Another week has come and gone and, man, it's been a week. How are you all doing right now? I hope you're holding up okay and staying safe and sane. Life is crazy. Some days are better than others, but one thing that's been helping is some semblance of a routine (and lots of yarn therapy, of course). So even though I have to admit that I'm really not feeling it right now, I couldn't miss a chance to post the next scheduled Cookie Pal pattern. Meet Paul the Platypus! I hope this cute little platypus brightens your day a little. Paul is a patient, passionate, personable platypus pediatrician. Paul is very serious about doing his best to care for his patients, but he knows how to tap into his playful side to put his youngest patients at ease. He goes above and beyond to help anyone he can, both on the clock and off. So next time your little one needs a checkup, just call Paul! (They've got stickers at his office.) And now you can make your own cute playtpus pal by following along with this fun pattern! In case you forgot or if this is the first Cookie Pal you've come across, Paul has the same basic construction as Beverly the Bear, up through the legs, meaning that the head, body, and legs are all worked in one piece. If you'd like to reference the step-by-step photos for the body, be sure to check out the pattern for Beverly. They should be helpful if you're confused about any aspects of the body. You can also take a look at the pattern for Derek the Duck, since he has an almost identical body pattern. If you'd like an ad-free printable PDF version of this pattern (along with all of the other 10 Cookie Pal patterns), you can find one on Ravelry. It includes both a step-by-step photo version and a text only version of the pattern for simpler printing. Stitch Glossary: st(s) = stitch(es) ch = chain ss = slip stitch sc = single crochet inc = sc increase (work 2 sc in the same st) dec = sc decrease (decrease over 2 sc sts) hdc = half double crochet dc = double crochet Materials:
Gauge: 2" = 10 sc sts 2" = 10.5 rows of sc Note: Unless otherwise specified, this pattern is worked in continuous rounds without joining or turning. I recommend using a stitch marker and moving it after each round to help you keep your place. Platypus Bill: Using the accent color: Ch 9 Round 1: inc in the 2nd ch from the hook, sc in the next 6 sts, inc, working up the other side of the chain, inc, sc in the next 6 sts, inc, ss to first sc to join (20) Rounds 2-4: ch 1, sc around, ss to join (20) Fasten off, leaving a long yarn tail for sewing. Body: Using the main body color: Round 1: Make a magic circle and work 6 sc into the circle, pull taut to close (6) Round 2: inc 6 times (12) Round 3: [inc, sc] 6 times (18) Round 4: [sc, inc, sc] 6 times (24) Round 5: [inc, sc in the next 3 sts] 6 times (30) Round 6: [sc in the next 2 sts, inc, sc in the next 2 sts] 6 times (36) Round 7: [inc, sc in the next 5 sts] 6 times (42) Rounds 8-11: sc around (42) Round 12: [sc in the next 3 sts, inc, sc in the next 3 sts] 3 times, sc in the next 21 sts (45) Round 13: [inc, sc in the next 7 sts] 3 times, sc in the next 21 sts (48) Round 14: [sc in the next 4 sts, inc, sc in the next 4 sts] 3 times, sc in the next 21 sts (51) Rounds 15-17: sc around (51) Round 18: [sc in the next 4 sts, dec, sc in the next 4 sts] 3 times, sc in the next 21 sts (48) Round 19: [dec, sc in the next 7 sts] 3 times, sc in the next 21 sts (45) Round 20: [sc in the next 3 sts, dec, sc in the next 3 sts] 3 times, sc in the next 21 sts (42) Round 21: [dec, sc in the next 5 sts] 6 times, (36) Let's pause crocheting here and add on the face. You'll notice that rounds 12-20 have created a head that protrudes slightly on one side; this is the front of the head where you’ll be adding the face. Place a stitch marker through the loop on your hook to hold your place while you decorate. Stuff the bill you made earlier and sew it in place across rounds 15-18 using the tapestry needle and the long yarn tail. Place the eyes between rounds 13 and 14, about 8 sts apart. Begin stuffing the head and continue to stuff as you go. Remove the stitch marker and place the yarn loop back on your hook so that you can resume crocheting. Round 22: [sc in the next 2 sts, dec, sc in the next 2 sts] 6 times (30) Round 23: [dec, sc in the next 3 sts] 6 times (24) Round 24: [sc, dec, sc] 6 times (18) Round 25: [sc, inc, sc] 6 times (24) Round 26: [inc, sc in the next 3 sts] 6 times (30) Round 27: [sc in the next 2 sts, inc, sc in the next 2 sts] 6 times (36) Rounds 28-35: sc around (36) Round 36: [sc in the next 2 sts, dec, sc in the next 2 sts] 6 times (30) Now we’re going to start forming the legs. Please pay careful attention to your stitch count as you go to ensure that both legs end up the same size. Round 37: sc in the next 11 sts, skip the next 15 sts, sc in the last 4 sts (15) Note: Once you finish the first 11 sts, you should be centered in the front of the platypus. If you find that the face is slightly more to one side than the other, you can