I have had so much fun already this year! If you are following my IG, FB or here you know that I am making my head dreams come alive! I have been wanting to make a whole series of farm animals for a very long time! They have been coming to life right here and I couldn’t be happier with them. **Next up is Peaches the Pig coming soon in a day or two so check back for her.
Concurrently, on my Facebook page – also called The Burgundy Basket – I am running a year-long A-Z challenge where the people on my page are making suggestions for the letters of the alphabet to challenge me!! And some have absolutely been a challenge.
When I posted the letter “D” and Dinosaur was suggested, I felt a little giddy inside my heart!! I love dinosaur patterns. I have made a few patterns from others, but since this is the year I am trying to break out as a designer myself, I decided that I was going to make a family of dinosaurs and what better way to start the family than with a little! So, I took a mini break from the farm to go back to prehistoric times.
Meet Violet the Lady Dino. She can be very serious, but very fun! She requires a little more time to make than Pea the Little Dino but she’s larger with more details. She does require one full cake of Bernat Pop! yarn plus one colorway of another cake. All of my materials are listed. You can also find a fully printable PDF with tons of extra tips, more photo tutorials and ideas on Etsy right HERE.
Let me start with my materials so you can make your Lady Violet. I’ll note all the materials I have used and then you can decide how to make it work for you.
This post does contain affiliate links. I will get a small percentage from any purchase made through my page here, but your price remains the same. I appreciate any purchase made through my page as I can continue to offer free patterns here on my blog. These are a few of my favorite things and what I have used for this pattern.
Materials:
You can get exactly the products I used through my affiliate links.
For Lady Violet, I used approximately ONE WHOLE CAKE PLUS 1 COLORWAY OF A SECOND CAKE of BERNAT POP! #4 yarn in Violet Vision (280 yds/256m) – FULL DISCLOSURE – I intended this pattern to be one cake, but you will need one more colorway of a second cake to finish if you do as the pattern calls for. I used one of the pink colorways from BERNAT POP! #4 yarn in Scarlet Sizzle for the legs and then added a little of this color to the tummy patch. **If You are making Baby Pea you can easily blend some of the mint from Baby Pea into the mama pattern and still only need to buy two cakes. But, try to incorporate the baby colors elsewhere in the mama to blend them well – for example, maybe make her wings and ear and feet pads with some of baby peas colors. Baby Pea’s colorway and Mama Violet’s go well together.
**** A note on using Cake Yarns. If you are new to amigurumi or using cake yarns, I thought this tip would be important. You want to read the pattern (or look at my pictures) and note which body parts you want in which color from your cake. As you get to those colors on your cake you probably want to make small parts FIRST. So, say, I finished off my body and wanted that next color to be the outer ear or the nose or the top tail section – or all of those – make those small parts FIRST – this ensures you get that little piece made in the color you want before moving onto a larger section. You want to try to plan if you want your finished dino to have matching legs, ears, etc. If you see my example, I wanted Baby Pea to have scales in each of the colors so I made sure to make those as well.
-Hooks: G, H and I were used. Unless noted otherwise, I have used my G hook. You will see a note when I use my H/I. These are the hooks I use everyday and when working amigurumi they are a hand saver!
-Safety Eyes or buttons (or yarn to embroider if you choose) and needle to embroider face. I’ve used large pink ones for Violet.
-Pipe cleaner that matches one of your colorways to add to the wings for support. You will want the trim of the wings to be about the same color as your pipe cleaner. This is optional, but the wings won’t spread out on their own – also, the wings can be eliminated entirely if this is a baby gift for safety.
-Stuffing. I have used Poly-Fill brand stuffing, but feel free to use what you prefer.
– I don’t use Stitch markers, but if you do you will want those to keep track of your rounds. As a “free” stitch marker you can loop a bright colored piece of scrap yarn through your stitch to act as a marker – then just pull it out when you get back around to it and move it up one row. Easy marker!
This all-in-one-crochet kit is perfect if you want to start crocheting amigurumi and don’t have all you need yet. I ordered this as a gift and it comes with all you see. It has ergonomic hooks, needles, stitch markers and comes in this great case. This is a really nice set! I have opened it and looked at everything. So, if you are on a budget and can’t quite justify the Clover hooks try these instead.
This pattern is intended for personal use only. This pattern -and all my patterns- are offered for free or a small fee to help support my family so please do not redistribute, sell, copy or use them in any way not in accordance with fairness.
You may sell products made from this pattern, but please give me credit as the designer. Please do not use my photos as your own work, but you may use my photos to reference back to my blog, Etsy, Pinterest, IG or FB, but please link back to me.
If you find any problems with this pattern please let me know and if you have any problems with any of it feel free to message me and ask for support.
