you company at work. I'd love to see a photo.

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    2. Ive never crocheted before but I want to start:)! Is this too difficult of a pattern for beginners?:(

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    3. Hi there! It's a fairly simple pattern but I'm not sure that it would be ok for a complete beginner. You could always try, and if you have any questions I would be happy to assist. You do need to mark the beginning of each row and to count the stitches, but crochet is very forgiving and if you make small mistakes it doesn't really matter. Do let me know how you get along :-)

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    4. Thank you:)!! Ill try it out next month and let you know how it goes:) Thanks for the pattern:) The owls are super cute!
      -sandra

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  12. I just found your blog through pintrest love your patterns. Such beautiful work. Thank you for sharing.

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  13. Thanks Shirley, I didn't know any of my work was on Pinterest... must go and have a look.

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  14. I just started this and I'm on round 4 and have a total of 32 stitches...hmmm. I thought I did it all right! Ah!

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    1. Don't worry Cindy, crochet is very forgiving. I'd just re-do the row 4 of the pattern. Row 3 has 32 stitches, so by working row 4 again it should work out. Good luck!

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  15. Hi! I made one of these owls for my new little nephew, and I think it turned out great! Thanks so much for sharing. I didn't line the owl before stuffing, since I really don't know how to. Can you share some details as to how you line your little creatures before stuffing them? Do you sew the material into the animal by turning it inside out? Also how to measure the right size of material you need? Thanks for the help!

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  16. Hi Seema,
    Lining the owls is quite simple because they are a fairly rectangle shape. I just cut out a rectangle of cotton just over twice the height of the owl and a bit wider, fold it in half and sew up the two long sides. Then I put it inside the owl before stuffing and before I've crocheted the ear part. To finish, just sew up the top by hand or by machine. It's better that the "bag" is a bit bigger than the owl because it's better to have a little extra cotton floating around invisibly inside it than having unstuffed areas. I hope this helps.

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  17. Hi! The owls are so cute. I especially love the one on the right side of the picture. Do you happen to recall what colors you used for it? I just love its look!

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  18. hello, thank you for the nice pattern. I just made one with a rattle inside for my son!

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  19. Just found your lovely owls have put them on my to do list :)

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  20. I've made 2 for my children and I am working on 4 of them to give as gifts to my children's friends :). I'd attach a photo if I knew how :).

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  21. Thank you for your lovely comments. Maybe I'll open a flickr group so we can share our makes. What do you think?

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  22. Yay! The flickr group is created. I'm look forward to seeing your owls :D

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  23. I am so sorry that some one re-created your pattern and said it was there's. All your hard work claimed by another she should be ashamed. Thanks for this tutorial, it is sooooo cute and it is wonderful that you still want to share it in light of what has happened. I love owls ( I guess you could say I have owl feaver). Your owls are precious and I am so greatful to be given the honor of making one for my granddaughter. I love it & she will too. I compliment you on your tutorial it is so easy to understand & follow. Blessings Janice

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    1. Thank you Janice :) I'd love to see your finished owl, maybe you'd like to share it on our flickr page http://www.flickr.com/groups/isitatoy/
      I love owls too. If you look through my blog you can find lots :D

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  24. I've just found your blog. Thank you for this pattern. I will try to do some owls too. :) Mety, Slovenia

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    1. It's a pleasure, Mety. I look forward to seeing the Slovenian owls :)

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  25. Hi there Aishakenza thank you sooooo much for sharing this pattern, I have successfully made a very pretty owl for my friends daughters first birthday...she loved it!! I used the plastic egg from a kinda surprise added some rice and placed it in the middle of the stuffing so she has an owl that shakes. I've since made my son one and am now starting one for my daughter :)

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    1. Hi, it's a good idea to add a rattle too :) I've recently bought some rattle inserts and will be including one in my latest owl (a pink and purple stripy one :D)
      It would be great if you'd share pictures of your owl on our flickr page (see the link above right). The flickr group is not so active yet, it would be great to see some new pics on there :)

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  26. Hello! Thank you sooooo much for this great pattern! I love it! The shape is awesome and love the shape of the wings too. But, I must admit that I had some trouble with the beak. It's probably because I haven't used double crochet enough (I've started crochet about 3 weeks ago and learned it through videos on youtube) so I ended up making it with sc ;) I would send you a pic of that cutie ASAP. Have a great weekend!
    -Natalia

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  27. hi, I love your patterns and I'm interested on doing this cute owl for my nephew. But I want to know how big is it at the end. It will be nice to know the measure. Thank you so much
    -Erika

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    1. Hi Erika, the finished owl is around 15 cm tall and 12 cm wide, but it can vary according to the yarn you use and your tension. Hope this helps!

