Cheerful Santa (pattern by LittleOwlsHut) - Amigurumi Workshop #8

 

Ho ho ho, Christmas is coming, so I think it is a great time to start making Christmas decorations. I crocheted Cheerful Santa - pattern by LittleOwlsHut. You can watch a short video in Amigurumi Workshop series on my YouTube channel to know what it is about Santa. In the post I present you more photos I was taking during the work on this project and I give you some info. So let's look at Santa! ;-)

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To watch the video - click the picture below:

In my video description on YouTube you find links to the pattern: in US terminology and pattern translated into Polish (I translated Polish pattern, so if something is unclear for Polish crocheters, please mail me).

Pattern was designed by Svetlana Bakaeva.

Skill level: intermediate.

It is not difficult project but you need more time to finish all the details (e.g. attach moustache and beard).

There are two types of yarn in the project: 

• main yarn - I used crochet hook 2 mm for that yarn
• yarn two times thinner than the main yarn (designer recommends to split main yarn in two threads) - crochet hook 1,25 mm.

 Main yarn (left), yarn two times thinner (right)

I worked with YarnArt Jeans (sport weight, 160 m/50 g):

• red no 51 - 2 skeins
• beige no 05 - 1 skein

In the original pattern designer uses main yarn: fingering weight 4 ply, acrylic, 200 m/50 g. 20 g of red and 5 g of pink. Crochet hook 1.4 mm for that yarn and 1 mm for yarn two times thinner.

I had some difficulties with amount of yarn - I explain everything in my video. In short - I happily assumed that one skein of red yarn will be enough for the project but unfortunately I’ve run out of yarn after crocheting the whole body and almost making the hat and sleeves. I had to buy new skein but it was different tone of red. I've heard about differences in YarnArt Jeans tones within the same color but it was quite significant difference...

Look at photo below:

In the end everything was OK but I had to figure out how to deal with the problem. I unravelled some stitches of the body because I needed the yarn to finish sleeves and hat. Yet I needed more yarn for hat, so I decided to make hat in whole with lighter red yarn. The body is combined with two tones of red - luckily it is not visible under the Santa's coat.

I used red main yarn for feet, legs, body, coat with sleeves and hat.

 

Coat

 Coat and sleeves made separately

Hat - lighter tone of red

Instead of main pink yarn stated in the pattern I used the beige one for the nose.

As the second yarn two times thinner than the main yarn, there is pink and black color in the pattern. I used beige instead of pink for making hands and arms. The designer used crochet hook 1 mm for this yarn, and I used hook 1.25 mm.

Hands with wire frame

 Arms with sleeves

 Ears

Santa is based on wire frame inside the body. I used thicker wire 2 mm in diameter for the body and 1 mm for fingers. Length is given in “Materials and tools” section in the pattern. I secured the cuts with electrical tape.

Sometimes there is necessity to work shift stitches to adjust position of the marker (it’s indicated in the pattern).

HAT

I made two hats.

For the edge of hat designer uses fancy yarn but if you don’t have fancy yarn you may crochet double loop stitches along the edge, working from the wrong side.
In the first hat I used 4 strands of Alize Softy instead of making double loop stitch. I inserted the hook every other stitches. Then I crocheted pom pom - pattern is below:

POM POM – crochet ball:

Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR [6]

Rnd 2: 6 inc [12]

Rnd 3: (1 sc, inc) x 6 [18]

Rnd 4: 18 sc [18]

Rnd 5: (1 sc, dec) x 6 [12]

Rnd 6: 6 dec [6]

Meanwhile, working on the second part of video, I cleaned up my yarn stock and to my surprise I’ve found red yarn in the same tone as the coat and most of Santa’s main red yarn. So I decided to make the second hat with this yarn, not the lighter red tone.

Because I decided to make a hat once again, I had an opportunity to show you how I crochet double loop stitch:

1. Wrap a yarn around your finger 2 times and half

2. Insert a hook under both loops in the stitch (I work from wrong / inner side of hat because loops appear on the right side)

3. Pull 3 loops through the stitch

4. Leave 2 loops on your finger, take it down, keep loops in place and pull working yarn through all loops on the hook.

1. Hat from inner side.

2. Hat from outer side.

I also made the pom-pom based on double loop stitches.

Finally I curled down the hat using running stitch, pulled thread and secured it inside the hat.

Hat was complete. I sewed it to Santa’s head.. 

I leave the first lighter red hat for my next Santa I will probably crochet in the future.

All the parts separately looks as follows:

HEAD 

When all parts of head (ears, big nose, mouth) were crocheted separately, I pinned them and glued the eyes.  

Big nose is made with the main beige yarn, but if you want to crochet smaller nose, you can use two times thinner yarn than the main one. 

As for the eyes – I used two oval pieces of white felt for the whites and I sewed little beads for the pupils. You can also paint the eyes with pencil or felt them. Finally I glued felt to the face.

Mouth are made with beige yarn two times thinner than the main yarn. Inner part is black and tongue is embroidered with red thread. I stuffed the mouth along the edge and secured it with stitch to avoid shifting the stuffing inside. Then I sewed the inner part.

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Then I put Santa’s coat on the body and sew the front part from the back side where the belt area is. I inserted arms into the sleeves, sew the top part together and inserted the wire (cut and wrapped with tape) into the body (upper part) and sew the arms.

In the pattern there is crocheted belt sliding through the buckle. I used real belt instead of crocheted one but I adjusted it to my project. I cut the belt, made a hole in the material for the clasp and fasten belt on the coat – if you have crochet belt sew two ends at the back.

I put the head on the wire sticking out of the neck. I had difficulties with inserting the wire through the stitches of the head. Then I sewed the head to the body.

 

Next step - I attached moustache and beard. Working with felting wool was new experience for me but I manage to do it. I adjusted the yarn length and width to my needs.

I attached the moustache and beard in the way I attach fringe or tulle stripes.

How to attach stripes - see my Bears in Love pattern - Mrs Bear dress (I attach tulle stripes in the tutorial but it is similar way for attaching Santa's beard).

Finally I put the hat and sewed it to the head (sewing is optionally, you can also add wire inside) – I stuff it lightly before sewing.

Finished size of my Santa (regarding materials I used): is 22 cm tall without hat and 30 cm tall with curly hat.

Original Santa’s size is 16 cm tall (without hat).

Links to US and Polish patterns are in video description.
What you think of Santa? 

HO HO HO!