Kristi Bergin-Smith and The Burgundy Basket, 2019. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to me, Kristi Bergin-Smith and The Burgundy Basket with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
This is a simplified pattern – a chart with the numbers – you need to have knowledge of crochet amigurumi and how to do rounds and increases to read. If you do it will be pretty straight forward. If not, I do have a cheat sheet I am happy to email to anyone – find me over on my FB page – The Burgundy Basket – and let me know you need my cheat sheet for increasing/decreasing.
Stitches Used:
Chain: Ch
Single Crochet: SC
Inc Sc: make two single crochet stitches in the same stitch as indicated
Invisible Decrease: inv. dec. – this is an invisible single crochet decrease
Hdc: half double crochet
DC: double crochet
Tr: treble crochet (wrap twice)
Dtr: double treble crochet (wrap 3 times)
Picot: chain 3 and slip stitch into the bottom of your chain 3 or where your chain 3 started – either is fine.
I start my work with a chain 2 and then sc in second chain from hook, but you can also start with a magic ring if you prefer that start. I crochet over my long starting tail for round 1 and 2 and then pull that tail tight – this cinches up your start and closes the little hole.
This pattern starts at the top of the head and goes into body without breaking off your yarn. It finishes off under the body.
Head/Body: (G hook): Lady Violet is worked from the TOP down.
| Row/Round | Stitch Count/Number |
| 1 | 6 |
| 2 | 12 |
| 3 | 18 |
| 4 | 24 |
| 5 | 30 |
| 6 | 36 |
| 7 | 42 |
| 8 | 48 I sewed my ears on here between rounds 8-10 |
| 9 | 54 |
| 10-14 | 54 – Place safety eyes if you are using them between rounds 12-13
I chose to use white to help make part of the eye. If you want to do this instead of using just the safety eyes do this:
Chain 6. In second chain from hook make 2sc and make 2sc in each of the rest of the chains. You will get a little semi-circle (see photo)
|
| 15 | 48 |
| 16 | 42 |
| 17 | 36 |
| 18 | 36 |
| 19 | 30 |
| 20 | 24 *stuff as needed. |
| 21 | 24 |
| 22 | 30 |
| 23 | 36 |
| 24-25 | 36 |
| 26 | 42 |
| 27-30 | 42 |
| 31 | 48 |
| 32-34 | 48 |
| 35 | 54 |
| 36-37 | 54 |
| 38 | 60 |
| 39 | 66 |
| 40 | 72 |
| 41-45 | 72 |
| 46 | 66 |
| 47 | 60 |
| 48 | 54 |
| 49 | 48 |
| 50 | 42 |
| 51 | 36 |
| 52 | 30 |
| 53 | 24 |
| 54 | 18 |
| 55 | 12 |
| 56 | 12 *I often choose to not do a final decrease to 6 and then sew. I will often do this final round with 12 sc (one sc in each stitch) and leave a long tail to weave in and out and pull shut. I find this way looks neater on the close. |
Horn: the horn is also worked in the rounds and increases a little different so I will note that here:
Start like the rest – chain 2 and sc in second chain from hook and then make 3 more sc for a total of 4.
Round 2: 4sc
Round 3: sc, 2sc, sc, 2sc (6)
Round 4: 6 sc
Round 5: sc, 2sc, sc, 2sc, sc, 2sc (9)
Round 6: 9 sc
Round 7: sc, sc, 2sc, sc, sc, 2sc, sc, sc, 2sc (12)
Round 8: 12 sc FO and leave a long tail to sew.
Stuff lightly. Pin in place and make sure it is right where you want it before sewing.
I wanted Lady Violet to have eye lids so this is how I did those:
Chain 2.
Sc 8 in the 2nd chain from hook
***this next part is worked in a continuous spiral and will transition this stating circle into more of an oval – so, I am going to write this part like you work the stitches. Work continuously around without thinking in “rounds” (how to read this part: 2sc means make 2 single crochet in the same space. Sc 2 means make 2 single crochet over the next two stitches)
Continuing from our starting circle:
2sc
Sc 1
Sc 1
2sc
2sc
Sc 1
Sc 1
2sc *those above will be worked in your first 8 single crochet. It should be 12 single crochet
2sc
Sc 4
2sc
2sc
Sc 4
2sc *that will be 16 worked in the previous 12
FO with tail to sew. Fold in half and stretch around eye and make the eyelid come down to the white part if you did that.
