Samus Aran of Metroid Crochet Pafferr
Finished size: About 5 to 6 inches (13 to 16 cm) tall; head is about 3 inches (7 cm) wide. Depending on your tension and yarn choice, finished size may vary. Gauge and tension: With E (3.5 mm) hook, about 10 single crochet x 10 rows = 2 square inches (5 square cm). Ideally, you will want snug, dense stitches that will not show the stuffing. Start with an E (3.5 mm) hook; if your stitches are too loose, try a D (3.25 mm) hook.
Materials:
E (3.5 mm) or D (3.25 mm) hook Red, dark green, light green, yellow, and orange 100% acrylic worsted-weight yarn (4-ply, medium weight) One skein of each color will provide ample amounts for making many dolls. I recommend using the same brand yarn for all colors for uniform width, sheen and texture. Red Heart Soft, Red Heart Super Saver, Caron Simply Soft, Deborah Norville Everyday Collection Solids, Vanna's Choice, or Loops & Threads Impeccable Worsted are good yarns for dolls. Yarn needle (with large eye and blunt tip), large-headed pins, and scissors for finishing off and sewing parts together I recommend crocheting all parts before sewing together. I really like Clover's Chibi bent-tip darning needles.
Stitches Used/Abbreviations:
Row number (R1, R2...) ·Skip (sk) ·Stitch (st) or stitches (sts) Chain (ch) Single Crochet (sc) Single Crochet Decrease (dec) I recommend using the "Invisible Decrease for Amigurumi" method. Free video tutorials available on htp://www.youtube.com/. Repeat the steps within the asterisks (\*.\* rep) Optional: Magic Adjustable Loop (ML). I recommend beginning the doll parts with the Magic Adjustable Loop (also called Magic Circle) rather than the standard "ch 2, 6 sc in second chain from hook," because you can lasso your first row of stitches together in a tight circle and avoid the "donut hole" that usually occurs. For video tutorials, search "Magic Loop Crochet" on http:/www.youtube.com/.
Important Notes:
The doll's parts are made by stitching continuous spiral rounds. Mark the end of the pattern row with a short piece of contrasting yarn or a safety pin in the last stitch of the row to help you keep track of counting. When you complete a row, count the stitches to make sure it matches the pattern, then move the row marker up to the loop/stitch on your hook (see Figure 1). For this pattern, when you are counting stitches in a row, include the loop/stitch that is on your hook. The last stitch of the current row should end just to the left of the last stitch of the previous row. Always insert your crochet hook under both loops (front and back) of the previous row, except when instructed otherwise, such as doll's feet, the cannon arm, and if you are using the Invisible Decrease stitch method.
Figure 1: Example of rows worked in spiral rounds, with contrasting yarn to mark end of previous row. To switch colors on face mask, bring up a loop of light green as the last loop of the red single crochet stitch before the color change so that the red "V" will have a green loop laying across the top. Carry the red behind the green stitches; do not cut the green or red yarn until the last color change in the face mask. For more help on switching colors, see the tutorials on http://www.planetjune.com or search "crochet color change" on http://www.youtube.com/.
HEAD
Ehook R1: With red yarn, ch 2, 6 sc in second chain from hook, or ML, 6 sc. R2: 2 sc in each sc around. (12 sts) R3: \*Sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc\*, rep 6 times. (18 sts) R4: \*Sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc\*, rep 6 times. (24 sts) R5: \*Sc in next 3 sc, 2 sc in next sc\*, rep 6 times. (30 sts) R6: \*Sc in next 4 sc, 2 sc in next sc\*, rep 6 times. (36 sts) R7-9: Sc in each sc around. (36 sts) Switch to light green. R10: Carrying red behind, sc in next 9 sc, drop green; with red, sc in next 27 sc. (36 sc) R11: With light green, sc in next 7 sc; with red, sc in next 29 sc. (36 sts) R12: With light green, sc in next 5 sc; with red, sc in next 31 sc. (36 sts) R13: With red, sc in next sc; with light green, sc in next 2 sc, fasten off light green; with red, sc in next 33 sc. (36 sts) R14: \*Sc in next 4 sc, dec\*, rep 6 times. (30 sts) R15: \*Sc in next 3 sc, dec\*, rep 6 times. (24 sts) R16: \*Sc in next 2 sc, dec\*, rep 6 times. (18 sts) R17: \*Sc in next sc, dec\*, rep 6 times. (12 sts) Stuff head with polyester fiberfill to desired firmness. R18: Dec 6. (6 sts) Fasten off, leaving long tail for sewing to body.
