Crochet: Beegu

As I have probably mentioned before, Bug's favourite colour is yellow.  Yellow yellow yellow.  She'd happily wear top to toe yellow day and night if she could. Perhaps not surprisingly she hit upon Beegu as a favourite book character some time ago. She's read the book numerous times and even dressed as Beegu for World Book Day last year (yellow tights on the head, anyone?).  She's been asking for a soft Beegu for a while so I thought, what the hey I will give it a go.

So here it is, my first big project in crochet and my first original pattern.

I'm still not totally happy with it, the muzzle in particular I think would have been better had it been a single piece with the head, but I need to do a lot more fiddling about to learn how to make more complex 3D shapes.  What I am proud of, is the appearance of this Beegu on Alexis Deacon's blog! Even more than that, the Bug is totally in love with her (I'm assured Beegu is female, which did surprise me for some reason). Also Little My is desperate for a blue version, and now we have Alexis Deacon's permission, I need to get some blue yarn and start on 'Boogle'.

So here's the pattern.  US crochet terms as that is how I learned, and unexpectedly even when I learned the UK ones, I thought the US ones were more logical so I'm sticking with them.  I haven't read too many patterns so to explain: when I say magic circle 6 I mean a magic circle of 6 single chain stitches; when I say repeat 6 I mean repeat the bit between the *s 6 times; the numbers in the brackets are how many stitches you have at the end of that row.  Everything is worked in a spiral, so don't start a new row, just use a marker like a tiny bit of other colour yarn so you don't actually have to keep counting!

Also, I weighted the feet, ears and bottom, so that she sits nicely.  You can buy some polybeads that work well for this purpose (NB not polystyrene, but the polypropylene I assume.  If you search for weighted blanket filling you'll find the right ones).  I sewed some little cotton pockets for them and then just put them in the relevant parts.  Mostly I kept the stuffing to a minimum, just stuffing the head and muzzle full, so that Beegu is nice and cuddly and floppy. I used plain black eyes with a little circle of white round them.  These were simple magic circles of 6.

Body

magic circle 6

Row 1: 2 sc in each sc (12)

Row 2: *sc 1, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 6 (18)

Row 3: *sc 2, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 6 (24)

Row 4: *sc 3, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 6 (30)

Row 5: *sc 4, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 6 (36)

Row 6: *sc 5, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 6 (42)

Row 7: *sc 6, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 6 (48)

Row 8: *sc 7, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 6 (54)

Row 9: *sc 8, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 6 (60)

Row 10: *sc 9, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 6 (66)

Row 11: *sc 10, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 6 (72)

Row 12: *sc 11, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 6 (78)

Row 13 - 37 (25 rows): sc 78

Row 38: *sc 11, dec 1* repeat 6 (72)

Row 39 - 41 (3 rows): sc 72

Row 42: *sc 10, dec 1* repeat 6 (66)

Row 43 - 45 (3 rows): sc 66

Row 46: *sc 9, dec 1* repeat 6 (60)

Row 47 - 49 (3 rows): sc 60

Row 50: *sc 8, dec 1* repeat 6 (54)

Row 51: sc 54
Row 52: *sc 7, dec 1* repeat 6 (48)
Row 53: sc 48

Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing on the head.

Head - note that at some point when making the head you need to attach the eyes, and stuff it!
(ed - for an improved pattern for head+muzzle please see Boogle-Jinni)

magic circle 6

Row 1: 2 sc in each sc (12)

Row 2: *sc 1, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 6 (18)

Row 3: *sc 2, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 6 (24)

Row 4: *sc 3, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 6 (30)

Row 5: *sc 4, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 6 (36)

Row 6: *sc 5, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 6 (42)

Row 7: *sc 6, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 6 (48)

Row 8: *sc 7, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 6 (54)

Row 9: *sc 8, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 6 (60)

Row 10: *sc 9, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 6 (66)

