Crochet: Baby Beegu

Those of you that have known or followed me for a while will know of The Bug's obsession with Beegu by Alexis Deacon. She has loved this book since she was tiny, and I'm sure it informed her choice of yellow as her favourite colour. Well age has not wearied, nor the years condemned her love, and shortly before Christmas she informed me that she thought that her soft Beegu's tummy was getting a bit fatter, and that perhaps Beegu was going to have a baby!  There was a little discussion of the parentage, and it emerged that Boogle-Jinni was the father of this baby. I asked when the baby might be born (not being fully aware of the usual pregnancy length of yellow aliens) and it was revealed that the baby was due on Christmas day!
Thankfully this gave me a few weeks to get to work, and sure enough, on Christmas morning there was a special parcel under the Christmas tree, labeled Beegu (sorry this photo is not a good one, there was a lot of jumping around involved).

Baby Beegu has been named Beeyana. She is just about half the size of Beegu, and her pattern is below (as usual I've used American crochet nomenclature, and I use little polybeads to weight the legs, arms, bottom and ears).

Teachers! I've had a huge number of requests for knitted/crocheted Beegus over the last 18 months. If you want to make a little Beegu for your class I suggest this pattern, it's so much quicker to put together.

Head (including muzzle) -
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 6, *sc 2, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 3 (18)

Row 4: sc 6, *sc 3, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 3 (21)

Row 5: sc 6, *sc 4, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 3 (24)

Rows 6 and 7: sc 24

Row 8: sc 2, *3 sc in next sc* repeat 2, sc 2, *sc 5, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 3 (31)

Row 9: sc, 2 sc in next sc, sc 6, 2 sc in next sc, sc, *sc 6, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 3 (36)

Row 10 - 14 (5 rows): sc 36

Row 15: *sc 4, sc2tog* repeat 6 (30)
Row 16: sc 30

break here to attach eyes and stuff almost to the top

Row 17: *sc 3, sc2tog* repeat 6 (24)
Row 18: sc 24

Row 19: *sc 2, sc2tog* repeat 6 (18)

Row 20: *sc, sc2tog* repeat 6 (12)

finish stuffing
Row 21: sc2tog repeat 6 (6)

Fasten off and weave in end.

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 - 18 (13 rows): sc 36

Row 19: *sc 4, sc2tog* repeat 6 (30)

Rows 20 and 21: sc 30

Row 22: *sc 3, sc2tog* repeat 6 (24)

Rows 23 and 24: sc 24

Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing on 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 5

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

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

sc 2, 2 sc in the first sc. slst to first sc (10 stitches in oval)

Row 2: {sc 2, *2 sc in next sc* repeat 3} repeat 2 (16)

Row 3: {sc 2, *sc 1, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 3} repeat 2 (22)

Rows 4 and 5: sc 22

Row 6: sc 2, *sc 1, sc2tog* repeat 3, sc 11 (19)

Row 7: sc 2, sc2tog repeat 3, sc 11 (17)

Row 8: sc2tog, sc 3, sc2tog. sc 11 (15)

Rows 9 - 18 (10 rows): sc 15

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

Arms (make 2!)

Magic circle 5

Row 1: 2 sc in each sc (10)

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

Rows 3 - 17 (15 rows): sc 15

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)

Rows 4 and 5: sc 18

Row 6: *sc 1, sc2tog* repeat 6 (12)

Row 7: sc 12

Row 8: *sc 2, sc2tog* repeat 3 (9)

Row 9 - 68 (60 rows): sc 9

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