Black Sheep

Free Amigurumi Sheep Pattern

April 24, 2016

,

Hello fellow Happy Crocheters! Here comes my new free amigurumi pattern for a sad looking black sheep. I’ve been busy crocheting lots of lovely things lately, but today I will tell you about my free Ewe Gene the Sheep crochet pattern being published in a Crochet Magazine called Amigurumi which is a fantastic German crochet magazine focusing solely on Amigurumi Animals!

I mainly crochet amigurumi, however every year I tend to make a blanket or some pillows and soon regret how time-consuming crocheting bigger items take compared to making dolls or animals. This year I have been working on the Sophie’s Universe CAL blanket, but adapting it to be a pouffe / footstool cover, I haven’t finished it yet but will do a post once done.

While berating myself for starting such a large crochet project with no end in sight, although I must say that you do learn a lot of new stitches and techniques with the Sophie’s Universe CAL, I was contacted by the lovely Julie from Amigurumi Magazine asking if I would like to contribute in their issue 12 of the mag which was published in March. I was over the moon and was happy that my Ewe Gene the Sheep pattern was suitable for the publication. Anyway after confirming that they could translate the pattern over to German for me away I went! I wish I knew German as the rest of the free patterns in the magazine are super cute! I might try my hand at reading the patterns to see if I can follow them. I have published the free pattern below in English. Here is Ewe Gene being a proper couch potato on my sofa, he is by far my most popular pattern to date. I think it’s the sad grumpy look on his face that make people want to cuddle him, it does seem funny that my saddest looking crochet creation is a favourite.

Here is the free amigurumi pattern: Ewe-Gene the Black Lamb

 Crochet in a continuous spiral; do not join rounds with slip stitch or turn unless stated otherwise.

 Crochet through both loops.

 Use a stitch marker or a piece of yarn to mark the end of the round. Move the stitch marker after finishing each round.

Skills you will need:

Magic ring, crocheting in rounds, chain stitch, slip stitch, single crochet stitch, double loop stitch, decreasing and increasing.

Materials and tools you will need:

 Black DK yarn (100g) = approx. 200 yards (182m)

 Light Grey DK yarn (50g) = approx. 100 yards (90m)

 White DK yarn (5g) = approx. 10 yards (9m)

 Fibrefill (or stuffing of your choice)

 Crochet hook 4mm

 Stitch marker, scissors, some sewing pins and a yarn needle

Abbreviations:

Pattern is written using standard US crocheting terms. Rnd – Round

ch – Chain stitch slst – Slip stitch

sc – Single crochet (change to Double Crochet for UK terminology) dlc – Double loop crochet (see images 2-5 below)

inc – Increase (make 2 single crochet stitches into indicated stitch)

dec – Decrease (crochet next 2 stitches together into 1 stitch by picking up the front loops of two sts and crocheting one sc into both loops)

dlinc – Double loop increase (make 2 double loop stitches into indicated stitch)

dldec – Double loop decrease (do a double loop stitch into first loop, before completing it with the single crochet stitch (see images below), hook into next stitch and complete the single crochet to join both indicated stitches into one complete double loop stitch)

(#) – Number of stitches after finishing the round

[…] x# – Repeat instructions described in brackets # times in that round Lamb Body:

With black yarn.

*We begin by using single crochet stitches to create a flat bottom for the lamb to sit on, see image 1 below.

Rnd 1 – Magic ring with 6sc and tighten loop (6) Rnd 2 – [inc] x6 (12) Rnd 3 – [inc, sc] x6 (18) Rnd 4 – [inc, 2sc] x6 (24) Rnd 5 – [inc, 3sc] x6 (30) Rnd 6 – [inc, 4sc] x6 (36) Rnd 7 – [inc, 5sc] x6 (42) Rnd 8 – [inc, 6sc] x6 (48) Rnd 9 – [inc, 7sc] x6 (54)

*Now the stitches will be Double Loop Crochet (dlc) see images 2-6. Rnd 10 – Rnd 24 – dlc in each st (54) 15 rows Rnd 25 – [dldec, 7dlc] x6 (48) Rnd 26 – [dldec, 6dlc] x6 (42) Rnd 27 – [dldec, 5dlc] x6 (36) Rnd 28 – [dldec, 4dlc] x6 (30) Rnd 29 – dlc in each st (30)

Fasten off, leave approx. 15cm of yarn to use to sew onto the head later. Stuff very firmly. Lamb Hair:

With black yarn

Rnd 1 – ch31, slst into first chain to create a loop (30) Rnd 2 – Rnd 5 – dlc in each st (30) 5 rows Rnd 6 – [dldec, 3dlc] x6 (24) Rnd 7 – [dldec, 2dlc] x6 18) Rnd 8 – [dldec, dlc] x6 (12) Rnd 9 – [dldec] x6 (6) Rnd 10 – [dec] x 3 (3)

Fasten off, leave approx. 15cm of yarn to use to sew onto the head later. Lamb Head:

With light grey yarn

Rnd 1 – Magic ring with 6sc and tighten loop (6) Rnd 2 – [inc] x6 (12)

Rnd 3 – [inc, sc] x6 (18) Rnd 4 – [inc, 2sc] x6 (24)

Rnd 5 – [inc, 3sc] x6 (30) Rnd 6 – [inc, 4sc] x6 (36) Rnd 7 – [inc, 5sc] x6 (42) Rnd 8 – [inc, 6sc] x6 (48) Rnd 9 – Rnd 11 – sc in each st (48) 3 rows Rnd 12 – [inc, 7sc] x6 (54) Rnd 13 – Rnd 14 – sc in each st (54) 2 rows Rnd 15 – [inc, 8sc] x6 (60) Rnd 16 – sc in each st (60) Rnd 17 – [dec, 8sc] x6 (54) Rnd 18 – sc in each st (54) Rnd 19 – [dec, 7sc] x6 (48) Rnd 20 – sc in each st (48) Rnd 21 – [dec, 6sc] x6 (42) Rnd 22 – sc in each st (42) Rnd 23 – [dec, 5sc] x6 (36) Rnd 24 – Rnd 28 – sc in each st (36) 5 rows Rnd 29 – [dec, 4sc] x6 (30)

