Busy Bugs - HARD-WORKING BEE free pattern

Hi, after several months I finally made the tutorial for Busy Bugs. Firstly I made Hardworking-Bee :) I presented you the bugs some time ago in my Amigurumi Workshop #13.

I was inspired by the set of contrast books for babies 10 and 12 month. The set of four books in Polish (by Wilga | Foksal Publishing House) in the cardboard box includes the short stories about: ant, ladybug, bee and firefly. I told you something about the books stories and I described my crochet project in Amigurumi Workshop #13, so I recommend you to watch the video before you start crocheting and read the post here.

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The tutorial for Hard-working Bee (in four parts) is on YouTube.

You may watch Amigurumi Workshop #13 about the Busy Bugs below:

Materials:

• YarnArt Jeans: yellow, black, blue (1 skein of each color is enough), small amout of pink for the cheeks (I split the yarn in two threads);
• crochet hook 2 mm
• teether
• rattle
• stuffing
• tapestry needle

Abbreviations

• st = stitch
• sl st = slip stitch
• ch = chain
• tch = turning chain (in the end of a row)
• sc = single crochet
• hdc = half double crochet
• dc = double crochet

• inc = increase (2 sc in one st)
• dec = decrease (sc2tog)
• (..) = repeat the pattern particular number of times
• [..] = complete number of st in the round / row
• rnd = round
• BLO = back loop only
• FLO = front loop only
• MR = magic ring

HEAD

Yellow 
Add the rattle inside the head (after crocheting the middle rounds) before you finish the head.
Rattle should be hidden inside the stuffing.
Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR [6]
Rnd 2: 6 inc [12]
Rnd 3: (1 sc, inc) x 6 [18]
Rnd 4: (1 sc, inc, 1 sc) x 6 [24]
Rnd 5: (3 sc, inc) x 6 [30]
Rnd 6: (2 sc, inc, 2 sc) x  [36]
Rnd 7: (5 sc, inc) x 6 [42]
Rnd 8: (3 sc, inc, 3 sc) x 6 [48]
Rnds 9-15: 48 sc [48]
Rnd 16: (3 sc, dec, 3 sc) x 6 [42]
Rnd 17: (5 sc, dec) x 6 [36]
Rnd 18: (2 sc, dec, 2 sc) x 6 [30]
Rnd 19: (3 sc, dec) x 6 [24]
You may also add safety eyes between rnds 11-12 instead of embroidering (but do this before stuffing the head and crocheting the body). I will embroider the eyes later.
Cut the yarn, fasten off, make invisible finish.
Change yarn to black.

BODY

Body consists of segments - each segment is counted from rnd 1. When you change colors, make invisible finish to get smoth stripes (I explain it in the tutorial). Add stuffing as you go through the following segments.

Segment I (black):

Rnd 1: (3 sc, inc) x 6 [30]
Rnd 2: (2 sc, inc, 2 sc) x 6 [36]
Rnd 3: 36 sc [36]
Rnd 4: (2 sc, dec, 2 sc) x 6 [30]
Rnd 5: (3 sc, dec) x 6 [24]
Rnd 6: (1 sc, dec, 1 sc) x 6 [18]

Segment II (yellow):

Rnd 1: (1 sc, inc, 1 sc) x 6 [24]
Rnd 2: (3 sc, inc) x 6 [30]
Rnd 3: 30 sc [30]
Rnd 4: (3 sc, dec) x 6 [24]
Rnd 5: (1 sc, dec, 1 sc) x 6 [18]
Rnd 6: (1 sc, dec) x 6 [12]

Segment III (black):

Rnd 1: (1 sc, inc) x 6 [18]
Rnd 2: (1 sc, inc, 1 sc) x 6 [24]
Rnd 3: 24 sc [24]
Rnd 4: (1 sc, dec, 1 sc) x 6 [18]
Rnd 5: (1 sc, dec) x 6 [12]

Change to yellow to crochet a stripe for the teether.

Fold in half, crochet 6 sc, hooking through the stitches of the opposite sides. Work 10 rows (1 tch in the end of the row) or adjust the length to your teether.

Version without teether:

If you don't want to add teether, modificate the pattern of the body - after crocheting rnd 5 in segment III add rnd 6:
Rnd 6: 6 dec [6]

Then crochet segment IV (yellow):
Rnd 1: 6 inc [6]
Rnd 2: (1 sc, inc) x 6 [18]
Rnd 3: 18 sc [18]
Rnd 4: (1 sc, dec) x 6 [12]
Rnd 5: 6 dec [6]

Close the opening.


You may add THE STING with black yarn - Insert the hook in the bottom of the bee (where the sting should started) and crochet: ch 4, insert the hook in 2nd ch from the hook and work 3 sl st along the chain. Fasten off.

CAP

Black
Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR [6]
Rnd 2: 6 inc [12]
Rnd 3: (1 sc, inc) x 6 [18]
Rnd 4: (1 sc, inc, 1 sc) x 6 [24]
Rnd 5: (3 sc, inc) x 6 [30]
Rnd 6: (2 sc, inc, 2 sc) x  [36]
Rnd 7: (5 sc, inc) x 6 [42]
Rnd 8: (3 sc, inc, 3 sc) x 6 [48]
Rnds 9-12: 48 sc [48]
Rnd 13: 23 sc, 1 hdc, (1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc) in one st, 1 hdc, 22 sc
Put the cap onto the head, pin it and sew (see: FACE DETAILS).

DETAILS

FACE DETAILS

In the picture above you see pins:
- eyes marked with black thread in rnd 11 (distance of 2 sc between the eyes). I embroider the eyes.
You may also add safety eyes between rnds 11-12;

- blue for the nose: between rnds 12-13;
- red x 3 for the smile: between rnds 13-14 (outer points) and 15-16 (lower point).


Embroider the cheeks with woven wheel stitch (shown in the tutorial)

WING (make 2)

Blue
ch 9, insert the hook in 2nd ch from the hook and work: 3 sc, 2 hdc, 2 dc, 5 dc in one st, 2 dc, 2 hdc, 3 sc [19]

Sew the wings in rnd 4-5 (segment I).

ANTENNAE (make 2) 

Insert the hook into the stitches of the head - distance between the antennae is 5 rounds (photo below)
ch 8, insert the hook in 2nd ch from the hook and make the bobble (shown in the tutorial).
In the end you have 4 loops on the hook, so pull through all the loops.

LEGS (make 6)

Insert the hook into the stitches of the body (the sides - look at the red pins on the photo below):
- between rnds 3-4 of segment I
- between rnd 6 of segment I and rnd 1 of segment II
- between rnds 3-4 of segment II

ch 8, insert the hook in 2nd ch from the hook and work: 7 sl st [7]

The bee is ready!

More bugs will be soon :)

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Best wishes!