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  28. Hi! Thanks for the quick pattern. I tried it out and linked to this tutorial on my blog: http://marshallsreporterscorner.wordpress.com/2012/10/04/stuffed-owl-tutorial/

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  29. Hi - can you please explain round 3 of the body? I'm a veteran crocheter, but something isn't making sense to me. Any which way I do that round: "* 1 sc in each of next 7 sts, [2sc in next st, 1 sc in next st] 3 times, rep from * once again (32 sts)" is not going to leave me with 32 stitches at the end...is it 1sc in each of the next 7 sts, then 2sc in next st, 1 sc in next st 3x, or 7sc, (2sc, 1sc x3). Either way, you end up with way more than 32 stitches, or you end up with 37 stitches. Help!

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  30. Owls are so cute, I also found you through Pintrest. I have added you to one of my boards so your pattern is spreading lol thanks for sharing i will have a go at this xx

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    1. Thanks Dawn. It's a fun and easy project. Whereabouts in Cheshire are you from? I was born in that part of the world :)

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  31. Hi Love it, Love it, Love it, This is the best pattern it goes so quick Made one in an afternoon and I am new to crocheting. I am using all the extra yarn from other projects I knitted. Am going to try with different size hooks for a different size. All the kids are getting Owls next year for Christmas

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  32. Awesomely cute.....
    How big is the completed owl? Thank you.
    Lizelle

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    1. Hi Lizelle, the finished owl is about 15cm tall and 12cm wide, but it would depend on the yarn you use. Also, if you want a taller or shorter owl you can increase or decrease the number of straight rows.

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  33. Found this little gem of a pattern. I LOVE OWLS!!! Do you have anymore owl patterns??

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    1. Hi, I only have this one owl pattern but it is very adaptable. I've made it in lots of different sizes from keyring to cushion by using different yarn and hook sizes and by increasing or decreasing the number of initial chain stitches and rows. Have fun!

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  34. How do you line the owls?

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    1. Lining the owls is quite simple because they are a fairly rectangle shape. I just cut out a rectangle of cotton fabric just over twice the height of the owl and a bit wider, fold it in half and sew up the two long sides. Then I turn it inside out and put it inside the owl before stuffing and before I've crocheted the ear part. To finish, just sew up the top by hand or by machine. It's better that the "bag" is a bit bigger than the owl because it's better to have a little extra cotton floating around invisibly inside it than having unstuffed areas. I hope this helps.

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  35. Amazing! I'm new to crochet this is only my second project! But this pattern was so easy to follow, thank you!

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  36. Thank you for your generosity in sharing your pattern! I have managed to try out my first owl and it turned out satisfactorily but not as cute and colourful as yours! ;D

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  37. Bonjour,
    J'ai lu votre post où vous parliez d'un livre en français, alors j'ai l'espoir que vous me compreniez mieux que je ne comprends l'anglais.
    Je débute en crochet et suis très intéressée par le petit hibou. Mais comme je ne comprends pas l'anglais, je n'arrive pas à comprendre votre tuto. Serait-il possible de l'avoir en version française? Merci d'avance. Caroline cfort02@yahoo.fr

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  38. Thanks so much! I can't wait to make this owl this week for a cousin's baby shower!

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  39. Thanks...will be making it this weekend as a baby gift for a friend....

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  40. Looked through several of your patterns,,,, great gifts!!!! Thanks so much for sharing your talent with us!!!! SMILE Helen

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  41. Doing the eyes the first color if you do not join with a slip stitch how do you finish off the dark color?

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  42. amazing and i will try this tips soon

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  43. I'm considering using this pattern to attach to a lovey that I am making.
    The hook size you recommend is smaller than the one (8.5mm) I'm using for the blanket. I'm considering using a larger hook, but I was wondering first, approximately how big does your owl work up to be with your suggested hook size?
    Thanks!
    Beautiful work by the way!

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