Rosie the Unicorn

Warning – this is one soft and fluffy little unicorn!!! And yes it is crocheted!!! 

How mad is that!!! 

Two unicorns and a teddy bear later with this Sirdar Alpine Yarn from the incredible Wool on the Exe shop in Exeter and I am still in shock with how soft it is. Serious softy heaven!!! And I have my daughter and the lovely Debbie at Wool on the Exe to thank for introducing it to me. 

Here’s the link to the amazing Wool on the Exe yarn shop if you fancy buying some of this incredible furry soft Sirdar Alpine yarn to make your Unicorn. They are seriously speedy with their deliveries! 

Here’s the link Wool on the Exe

Now, as with all my patterns, they are all here for you to enjoy. And in exchange for these patterns, I would be very grateful if you could give, however little, a donation to our chosen charity Child Bereavement UK. This is an incredible Charity, that was been close to our hearts for a few years now. I cannot imagine how important the work they do is to the families that help. So if you can, however small, donate to the charity, in exchange for my pattern, then I would be so grateful. Thank you. Here’s the link to the Just Giving Page

Now making this little bundle of fluff from this kind of yarn, is an interesting one, as it is a little on the tricky side. Only in the sense that you can’t really see where you are crocheting. You can to some extent, but not as easy as normal yarn. So here’s a little video on how to use this amazing yarn. 

https://youtube.com/watch?v=g5vKc-IHgtM%3Fversion%3D3%26rel%3D1%26showsearch%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26iv_load_policy%3D1%26fs%3D1%26hl%3Den-GB%26autohide%3D2%26wmode%3Dtransparent

Top tip for this project – count your stitches as you are making them in the round. It’s just another way of checking that you haven’t missed any stitches, as they are rather tricky to see. 

Level – Moderate (Only because, you really need to know where your stitches are by how it feels, as it is rather tricky to find them amongst the fluff! 

Supplies – 

Right then, so for this pattern I have used this fabulous Alpine faux fur yarn from Sirdar. It’s 100% polyester, which I don’t tend to work in, but by golly it’s soft. I have used 3 balls of wool for this unicorn, but as I usually say, it depends on how your tension is as to whether you need less or more. 

You will also need a ball of the double knit yarn for your mane and tail. I have used the Sublime Print yarn, but you can use whatever you fancy. 

And then a small amount of yellow/gold double knit yarn for your horn. Once again I have used the gorgeous sublime golden cashmere merino mix yarn. 

You will also need a pair of scissors, a blunt ended tapestry needle, yarn stitch marker, a 7mm crochet hook, a 4mm crochet hook, small piece of grey double knit yarn for the nostrils and eyebrows and some toy stuffing and some toy safety eyes and nose. 

Stitches –

Magic Ring (mr) – For a magic ring, make a loop with the yarn, leaving a tail. (Make sure the tail is under the working yarn.) Now insert your hook into the loop, from the front to the back. Wrap the working yarn around your hook and pull the yarn through and pull tight to create a ring.

Slip stitch (ss) – This is where there is no height to the stitch. It’s usually used to join rounds. So insert the hook into the front of the stitch you are joining to. This is usually the first stitch you made in that round/row. So yarn over hook and pull through that first stitch then also through the loop on your hook.

Double Crochet (dc) – Insert the hook through the stitch, front to back, then yarn over hook and pull back through stitch. You will have two loops on your hook. Then yarn over your hook and pull through both loops.

Double Crochet Decrease (2dctog) – This is where you crochet two stitches together to decrease the amount of stitches in the round. So insert the hook through the front of the first stitch only (the front V) and then insert again through the front of the second stitch (the front V). Now yarn over your hook and pull it back through both stitches, so you will then have 2 loops on your hook. Yarn over your hook again and pull through both loops. And there is your 2dctog. (Basically 2 double crochet stitches crocheted together.)

Abbreviations – 

Magic Ring – mr

Chain – ch

Slip Stitch – ss 

Double Crochet – dc 

Double Crochet Decrease – 2dctog

Ok so let’s go… 

Use your 7mm hook for the body, head, legs, arms, nose and ears. 

Use your 4mm hook for your horn, mane and tail. 

