Bean Bag Owl

Inspiration

I just love owls.  Who doesn’t?  I designed this little amigurumi beanie Owl for my son’s nursery.  I decided to stuff it with bean bag beans (details below), but it could be stuffed with regular batting or any other stuffing you want!  I’ve put quite detailed assembly instructions below, as I find that the proper assembly is really what makes an amigurumi critter look great!

Pattern has been updated to include a video with full assembly instructions.  Even a beginner-level crocheter could make this project in a few hours!

Materials

• Worsted weight yarn of your choice – I used Bernat Super Value
• 4mm crochet hook
• 2 x 9mm safety eyes
• Tapestry needle
• Stuffing material: batting OR bean bag filler + fabric closely matching main colour

Stitches

(click here for a good instruction guide for basic stitches)

• ch – chain
• sl st – slip stitch
• sc – single crochet
• sc2tog – single crochet 2 stitches together
• hdc – half double crochet
• dc – double crochet
• tr – treble crochet
• magic loop (instructions here)

Pattern

General note: after the first round, the pieces are worked in a continuous fashion – you do not need to sl st at the end of each round.  Because of this, I recommend using a stitch marker to keep track of where the current round started, in case you lose count during a round.

Body:
Round 1: 6 sc into magic loop, sl st into first stitch
Round 2: 2 sc in each st around (12 st)
Round 3: *2 sc in next st, sc in next st* repeat until end of round (18 st)
Round 4: *2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 st* repeat until end of round (24 st)
Round 5: *2 sc in next st, sc in next 3 st* repeat until end of round (30 st)
Round 6: *2 sc in next st, sc in next 4 st* repeat until end of round (36 st)
Round 7: sc in each st until end of round (36 st)
Rounds 8-16: repeat Round 7
Round 17: *2 sc in next st, sc in next 6 st, sc2tog twice, sc in next 6 st, 2 sc in next st* repeat 1 more time (36 st)… for extra help on this round, see section at the bottom of the pattern
Rounds 18-21: repeat Round 17
sl st into first st of the round
Fasten off, leaving a long tail (you will sc this opening closed after stuffing)

Belly:
Round 1: 6 sc into magic loop, sl st into first stitch
Round 2: 2 sc in each st around (12 st)
Round 3: *2 sc in next st, sc in next st* repeat until end of round (18 st)
Round 4: *2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 st* repeat until end of round (24 st)
Round 5: *2 sc in next st, sc in next 3 st* repeat until end of round (30 st)
Round 6: *2 sc in next st, sc in next 4 st* repeat until end of round (36 st)
Round 7: *2 sc in next st, sc in next 5 st* repeat until end of round (42 st)
sl st into first st of the round
Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing

Eyes: (make 2)
Start with central eye color
Round 1: 6 sc into magic loop, sl st into first stitch
Round 2: 2 sc in each st around (12 st)
Switch colors to outer eye color via a sl st into next st
Round 3: Working in the back loops only, *2 sc in next st, sc in next st* repeat until end of round (18 st)
sl st into first st of the round
Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing
Using eyelash color, join yarn anywhere along edge of eye, do 9 sc and fasten off

Here is the instruction: Round 17: *2 sc in next st, sc in next 6 st, sc2tog twice, sc in next 6 st, 2 sc in next st* repeat 1 more time (36 st)

Basically, you are keeping the number of stitches the same (36). If you flatten the work, you will have 18 st in the ‘front’ and 18 in the ‘back’.  You want to build up the ears on the 2 sides and cinch in the middle of the front and back.  This will make the ear shape get taller and the body be nice and round.

Think of breaking the 36 st down to 4 groups of 9.  Think of each group of 9 stitches as having an ‘ear side’ (at the sides of the flattened round) and a ‘middle side’ which is in the middle of the front or back.  You want to increase (2 sc in on st) on the ‘ear side’ and decrease (sc2tog) on the ‘middle side’ in each group of 9.

In the pattern you are starting at an ‘ear side’, so you do: 2 sc in next st, 6 sc, sc2tog.  It takes the 9 st and you end up with 9 again, but you’re changing the distribution of the stitches.

 

Body shape before Row 17

Close up of the decrease (sc2tog) on the “middle side” of the first 9 st

For the next 9 st, you start with the ‘middle side’, so you do: sc2tog, 6 sc, 2 sc in next st.

Then repeat along the back!

Repeat this 4 more times for a total of 5 rows, which creates a small seam in the middle of the front and back, and creates tall ear shapes.

Finished, unstuffed body, finishes on an “ear side”

Assembly

Video Instructions:

I’ve made a video to show the assembly instructions, please feel free to use it!  If you’d rather not, there are assembly instructions with pictures below the video for you to use.  I find assembly to be the most critical step for amigurumi projects like this – doing it properly will help you be as satisfied as possible with the end result!

Written Instructions

First, stuff the body.  Since I used poly pellets, I added fabric to ensure no pellets sneak through the yarn, because that can be a choking hazard and also messy!  I simply placed a piece of fabric into the owl, filled with the pellets and sewed the opening shut with a needle and thread.  I followed the contour of the top opening.  I like to pack as many beads in as I can to make it heavy like a bean bag, but it’s totally up to you!  If using batting, simply stuff it to your desired firmness.

Then, simply take the tail and sc across the top opening and weave in the end.  The “front” of the body should be the side with the sc’s facing forwards.