Free Crochet Pattern | Baby Shark Chunky Amigurumi

Posted in Amigurumi, Crochet, For Adult, For Baby, For Child, Free Patterns, Pattern Release, Tah-Dah, Yarn by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

So has the title of today’s free amigurumi made you want to break out into song?

Ba-be shark do do doo do do doo doo doo! Ba-be shark do do doo do do doo doo doo!

Sorry about that! It kind of had to be done! You can thank my toddler for today’s earworm! If you have no idea what I’m talking about and the phenomena that is the Pingfong Baby Shark Song has passed you by – lucky you! The baby shark song is now reportedly listed as one of the Top 40 most-viewed videos songs ever on YouTube – and my two year old LOVES it!

You may remember me saying that every year I try to crochet my girls a little something for Christmas; I made my (now eight) year old a giant narwhal (get the free pattern here) and so keeping with the oceanic theme it seemed only appropriate that I make Little Miss a baby shark.

I actually made the whole shark out of what was left of the one ball of Marriners plain Super Chunky (in Silver) that I used for the narwhals tusk – so if you bought the yarn for the giant narwhal then you should have enough left over to make this ami too.

Designed with embroidered features this ami is perfect for little ones under 36 months – for older children or adults you could use safety eyes instead.

The following pattern is free here on the blog but it’s also available in my Ravelry store where there is a nominal fee for a downloadable 3 page PDF pattern free of advertisements if you’d prefer.

SAVE PATTERN ON RAVELRY HERE

Baby Shark Chunky Amigurumi

Materials:

Yarn:

1 x 100g / 80m of Yarn B

Marriner Super Chunky (Silver – Yarn B) used in photos.

Pattern will work in other hooks and yarns though finished size will be different.

Hook: 6.5mm (US size K)

You will also need:

Stitch markers
A yarn needle
Polyester toy filler
Black yarn

Gauge: 7dc/sc = 8cm (3.1 inches)

Obtaining the correct gauge is not critical to this project but yarn amounts and finished size of projecy may differ if your gauge is different from mine.

Finished Size: 25cm (9.8 inches) from nose to tail

Abbreviations:

st(s) = stitch(es)
sl st = slip stitch
ch(s) = chain
dc/sc = UK double crochet / US single crochet
dc/sc2tog = UK double crochet 2 together / US single crochet 2 together

Stitch Guidance:

Slip Stitch (sl st): Insert hook in st indicated, yarn over and draw through all loops.
UK Double Crochet/US Single Crochet (dc/sc): Insert hook in st indicated and draw up a loop (two loops on hook), yarn over, draw through both loops on hook.
UK Double Crochet 2 together / US Single Crochet 2 together (dc/sc2tog):
Insert hook in st indicated and pull up a loop (two loops on hook), Insert hook in next st, yarn over, pull through three loops on hook.

Pattern Notes:

Using a stitch marker: Many parts of the narwhal are worked without joining in continuous rnds – place the stitch marker in the top of the first st to mark start of rnd.

Pattern:

Body:

Worked from tail to nose;

Rnd 1: Either make a magic ring (adjustable ring) to start or 2ch, work 6dc/sc into the ring / 2nd ch from hook, use tail yarn to tighten centre ring closed if necessary (6sts).

Rnd 2: * 1dc/sc, 2dc/sc in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (9sts).

Rnd 3: * 1dc/sc in the next two sts, 2dc/sc in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (12sts).

Rnd 4: * 1dc/sc in next three sts, 2dc/sc in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (15sts).

Rnd 5: * 1dc/sc in next four sts, 2dc/sc in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (18sts).

Rnd 6: * 1dc/sc in next five sts, 2dc/sc in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (21sts).

Rnd 7: * 1dc/sc in next six sts, 2dc/sc in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (24sts).

Rnd 8: * 1dc/sc in next seven sts, 2dc/sc in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (27sts).

Rnd 9: * 1dc/sc in next eight sts, 2dc/sc in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (30sts).

Rnds 10-14: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd.

Rnd 15: * 1dc/sc in the next eight sts, dc/sc2tog in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (27sts).

Rnd 16: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd.

Rnd 17: * 1dc/sc in the next seven sts, dc/sc2tog in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (24sts).

