Mini Nature Spirits: Tree, Mermaid, Centaur and Fire: this pattern contains the

modifications to the mini Free Spirit pattern to create these Nature Spirits.

Nature Spirits

baw 3-2-2010

Some fun modifications to the Mini Free Spirit pattern to make Nature Spirits, fantasy characters from your imagination.

Ears:

some fantastical ears for Elves, Mermaids, Centaurs and other Nature Spirits

Materials:
-Worsted Yarn -Size 8 perle cotton for bead crochet -Variety of glass beads that will string on the perle cotton -Fingernail polish, to stffen the end of the perle cotton for stringing beads.

Design by Beth Webber

3-4-2010

Stitches:
Half-trc = yo hook three times, insert hook into next stitch, yo, pull through two loops on hook, yo, pull through three loops on hook. Picot = ch2, sl st in top of the last st made

Elf Ears:
Join with sc around a sc post at the side of the head, dc around next post, 2 half-trc, trc around the same post, picot in top of the trc, ch3, sc around the same post. Finish off leaving a long strand to shape ear and stitch eyebrows. for the opposite side, sc around post at side of head, ch5, slst in second ch from hook, (trc, two half-trc, dc) around the same post, sc around next post. Finish off leavingt a long strand to shape ear and stitch eyebrows.

Design by Beth Webber

3-4-2010

Mermaid Ears:
Picot = ch2, sc in second ch from hook Join with sl st around a sc post at the side of the head, ch5, sc in second ch from hook (dc, picot)four times around the same post, ch2, sc around the same post, finish off, leaving a long tail to shape the ears. To embelish with glass beads, string forty or so beads on the perle cotton, and with a C hook and the back of the ear facing you, (sc, pull up a bead) across the top of the ears. Beads lay best on the 'wrong' side of the work, or that side facing away from you.

Centaur Ears (might also make cute cat ears): No good picture available.
Picot = ch3, sl st in top of the cluster just made For the left ear, join with a single crochet around a sc post on round five on top of the head, ch3. Design by Beth Webber 3-4-2010

Around the next post work a 2trc cluster leaving three loops on the hook (don't work the very last yo for this), around the next post work a 2trc cluster and finish by pulling yarn through all the loops on the hook. Picot in the top of the cluster, ch3, sc around the next post. Finish off leaving a long tail For the right ear, join with a single crochet around a sc post on round two at the top of the head, then repeat as for the left ear.

Design by Beth Webber

3-4-2010

Eye Surrounds (these take the place of eyewhites)

Materials:
-Size 8 perle cotton in desired colors -Size 9 steel hook

Almond shaped Eyes (may be white or any color)

1: Ch6, join to form a ring. Work 12 sc in the ring, join, ch1. 12 sc 2: Sc in first sc, two sc in next sc, hdc in next sc, 2dc in next sc, (dc next two sts tog, picot, dc next two sts tog), 2dc in next sc, hdc in next sc, 2sc in next sc, sc in the last sc, join. Finish off 3: With brown perle 12, join in back loop of first sc and work (sl st, ch1) in the back loop of each stitch around, working (sl st, ch3, sl st) in the picot stitch. Fasten off leaving a long tail to sew the eyewhite to the face.

Design by Beth Webber

3-4-2010

Star Shaped Eyes:

Picot = ch2, sl st in the top of the decrease made 1: Ch6, join to form a ring, Work 15 sc in the ring, join, ch3 2: Trc dec over the next two sc, picot, ch3, sl st in the same st (Trc dec over the next three sc, picot, ch3, sl st in the same st) four times, finish off leaving a long tail to sew the eye surround to the face. Small seed beads can be hand sewn at the points of the star after the eyes have been fixed to the face and the eye surround stitched down

Large ovals (for the mermaid): These are from the book 'Crochet Bouquet' and are the Off Center
Round flowers,found on page 27, and made in three colors.

Design by Beth Webber

3-4-2010

Design by Beth Webber

3-4-2010

Mermaid Tail:
Materials:
-Twilleys Goldfingering crochet thread (this looks like a size 3 crochet cotton, so a light sportweight yarn could be substituted. However, the Goldfingering gives a shimmery, fishscale look to the tail). - Size C hook -Pellets for stuffing dolls (gives weight to the tail) -Light knit fabric (and old nylon or t-shirt/underwear knit will work) for bag for pellets -Size 8 perle cotton and various glass beads, if desired, to trim waist where the tail joins -Size 9 steel crochet hook, if added beaded trim -Assorted glass beads -Nail polish, to stiffen the end of the perle cotton so you can thread beads onto it. To turn a min Free Spirit into a Mermaid, you want to make the body without legs. So, for the body, ch11, sc in the second ch from the hook and each ch. At the end of the ch, work sc along the opposite side of the chain. You now have 20 sc, with 10 sc on each side of the beginning ch. Do not join and continue the body the same as the torso instructions for the mini Free Spirit with this one change...work round 3 in the Back Loops Only. These loops will be used to attach the Meremaid tail.

