I just finished my daughter’s Christmas gift and would like to publish the pattern on the blog for Thanksgiving. If you’re interested in testing the pattern, please join my Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/875538646117910/. Lately I’ve been working with Bernat blanket yarn quite a bit, and this pattern is a pillow shaped like a ranch dressing bottle. The pillow is crocheted using Bernat Blanket Yarn, and the vegetables that embellish the label are crocheted with worsted weight yarn. This would make a fun gift for that family member who dips everything they eat in ranch dressing. Every family has one!
Ranch Dressing Pillow crocheted with Bernat Blanket Yarn
How were the holidays for you? Hopefully your fingers survived the crafting frenzy of the last days before Christmas.
We had a great time at the Ferrel house. Everyone came over for a tamalada – a San Antonio holiday tradition where everyone gets together to form an assembly line to make tamales for Christmas dinner. My in-laws in San Antonio along with extended family from Mexico were here for a day of eating and exchanging gifts followed by playing the Saran wrap game. This year I was proud that my gift was the most popular in the white elephant exchange – Beer Mug Hat.
Last weekend I made the drive to Houston to have Christmas with daughter #2 and her family. My grandson made us a lasagna for dinner, and it was so good, I went back for seconds. I don’t like to eat so much when I have a 3-hour drive ahead of me, but it was too good to pass up.
Now that festivities are done and the new year is already 10 days old, it’s time to turn my attention to this year’s goals. I have been working diligently on my next crochet book with the expected publication date in late February. Testers are in place for many of the designs, but I will be posting several more this month. If you are interested in testing crochet patterns, please join my Facebook group at My Fingers Fly.
Baby Eagle Plush Toy Crochet Pattern
In honor of Save the Eagles Day, this week’s free pattern is a baby eagle plush toy.
While sitting in my back yard last summer, an eagle landed in an oak tree. Since then, I have been obsessed with eagles and could not get this design out of my mind. Finally it happened! Now you can make your own baby eagle stuffed animal. Crochet a couple for a patriotic wreath, make some for the children in your family, or change the color of yarn to craft a different breed of baby bird. When working with fuzzy yarn or eyelash yarn, use the back side of the stitches as the right side of the work.
Skill level: Easy
Finished eagle measures approximately: 7″ tall.
Materials needed:
Yarn Bee Cloud 9 (or Bernat Pipsqueak) yarn ½ oz. gray or white
Yellow or tan sport yarn 2 yards
Crochet hook size G (4.00 mm)
Yarn needle
Polyfil
2 black safety eyes 8 mm
Stitch markers are highly recommended for this type of yarn.
Directions:
HEAD AND BODY:
Rnd 1: With gray or white yarn and G hook, ch 2 (or magic circle), 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook. Do not join. Work in continuous rnds throughout.
Rnd 2: 2 sc in each sc around (12 sc).
Rnd 3: *Sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc,* repeat around (18 sc).
Rnd 4: *Sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc,* repeat around (24 sc).
Rnds 5-8: Sc in each st. Insert safety eyes at Rnd 5. If making for a baby, use double strand of black to make French knots for the eyes.
Rnd 9: *Dec, sc in next 6 sts,* repeat twice (21 sc).
Rnd 10: Sc in each st.
Rnd 11: *Dec, sc in next 5 sts,* repeat twice (18 sc).
Rnds 12-15: Sc in each st. Stuff head and neck firmly.
Rnd 15: *Sc in next 5 sts, 2 sc in next st,* repeat twice (21 sc).
Rnd 16: *Sc in next 6 sts, 2 sc in next st,* repeat twice (24 sc).
Rnd 17: Sc in each st.
Rnd 18: *Sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st,* repeat around (30 sc).
Rnd 19: Sc in each st.
Rnd 20: *Sc in next 4 sts, 2 sc in next st,* repeat around (36 sc).
Rnd 21: *Sc in next 5 sts, 2 sc in next st,* repeat around (42 sc).
Rnds 22-31: Sc in each st.
Rnd 32: *Dec, sc in next 5 sts,* repeat around (36 sc).
Rnd 33: *Dec, sc in next 4 sts,* repeat around (30 sc).
Rnd 34: *Dec, sc in next 3 sts,* repeat around (24 sc).
Rnd 35: *Dec, sc in next 2 sts,* repeat around (18 sc). Stuff firmly.
Rnd 36: *Dec, sc in next st,* repeat around (12 sc).
Rnd 37: Dec around (6 sc). Join with sl st. Fasten off leaving 6” length. Sew opening closed.
BEAK:
Rnd 1: With tan or yellow sport yarn, ch 2 (or magic circle), 3 sc in 2nd ch. Do not join. Work in continuous rounds throughout.
Rnd 2: 2 sc in first st, sc in next 2 sts (4 sc).
Rnd 3: 2 sc in first st, sc in next 3 sts (5 sc).
Rnd 4: 2 sc in first st, sc in next 4 sts (6 sc).
Rnd 5: *2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts,* repeat once (8 sc).
Rnd 6: Sc in each st. Join with sl st. Fasten off leaving 9” length. Lay beak flat and sew closed. Sew to face below eyes.
WINGS: (Make 2)
Row 1: With gray (or white) yarn, ch 8, hdc in 2nd ch and in next 6 chs. (7 hdc).
Row 2: Ch 1, turn, 2 hdc in first st, hdc in remaining sts (8 hdc).
Row 3: Ch 1, turn, hdc in each st with 2 hdc in last st (9 hdc). Fasten off leaving 12” length. Sew to sides at Rnd 21 with longer edge toward the front. Weave in all ends.
Horny toads are again gaining in popularity. Thanks to Texas Hill Country, people are once again discovering my horny toad crochet patterns. Patterns for plush toy, hat, and coin purse are available at My Fingers Fly. Kindle and paperback versions of the book containing all three patterns are available on Amazon.
Please share your horny toad makes on my Instagram. Follow me to keep up to date on new releases and coupon codes.
There are still a few 2020 Crochet Calendars available. Get one free (while supplies last) when you spend $15.00 in my Etsy shop. Each calendar contains a new kitchen crochet pattern each month, along with a 25% off coupon valid on patterns and ebooks through 12/31/2020.
