Cookie Pals: Shelby the Sheep

It's time again for another Cookie Pal pattern! I can't believe we're almost finished with the whole set. After today, there's only one more to share! Crazy. (Bonus points to you if you know which animal is left.) Today we have the ever adorable Shelby the Sheep. She also doubles as an excellent Easter pal, in case you're on the lookout for a spring themed pattern. 

I suppose you could say that Shelby is shy. It isn't that she doesn't like other people, but she isn't the best in social situations and prefers to stay at home, curled up with a good book. When she doesn't have her nose stuck in a book (and sometimes even then), Shelby can often be found helping her aunt run the family farm. She has a special fondness for the berry patches and has a knack for finding the sweetest berries on the bush. 

If you'd like some quiet company, you can make your own cuddly sheep friend using this crochet pattern. I'm sure you know the drill by now, but just in case, Shelby has the same basic construction as Beverly the Bear (with a few small differences), meaning that the head, body, and legs are all worked in one piece. So you can check out the pattern for Beverly, which has step-by-step photos as a useful reference for constructing the body. ​

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
hdc inc = half double crochet increase (work 2 hdc in the same st)

Note: If you’d like the make the sheep using fuzzy yarn, I recommend working the pattern with a light weight fuzzy yarn and a matching strand of fingering weight yarn held together. That way you can still see your stitches clearly but it won’t make the sheep too much larger than the rest of the animals. Or, for simplicity, you can just make the sheep with regular cotton yarn and it’ll still look great!

Materials:

• About 90-110 yds of I Love This Cotton! Yarn (or other aran weight yarn) in main color and accent color
• Size E (3.5mm) crochet hook
• A tiny bit of black yarn
• Fiberfill stuffing
• 6mm safety eyes (2)
• Tapestry needle
• Optional: Stitch marker

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.

Face:
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: [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] 2 times, [inc, hdc, dc 3 times in the next st, hdc, sc] 2 times, sc in the next 2 sts, inc, sc in the next 6 sts, ss, ss 
Fasten off, leaving a long yarn tail for sewing. 

Using a bit of black yarn and a tapestry needle, stitch the nose and mouth with the nose at the very center of the face.  You'll add the eyes when you attach the face later on. 

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. 

Sew the face you made at the beginning onto the center of the front of the head, across rounds 6-20 using the tapestry needle and the long yarn tail. Place the safety eyes between rounds 5 and 6 of the face you sewed on, about 8 sts apart (place the eyes through both the face and the head layers before fastening). 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 sheep. 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 38-40: sc around (15)
Switch to accent color
Round 41: sc around (15)
Round 42: [dec, sc in the next 3 sts] 3 times (12)
Round 43: dec 6 times (12)
Finish stuffing leg. Fasten off, leaving a yarn tail. Using a tapestry needle, thread the yarn tail through the front loops of the remaining sts and pull taut to close. 

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 2-4:  sc around (15)
Switch to accent color
Leg Round 5: sc around (15)
Leg Round 6:  [dec, sc in the next 3 sts] 3 times (12)
Continue to stuff the leg.
Leg Round 7: dec 6 times (12)
Finish stuffing leg. Fasten off, leaving a yarn tail. Using a tapestry needle, thread the yarn tail through the front loops of the remaining sts and pull taut to close. 

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 2-4:  sc around (15)
Switch to accent color
Leg Round 5: sc around (15)
Leg Round 6:  [dec, sc in the next 3 sts] 3 times (12)
Continue to stuff the leg.
Leg Round 7: dec 6 times (6)
Finish stuffing leg. Fasten off, leaving a yarn tail. Using a tapestry needle, thread the yarn tail through the front loops of the remaining sts and pull taut to close.

Arm (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: sc around (12)
Switch to main body color
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.  

Floppy Ear (make 2):
Ch. 7
Round 1: sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in the next 4 sts, inc, working on the other side of the ch, inc, sc in the next 5 sts, turn (14)
Round 2: ch 1, sc in the next 3 sts, hdc in the next 3 sts, sc in the next 2 sts, hdc in the next 3 sts, sc in the next 3 sts, ss to the first sc to join. (14)
Fasten off, leaving a long yarn tail for sewing. Sew in place using the tapestry needle and the long yarn tails on both sides of the head across round 9

​Tail:
Using the main color:
Round 1: Make a magic circle and work 6 sc into the circle, pull taut to close (6)
Round 2: [inc, sc] 3 times (9)
Round 3: sc around (9)
Ss to even off. Fasten off, leaving a long yarn tail for sewing. 
​Using the tapestry needle and long yarn tail, sew in place (centered on the back of the body across rounds 33-35). 

Weave in any remaining ends. . 

You did it! Congrats! I hope that this cuddly little sheep friend brings a smile to your face. 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 last 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! 

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​​​​​​***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. ***