"Be content, but never stop improving yourself!"
I love this quote and I think it especially applies to the creative process of designing and creating amigurumis.
I've started crocheting more than five years ago and when I look at my first works I realize my crochet skills and patterns have improved over time.
My amigurumis have become more defined, colorful and creative. What I enjoy the most is playing with yarn and colors and designing cute color palettes for my amis!
Even though my first dolls aren’t quite as good as my new designs, I am emotionally attached to all of them! I still love the old characters and every once in a while I rework the patterns to make them nicer and closer to my current crochet style.
This is exactly what I've done with my Bella the Lovely Cow!
Do you remember my original design?
It has some flaws, the shapes are simple, the stitches are not nice and tight ...well you can tell there is some room for improvement!
So I rewrote the design, trying to give the doll more character...and I used a smooth and silky yarn, which creates a great stitch definition!
I'm very happy on how Bella turned out!
What do YOU think?
Here's the FREE pattern! Enjoy!
SKILL LEVEL: Beginner, Intermediate
YARN: Medium Weight Cotton Yarn (Lace 4) in White, Pink, Brown and Yellow
OTHER MATERIALS: Polyester Fiber Filling
HOOK SIZES: E/3,50 mm; 2,75 mm
STITCHES USED and ABBREVIATIONS: magic ring (mr), chain (ch), stitch (st), slip stitch (sl st), single crochet (sc), half double crochet (hdc), decrease (dec), increase (inc), back loop only (BLO), fasten off (F/O).
INSTRUCTIONS: work in rows (join with a sl st and ch1 at the end of each row).
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HEAD (white yarn; 3,5 mm hook)
1) 8 sc in a mr (8)
2) inc around (16)
3) *1 sc, 1 sc inc*, repeat ** around (24)
4) *2 sc, 1 sc inc*, repeat ** around (32)
5) *3 sc, 1 sc inc*, repeat ** around (40)
6-7) sc even (40)
8) *4 sc, 1 sc inc*, repeat ** around (48)
9-11) sc even (48)
12) *5 sc, 1 sc inc*, repeat ** around (56)
13) *6 sc, 1 sc inc*, repeat ** around (64)
14-15) sc even (64); start filling the head and keep doing it as you go
16) *6 sc, 1 sc dec*, repeat ** around (56)
17) *5 sc, 1 sc dec*, repeat ** around (48)
18) *4 sc, 1 sc dec*, repeat ** around (40)
19) *3 sc, 1 sc dec*, repeat ** around (32)
20) *2 sc, 1 sc dec*, repeat ** around (24); finish stuffing the head
21) *2 sc, 1 sc dec*, repeat ** around (18); F/O and hide the yarn
Embroider the EYES and the EYELASHES with black yarn as shown in the picture.
MUZZLE (pink and white yarn; 2,75 mm hook)
1) with pink yarn, 6 sc in a mr (6)
2) sc inc around (12)
3) *2 sc, [1 sc, 1 hdc, 1 sc in the same st]*, repeat ** 4 times (20)
4) *3 sc, [1 sc, 1 hdc, 1 sc in the same st]*, repeat ** 4 times (28)
5) working in BLO only, sc even (28)
6) switch to white yarn, sc even (28); F/O and leave a long tail
to sew the muzzle to the head. Stuff the muzzle as you sew it.
Embroider the NOSE with black yarn as shown in the picture.
EARS (white yarn; 3,5 mm hook; make two)
1) 6 sc in a mr (6)
2) *2 sc, 1 inc*, repeat ** twice (8)
3) sc even (8)
4) *3 sc, 1 inc*, repeat ** twice (10)
5) *4 sc, 1 inc*, repeat ** twice (12)
6) sc dec around (6)
7) sc even (6); F/O and leave a long tail of yarn; flatten the ear and sew it to the top side of the head.
HORNS (brown yarn; 2,75 mm hook; make two)
1) 4 sc in a mr (4)
2) *1 sc, 1 sc inc*, repeat ** twice (6)
3) sc even (6)
5) *1 sc, 1 sc inc*, repeat ** twice (8); stuff the horn lightly
F/O and leave a long tail of yarn to sew the horn to the head.
LEGS AND BODY (brown and white yarn; 3,50 mm hook)
Make two:
1) starting off with brown yarn, 8 sc in a mr (8)
2) *3 sc, 1 sc inc*, repeat ** twice (10)
3-9) switch to white yarn, sc even (10); F/O and hide the yarn and stuff the leg
Do no cut the yarn once you have completed the 2nd leg, CH 5 INSTEAD.
Merge the two legs together:
10) join the yarn with a sl st to the first leg, ch1 and sc in the same st, crochet around 9 sc, 1 hdc in each one stitch between the legs, keep working on the other leg, 10 sc, 1 hdc in each one stitch between the legs (30)
11-12) sc even (30)
13) *4 sc, 1 sc inc*, repeat ** around (36)
14-21) sc even (36)
22) *4 sc, 1 sc dec*, repeat ** around (30)
23) sc even (30)
24) *3 sc, 1 sc dec*, repeat ** around (24)
25) sc even (24)
26) *2 sc, 1 sc dec*, repeat ** around (18)
27) sc even (18); F/O and leave a long tail of yarn to sew the body to the head.
Finish stuffing the body firmly.
ARMS (brown and white yarn; 3,50 mm hook; make two)
1) starting with brown yarn, 6 sc in a mr (6)
2) *2 sc, 1 sc inc*, repeat ** twice (8)
3) switch to white yarn, sc even (8)
4-8) sc even (8); stuff the arm lightly
9) *2 sc, 1 sc dec*, repeat ** twice (6)
10) flatten the arm and work through both layers now, 3 sc (3)
F/O and leave a long tail of yarn to sew the arm to the side of the body.
UDDER (pink yarn; 2,75 mm hook)
1) 6 sc in a mr (6)
2) inc around (12)
3) *1 sc, inc*, repeat ** around (18)
4) *2 sc, inc*, repeat ** around (24);
F/O and leave a long tail of yarn to sew the udder to the belly.
TEATS (pink yarn; 2,75 mm hook; make 4)
1) 6 sc in a mr (6)
2) sc even (6); F/O and leave a long tail of yarn to sew the teat onto the udder.
COWBELL (yellow yarn; 2,75 mm hook)
1) 6 sc in a mr (6)
2) *2 sc, 1 inc*, repeat ** twice (8)
3) *3 sc, 1 inc*, repeat ** twice (10); F/O and leave
a long tail of yarn to attach the bell to the collar.
COLLAR (brown yarn; 2,75 mm hook)
1) 40 ch, 1 sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook, 38 sl st (39)
Wrap the collar around the cow’s neck and secure it with some thread.
Attach the flattened cowbell to the collar with the yellow yarn tail.
TAIL (black yarn; 3,5 mm hook)
1) 5 ch (5); F/O and leave a long tail of yarn for sewing the tail
to the back of the doll. Open up the yarn strings at the end of the tail.
I can't wait to see your version of my BELLA the COW! Feel free to tag me (@elisascrochet) in your photos on Instagram or Facebook if you'd like!
Elisa
This pattern is an original pattern by Elisa Sartori of Elisa's Crochet. Please do not claim this pattern as your own. If you wish to share this pattern, you may link to this pattern but please do not reprint it on your site. You may keep a copy for your own personal use but please DO NOT sell the pattern or distribute it.
You may sell products made from this pattern but please clearly credit the design to me, Elisa Sartori of Elisa's Crochet. Permission is NOT granted for mass production or factory manufacturing of any kind. Thank you!