Rnd 18: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd.

Rnd 19: * 1dc/sc in the next six sts, dc/sc2tog in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (21sts).

Rnd 20: * 1dc/sc in the next five sts, dc/sc2tog in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (18sts).

Rnd 21: * 1dc/sc in the next four sts, dc/sc2tog in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (15sts).

Rnd 22: * 1dc/sc in the next three sts, dc/sc2tog in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (12sts).

Rnd 23: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd, fasten off but leave a long yarn tail.

Stuff the body
Then pressing rnd 23 sides closed sew together.

Side Fins (Make 2):

Rnd 1: Either make a magic ring (adjustable ring) to start or 2ch, work 5dc/sc into the ring / 2nd ch from hook, use tail yarn to tighten centre ring closed if necessary (5sts).

Rnd 2: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd.

Rnd 3: 1dc/sc in the next two sts, 2dc/sc in next st, 1dc/sc in the remaining two sts (6sts).

Rnd 4: 2dc/sc in the next two sts, 1dc/sc in the remaining four sts (8sts).

Rnd 5: 2dc/sc in the next four sts, 1dc/sc in the remaining four sts (12sts).

Rnd 6: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd, fasten off but leave a long yarn tail

Top Fin:

Rnd 1: Either make a magic ring (adjustable ring) to start or 2ch, work 4dc/sc into the ring / 2nd ch from hook, use tail yarn to tighten centre ring closed if necessary (4sts).

Rnd 2: * 1dc/sc, 2dc/sc in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (6sts).

Rnd 3: * 1dc/sc in the next two sts, 2dc/sc in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (8sts).

Rnd 4: * 1dc/sc in next three sts, 2dc/sc in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (10sts).

Rnd 5: * 1dc/sc in next four sts, 2dc/sc in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd, fasten off but leave a long yarn tail (12sts).

Tail:

Rnd 1: Ch13; 1dc/sc in the second ch from the hook then 1dc/sc in each st until end, then working down the other side of the starting ch, 1dc/sc in each st. 24sts

Rnd 2: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd, fasten off but leave a long yarn tail

Then pressing rnd 2 sides closed sew together.

Making up:

With black thread embroider eyes on between rnds 18-19 approx 5sts apart
With black thread embroider three gills on rnds 13-15 on each side of the body
Attach the side fins (with the curve pointing backwards) on each side of the shark over rnds 10-16 approx 7sts apart
Attach top fin on top of shark over rnds 15-9
Attach the centre of the tail piece vertically onto rnd 1 of the body.

And that’s it!

If you hook up my Baby Shark amigurumi please share your photos with me on social media (facebook, twitter or instagram) – I love to see it!

Until next time folks! Happy hooking and keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

26Jan2019

Marriner Yarns | Free Giant Narwhal Amigurumi

Posted in Amigurumi, Crochet, Yarn by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

Hello, how you doing? How’s your week been? How am I you say? Well I’ve just been finishing off the last few touches to a free pattern for you!

How do you fancy a pattern for a giant narwhal?! I’m hoping you’ve said yes…because over Christmas that’s what I made for my daughter. She loves it and so I thought you might do too.

Every year I try to crochet my girls a little something, they always love these makes and it’s lovely to see the enjoyment they get out of them. This year I’m not quite sure how the conversation came about but it ended up some how with me agreeing to make my seven year old a narwhal, and not just a small narwhal, a GIANT one!

Narwhals are just such interesting creatures aren’t they! There are none in captivity (apparently any attempts to keep them have been unsuccessful) and this obviously lends to the mythical intrigue about the animal I’m sure!

Did you know they are dubbed as the unicorn of the sea as apparently in medieval times their tusks (which is actually a tooth) were passed off as actual unicorn horns – maybe this is why they seem kind of magical! They are just so fascinating and mysterious that I thought who wouldn’t want to crochet a cuddly plushie one!

I have actually always wanted to have a go at making a giant amigurumi but giant things usually take lots of time and use giant amounts of yarn. So what I needed was big yarn and a big hook!

You may remember that Marriner Yarns kindly sent me some yarn to try out last year (read about that here). In the pack was some variegated Mermaid Super Chunky which I thought might work out nicely.

