Last year, I made our little munchkin Dirk the Dragon for her first birthday. She’s still not terribly into soft toys, but she knows and calls ‘Dirk’ by name, wears his scarf, and sometimes holds and pats him on the back the way we hold her. *squish*
I enjoyed making Dirk so much that I made a second matching one for munchkin’s cousin in Melbourne, and decided to make minis for our friends’ children as well.
There are a few patterns for Mini Lalylala mods out there, but the one whose proportions I liked the most was by samengehaakt. Using their pattern for Bina the Bear as a base, I developed mods to make a few more little Lalylala friends.
I’ll be sharing my minis, and their mods, where I can (a couple are awaiting approval from Ms Lalylala herself), so that you can make them if the mood so takes you.
To make a mini giraffe using the samengehaakt Mini Bina the Bear pattern, make the components as follows:
Stitches & Techniques
Using US notation.
- ch: chain
- sc: single crochet
- hdc: half double crochet
- dc: double crochet
- inc: increase
- magic circle/loop (left-handed video instructions, for right-handers YouTube or Google instructions that suit you – it took a few before I found one that I followed easily)
- slst: slip stitch
- sc2tog: single crochet two stitches together
- […]: repeat to the end of the round, or n times if indicated
- (…): crochet into the same stitch
Yarn
Scheepjes Stone Washed in:
- Beryl
- Moonstone
- Brown Agate
- Red Jasper
Head and Cap
As written.
Arms/Hands
As written, but with three rounds of accent colour at the cuff.
Ears
Make 2 in each of head and cap colour.
R1: ch 3, slst 1st in chain to make ring
R2: ch 2, hdc into ring, ch 1, hdc 2 into ring, ch 1, slst to top of first hdc, slst, ch 1
R3: (ch 2, hdc), (ch 1, hdc 2), [hdc 2, ch 1, hdc 2 into next st, ch 1] 2x, slst to top of first hdc, slst into next st, ch 1
Take round of one of each colour, wrong sides together and sc2tog all around using cap colour.
Horns
R1: sc 5 into a magic circle in accent colour (5)
R2: ch, inc 5, slst 1st
R3: ch, sc 10, slst 1st
R4: ch, dec 5, slst 1st, change to body colour
R5: ch, sc 5, slst 1st
R6: ch, sc 5, slst 1st
Legs
As written, in accent colour colour, changing to body colour after the foot decreases.
Body
As written.
Tail
R1: ch 7 in body colour
R2-3: ch 2, sc 7 from 3rd st from hook
R4: Long tail, sew into tube, change to accent colour
R5: slst into end of tube
R6: [ch 8, slst into end of tube] 3x
Spots
Large Spot
R1: sc 6 into a magic circle (6)
R2: [inc] (12)
Leave long tail
Small Spot
R1: sc 6 into a magic circle (6)
R2: [sc 2, inc] (9)
Leave long tail
Scarf
Make this after assembling. I knit this scarf instead of crochet.
1. Cast on 4
2. Knit in stockinette until total length almost 2x Lalylala height
3. Bind off
Notes
For the eyes I use 8 ply black yarn and do a few straight stitches into the same two points until the pupil is built up how I like it, fluffing the yarn up a bit as needed.