Monster of the Month: May

This guy got lost in my to-do pile for a bit... we had company at the end of June/beginning of July, and in the clean-up process, I lost my copy of the pattern that I had put all my edits and corrections on... I just found them this week! 

As you can see, he can be made two ways: with white circles behind the eyes, and a crocheted mouth, or just use plain safety eyes and embroider a mouth for less sewing. 

May Monster

I used worsted weight yarn and an F hook (3.75 mm). Each monster takes 1.6 oz worsted weight in main color and less than half an ounce of your accent color and white for the tentacle bobbles.

Make arms and ears before the body, so you can crochet them on. I also like to crochet the eyes and mouth before making the body (if you’re doing that version), so I can sew those on while I can work from both sides.

Arms: Make 2 in main color with white bobbles. Note: arms are not stuffed.

R1: sc 6 in MR (6)

R2: (sc, inc) x 3 (9)

R3: sc (9)

R4: sc, change to white, 4dc bobble, change to main color, sc 7 (9)

When you sc over your bobble stitch in round 5, use the BLO of the bobble. This gives a cleaner look to your bobble.

R5-7: sc (9)

R8: repeat row 4

R9-11: sc (9)

R12: repeat row 4

R13: sc (9)

R14: (sc, dec) x 3 (6)

Fold in half (if needed, do another sc or two so that your bobbles are centered) and sc closed. FO and weave in end.

Ears: Make 2 in main color. Ears are not stuffed.

R1: 6 sc in MR (6)

R2: inc x 6 (12)

R3-10: sc (12)

R11: (sc 2, dec) x 3 (9)

R12: (sc, dec) x 3 (6)

Fold and sc closed. Weave in end.

 

Eyes: Make 3 in white

Round 1: 8 sc in MR. FO, leaving tail to sew to body. Don’t tighten MR completely, as you will be putting a safety eye through the center. I used 10 mm safety eyes.

 

Mouth: Make 1 in white

Ch 8.

Starting in second chain from hook, sl st, sc, hdc, dc, hdc, sc, sl st.  FO, leaving tail to sew to body. Using embroidery floss or sport weight yarn, embroider 3 vertical slashes. Sew centered under the eyes with the top of the mouth (the chain) at row 13.

Legs:  Make 2 in main color. You will finish off leg one, but after leg two, you continue on with the body.

R1: 6 sc in MR (6)

R2: inc x 6 (12)

R3: (sc, inc) x 6 (18)

R4-8: sc (18)

Body:

Chain 3 and join leg 1 with a sc. Continue to sc around leg 1 and make 3 sc in the connecting chain. Sc around leg 2 and make 3 sc in the back side of the chain. (42)

R2-12: sc (42)

R13: sc, attaching arms at sides

To determine arm placement, fold body in half and mark side stitches. When you get to the stitch before the marker, hold arm in front of your work and sc through both the arm and the body for the next three stitches. Repeat for other arm.

R14-21: sc (42) Stuff legs, stuff body as you go.

Two of the eyes will be sewn with the center over row 16/17. The third eye will be centered between the other two eyes, over rows 19-20. The mouth is centered between the lower eyes

R22: (sc 5, dec) x 6 (36)

R23: (sc 4, dec) x 6 (30)

R24: sc , attaching ears to sides. (30)                        

R25 (sc 3, dec) x 6. (24)                                                      

R26: (sc 2, dec) x 6. (18) Finish stuffing

R27: (sc, dec) x 6. (12)

R28: dec x 6 (6) FO

Cut 10 7” strands of hair. Latch, two at a time, evenly spaced across the top of the head.

For my purple monster, I used Kawaii safety eyes rather than making the white backgrounds, and embroidered a simple smile, making it a no-sew version.

From my tester Bonnie