They’d sent me one ball of Marshmallow in the pack but one ball wasn’t going to make anything giant so I bought some more off their website (it came pretty quickly too) and combined it with a ball of their Marriners plain Super Chunky in Silver (for the tusk).

Watch this space for another ocean creature, that I made for my youngest, that I made with the left over Silver Marriners Super Chunky – coming soon!

Mermaid Chunky really is lovely and soft and works well for chunky amigurumi and as it’s only £1.50 per ball it won’t cost you a fortune to make an amigurumi this big. Whalema (as my daughter has called hers) measures a whopping 99cm (39 inches) from horn tip to tail so she’s not small!

The recommended hook size for the yarn is a 10mm (US N/13) but I used a 6.5mm (US size K) for a tighter amigurumi stitch. That said I’ve recently discovered that I’m a loose crocheter so you may find a larger hook size works for you just as well.

The following pattern is free here on the blog but it’s also available on Ravelry where there is a nominal fee for a downloadable 4 page PDF pattern free of advertisements if you’d prefer.

SAVE PATTERN ON RAVELRY HERE

So are you ready for the pattern? I’ll just say a quick thanks to Marriner Yarns again for supplying the Mermaid Chunky so I could make this free pattern for you and then we can begin…

Chunky Narwhal Amigurumi

Materials:

Yarn:

- 4 x 100g / 80m of Yarn A
- 1 x 100g / 80m of Yarn B

Marriner Mermaid Super Chunky (Marshmallow – Yarn A) Marriner Super Chunky (Silver – Yarn B) used in photos.

Pattern will work in other hooks and yarns though finished size will be different.

Hook: 6.5mm (US size K)

You will also need:

Stitch markers
A yarn needle
Polyester toy filler
2 x 30mm Glitter (or Black) Safety eyes

Gauge: 7dc/sc = 8cm (3.1 inches)

Obtaining the correct gauge is not critical to this project but yarn amounts and finished size of projecy may differ if your gauge is different from mine.

Finished Size: 99cm (39 inches) from horn tip to tail

Abbreviations:

st(s) = stitch(es)
sl st = slip stitch
ch(s) = chain
dc/sc = UK double crochet / US single crochet
dc/sc2tog = UK double crochet 2 together / US single crochet 2 together

Stitch Guidance:

Slip Stitch (sl st): Insert hook in st indicated, yarn over and draw through all loops.
UK Double Crochet/US Single Crochet (dc/sc): Insert hook in st indicated and draw up a loop (two loops on hook), yarn over, draw through both loops on hook.
UK Double Crochet 2 together / US Single Crochet 2 together (dc/sc2tog):
Insert hook in st indicated and pull up a loop (two loops on hook), Insert hook in next st, yarn over, pull through three loops on hook.

Pattern Notes:

Using a stitch marker: Many parts of the narwhal are worked without joining in continuous rnds – place the stitch marker in the top of the first st to mark start of rnd.

Pattern:

Body:

Worked from nose to tail;

Rnd 1: With Yarn A either make a magic ring (adjustable ring) to start or 2ch, work 6dc/sc into the ring / 2nd ch from hook, use tail yarn to tighten centre ring closed if necessary (6sts).

Rnd 2: * 2dc/sc * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (12sts).

Rnd 3: * 1dc/sc, 2dc/sc in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (18sts).

Rnd 4: * 1dc/sc in next two sts, 2dc/sc in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (24sts).

Rnd 5: * 1dc/sc in next three sts, 2dc/sc in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (30sts).

Rnd 6: * 1dc/sc in next four sts, 2dc/sc in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (36sts).

Rnd 7: * 1dc/sc in next 17 sts, 2dc/sc in next two sts, 1dc/sc in next 17 sts (38sts).

Rnd 8: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd.

Rnd 9: 1dc/sc in next 18 sts, 2dc/sc in next two sts, 1dc/sc in next 18 sts (40sts).

Rnds 10-11: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd.

Rnd 12: 1dc/sc in next 19 sts, 2dc/sc in next two sts, 1dc/sc in next 19 sts (42sts).

Rnds 13-22: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd

Add eyes in between rnds 19-20 approx 15sts apart

Rnd 23: 1dc/sc in next 19 sts, 2dc/sc in next four sts, 1dc/sc in next 19 sts (46sts).

