Helpful owl

Hello everybody,
Today I would like to share with you one very special owl I made for my little daughter.
We have got the same problem every day. When I’m trying to style her hair I never have enough or the right hair clips handy. They are always all over the place. So I came up with this hair clip holder. I’m secretly hopping my daughter will be more motivated to clip them on the owl before she takes them off. It would make life so much easier for me every morning.

Owl Clip holder - pattern

Size: The owl on the picture is around 11cm (4,4”) in diameter, cca 12cm(4,8”) high, the ribbon cca 45cm (18”).

You need: 

Acrylic yarn or cotton of your choice (I used cca 50 grams of darker grey, grey, pink and white) 

Crochet hook E/3,5mm

Needle 

Around 1 m (40”) off pink/silver ribbon

Around 20cm (8”) off white ribbon

2 bigger black buttons with two holes for eyes

15cm x 15cm (6”x6”) cardboard

Glue (I used decoupage glue)

A few more buttons and beads to finish decorating the owl

Terms/Abbreviations: I used US terminology

ch           chain 

slst          slip stitch

sc            single crochet

hdc          half double crochet

dc           double crochet

2dctog.    2 dc’s crochet together 

3dctog.    3 dc’s crochet together

tr            treble crochet

st            stitch 

**           repeat

The Owls body

It is worked in circular crochet method, beginning at centre. Slst. join at end of each round. Don’t turn, but continue in same direction until instructed otherwise.

Round 1: White yarn

Begin with magic ring, ch3 (count as dc), 15dc’s into the ring. (16dc’s). Do not turn.

Round 2: White yarn

Ch3 (count as dc), dc into same st., 2dc’c into every next st. (32dc’s). Do not turn.

Round 3: Pink yarn

Ch3 (count as dc) – 2dctog. in same st., dc in next st., *3dctog. in next st., dc in next st.* around. (16-3dctog./16 dc’s). Do not turn.

Round 4: Grey yarn

Ch3 (count as dc), dc into same st., 2dc’c into every next st. (64dc’s). Do not turn.

Round 5: Grey yarn 

This row increase evenly 11 dc’s (roughly every 6th dc). (75dc’s). Do not turn. Do not cut the yarn.

Round 6: Grey yarn 

Ch4 (count as tr), tr in next st., dc in next st., dc in next st., hdc in next st., sc in next 10 st., hdc in next st., dc in next st., dc in next st., tr in next st., tr in last st. (20 stitches). Turn now!!!

Round 7: Grey yarn 

Ch3 (counts as dc), dc in next 2 st., hdc in next st., sc in next 3 st., slst. in next 6 st., sc in next 3 st., hdc in next st., dc in next 3 st., (20 stitches).

Round 8: Dark Grey yarn

I used a (crab stitch ) all around the owl as you can see on the pictures. You can find the tutorial on Youtube.

White eyes: Make 2

Begin with a magic ring, ch3 (count as dc), 15dc’s into the ring. (16dc’s).

Tiny flower: Pink yarn

Begin with a magic ring, *ch3 – 2dctog. – ch3 – slst. into the ring*, repeat 3 more times (4 tiny petals).

Beak/nose: Dark Grey yarn

Ch5, 4 tr into 5th ch from the hook. (5tr).

Bigger flower on the end of the ribbon - Work in the rounds as follows:

Round 1: Pink yarn

Ch 4 (counts as 1 dc, ch 1), * 1 dc into ring, ch 1 *; repeat 5 more times. Join with a slst. into 3rd ch of the ch-4 made at the beginning of this round. (7 ch-1 / 7dc’s). Fasten off.

Round 2: White yarn

Join the color into any of the ch-1 spaces, ch 1, *1 sc, 3 dc, 1 sc* into the same ch-1 space; repeat 6 more times into next ch-1 spaces. Join with a slst. into the first sc of the first ch-1 space. (7 petals).

Round 3: White yarn

Ch 1, and work behind the petals now, slst. into the stem † of the last sc made in round 2. Ch 4, sc into the stems of the next 2 adjoining scs (between the two petals) and then 

*ch 3, sc into the stems of the next 2 scs *; repeat 5 more times, ch 3, and then sl st into the first ch of the ch-4 done at the beginning of this round. ( 7 ch-3 spaces/loops behind each petal made in round 2).

Round 4: Grey yarn

Join the color into any of the ch-3 spaces/loops. Ch 1, *1 sc, 4dc, 1 sc* into the ch-3 space, repeat 6 more times into all ch-3 spaces; sl st into the first sc of the first petal made in this round. (7 petals behind the first 7 made). Fasten off.

Assembling:

The main crocheting is done now. Sew the white eyes with black buttons, beak/nose, and tiny flower with button. and other decorations on the owl’s body now. 

Cut the back out of cardboard. (I just pressed the owl onto the cardboard and drew around it). It should look like the one on the picture below.

Secure the ribbons on the cardboard as you can see on the picture below. I glued the ribbons and stapled them as well, just to give it extra strength.

Glue the owl to cardboard now. You can adjust it before it dries completely.

Sew the bigger flower onto the end of the ribbon. It looks pretty and it holds the ribbon down as well. You can add some hair to the ears if you like.

Now it’s up to the little girls to do they job. I certainly hope the excitement will last. So far the hair clips are on it, but in the future only time will tell.

We got so exited about this project, that we made one more owl. I used the leftover felt I had from the Christmas angels, and made a felted owl holder as well. As you can see, there are so many variations.

Have a nice week

Clara