Saturday 17 December 2011

Alot of Crochet

Hello blog-readers... sorry about the serious lack of posts over the last month or so - I've started a new job, and it's very tiring!
Back when I first started blogging, I posted about an Alot that I'd made. 

The Alot is a fictional creature - click here for an explanation.
My Brother-in-law, Tim, introduced me to the Alot, and ask me "can you build me one of those?" (meaning, could I make him one from crochet).  As the Alot is the figment of someone's imagination, there wasn't a crochet pattern out there for one, so I set about designing one, and this is what I'm going to share with you today.


Here is a crochet Alot...


And here are the instructions for how to make one!



Materials
·         Wendy Origin Woolie (Shade 1407) 2 x 100g balls
·         A small amount of beige yarn (DK)
·         A small amount of black yarn for embroidering mouth
·         White felt
·         Safety eyes
·         Toy stuffing
·         8mm crochet hook
·         3.5 mm crochet hook
·         Yarn needle

BODY
Using Wendy Origin Woolie and 8mm hook, start at head end
Ch 2 to start
Rnd 1: Work 6 sc in first ch [6]
Place marker in first stitch for beginning of rnd, move marker up each rnd.
Rnd 2: Work 2 sc in each st around [12]
Rnd 3: *Work 2 sc in next st, sc in next st, rep from *around [18]
Rnd 4: *2 sc in next st, sc in each of next 2 sts, rep from * around [24]
Rnd 5: *2 sc in next st, sc in each of next 3 sts, rep from * around [30]
Rnd 6: *2 sc in next st, sc in each of next 4 sts, rep from * around [36]
Rnd 7: *2 sc in st, sc in each of next 5 sts, rep from * around [42]
Rnds 8 -17: Sc in each st around [42]
Rnd 18: Sc2tog, sc in each of next 17 sts, (sc2tog) twice, sc in each of next 17 sts, sc2tog [38]
Rnd 19: Sc2tog, sc in each of next 15 sts, (sc2tog) twice, sc in each of next 15 sts, sc2tog [34]
Rnd 20: Sc2tog, sc in each of next 13 sts, (sc2tog) twice, sc in each of next 13 sts, sc2tog [30]
Stuff body firmly with toy filling
Rnd 21: *sc in next 4 sc, Sc2tog* rep from * [24]
Rnd 22: *sc in next 3 sc, sc2tog* repeat from * [18]
Rnd 23: *sc in next 2 sc, sc2tog* repeat from * [12]
Rnd 24: *sc in next sc, sc2tog* repeat from * [6]
Rnd 25: sc2tog, x 3
Finish off.

BACK LEG x 2
Using Wendy Origin Woolie and 8mm hook
Ch 2 to start
Rnd 1:  sc 7 in first ch [7]
Rnd 2: 2 sc in each sc [14]
Rnd 3 – 6: sc around [14]
Rnd 7: sc in next 10 sc, turn [10]
Rnd 8: sc2tog, sc in next 6 sc, sc2tog, turn [8]
Rnd 9: sc2tog, sc in next 4 sc, sc2tog, turn [6]
Rnd 10: sc2tog, sc in next 2 sc, sc2tog, turn [4]
Rnd 11: sc2tog x 2 [2]
Rnd 12: sc2tog
Finish off
Stuff firmly with toy filling up to Rnd 7.

FRONT LEG x 2
Using Wendy Origin Woolie and 8mm hook
Ch 2 to start
Rnd 1: sc 8 in first ch [8]
Rnd 2: 2 sc in each sc [16]
Rnd 3 – 4: sc around [16]
Rnd 5: sc in next 10 sc, turn [10]
Rnd 6: sc2tog, sc in next 6 sc, sc2tog [8]
Rnd 7: sc2tog, sc in next 4 sc, sc2tog, turn [6]
Rnd 8: sc2tog, sc in next 2 sc, sc2tog, turn [4]
Rnd 9: sc2tog x 2 [2]
Rnd 10: sc2tog
Finish off
Stuff firmly with toy filling up to Rnd 5.


HEAD
Using Wendy Origin Woolie and 8mm hook
Ch 2 to start
Rnd 1: sc 8 in first ch
Rnd 2: 2sc in each sc [16]
Rnd 3: *2 sc in first sc, sc* repeat around [24]
Rnd 4: *2 sc in first sc, 2 sc* repeat around [32]
Rnd 5: *2 sc in first sc, 3 sc* repeat around [40]
Rnd 6: *2 sc in first sc, 4 sc* repeat around [48]
Rnd 7-9: sc around [48]
Rnd 10: *sc2tog * x 6, sc around [42] (this makes the chin for the head, and will be referred to as the bottom of the head)
Rnd 11: sc around [42]
mark bottom half of head with stitch markers.
Rnd 12: sc in bottom half of head, hdc in top half of head [42]
Rnd 13 – 14: sc around [42]
Finish off.
Cut two circles of white felt, and cut a small slit in the centre of each.  Insert safety eyes through the slits and fix to the head.
Stuff firmly with toy filling.

HORNS x 2
Start: ch 2 using beige yarn and 3.5 mm hook.
Rnd 1:  5sc into 1st chain [5]
Rnd 2:  2sc in first sc, 4 sc around [6]
Rnd 3:  2sc in first sc, 2 sc around. Repeat. [8]
Rnd 4:  8 sc around [8]
Rnd 5:  2sc in first sc, 3 sc around. Repeat. [10]
Rnd 6:  10 sc around [10]
Rnd 7:  2sc in first sc, 4 sc around. Repeat. [12]
Rnd 8:  12 sc around [12]
Rnd 9:  2sc in first sc, 5 sc around. Repeat. [14]
Rnd 10: 14 sc around [14]
Rnd 11: 2sc in first sc, 6 sc around. Repeat [16]
Rnd 12: 16 sc around [16]
Stuff firmly with toy filling.

FINISHING
Sew head, legs and horns to body.
Using black thread, embroider an unhappy mouth, and then sew a pointy tooth made from white felt to the top of the mouth (see photo).


I would love you to send me pictures of your Alot if you try making one... I've made 3 now, and the pattern has been adapted as I've gone along... I think I've got it right now, but if you notice any mistakes, please let me know.



2 comments:

  1. Squeeeeee! I love this Alot!
    Must have a go...one year ;o)
    Gemxxx

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  2. This is adorable! I had a citation -order for A lot and couldn't find a pattern. The link for your Google image was broken for a while, so I used a hippo body, a penguin head.... then the link magically worked! So I got to use your pattern's legs! I'm having trouble following the horns instructions, though. I'm using the end stitch count to make the horn, rather than the instructions. Can you PM me on Facebook?

    ReplyDelete