Valentine's Day Hugs

The world seems to be divided firmly into two groups of people, those who love Valentine's Day and those who loathe it.  Whether you adore the romance of the holiday or dread the ritual overblown commercialization of affection, we can all use a hug this time of year, and Huggy the Koala is here to help.  Snaps sewn on to the ends of his paws let Huggy cling to your finger (or perhaps the bottom of a sweet bouquet?).  And his diminutive size means Huggy won't make long to make.

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Hugs the Koala


Supplies:
                Cotton Yarn (Grey, white, and black)
                Stuffing
                Crochet hook (Size F-3.75MM)
                Scissors
Needles (one for yarn and one for thread)
                Sew-on Snaps (2, size 2/0, I used Dritz brand)
                Wire pet brush (optional)

Head/Body
Use grey yarn. Start at the top of the head.
Rnd 1: Sc 8 in magic ring OR Sc 2, Sc 8 in the 2nd chain from the hook
Rnd 2: Inc in each of the 8 sts (16 sts)
Rnds 3-4: Sc 16 (16 sts)
Rnd 5: [Inc in one st, Sc in the next] rep 8 times around (24 sts)
Rnd 6: Sc 24 (24 sts)
Rnd 7: [Inc, Sc in the next 2 sts] rep 8 times (32 sts)
Rnd 8: [Dec, Sc 2] rep 8 times (24 sts)
Rnd 9: Sc 24 (24 sts)
Rnd 10: Dec 12 (12 sts)
Rnd 11: [Dec, Sc] rep 4 times (8 sts)
Stuff firmly.
Rnd 12: Sc 8 (8 sts)
Rnd 13: [Inc, Sc 3] rep 2 times (10 sts)
Rnd 14: [Inc, Sc] rep 5 times (15 sts)
Rnd 15: Sc 15 (15 sts)
Rnd 16: [Inc, Sc 4] rep 8 times (18 sts)
Rnd 17: [Dec, Sc] rep 6 times (12 sts)
Stuff.
Rnd 18: Dec 6 (6 sts)
Finish off and weave in ends.
Ears
Make 2. Start with white yarn.
Rnd 1: Sc 5 in magic ring OR Sc 2, Sc 5 in 2nd ch from hook
Switch to grey yarn.
Rnd 2: Working in Back Loops Only: Inc in the next 3 sts, Dec (7 sts)
Rnd 3: BLO: Sc 7 (7 sts)
Rnd 4: Dec 3 to close (3 sts)
Finish off. Weave in ends.
If you want the fuzzy look on your koala’s ears, use a wire pet brush to brush the fronts of the ears. Sew the ears to either side of the head, using the picture as a guide for placement. Using black yarn, stitch a nose and make French knot eyes.
Belly
Use white yarn.
Rnd 1: Sc 5 in magic ring OR Sc 2, Sc 5 in 2nd ch from hook
Rnd 2: Sc 3 in the first st.  Sc in the second.  In the third st: [HDC 3, slst 1].  In the fourth st: [Slst 1, HDC 3]. Sc in the fifth st, and then slst to close the heart shape.
Finish off and weave in ends.  Sew the heart right-side-up to the front of the koala’s belly.
Arms/Legs
Make 4.  Use grey yarn.
Rnd 1: Sc 6 in magic ring OR Sc 2, Sc 6 in 2nd ch from hook
Rnd 2: [Inc in the first st, Sc in the next two] rep two times around (8 sts)
Rnds 3-9: Sc 8 (8 sts)
Finish off.  Do not sew closed and do not stuff.
Pinch one arm shut and sew one edge as close as possible to the edge of the “heart” tummy. Continue sewing around until the limb is attached. Repeat on the other side.  Then sew the legs just below the arms.  Use the picture as a guide for placement (or feel free to experiment with your own!). Using a thinner needle and grey thread, sew one half of each snap set to each opposite limb so that your koala can “hug”.  If you’re making the toy for a very small child, you may eliminate the snaps and just sew the tips of the limbs together to avoid a choking hazard.  If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me on my blog or at sheepofdelight@gmail.com.  Enjoy!

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Design Challenge
Want to try your hand at designing your own amigurumi?  Design a baby for Huggy to hold and send me a picture through the contact page on my blog or at sheepofdelight@gmail.com or send me a link to the pattern/picture on your own blog or webpage.  Feel free to use my design as a starting place or start from scratch.  Have fun creating!-Sheep of Delight

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