Yana Knits

Crocheting cute animals can be a lot of fun. I wanted to make little crocheted “friends” for my moose and thought that sheep would be appropriately cute. Besides, their heads and bodies are very similar in shape to the moose’s ones and I’m all about reusing elements in my projects. Now, if I were to make a giraffe, I would have to work a lot harder to come up with the correct measurements, but these little guys are a breeze to make. They’re also relatively small (the little sheep is only 7 inches long, the big one is 9).

Yarn and Crochet

I’m determined to clean up my yarn stash a little. I’m trying to use up a few leftover skeins of black and white Plymouth Bella Colour Yarn that I used for the soccer ball. Two little skeins (one white and one black) will be enough to make 2 sheep.

• Crochet size 6/4.0 mm (G)
• 1 skein of white Plymouth Bella Colour yarn
• 1 skein of black Plymouth Bella Colour yarn

Big Sheep

Unlike the moose, these sheep don’t require separate parts for the feet, which makes them a little easier to make.  Once you have the body and the head, you’re pretty much done – the ears and the tail are just a few stitches long, and the feet are crocheted directly from the body.

Body (White)

Chain 4, join with a slip stitch

• Round 1 (increase 4): sc2 into every stitch (=8 st total)
• Round 2 (increase 4): sc2 into every other stitch (=12 st total)
• Round 3 (increase 6): [sc1, sc2 into the next stitch] 6 times (=18 st total)
• Round 4 (increase 9): [sc1, sc2 into the next stitch] 9 times (=27 st total)
• Round 5: sc all stitches
• Round 6 (increase 9): [sc2, sc2 into the next stitch] 9 times (=36 st total)
• Round 7: sc all stitches
• Round 8 (increase 9): [sc3, sc2 into the next stitch] 9 times (=45 st total)
• Rounds 9-11: sc all stitches
• Round 12 (increase 3): [sc14, sc2 into the next stitch] 3 times (=48 st total)
• Rounds 13-15: sc all stitches
• Round 16 (reduce 3): [sc15, skip 1] 3 times (=45 st total)
• Rounds 17-18: sc all stitches
• Round 19 (reduce 3): [sc14, skip 1] 3 times (=42 st total)
• Rounds 20-21: sc all stitches
• Round 22 (reduce 3): [sc13, skip 1] 3 times (=39 st total)
• Round 23: sc all stitches
• Round 24 (reduce 3): [sc12, skip 1] 3 times (=36 st total)
• Round 25: sc all stitches
• Round 26 (reduce 3): [sc11, skip 1] 3 times (=33 st total)
• Round 27: sc all stitches
• Round 28 (reduce 3): [sc10, skip 1] 3 times (=30 st total)
• Round 29: sc all stitches
• Round 30 (reduce 6): [sc4, skip 1] 6 times (=24 st total)
• Round 31 (reduce 6): [sc3, skip 1] 6 times (=18 st total)

Stuff the body with fiberfill.

• Round 32 (reduce 6): [sc2, skip 1] 6 times (=12 st total)
• Round 33 (reduce 6): [sc1, skip 1] 6 times (=6 st total)
• Round 34 (reduce 2): [sc1, skip 1] 2 times (=4 st total)

Head (Black)

Chain 3, join with a slip stitch

• Round 1 (increase 3): sc2 into every stitch (=6 st total)
• Round 2 (increase 6): sc2 into every stitch (=12 st total)
• Round 3 (increase 6): sc2 into every other stitch (=18 st total)
• Round 4 (increase 6): [sc2, sc2 into the next stitch] 6 times (=24 st total)
• Round 5: sc all stitches
• Round 6 (increase 4): [sc5, sc2 into the next stitch] 4 times (=28 st total)
• Rounds 7-10: sc all stitches
• Round 11 (reduce 3): [sc8, skip 1] 3 times, sc1 (=25 st total)
• Round 12 (reduce 3): sc4, [skip 1, sc7] 3 times, sc4 (=22 st total)
• Round 13: sc all stitches
• Round 14 (reduce 3): [sc6, skip 1] 3 times, sc1 (=19 st total)
• Round 15: sc all stitches
• Round 16 (increase 2): sc2 into the same stitch, sc4, sc2 into the next stitch, sc13 (=21 st total)
• Round 17: sc all stitches
• Round 16 (increase 3): [sc2 into the same stitch, sc2] 2 times, sc2 into the next stitch, sc14 (=24 st total)
• Round 19: sc all stitches
• Round 20 (reduce 3): [sc7, skip 1] 3 times (=21 st total)
• Round 21 (reduce 3): sc3, [skip 1, sc6] 3 times, sc3 (=18 st total)

Stuff the head with fiberfill.

• Round 22 (reduce 3): [sc5, skip 1] 3 times (=15 st total)
• Round 23 (reduce 3): sc2, [skip 1, sc4] 3 times, sc4 (=12 st total)
• Round 24 (reduce 6): [sc1, skip 1] 6 times (=6 st total)
• Round 25 (reduce 3): [sc1, skip 1] 3 times (=3 st total)

I like using buttons for the eyes. Sew them on the head where you think appropriate. “Peel and stick” type eyes work equally as well.

Feet (Black)

Pick up and single crochet 12 stitches where the feet should go on the bottom of the body.

• Rounds 1-5: sc all stitches. Fill the foot in with fiberfill
• Round 6 (reduce 4): [skip 1, sc2] 4 times. Put some more fiberfill into the foot.
• Round 7 (reduce 2): [skip 1, sc2] 2 times

Ears (Black)

Chain 5, turn, and double crochet 4 remaining stitches. Make 2 ears. Attach to the head.

Tail (White)

Chain 5, turn, and single crochet 4 remaining stitches. Attach to the back of the body.

Downloadable PDF of the little sheep is coming soon. Stay tuned.