Feet/Legs (make two):
| Row/Round | Stitch Count/Number |
| 1 | 6 |
| 2 | 12 |
| 3 | 18 |
| 4 | 24 |
| 5 | 30 |
| 6-11 | 30 |
| 12 | 24 |
| 13 | 24 |
| 14 | 18 |
| 15-18 | 18 *FO leave long tail to sew |
Arms (make two):
| Row/Round | Stitch Count/Number |
| 1 | 6 |
| 2 | 12 |
| 3 | 18 |
| 4 | 24 *I changed color after this |
| 5 in BLO | 24 |
| 6-9 | 24 |
| 10 | 18 |
| 11 | 12 |
| 12-21 | 12 *FO but leave long tail to sew |
Ears: make 2 each. You will need 2 in each color – inner and outer ear. It’s the same pattern, but you do the inner ear with your G hook and the outer ear with your H hook and DO NOT Finish Off WHEN YOU ARE DONE WITH THE OUTER EAR
| Row/Round | Stitch Count/Number |
| 1 | 6 |
| 2 | 12 |
| 3 | 18 |
| 4 | 24 |
When you get done with the outer ear, hold the wrong sides together and sc around both pieces; thereby, single crocheting them together. FO with a long tail and then sew the bottom few stitches together to crimp them a little
Nose: The nose is worked in rounds, but we are starting with a chain that we work on both sides of to make an oval.
Chain 11.
In 2nd chain from hook make 2sc. Then sc 8 down the chain and make 3sc in last chain. Work on opposite side of chain. 8 sc down chain and 1 sc in the last stitch with the first two starting sc. This is round 1.
Round 2: ***this next part is worked in a continuous spiral so do not join and do not chain up just keep going
Sc3 in next stitch, 10 sc down chain, sc3 in next stitch (this should be the middle crochet of the 3sc from the round below)
Round 3: ***this next part is worked in a continuous spiral so do not join and do not chain up just keep going
1 sc, sc3, 12 sc, sc3 ,11 sc, (30)
Rounds 4-6 around worked with no increases and in a continuous spiral (30 each round – or 90 single crochet)
FO with tail to sew.
The nostrils are simply a ch 2 with 6 sc in 2nd chain from hook and sew on.
Wings:
The wings use the treble crochet stitch and the double treble stitch. These stitches are worked similar to a double crochet, but for a treble you wrap twice and for a double treble you wrap 3 times.
Chain 35
In the 5th chain from the hook work dtr *the first four chains count as a double treble stitch
Now work this along the chain:
3 dtr
3 tr
3 dc
3 hdc
5 sc
3 hdc
3 dc
3 tr
4 dtr
Chain 4 and turn work. You will repeat the exact same sequence above back across the chain TWICE – this time and once more.
For the border I worked a single crochet in each space evenly around and on the two sides I put 3 in each dtr space and 1 between the two stitches in the space (see photos) On the sc in the space between dtr stitches I worked a picot at the on this stitch. (the photos will help with this.)
***This is very important. This is yarn. If you want your wings to keep an open lifted shape you need to support them in some manner. I chose to use a pipe cleaner in a color that matched my border yarn. (see photos above) – just crochet over the pipe cleaner.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT IF THIS IS FOR A BABY OR SMALL CHILD THAT YOU DO NOT USE A PIPE CLEANER OR INCLUDE A WARNING NOTE. You can choose to not do the wings at all or another option might be to make the wings where they can button onto the body. Just use your best judgement.
Tail:
Make 2 pieces.
Chain 2. Sc in 2nd chain from hook. Chain 1 and turn
3sc. Chain 1 and turn
Inc sc, sc 3, inc sc (5) Chain 1 and turn
Inc sc, sc 5, inc sc (7) Chain 1 and turn
Inc sc, sc 7, inc sc (9) Chain 1 and turn
Inc sc, sc 9, inc sc (11) Chain 1 and turn
Inc sc, sc 11, inc sc (13) Chain 1 and turn
Inc sc, sc 13, inc sc (15) Chain 1 and turn
Inc sc, sc 5, inc sc (17) Chain 1 and turn
Sc 17
Hold two pieces together AFTER weaving in your ends and join the two with a sc around. On the point of the tail work this: sc, hdc, dc, picot, hdc, sc.
When you get to the horizontal you want to leave 5 stitches open in the middle ON EACH TRIANGLE because we are going from triangles to a tube and lightly stuffing. (see photos)
After you get your tube started with 5 stitches on each side continue working up with 10 sc around. This will start to form a tube. Keep working straight up in rows and stuff as needed. In my example, I have 18 rows and then I did an increase on the last two rows of 2 sc in each stitch around (20) and then (1sc, 2sc) around for 30. This gives you a better anchor for sewing and is cute. Lightly stuff and sew.
And that’s all! I hope you love making her as much as I did. Please tag me on IG with all your finished dinosaurs @theburgundybasket #violettheladydino