Body – 

1 – Start by making a magic ring. (Don’t forget there is a tutorial and a video on Magic Rings, if you are unsure.) Here’s the link to the video. 

https://youtube.com/watch?v=_tg0y4VoeTA%3Fversion%3D3%26rel%3D1%26showsearch%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26iv_load_policy%3D1%26fs%3D1%26hl%3Den-GB%26autohide%3D2%26wmode%3Dtransparent

Now ch1, then 6dc into the ring. Then pull the tail tight to create the first round. Now as I have explained in the video tutorial, you need to work 2 knots at this stage. This is to secure the mr as this yarn is so lovely and soft, it tends to come open a bit. (6)

2 – Now work *2dc into each stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (12)

3 – *1dc, then 2dc into next stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (18)

4 – *2dc, then 2dc into next stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (24)

5 – *3dc, then 2dc into the next stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (30)

6 – 7 (2 rounds) Work 1dc in each stitch. (30) 

8 – *3dc, then 2dctog.* (If you are unsure on how to work a 2dctog stitch – see tutorial above or you can also find it in the video tutorials. Work ** 6 times. (24)

9 – Work 1dc in each stitch. (24) 

10 – *2dc, then 2dctog.* Work ** 6 times. (18)

11 – 13 (3 rounds) 1dc in each stitch. (18)

14 – *1dc, then 2dctog.* Work ** 6 times. (12)

15 – 1dc in each stitch. (12) 

Ok, so now would be a good time to stuff your unicorn’s body. 

16 – Work *2dctog*. Work this ** 6 times. (6) 

17 – 1dc in each stitch. (6) 

Now ss into the next stitch and fasten off, leaving a tail. Use the tail to sew up the top of the body to make a nice flat little ledge for the head to sit on. 

Legs x 2 

1 – Make a magic ring, ch1, then work 8dc into the ring. Then pull the tail tight to create the first round. Don’t forget to work 2 knots so that the mr is secure. (8)

2 – 13 (12 rounds) Work 1dc in each stitch. (8) 

Now ss into the next stitch and fasten off, leaving a tail so that you can sew it onto the body. 

When you stuff your legs, stuff the feet with quite a lot of stuffing. This will give the feet a nice shape, then only put a little in the legs, to make them nice and squidgy and soft. 

Arms x 2 

1 – Make a magic ring, ch1, then 6dc into the ring. Then pull the tail tight to create the magic ring. Don’t forget to work 2 knots so that the mr is secure. (6)

2 – 14 (13 rounds) Work 1dc in each Stitch. (6)

Now ss into the next stitch and fasten off, leaving a tail so that you can sew it onto the body. 

When you stuff your arms, stuff the hands with quite a lot of stuffing. This will give the hands a nice shape, then only put a little in the arms, to make them nice and squidgy and soft. 

Head –

1 – Make a magic ring, ch1, then 6dc into the ring. Then pull the tail tight to create the first round. Don’t forget to work 2 knots so that the mr is secure. (6)

2 – *2dc into each stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (12)

3 – *1dc, then 2dc into the next stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (18)

4 – *2dc, then 2dc into the next stitch.* Work 6 times. (24)

5 – 7 (3 rounds) Work 1dc in each stitch. (24) 

8 – *2dc, then 2dctog.* Work ** 6 times. (18) 

9 – *1dc, then 2dctog.* Work ** 6 times. (12)

10 – *2dctog* Work ** 6 times. (6) 

Now you can stuff the head, then ss into the next stitch and fasten off, leaving a tail so that you can sew it up after you have attached the eyes. 

Nose –

1 – Make a magic ring, ch1, then 6dc into the ring. Then pull the tail tight to create the magic ring. Don’t forget to work 2 knots so that the mr is secure. (6)

2 – *2dc into each stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (12)

3 – 6 (4 rounds) Work 1dc in each stitch. (12) 

Now ss into the next stitch and fasten off, leaving a tail so that you can sew it onto the head. 