Row 11: *sc 10, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 6 (72)

Row 12: *sc 11, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 6 (78)

Row 13 - 27 (15 rows): sc 78

Row 28: *sc 11, dec 1* repeat 6 (72)

Row 29: *sc 10, dec 1* repeat 6 (66)

Row 30: *sc 9, dec 1* repeat 6 (60)

Row 31: *sc 8, dec 1* repeat 6 (54)

Row 32: *sc 7, dec 1* repeat 6 (48)

break somewhere around here to attach eyes and stuff almost to the top

Row 33: *sc 6, dec 1* repeat 6 (42)

Row 34: *sc 5, dec 1* repeat 6 (36)

Row 35: *sc 4, dec 1* repeat 6 (30)

Row 36: *sc 3, dec 1* repeat 6 (24)

finish stuffing

Row 37: *sc 2, dec 1* repeat 6 (18)

Row 38: *sc 1, dec 1* repeat 6 (12)

Row 39: dec 1, repeat 6 (6)

Fasten off.

Muzzle - this is the bit I wasn't too happy with.  I wish this had actually been a part of the head shape.

magic circle 5

Row 1: 2 sc in each sc (10)

Row 2: *sc 1, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 5 (15)

Row 3: *sc 2, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 5 (20)

Row 4: *sc 3, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 5 (25)

Row 5: *sc 4, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 5 (30)

Row 6: sc 12, *sc 5, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 3 (33)

Row 7: sc 12, *sc 6, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 3 (36)

Row 8: sc 12, *sc 7, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 3 (39)

Row 9: sc 12, *sc 8, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 3 (42)

Row 10: sc 12, *sc 9, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 3 (45)

Row 11 - 13 (3 rows): sc 45

Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing on to the head.

Legs (make 2!) - this is a confusing pattern to read.  If you keep in mind that you are making a sole of a foot to start with, starting with a chain then working along one side and then back again to form an oval shape, it might make more sense!

ch 6

Row 1: sc in 2nd chain from hook. sc 3, 3 sc in last sc

then turn and the following is in the same foundation chain stitches:

sc 3, 4 sc in the first sc (14 stitches in oval)

Row 2: {sc 4, *2 sc in next sc* repeat 3} repeat 2 (20)

Row 3: {sc 4, *sc 1, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 3} repeat 2 (26)

Row 4: {sc 4, *sc 2, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 3} repeat 2 (32)

Row 5: {sc 4, *sc 3, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 3} repeat 2 (38)

Row 6 - 9 (4 rows): sc 38

Row 10: sc 4, *sc 3, dec 1* repeat 3, sc 19 (35)

Row 11: sc 4, *sc 2, dec 1* repeat 3, sc 19 (32)

Row 12: sc 4, *sc 1, dec 1* repeat 3, sc 19 (29)

Row 13: sc 3, dec 1, sc 1, dec 1, sc 1, dec 1, sc 18 (26)

Row 14 - 34 (20 rows): sc 26

Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing on to the body.

Arms (make 2!)

Magic circle 7

Row 1: 2 sc in each sc (14)

Row 2: *sc 1, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 7 (21)

Row 3 - 23 (30 rows): sc 21

Fasten off, leaving a long tail to sew on to body

Ears (make 2!)

magic circle 6

Row 1: 2 sc in each sc (12)

Row 2: sc 12

Row 3: *sc 1, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 6 (18)

Row 4: sc 18

Row 5: *sc 2, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 6 (24)

Row 6: sc 24

Row 7: *sc 3, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 6 (30)

Row 8: sc 30

Row 9: *sc 3, dec 1* repeat 6 (24)

Row 10 - 13 (4 rows): sc 24

Row 14: *sc 2, dec 1* repeat 6 (18)

Row 15 - 135 (120 rows): sc 18

Fasten off, leaving a long tail to sew on to head.

Phew! Put in the weights and stuff, then sew it all together and voila!