Figure 2: Showing Head R10, inside.Notice red yarn carried behind stitches and color change to red for last loop of green sc.
Figure 3: Showing Head R13, turned inside-out. Notice red yarn and greenyarn carriedbehind stitches.
EARPIECES (Make 2)
R1: With red yarn, ch 2, 8 sc in second chain from hook, or ML, 8 sc. R2: Sc in each sc around.(8 sts) Fasten off, leaving tail for sewing to head. Pin earpieces into place on stuffed head, on rows 11-13, aligned on either side of green face mask. (It helps to look at head from top down to get earpieces lined up symmetrically.) With yarn needle, sew earpieces to head with about 6-8 stitches. Secure and hide tail inside head.
BODY
R1: With red yarn, ch 2, 6 sc in second chain from hook, or ML, 6 sc. R2: 2 sc in each sc around. (12 sts) R3: Sc in each sc around. (12 sts) R4: \*Sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc\*, rep 6 times. (18 sts) Switch to yellow. R5-7: Sc in each sc around. (18 sts) R8: \*Sc in next sc, dec\*, rep 6 times (12 sts) Stuff with fiberfill. R9: Dec 6. (6 sts) To fasten off, cut yarn with about 5-inch tail; with yarn needle, whipstitch tail through front loops only of last 6 sc, then cinch tight like a drawstring purse. Hide yarn tail in body. Pin head into place on red top of body, positioning color transition from red to yellow at the back. With yarn needle, sew head to body with about 8-10 stitches. Secure and weave in end.
CANNON ARM (RIGHT)
E hook R1: With dark green yarn, ch 2, 4 sc in second chain from hook, or ML, 4 sc. R2: 2 sc in each sc. (8 sts) R3: In back loops only, sc in each sc around. (8 sts) R4-6: In both loops, sc in each sc around. (8 sts) Stuff green cannon lightly with fiberfill. Switch to orange yarn. R7: \*Sc in next 2 sc, dec,\* rep 2 times. (6 sts) R8: Sc in each sc around. (6 sts) To fasten off, cut yarn with about 12-inch tail; with yarn needle, whipstitch tail through front loops only of last 6 sc, then cinch tight like a drawstring purse. Leave long end tail for sewing to body (see instructions below in "Left Arm").
Figure 4: All parts ready to be sewn together.
LEFT ARM
E hook R1: With orange yarn, ch 2, 6 sc in second chain from hook, or ML, 6 sc. Left arm does not need stuffing. To fasten off, cut yarn with about 12-inch tail; with yarn needle, whipstitch tail through front loops only of last 6 sc, then cinch tight like a drawstring purse. Leave long end tail for sewing to body. Pin arms into place on body, just below join of the head and body (to make sure arms are positioned symmetrically, it helps to look down from top of head to see how face mask and arms are spaced). To make jointed (moveable) arms, with yarn needle and beginning yarn tail from left arm, run yarn through neck of body, into right arm, out of right arm, through body, back into left arm. Cinch tight and fasten off, hiding end in body.
LEGS (Make 2)
R1: With yellow yarn, leaving long tail for sewing leg to body, ch 2, 8 sc in second chain from hook, or ML, 8 sc. R2-4: Sc in each sc around. (8 sts) Switch to orange yarn. R5: \*Sc in next 3 sc, 2 sc in next sc\*, rep 2 times. (10 sts) R8: In back loops only, \*sk next sc, sc in next sc\*, rep 5 times. (5 sts) To fasten off, cut yarn with about 5-inch tail; with yarn needle, whipstitch tail through front loops only of last 5 sc, then cinch tight like a drawstring purse. Hide tail in leg. Pin legs onto yellow bottom of body. To make jointed (moveable) legs, with yarn needle and beginning yarn tail from left leg, run yarn through bottom of body, into right leg, out of right leg, through body, back into left leg. Cinch tight and fasten off, hiding end in body. If you have any questions,write to janawhitley@yahoo.com. As far as copyrights and intellectual property rights are concerned,I amfine if you want to sell the dolls you make with this pattern,as long as you credit JanaGeekonEtsy.comasthe designer or include a link to my shop's website. If you have friendswhowanttocrochetthe dolltoo,encourage them to support fellow yarn artists by purchasing their own copy of the patternfrom http://www.etsy.com/ or http://www.craftsy.com/. Thanks for your patronage!
