Crochet Toys · Free Patterns

You, Me and the ABCs : Crochet ABC Toys : J is for Jellyfish

If you are a crocheter and have a baby or toddler, play room or nursery, and love organization and helping your child learn – this post is for you!  I am posting new patterns for each letter many times per week so keep checking back.

Want a fun way to use your scraps? Want to make a lot of little projects/toys that are great for little ones? Want to custom a special piece for a wee one? – and then end with one big finale? This project is for you! (And you can skip the big finale if it’s not for you and still have all the little toys and ABCs.)

I have compiled the first letters of this event in a convenient downloadable PDF if you prefer to print them out and have them all in one place.  And my printable paid patterns contain a lot more photo tutorials to help you if you need.  You can find the letters A-F HERE ON MY ETSY.

This project was in my head as I was designing all of these letters and I’m so excited to get this started! Won’t you join me? Here is the latest new pattern to go with the others already linked.  If you prefer to shop on Ravelry for your patterns I also have the entire alphabet PDF over there.

You can begin by deciding what colors you want to use for your letters – I’ll be using them all! – and make up the alphabet  or save this post and wait for the end and make it all at once.

I’m gonna give you some options at the end to make the final part right for you/your space.  Here are some of the previous toys so make sure to check out THE ORIGINAL POST to link hop to them all.

 

I will using some of the patterns that I’ve already made for this ABC project and you will see those linked below at the end of this post.  You can go ahead and get started today! I can’t wait to share this with you. I’m planning on at least a weekly update, but I’m going to shoot for two per week. I’m gonna try.

So, join me. Save this post. Let’s get started!

WOW! Some crazy, scary and tumultuous times we are in right now in the midst of Covid-10 and isolation 2020.  I hope you are all being safe and staying healthy and spending extra time loving your family at home.  I also hope you are able to find some extra crochet time to relax.  Bundle up in some of cute sweatshirts!  Visit my affiliate below for ordering options. They are offering free shipping over $75 and they have the cutest “wash your paws” design.  

Inkopious - Animal Inspired Clothing

UPDATE: J is for Jellyfish: April 3, 2020

For most all of these projects I encourage you to dig in your stash.  Use some scrap yarns when you can  I’ll also be using stuffing, crinkle paper, rattle boxes, squeaker toy inserts, and safety eyes in some of these patterns.  All patterns listed have/will have a full material list.

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.

I want to say thank you for all who stop by to support my patterns and my blog.  I have chosen to NOT do ads on my blog (with the exception of my affiliate links) and offer FREE patterns, but please – if you love my patterns and want to say a little thank you- or just have some good small business karma support points- a purchase now and then or a visit to any of my affiliate links really helps.  It keeps this blog going so I can continue to offer free patterns for all to enjoy.  I also purchase a pattern now and then or visit an affiliate link from my favorite blogs and designers.  Thank you

I have compiled the first letters of this event in a convenient downloadable PDF if you prefer to print them out and have them all in one place.  You can find the letters A-F HERE ON MY ETSY.

I will be doing a second downable set including G-M once they are all finished.

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, 2020. 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.

Pin this post and come back for all of the A-Z toys!

 

Stitch Legend:

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

HDC Inc: increase in HDC

DC Inc: increase in DC

DC: double crochet


Jellyfish:

4/4.5/5mm hook *use the one appropriate to your materials. I have used all 3 in these examples. For the Caron Soft (pink), I used a 4mm and the aqua example is a Caron Cake scrap that I’ve used my 5mm hook for. Use any 4-ply worsted weight yarn. This is a great scrap yarn project – it’s also a great teething toy project if you use some cotton yarn.

I’ve attached a wooden teething ring to two of these examples and inserted rattle boxes in them all.

This is a modification to my squeeze ball octopus pattern, but I have taken some inspiration from a large jellyfish pattern that I worked previously from another pattern in how I inserted and tied the tentacles.

This pattern starts at the top of the head and works down.

To make the little top loops you will need to leave a very long tail to start – about 2 feet at least.

Ch 2 (you can also use a magic ring if that is your preferred method of starting a circle or amigurumi).   I leave a tail and crochet over my tail for the first two rounds and then pull my tail tight. It closes up any gap.

Round 1: 6 sc in second chain from hook (6)

Round 2: 2 sc in each stitch around (12) (Starting in the first sc make 2 sc in that stitch and in each stitch around. (12) *Still work over the starting tail. After getting done with all 12 sc for that round, pull the starting tail to cinch up the opening. You can now trim that tail or weave it in or just leave it if it will be on the inside of your work.)

Round 3: *1 sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc** repeat around (18)

Round 4: *1 sc in next two sc, 2 sc in next sc** repeat around (24)

Rounds 5-14: For the next rounds you will work straight with no increases. I did 10 rounds with no increases.

Stop here and make the top loops on the top of the head. If you are doing that pull the tail from the inside to the outside of your work.