shift the stitches here to compensate (ex: sc in the first 9, skip the next 15, sc in the last 6). If it helps, you can mark the center stitch first. As long as you have 15 sts for each leg, the pattern will work. Rounds 38-41: sc around (15) Round 42: [dec, sc in the next 3 sts] 3 times (12) Ss twice to even off the leg and then fasten off, leaving the leg open. We'll close up the hole when we add the feet. Now it’s time to make the second leg using the sts we skipped back in round 37. Join the main color yarn (I like to join mine centered on the back side). There are a couple different options for starting the leg. I’m going to walk you through both and you can choose whichever you prefer. First, the easiest option: Leg Round 1: ss, sc in the next 14 sts (make sure you don’t crochet into the side of the first leg; you only want to use the 15 sts you skipped in round 37), sc into the ss you just made (15) You’ll notice that this leaves a small hole between the legs. You can easily sew this shut later with the yarn tail leftover from the end of the leg and no one will ever notice it. Leg Rounds 2-5: sc around (15) Leg Round 6: [dec, sc in the next 3 sts] 3 times (12) Ss twice to even off the leg and then fasten off, leaving the leg open. OR if you’re like me and are determined to sew as little as possible, you can use this second option for making the other leg: Leg Round 1: ss, begin to sc in the next 14 sts. Once you reach the side of the other leg, pick up several loops along the side of the leg by inserting your hook, yarning over, and pulling up a loop. Leave all the loops on your hook. Then insert your hook in the next stitch where you actually want to make a sc, yarn over and pull up a loop, then yarn over and pull through all of the loops on your hook to finish the st. Then sc around in the remaining sts and make your last sc into the ss you made at the beginning of the round (15) This will close up the gap between the legs so that you won’t need to sew it shut later. And the rest of the leg is the same from here: Leg Rounds 2-5: sc around (15) Leg Round 6: [dec, sc in the next 3 sts] 3 times (12) Ss twice to even off the leg and then fasten off, leaving the leg open. Webbed Feet (make 2): Using the accent color: Round 1: Make a magic circle and work 6 sc into the circle, pull taut to close (6) Round 2: inc 6 times (12) Round 3: [inc, sc] 6 times (18) Round 4: ss, sc, *(hdc, dc 2 times, hdc) in the next st, ss, (hdc, dc 2 times, hdc ) in the next st, ss, (hdc, dc 2 times, hdc) in the next st, sc, ss Fasten off, leaving a long yarn tail for sewing (18) Finish stuffing legs. Using the tapestry needle and long yarn tail, sew one foot to the bottom of each leg opening. The back of the foot (the round section) should line up with the back of the leg and the front of the foot (the bumpy section) should protrude from the front. Arm (Make 2): Using the main body color: Round 1: Make a magic circle and work 6 sc into the circle, pull taut to close (6) Round 2: inc 6 times (12) Round 3: sc around (12) Round 4: [dec, sc] 4 times (8) Rounds 5-7: sc around (8) Begin stuffing. Continue to stuff as you go. Round 8: [dec, sc in the next 2 sts] 2 times (6) Round 9: sc around (6) Finish stuffing. Fasten off, leaving a long yarn tail for sewing. Using a tapestry needle, thread the yarn tail through the front loops of the remaining sts and pull taut to close. Then sew one arm to each side of the body somewhere around rounds 25-28. Tail: Using the accent color: Round 1: Make a magic circle and work 6 sc into the circle, pull taut to close (6) Round 2: inc 6 times (12) Round 3: sc around (12) Round 4: [inc, sc] 6 times (18) Rounds 5-7: sc around (18) Round 8: [dec, sc] 6 times (12) Rounds 9-11: sc around (12) Round 12: [dec, sc] 4 times (8) Rounds 13-14: sc around (8) Fasten off, leaving a long yarn tail. Flatten the tail and do not stuff. Sew in place between rounds 34 and 35 using the tapestry needle and the long yarn tail. Weave in remaining ends. You're finished! Congrats! I hope that you enjoyed making Paul the Platypus. If you have any questions or comments about the pattern, you can reach me in the comments section below, by email, or on social media. If you end up making one, I'd love to see a picture, so please share. And don't forget to check back next week for the next Cookie Pal! (If you don't want to wait, the PDF with all 11 Cookie Pals in one place is available on Ravelry.) Happy Hooking! Want to make sure you don't miss out on any future blog posts? Join my mailing list! (Spam free, I promise!) ***You're welcome to do whatever you'd like to with finished products made from this pattern but if you do sell them, I ask that you link back to my page. You may not copy this pattern, repost it anywhere (either altered or in its original form), or claim it as your own. You may not use any photos on this site for your own use. ***
1 Comment
Joanne
7/7/2024 06:38:55 am
this is great! how big is it?
Reply
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