Rnds 24-38: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd

Rnd 39: 1dc/sc in next 19 sts, dc/sc2tog four times, 1dc/sc in next 19 sts (42sts).

Rnds 40-44: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd

Rnd 45: 1dc/sc in next 19 sts, dc/sc2tog twice, 1dc/sc in next 19 sts (40sts).

Rnds 46-48: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd

Rnd 49: 1dc/sc in next 18 sts, dc/sc2tog twice, 1dc/sc in next 18 sts (38sts).

Rnds 50-51: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd

Rnd 52: 1dc/sc in next 17 sts, dc/sc2tog twice, 1dc/sc in next 17 sts (36sts).

Rnd 53: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd

Start to stuff; continuing to stuff as you go

Rnd 54: * 1dc/sc in the next four sts, dc/sc2tog * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (30sts).

Rnds 55-58: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd

Rnd 59: * 1dc/sc in the next three sts, dc/sc2tog * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (24sts).

Rnds 60-62: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd

Rnd 63: * 1dc/sc in the next four sts, dc/sc2tog * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (20sts).

Rnd 64: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd

Rnd 65: * 1dc/sc in the next three sts, dc/sc2tog * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (16sts).

Rnd 66: * 1dc/sc in the next two sts, dc/sc2tog * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (12sts).

Rnd 67: * 1dc/sc, dc/sc2tog * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (8sts).

Rnds 68-69: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd

Rnd 70: * dc/sc2tog * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd, fasten off and sew together the remaining sts with your yarn tail.

Side Fins (Make 2):

Rnd 1: With Yarn A either make a magic ring (adjustable ring) to start or 2ch, work 6dc/sc into the ring / 2nd ch from hook, use tail yarn to tighten centre ring closed if necessary (6sts).

Rnd 2: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd

Rnd 3: * 1dc/sc, 2dc/sc in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (9sts).

Rnd 4: 1dc/sc in next four sts, 2dc/sc in the next st, 1dc/sc in next four sts (10sts).

Rnd 5: 1dc/sc in next four sts, 2dc/sc in the next two sts, 1dc/sc in next four sts (12sts).

Rnd 6: 1dc/sc in next four sts, 2dc/sc in the next four sts, 1dc/sc in next four sts (16sts).

Rnds 7-9: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd

Rnd 10: * 1dc/sc in the next two sts, dc/sc2tog * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (12sts).

Rnd 11: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd

Rnd 12: * 1dc/sc, dc/sc2tog * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (9sts).

Fasten off but leave long yarn tail for attaching fins to the body

Tail Fins (Make 2):

Rnds 1-6: With Yarn A make as side fins (16sts).

Rnd 7: 1dc/sc in next seven sts, 2dc/sc in the next two sts, 1dc/sc in next seven sts (18sts).

Rnd 8: 1dc/sc in next eight sts, 2dc/sc in the next two sts, 1dc/sc in next eight sts (20sts).

Rnd 9: 1dc/sc in next nine sts, 2dc/sc in the next two sts, 1dc/sc in next nine sts (22sts).

Rnds 10-14: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd

Rnd 15: 1dc/sc in next nine sts, dc/sc2tog twice, 1dc/sc in next nine sts (20sts).

Rnd 16: 1dc/sc in next eight sts, dc/sc2tog twice, 1dc/sc in next eight sts (18sts).

Rnd 17: 1dc/sc in next seven sts, dc/sc2tog twice, 1dc/sc in next seven sts (16sts).

Fasten off but leave long yarn tail for attaching tail fins to the body

Horn:

Rnd 1: With Yarn B either make a magic ring (adjustable ring) to start or 2ch, work 5dc/sc into the ring / 2nd ch from hook, use tail yarn to tighten centre ring closed if necessary (5sts).

Rnds 2-7: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd

Rnd 8: 2dc/sc in the next st, 1dc/sc in the next five sts (6sts).

Rnds 9-11: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd

Rnd 12: 2dc/sc in the next st, 1dc/sc in the next six sts (8sts).

Rnds 13-15: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd

Start to stuff; continuing to stuff as you go

Rnd 16: 2dc/sc in the next st, 1dc/sc in the next seven sts (7sts).