HearthSong

My top loops are just a series of different length chains from a chain of about 6-8 to one of about 10-14. Make two or three loops by chaining up, slip stitching to first round, chain up again a different number, slip stitch, etc.

Round 15a: FRONT LOOP ONLY [2sc, 2hdc, (2dc)2, 2hdc, 2sc] repeat 3x more. Pull your working loop up a bit but don’t end off. *embroider eyes now.

Round 15b: Pick your working loop back up and work the inside BACK LOOP unworked stitches. (24)

Round 16: (1 sc in next 2 stitches, inv dec over the next two stitches) repeat around (18)

Round 17: (1 sc in next stitches, inv dec over the next two stitches) repeat around (12)

Round 18: sc in each stitch around (12) – finish off with a long tail (about 2 feet)

Tentacles:

Start by making a circle (repeat rounds 1-4 as above for the head/body) – finish off with a long tail (about 2 feet)

The tentacles are all completely random – the more different ones and textures the better. You can do simple chains, sc, hdc, dc and then to make them “squiggly” add more than one stitch per chain. For example, chain 16. 2 hdc in each chain. OR Chain 24. (Sc, 2sc)* repeat OR Chain 18. (Sc, hdc, 2dc)* repeat. OR Chain 24. Sc, skip 1, sc etc. Make as many or as few as you want in assorted colors. This is similar to what you should have now:

The next step is to take all the tails from each tentacle and pull it through the circle. Once they are pulled through, tie. Tie again and tie again. Tie several times for safety. (you don’t want baby pulling out these random tentacles) I have also added a big dab of glue – you can use hot glue or fabric glue – and wadded up all the ends. These all get cinched up inside the body of the jellyfish. Use your embroidery needle and weave it in and out of the outer loops of the circle and cinch it up like a sack. Pull the needle in and out to secure. Trim the tentacle strands as needed, but leave the long tail from the circle.

Thread the long tail from the circle into your embroidery needle insert this tentacle part into the upper body. You may want to add some poly to the top of the body first, then the tentacle body and a rattle box if desired. Pull the long tail all the way out the top of the head. Sew the bottom of the body closed using the long tail from the main body and pull that tail all the way up and out of the top of the head. You can tie these two long tails together and make some more head loops or run them back through the body again to trim. You can also use these two long tails to crochet a teething ring onto the jellyfish.

 

XOXO, Kristi

 

I realized after I started this project that I would never be able to update every new post with every new link – once I got down to the end of the alphabet, I would have to update about 20 post with all the links to all the new patters – So, I will be keeping THIS ORIGINAL POST updated with all the new links for all of the new toys.  <3

In addition to the alphabet patterns, below you will find a list of toys that will be linked right here starting now. *these are not set in stone and I may decide to switch them as I work if I am inspired in a different direction. So, pin or save this post and come back and follow along with me or subscribe to my blog and get email updates when I make a new post.


Ball – for the ball toys in this project, I refer you to this post to make one – or many – crochet balls using your scrap yarns.  The more textures the better.  You can also add rattle boxes, squeakers, stress balls as filler and more.

Bunny – I have made a few bunnies in the past and  I will be making another version of my Clover the Baby Bunny Pattern

Dinosaur – here on my blog you will find an entire Dinosaur Family.  For this ABC event, I will be making a different version of Scrappy.  He’s the perfect size and uses up some assorted scrap yarns.  If you want a different option, Baby Pea is also a nice small size and also Pinky the Dezzy Inspired DRAGON is a good choice for D is for Dragon.

Eye – I will be using the eyeball pattern from my Halloween Bag of Balls for this project, but if you find it too weird or spooky for a baby let me know and I’m sure I can whip up a different one.  This one would be super cute with some crinkle paper inside.  *Also, when you visit this post there is a Zombie ball that would make a cute Z word  and I will most likely be altering the colors on this Zombie ball and making a few additions to do a Ninja toy for N.

Goat – here on my blog you will find Ginger the Goat in my Farm Series.  She is a bit large for this project so she will get a few modifications to be a bit smaller.  Feel free to make her if you want a larger goat.

Lamb– another make from my Farm Series is Lonny the Lamb.  Lonny is a  nice, small size so I will be using this pattern here for the  Lamb, but will switch up the colors I’m sure. Maybe bright? Maybe a girl?

Octopus – in my opinion this octopus squeeze ball is the perfect baby toy when made from cotton so this is the pattern that I will be using right here.  I like to use 100% cotton and the stress/squeeze balls on the inside of the head and it makes these the perfect baby toy with teether capabilities.  And they are so quick to make you can make a handful.

 

Will you be joining in the fun? I’d love for you to make all of this with me, but if not pick a few and make it with me.

I’d love to see all your work or catch up with your progress so connect with me over on IG @theburgundybasket

#youandmeabccrochet

 

XOXO,

Kristi

(Visited 273 times, 1 visits today)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *