Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Cardinal


I have always thought about making one of these. Now I have! This one is little. (just right to hang on the tree or set within its branches)

Head:
Rnd 1: sc 4 in a circle
Rnd 2: 2 sc in each sc around (8)
Rnd 3: sc around (8)
Rnd 4: 2 sc in next sc 7 (9)
Rnd 5: sc 8 then 2 sc in next sc (10)
Rnd 6: 2 sc in next sc, sc 9 (11)
Rnd 7: sc 12, 2 sc in next sc (12)
Rnd 8: switch to black, sc 6, switch to red, sc 6 (12)
Rnd 9: sc 1, switch to black, sc 4, switch to red, sc 7 (12)
cut thread, leave tail to sew to body
I did a few stitches in the crest of the head to make it curve a little bit.

Body:
Rnd 1: sc 6 in a circle
Rnd 2: 2 sc in each sc around (12)
Rnd 3: *sc 1, sc 2 in next sc* repeat around (18)
Rnd 4: *sc 2, sc 2 in next sc* repeat around (24)
Rnd 5-7: sc around (24)
Rnd 8: sc 1 in front loop, ch 8, sl st in 2nd ch from hook, sc 1, dc 5, sl st in original front loop, sc 23 (24)
Rnd 9: *sc 2, decrease* repeat around (18)
Rnd 10: *sc 1, decrease* repeat around (12)
Rnd 11: decrease around (6)
Cut thread and weave through to close up hole.
Fold tail in half and sew together two sides.

Wings: (make 2)
Rnd 1: 5 sc in a circle
Rnd 2: 2 sc in each sc around
Rnd 3: dc 3, sc 1, sl st 5. Cut thread leave a tail to sew to body.

Put eyes in head. Sew the head to the body. Sew the wings on. Then make the beak.

Beak:
I tried to make a bunch of beaks and they were all too big, so instead I used orange yarn and wove it in over and over through the face until it was beak-like. Experiment until you get the perfect beak for your bird.

This is what the body looks like with the tail unfolded (I haven't finished the last round or stuffed or sewed it up yet in these photos)


And the tail folded

11 comments:

  1. A lot of amigurumi that I see doesn't look like what it's supposed to be. Yours is beautiful and looks like a cardinal. Good job!!

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  2. Oh! Thank you, thank you. Cardinals are my favorite birds! I hadn't seen one in real life until I moved to Iowa 4 years ago. They are breath-taking. I'm going to have these cute little guys all over my house now!

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  3. Oh my goodness that little bird is just so cute! Thank you for sharing it with us!

    Hugs XX
    Barbara

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  4. It's me again. I noticed that the tail pattern is missing. It's mentioned in the last line of the Body section, but no pattern instructions. I think I can probably wing it , but it would be nice to know how you did it. Or maybe I just missed something!

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  5. I guess the first part of my message never made it. Short version = I'm collecting crochet patterns for birds. Oops...

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  6. Okay, I think I figured this out. It took me a bit because I made a few versions of this and wrote it on some slips of paper. I decided to just remake the body to refresh my mind on how I did it. The tail is included in the stitches for the body. I added some pictures to make it more clear. I hope that helps.

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  7. Hi from Georgia!!
    Thank you for leaving this birdie up for those of us just now finding him!!

    Poppy

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  8. These are adorable! Perfect for my mother in law, I was thinking of making tree ornaments. Could you indicate how heavy they are? (Will they bend the branches?)

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    Replies
    1. They are really light if you stuff them lightly with fiberfill. I don't think they would bend branches. If you had a delicate branch maybe, but you could use a styrofoam ball for the body stuffing to decrease the weight even more if you are worried about it.

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    2. Thank you for the response! Made my first one today using an F hook for a tiny size and they came out adorable! I may have to try different hooks to have a set at different sizes, they are so cute!

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