Mermaids Tail:
Note: decreases for the tail are made by skipping a pair of (sc,dc) stitches in the rounds indicated. Stagger these skipped stitches from round to round so they do not fall on top of one another. Make a small bag of the light knit fabric and fill with 2 teaspoons of stuffing pellets. Close end. This is the only stuffing the tail will have, and it mainly weights the tail so it will drape. Do not stuff up by the body, you want the tail to flex where the body and tail join so she can sit demurly on a rocky promentory by the sea. 1: With the body upside down, join the Goldfingering yarn in a free loop at the center back of the doll body (sc in first free loop, two sc in the next free loop) around, join to the first sc, ch1, turn. 30 sc 2: Working in the front loops only, sc in each sc around, join, ch1, turn. 30 sc 3: Working in both loops (for the rest of the tail), (sc in the first st, dc in the next st) around, ch1, turn. 30 sts 4: (Sc in the next dc, dc in the next sc) around. Join, ch1, turn. 30 sts. 5. (Sc in next dc, dc in next sc) around, skipping a (sc, dc) pair at some point on this round. Join to the top of the first sc, ch1, turn. 28 stitches 6: Sc in next dc, dc in next sc around. Do not decrease this row. 28 stitches 7. Repeat round 5. 26 stitches 8: Repeat round 6. 26 stitches 9. Repeat round 5. 24 stitches 10: Repeat round 6: 24 stitches 11. Repeat round 5. 22 stitches 12. Repeat round 6. 22 stitches Design by Beth Webber 3-4-2010

13. Repeat round 5. 20 stitches. 14-15. Repeat round 6. 20 stitches 16. Repeat round 5. 18 stitches. 17-18. Repeat round 6. 18 stitches 19. Repeat round 5. 16 stitches. Insert pellet bag into tail at this point. If it appears you have too many pellets, open the bag and remove some. Remember, you want the tail to be flexible. 20. Repeat round 5. 14 stitches 21. Repeat round 5. 12 stitches 22. Repeat round 5. 10 stitches 23. Repeat round 5. 8 stitches. 24: Repeat round 5: 6 stitches Begin tail fluke: 25. Work 3dc in each stitch around, join to top of first dc. Do not turn. 18 dc 26. Work 2dc in each stitch around, join to top of first dc. Do not turn. 36 dc 27. Repeat round 26. 72 dc 28. (sc, ch1) in each dc around. Join to top of first sc. Fasten off. For beaded trim around the body/tail join, thread at least 30 beads, either a random assortment or size 8 to 10 seed beads, onto the perle cotton.. With the tail facing you, join the beaded thread with a sl st to the center back free loop of round two of the tail. Use a size C hook and work sc, pull up a bead, around. Remember, the beads fall naturally to the side of the work facing away from you.

Design by Beth Webber

3-4-2010

Centaur Body
Materials:
-Worsted yarn in horse body color -Size E crochet hook -Fiberfill To turn a min Free Spirit into a Centaur, you want to make the body without legs. So, for the body, ch11, sc in the second ch from the hook and each ch. At the end of the ch, work sc along the opposite side of the chain. You now have 20 sc, with 10 sc on each side of the beginning ch. Do not join and continue the body the same as the torso instructions for the mini Free Spirit .

Centaur Body:
Leave a long tail at the beginning to sew the Centaur body to the body of the doll. 1: Ch25, sc in second ch from hook and each ch across, join to the first sc. Work the remaining rounds without joining. 2: Sc in ea sc around (24 sc) Design by Beth Webber 3-4-2010

3: Sc in next 14 sc, (sc in next st, two sc in next st) five times, sl st in next sc, turn. 4: Skip the sl st, sc in next 15 sc, sl st in next sc, turn. This area is the chest. 5: Skip the sl st, sc in next 15 sc, sl st in next sc (will be on the previous row) turn. 6: Repeat row 5 7: Repeat row 5, add one sc to chest. 8: Repeat row 7. 9: Skip the sl st, sc in next 17 sc, sc in next eight sc (25 sc) 10: Sc in ea sc working one decrease on back (24 sc) 11: (Sc in next three sc, two sc in next sc) around (30 sc) 12-14: Sc in ea sc around working one decrease on back for each round (29 sc, 28 sc, 27 sc) 15-16: Sc in each sc around (27 sc) 17-20: Sc in each sc around working one decrease on belly for each round (26 sc, 25 sc, 24 sc, 23 sc) 21: Sc in each sc around with on increase on rump (24 sc) 22: Sc in each sc around (24 sc) 23: (Sc in next two sc, decrease in next two sc) around (18 sc). 24: (Decrease in next two sts) around (9 sc). 25: Decrease to close opening; fasten off. Stuff the body firmly, but not so firm that the stuffing shows between the stitches.

Front Leg (make two) :

Row 1: With hoof color ch2, six sc in second ch from hook (6 sc) 2: Two sc in each sc around. Join to back loop of next sc (12 sc) 3: Working in back loops, sc in each sc around, join (12 sc) 4: Working in both loops, ( sc in next st, decrease in next two sts) around, Fasten off (8 sc) 5: Join leg color with sc, sc in each sc around. Continue working in rounds and do not join. 6-11: Sc in each sc around. 12: Hdc in next two sc, hdc cluster in next sc, hdc in next sc, hdc cluster in next sc, hdc in last three sc. 13: (Sc in next three sts, two sc in next st) twice (10 sc) 14: Sc in each sc around (10 sc) 15: (Sc in next four sc, two sc in next) twice (12 sc) 16: Sc in next three sc, hdc in next five sc, sc in next three sc, sl st in last st. Fasten off.

Back Leg (make two) :

Row 1-11: Work same as front leg. 12: Sc in each sc around 13: Two sc in next two sc, sc in next six sc (10 sc) 14: (Decrease in next two sc) twice, sc in next two sc, two sc in next two sc, sc in next two sc (10 sc) 15: Decrease in next two sc, sc in next three sc, two sc in next sc, sc in next four sc (10 sc) 16: Sc in next four sc, two sc in next two sc, sc in last four sc (12 sc) 17: Sc in each sc around, faste off. Before attaching legs to body, stitch inside of front legs together and inside of back legs together, then stitch to body.

Design by Beth Webber

3-4-2010

Place the legs on the body ( I find it easiest to hold them in place with a T-pin on the under side of the body where the legs are joined together. Stitch the legs to the body: I like to use a ladder stitch, but any stitch you are comfortable with will work.

Design by Beth Webber

3-4-2010