Hello! A friend of mine wanted me to make her a little lion for a her birthday however none of the patterns I found online or in my books looked quite how I pictured him in my head, so I decided to have a go at making one myself.
I'm pretty pleased with him! The legs, ears and body came together really easily, I had to try and couple of different things with the tail and head before I was happy with them. The nose is my first proper attempt at embroidering too.
here's the back view so you can see the tail! The only thing I'm not so pleased with is my stitching abilities! Some of the joins look quite lumpy, also my decreases aren't as neat as they should be!
(09/09/11) Right, well this is the first time I have ever written down a pattern so please let me know if there is anything you don't understand, or if you have found a mistake anywhere so I can try and put it right! Here goes!
Materials
4mm crochet hook
Approx 50g DK yarn for main Lion body ( I used Jarols Heritage brand in a nice tawny colour)
A small amount of white DK for muzzle
Small amount of black DK for embroidering nose
Small amount of brown DK for ears, mane and tail.
One pair brown safety eyes (or you could embroider them if it was for a child)
Long needle for sewing parts together
Your choice of stuffing (I used polyester fibre)
Head
Starting with white wool
Round one: Ch 2, 2c 6 into 2nd chain from hook (6)
Round two: 2sc in each st around (12)
Round three: 1sc in next st, 2sc in 2nd st, repeat around (18)
Round four: 1sc in next 2 st, 2sc in next st, repeat around (24)
Round five: 1sc in next 3 st, 2sc in next st, repeat around (30)
Switch to lion body colour
Rounds 6-9: Sc 30 around
Round 10: sc in first 3st, decrease over next 2st, repeat around (24) (I use the invisible decrease method)
Rounds 11-13 sc 24 around
Round 14: Sc in next 3st, 2sc in next st, repeat around (30)
Round 15: sc around
Round 16: Sc in next 4st, 2sc in next st, repeat around (36)
Rounds 17-20: sc around
Round 21: Sc in next 4st, Decrease over next 2st, repeat around (30)
Round 22: Sc in next 3st, decrease over next 2st, repeat around (24)
Round 23: Sc in next 2st, decrease over next 2st, repeat around (18)
About now you may want to insert you safety eyes if using and stuff firmly. Use your own judgement when placing the eyes, but I like to place them around about round 14ish.
Round 24: Sc in next st, decrease over next 2st, repeat around (12)
Round 25: Keep decreasing until the hole is closed! Leave a long tail of yarn for sewing on to body.
Body
Round one: Ch 2, sc 6 into 2nd chain from hook (6)
Round two: 2sc in each st around (12)
Round three: 1sc in next st, 2sc in 2nd st, repeat around (18)
Round four: 1sc in next 2 st, 2sc in next st, repeat around (24)
Round five: 1sc in next 3 st, 2sc in next st, repeat around (30)
Round six: 1 sc in next 4 st, 2sc in next st, repeat around (36)
Round seven: 1 sc in next 5 st, 2sc in next st, repeat around (42)
Round eight: 1 sc in next 6 st, 2sc in next st, repeat around (48)
Rounds nine-twenty five: sc 48 all around
Round twenty-six: 1sc in next 6st, decrease over the next 2 st, repeat around (42)
Round twenty-seven: 1sc in next 5st, decrease over the next 2 st, repeat around (36)
Round twenty-eight: 1sc in next 4st, decrease over the next 2 st, repeat around (30)
Round twenty-nine: 1sc in next 3st, decrease over the next 2 st, repeat around (24)
Round thirty: 1sc in next 2st, decrease over the next 2 st, repeat around (18)
Round thirty-one: Sc around (18)
Stuff firmly
Round thirty-two: 1sc in next st, decrease over the next 2 st, repeat around (12)
Round thirty-three: decrease until the hole is closed.
*Toes: To make a toe, HDC 5 in the same st. When you finish the 5th HDC, remove hook from loop (keeping it nice and loose so you can get back in again) and reinsert into the first HDC, insert hook back into loop you left empty and pull through the first HDC as if it were a slip stitch, then continue on as normal.
Front Feet (make two)
Round one: Ch2, sc 6 into 2nd ch from hk
Round two: 2sc in each sc around(12)
Round three: 1sc in next st, 2 sc in next st, repeat around (18)
Round four: In BLO (except for the toes), sc 4 (make toe* sc2) until you have 4 toes with 2sc's between, sc4 (18)
Round five: Sc 18 around. You should still have 18st after making the toes although as the toes take up a lot of space you may have to pull them to one side to find the stitches!
Round 6: Sc 7, dec 1 2 times around (16)
Round 7: Sc all around (16)
Round 8: Sc 6, dec 1 2 times around (14)
Round 9: Sc 5, dec 1, 2 times around (12)
Round 10-12: Sc around
Round 13: Sc 4, dec 1, 2 times around (10)
Stuff firmly
Round 14: Sc 3, dec 1, 2 times around (
Round 15: Sc2, dec 1, 2 times around (6)
FO leaving long tail of yarn for attaching to body
Back Legs (make 2)
Follow same instructions as front leg up until Round 8.
Rounds 9-10: Sc around (14)
Round 11: Sc in next 4st, 2sc in next 6 st, 4sc in next 4 st (20)
Rounds 12-14: Sc crochet all around
Round 15: Sc in next 3st, dec 1 4 times around (16)
Round 16: Sc in next 2st, dec 1, 4 times around (12)
Stuff firmly
Round 17: Sc in next st, dec 1, repeat 6 times around (6)
Decrease around until hole is closed, FO, leaving long tail for attaching to body
Ears (make 2)
Start with brown wool
Round 1: Ch2, Sc 4 into 2nd ch from hk (4)
Round 2: 2st in each sc all around (
Switch to lion body colour
Round 3: Sc 1 in next st, sc 2 into 2nd st, repeat around (12)
Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing on to head.
Tail (make 1)
For the tail, make 6 in a round using either the Ch2 method or magic circle, and then just keep going round and round not increasing or decreasing until you have a tail that is the length you desire! Do not stuff, to finish, pinch the ends of the tail together so the stitches lie on top of each other and sc them together to make a row of 3. Ch1 turn, sc 3 x 2 to make a sort of flat lip, then leave a long tail of yarn for sewing onto the body.
Assembly!
The way I generally do it is to attach the head to the body first
Then attach the back legs, these are attached with the toes facing upwards and the bump of the haunch facing upwards, pin them so they lie flat against the body and line up with the bottom of the body.
To attach the front legs I pinch together the tops and attach them slightly higher than halfway up the body on the front, but so the feet can touch the ground at the front and support the lion so he can sit upright.
Then the ears, equally spaced on the sides of the head behind the eyes.
Then the tail! Use the flat lip to attach to the base of the lion.
(bottom view)
Next comes adding the mane, add it just like you would add the tassels on a scarf, cut a piece of yarn to twice your required length, fold in half and hook the loop end under a stitch then pull the ends through the loop, pulling tight. I usually add the hair line first, starting with a kinda V shape at the top of the forehead and working back around the head. When I have added all of that I add some more in front of the ears so they are poking out of the mane, and then a bit more down the sides as well! Basically, it's up to you how long/short you want it or even what colours you want to make it!
Use the same method of adding "hair" to add a tuft to the tip of the tail.
Embroider on the nose...
And ROOOOAAAARRRRR! Your lion should now be complete!
I'd love to see any pics if any of you guys decide to use my pattern to make your own lion! Feel free to give them as gifts or even sell locally if you think they look good enough, but please don't sell them on Etsy as I plan on doing this myself :-)