Rnds 17-19: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd

Rnd 20: 2dc/sc in the next st, 1dc/sc in the next eight sts (8sts).

Rnd 21: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd

Fasten off but leave long yarn tail for attaching horn to the body

Making up:

Attach the bottom fins (with the curve pointing backwards) on each side of the narwhal over rnds 24-27 approx 14sts apart
Attach the tail fins (with the curve pointing backwards) on either side of the end of the narwhal over rnds 64-71
Attach the horn over rnds 4-5 on the forehead of the narwhal

And that’s it!

If you hook up the Giant Narwhal please share your photos with me on social media (facebook, twitter or instagram) – I love to see it!

Until next time folks! Happy hooking and keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

2Oct2018

Marriner Yarns | 100% Mercerised Cotton Review

Posted in Amigurumi, Crochet, Yarn, Yarn Review by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

A few months ago I was approached by the company Marriner Yarns to see if I would like to review some of their products. They weren’t a brand that I was familiar with so I said sure – if you’d like to pop over a sample for me I’ll have a look at it.

I was expecting maybe one or two balls of yarn – what I wasn’t expecting was a huge parcel full of cotton, double knit, chunky, super chunky and variegated yarn! Just look at this lot…

For this post I did a little research into Marriner Yarns and was surprised to discover that they are one of Britain’s oldest suppliers of knitting yarns and accessories (dating back to 1784). I love the fact that they use British Wool in their wool range and I fell in love reading about their own special flock which they are currently growing; you can read more about that on their blog – those little lambs are just darling!

As well as wool blends they are also big suppliers of different acrylic yarns. Now I know acrylic yarn isn’t everyone’s favourite but I use a lot for my design work, I like it and think there is a definite place for it – and I certainly don’t think it means, as a rule, that just because it’s acrylic that it’s lacking in quality. They are some beautiful acrylic yarns out there which is usually available in an array of different colours. If you are just learning crochet for instance using acrylic yarns can actually be a really cost-effective way to get started and find your favourites.

If you are looking for a large range of different yarn types and weights then Marriner Yarns definitely have the variety – and at prices that won’t break the bank. And they have some very pretty colourways like this Heritage Double Knit…

And I also like the hues of the Empress Chunky…

What a lot of stuff to play with! Being a crochet blogger certainly comes with it’s perks!

As I work a lot with cotton I decided to give some of that a try first. I love cotton for amigurumi though it’s also great for garments (as the natural fibres mean it’s breathable) or for house decor items.

The cotton I selected from my package was mercerised, which means that the cotton fibre has been treated in a way to make it stronger, it reduces fabric shrinkage (which you obviously want for garments) and the process gives the yarn a silky shiny lustre – which I quite like for ami’s.

Marriners 100% mercerised cotton range is classed as a double knit (8ply) comes in 9 different colours: Berry, Cream, Oatmeal, Violet, White, Azure, Cyclamen, Asparagus and Poppy and it’s suitable to be used with any DK pattern.

So let’s check out the yarn’s vital statistics we:

Weight: Double Knit (3)
Blend: 100% Mercerised Cotton
Yarn Ball Weight: 50g
Yarn Ball Length: 201m
Wash instructions: Machine Wash / Wool Wash 30°C
Price: £2.95 (at the time of this post)

I actually had a little amigurumi project in mind that I wanted to work out so I chose the Violet and the Cyclamen which I planned to mix with some of the White. Incidentally the recommended hook and needle size for this yarn is 3.25mm – 4mm (US size D/3 – G) but I chose my trusty favourite 3mm (C/2) for a tighter amigurumi stitch.

I was very pleased with the vibrancy of the colours and I really like the hues of the purples. When crocheting the mercerised-ness of the cotton (I’m claiming that as a word!) allows the yarn to slide through your fingers which means I also found it very easy on the hands to work with.

I can’t comment on any of the other yarn I received yet, as I’ve not had time to play with them, but I will say that the Marriner cotton is comparable to other mercerised cottons I’ve used and good value for money. I’d use it again for another project – though I’d love to see more colours made available!

So do you want to see a little sneaky peek of the pattern I came up with?