Ears x 2

1 – Make a magic ring, ch1, then 6dc into the ring. Then pull the tail tight to create the magic ring. Don’t forget to work 2 knots so that the mr is secure. (6)

2 – *2dc into each stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (12)

3 – Work 1dc in each stitch. (12) 

4 – *2dctog.* Work ** 6 times. (6)

5 – *2dctog.* Work ** 3 times. (3)

Now ss into the next stitch and fasten off, leaving a tail so that you can sew it onto the head. 

(Don’t stuff the ears!) 

Horn

(Remember to use your 4mm crochet hook and double knit yarn for the horn.)

1 – Make a slip knot and ch18. Now ss into a ring.

2 – 3 (2 rounds) Work 1dc in each stitch. (18)

4 – *4dc, then 2dctog.* Work 3 times. (15)

5 – *3dc, then 2dctog.* Work 3 times. (12)

6 – Work 1dc in each stitch. (12)

7 – *2dc, then 2dctog.* Work 3 times. (9)

8 – Work 1dc in each stitch. (9) 

9 – Work *1dc, 2dctog.* Work ** 3 times.  (6)

10 – Work *2dctog*. Work ** 3 times. (3) 

Now slip stitch and sew up the top so that it has a point and fasten off. Leave a long tail, so that you can sew on the horn to your unicorn’s head.

Sewing up – the fun part!! 

Ok, so now that you’ve got all your body parts, it’s time to sew it altogether. So basically for each body part, use the tail that you left, to stitch around the top of the body part on to the body. 

You just need to make sure that you work all the way around and fasten off your yarn securely by weaving it through the body and out the other side before cutting it off. The reason I do this is because the body stuffing will help it to be secure and not work it’s way free. 

Now I usually start with the legs, as they tend to be the hardest to align. Then I would do the arms next, this will give you a nice flat platform for the head to sit on. 

Now before you sew up the head and sew on the nose, you need to add the safety eyes. Now these can be quite tricky! But basically you need to make absolutely sure of the place you want them to be, as once they have been fitted, you can’t really get them off! So double, triple check!! So place the eyes where you want them and then turn the head slightly inside out to attach the back of the safety eye. It looks a bit like a washer. Now push the back of the safety eye on, with the dome part facing out. 

And secure it in place. Once you have both eyes secure you can then sew up the head. 

Now for the nose, put a little more stuffing in your nose and attach it to your head, sewing your way around the edges. And finally sewing on your ears and then the horn. Don’t forget to keep checking your alignment. 

Once your unicorn is sewn together, you can use your grey yarn and needle to sew on some eyebrows and 2 little nostrils. 

Now it’s time to work the mane and tail. You will need your 4mm crochet hook and DK yarn. So you can use whatever colours you like. 

Ok so attach your yarn and ch1.

Now work 29 more chain stitches, so you have 30 in total. (30)

Now work 2dc in the second ch from the hook. *Then work 2dc in each ch.* Repeat this ** back towards the head, down the side of the chain stitches. This will give you a nice springy spiral effect. 

Once you have worked all of your dc stitches into your chain and you are back at the head of the unicorn, ss into the stitch next to the base of your first chain. This will anchor your strand of mane to the head. Now repeat this process as many times as you like. Just remember the more you add the heavier the head will get. Once you are happy with your mane, fasten off by slip stitching back into the head and then fastening off the thread. Then use your tapestry needle to sew in the ends. 

Then use the same method for the tail, as you did with your mane. Just make sure you start in the right place, as otherwise your tail might look a little funny!! 

And there you have your finished Unicorn. 

Really hope you have enjoyed this pattern. Can’t wait to see all your amazing creations. Don’t forget to link me in to your amazing pics! 

If you have any questions or problems, please don’t hesitate to contact me!! 

Happy hooking!!

🌈Xx 

(Don’t forget that this pattern is brought to you from PipsRainbow, it has not been tech edited, but all attempts have been made to ensure it is correct and easy to follow. It is only to be used for personnel use only and not to be shared or used to create items for profit. Thank you.)

Continue Reading

Waiting Rooms

Well hello my lovely ones. How are we all? It’s a cold, wet and grim day here. Definitely a day that you need to stay in as much as possible. I’ve just managed a yoga class. I haven’t been in ages, so you can imagine that it definitely woke up some of my joints!! I have a funny feeling they won’t be happy later. Ouch! Oh well. Definitely important to keep the old dodgy joints ticking over. That’s always my excuse for crocheting and knitting so much – it keeps my hands warm and working!! Haha!!