Fasten off and hide yarn inside of the head. Stuff the head firmly and leave until later. Lamb legs (make 2):

With light grey yarn

Rnd 1 – Magic ring with 6sc and tighten loop (6) Rnd 2 – [inc] x6 (12) Rnd 3 – [inc, sc] x6 (18) Rnd 4 – [inc, 2sc] x6 (24) Rnd 5 – Rnd 7 – sc in each st (24) 3 rows Rnd 8 – [inc, 3sc] x6 (30) Rnd 9 – Rnd 10 – sc in each st (30) 2 rows Rnd 11 – [dec, 3sc] x6 (24) Rnd 12 – sc in each st (24) Rnd 13 – [dec, 2sc] x6 (18) Rnd 14 – Rnd 28 – sc in each st (18) 15 rows

Fasten off, leave approx. 15cm of yarn to use to sew onto the body later. Stuff firmly. Lamb arms (make 2):

With light grey yarn

Rnd 1 – Magic ring with 6sc and tighten loop (6) Rnd 2 – [inc] x6 (12)

Rnd 3 – [inc, sc] x6 (18) Rnd 4 – [inc, 2sc] x6 (24)

Rnd 5 – Rnd 7 – sc in each st (24) 3 rows Rnd 8 – [dec, 2sc] x6 (18)

Rnd 9 – Rnd 18 – sc in each st (18) 10 rows

Fasten off, leave approx. 15cm of yarn to use to sew onto the body later. Stuff firmly. Lamb ears (make 2):

With light grey yarn

Rnd 1 – Magic ring with 6sc and tighten loop (6) Rnd 2 – sc in each st (6) Rnd 3 – [inc] x6 (12) Rnd 4 – sc in each st (12) Rnd 5 – [inc, sc] x6 (18) Rnd 6 – Rnd 7 – sc in each st (18) 2 rows Rnd 8 – [inc, 2sc] x6 (24) Rnd 9 – [inc, 3sc] x6 (30) Rnd 10 – [dec, 3sc] x6 (24) Rnd 11 – sc in each st (24) Rnd 12 – [dec, sc2] x6 (18) Rnd 13 – Rnd 14 – sc in each st (18) 2 rows Rnd 15 – [dec, sc1] x6 (12) Rnd 16 – sc in each st (12)

Fasten off, leave approx. 15cm of yarn to use to sew onto the body later. Stuff firmly. Lamb White Eyes (make 2):

With white yarn

Rnd 1 – Magic ring with 6sc and tighten loop (6) Rnd 2 – [inc] x6 (12)

Rnd 3 – Rnd 5 – sc in each st (12) 3 rows Fasten off and hide yarn inside of the eye. Lamb Grey Eye Lids (make 2):

With light grey yarn

Rnd 1 – Magic ring with 6sc and tighten loop (6) Rnd 2 – [inc] x6 (12)

Rnd 3 – [inc, sc] x6 (18)

Rnd 4 – Rnd 6 – sc in each st (18) 3 rows

Fasten off, leave approx. 15cm of yarn to use to sew the eyes together and then onto the head later.

Lamb Black Iris (make 2): With black yarn

Rnd 1 – Magic ring with 6sc and tighten loop (6)

If you look at the images, sew the eyes together securely before attaching them to the head. Sew the black iris so it just rests at the top of the eye and then stitch the grey lid over the top of the iris and the white of the eye.

1. Showing Rnd 9 of the

lamb body

2. Wrap the yarn around your

index finger twice. It will

look like you have 3 loops on

your finger.

3. Once you have inserted

your hook through the

indicated stitch, insert your

hook through all 3 loops on

your finger.

4. Pull or draw all 3 loops

through the stitch. Now you

will have 4 loops on your

hook

5. Yarn over the working

strand of yarn (this is the last

strand on your finger) and

pull through all the loops on

your hook.

6. The double loop stitch is

now complete.

7. Attach the legs using pins

to put in place.

8. If the legs are placed onto

the dlc part of the body it

allows the lamb to sit

comfortably on a shelf and

his legs can dangle.

9. Using the yarn left over

from each leg sew them

securely onto the body of the

lamb.

10. Do the same with the

arms, placing them a few

rows below the lamb’s neck.

11. Stuff the head firmly.

12. Pin the hair in place and

use the left over black yarn to

sew onto the opening of the

head.

13. The head should be

placed lengthways across the

body opening.

14. Pin securely so all the

body opening is pinned to the

head.

15. Using black yarn sew the

head onto the body so there

are no openings. Do not

fasten off yet.

16. With the left over yarn,

position the needle at the

back of his head and push

through to where one eye will

be.

17. Then make a small stitch

and push through to the back

of the head tightly make an

indent, repeat for the other

eye and fasten off.

18. Pin the ears at the side of

the head and sew into place.

19. Each eye uses three

crocheted sections, the grey

eye lid, the eye white and the

black iris.

20. Sew the black iris onto

the white and then cup the

eye lid over the white and iris

and sew together.

21. Pin the completed eyes

onto the face where the

indents were made and sew

on securely.

22. Using black yarn start

embroiding the nose 4 rows

above the magic loop.

23. Then sew through the

magic loop and through the

fourth row from the left.

24. Then pull the yarn across

to the right and fasten off.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this free amigurumi lamb pattern. Until next time, Happy Crocheting.