How is everyone’s yarny projects going? I seem to have quite a lot of WIP’s at the minute. But really trying to finish some of them, so that I only have a few on the go at the same time. It’s definitely not a problem to have a few different ones on the go. I like to keep small, easy projects, that I can take with me for every eventuality. This is usually a pair of knitted socks. It’s so small, that it can fit in your pocket. So always have a pair on the go. Another slightly bigger project that goes with me, is my Around the World Cowl from the gorgeous yarn club from For the Love of Yarn. https://fortheloveofyarn.co.uk/

It’s 4ply yarn again and it’s at the beginning stages, so definitely one to fit in my bag on trips out. It’s coming along nicely and I hope to share the pattern soon.

I had one of those magical moments with it yesterday. It was actually the first time this has ever happened to me, which is a shame, but I am hoping it won’t be the last. I went to the hospital for my regular bloods and it was absolutely rammed. It’s usually only a waiting space of one corridor, but this stretched out to 3 corridors and 2 waiting rooms. Must remember, Monday is not a good day to go!! I did get a seat, so got myself comfy for a long wait with my Around the World Cowl happily being worked on my lap. But then there was an old couple that couldn’t sit together, so I jumped up to offer my seat. (As any normal human being would do!) But then as I roamed the corridors in hope of another seat, there she was. This lovely lady crocheting a blue flower blanket for one of her daughters! Well, the speed in which I sat down and started chatting, may have come across as a little alarming, but hey, I was a little bit excited and realised I wasn’t a crazy lady as soon as I got my crocheting out! In all my time of waiting rooms, I have never seen or sat by anyone crocheting! I am usually the one that gets the slightly funny looks or the questions as to what are you making. And how their gran used to crochet and they never learnt. So we wallowed away nearly an hour of yarny chatting before it was her turn to go in. It was so lovely. Her name was Ann and she’d been knitting for years, but learnt to crochet recently and even taught a couple of her friends too! She did put me to shame though. I had only got my small ball of wool with me and if I had been waiting much longer, I would have run out of crocheting. (Ekk, a shiver just ran down my spine!! Imagine that!) The lady on the other hand, had 3 other little balls of wool in her bag on the off chance that she might run out!! I felt very unprepared, which doesn’t come naturally to me. So in true Ann style, I think I may need to check myself in future and ensure that when you are out and about crocheting or knitting and definitely in a waiting room on a Monday, that – YOU DON’T RUN OUT OF WOOL!!

On other news, I have been having a little go on my sewing machine. I bought a box of canvas offcuts from Nu at Hide and Hammer. https://hideandhammer.co.uk/ She pops them on her website every so often, as she never throws anything away, it’s a great idea for others to use it. As some of you have seen I made these little pouches last week.

The iced bag one has been great attached to my drinks bottle for the gym. It houses my AirPod case and car keys. And phone too, if I’m not using it.

The mustard oil skin has housed my little The Yarn Badger Advent sock set that I am working on at the moment.

So I reckoning I could definitely make a few more. My son wants some for his lego and bits for when we go out. So that will be a little project. I am hoping to make myself a little knitted needle roll, which I have in the past made for my Mum. But I think my one might have to wait. Too many things to do. Too little time to do it! We shall see. I have invested in a little leather foot for my machine is great.

It’s so easy to go around corners and a great way to sew very near to an edge. Would highly recommend getting one for your own machine if you can. I bet you could use it for all sorts of things.

Well on that note I had better say my fair wells. I will be posting up the new Around the World Cowl pattern up for anyone that would like to make one. It’s a 5 stitch repeat, worked up in a circle. I am using 5 different colours each month from the Around the World Club from Lisa at For the Love of Yarn, but you can use any colour combo that you like.

I also have a little Easter crochet project coming out too! It’s another one of my Egglebert family! So hope you like the new addiction!

Anyways. Hope everyone has great days.
Happy hooking!
🌈 Xx

Continue Reading
1 2 3 20