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Boeloe, crochet koala bear pattern

February 13, 2020August 28, 2026 Sonja

Many crafters are making koalas at the moment to give attention to this vulnerable animal that has suffered so much from the fires in Australia. I decided to join them and have designed a beautiful koala amigurumi pattern. This is Boeloe, a super-sweet and vulnerable-looking crochet koala. Buy now – directly from me 🐱

It really breaks my heart to read and see what has happened to animals in Australia. Not only koalas and other mammals but so many birds, reptiles and insects have suffered and died in the fires. It’s devastating! I really hope designers like myself can help rescue wildlife and restore habitats a little bit by designing patterns so people can make and sell the dolls to collect money to donate to Australian wildlife organisations. I will donate the earnings from the first six patterns I sell to Wires, an Australian wildlife rescue organisation. I know it is not a huge amount, but even small donations help.

When designing this animal, there were so many pictures of burned and suffering animals that it was hard to find example pictures. But I tried my best to create a cute and realistic-looking crochet koala. Very important to me was to capture its vulnerability, which was difficult. I figured that as long as I tried to make the face look as realistic as possible, it should work. When I posted a teaser picture on Instagram, someone commented “so sweet and vulnerable-looking.” I was really glad it showed! Despite all the devastating pictures, it was interesting to design this pattern. To me, koalas are kind of silly-looking animals, with their big heads and lack of tails. But they are incredibly cute and they have absolutely gorgeous, almost teddy-like fur. It was a fun challenge to design a pattern that matched that cuteness. I had thought about brushing the animal all over, but I decided not to. The texture of the Lopi yarn adds enough fuzziness, and I like it when you can clearly see that it is a crochet animal. Here are some more pictures of this adorable koala amigurumi and below them you can find info about and links to buy the pattern.

Info about & links to buy the pattern

Boeloe is made with Istex Lett Lopi, a 100% wool with a lot of fuzziness. If you use the recommended yarn, your koala will be 4.7 inch / 12 cm sitting.

The pattern is written in US terms and contains a clear and colour-coded description of how to crochet and assemble the animal, with extra illustrations and example pictures at the bottom to help you get everything right. In the pattern you can also find what materials you need, the yarn colour numbers – in short, everything you need to know to make your own vulnerable friend. All the additional information you need to know about this pattern you can find in the shop listings. You can buy this pattern in my shop at Ravelry, Etsy or directly from me with the link below.

This pattern has a permanent discount if you use this link. Patterns purchased directly from me cost 5,00 eur. I will have to email the pattern manually so it can take a bit longer, but I promise, you’ll have it in a day. If not, check your spam and if it is not there either, message me to wake me up, as I might have fallen asleep or something…

Patterns

Crowly, crochet raven pattern

December 19, 2019August 28, 2026 Sonja

I hereby present to you yet another dark and mysterious creature: meet Crowly the crochet raven, or crow, that’s up to you! Buy now – directly from me 🐱

I’ve wanted to make a raven or crow for a long time, but until now I hadn’t gotten into it. Crows aren’t cuddly cute creatures, but they are very intelligent and compassionate. I’m fascinated by them, and I especially love ravens. For a few years now we’ve seen ravens in the areas we hike. Well, most of the time we just hear their ‘krok krok krok’ call.

Now why have I called my raven amigurumi ‘Crowly’? To be honest, I wasn’t sure wether to make a crow or a raven. I assumed crows would be more loved and popular than ravens, so when I first started I was thinking Crowly should be a crow. But because ravens are my personal favourite, I wasn’t sure what to choose.

I think this pattern offers the option for the crafter to decide what it is. Ravens and crows both belong to the corvids (corvidea) species. There are differences between the animals, especially the size and the shape of the wings, but this pattern isn’t realistic enough to show them. The details I added for the wings will work perfectly for either a crochet crow or raven, or even a rook if you make the top of the beak black.

Here are some more pictures of this adorable crochet raven/ crow, and below them you can find info about and links to buy the pattern.

Info about & links to buy the pattern

Crowly is made with Istex Lett Lopi, a 100% wool with a lot of fuzziness. If you use the recommended yarn, your bird will be 5 inch / 13 cm standing.

The pattern is written in US terms and contains a clear and colour-coded description of how to crochet and assemble the animal, with extra illustrations and example pictures at the bottom to help you get everything right. In the pattern you can also find what materials you need, the yarn colour numbers – in short, everything you need to know to make your own cuddly corvid. All the additional information you need to know about this pattern you can find in the shop listings. You can buy this pattern in my shop at Ravelry, Etsy or directly from me with the link below.

Patterns

Mr. Batty, crochet bat pattern

November 14, 2019August 28, 2026 Sonja

I proudly present to you Mr. Batty, a common pipistrelle bat. The pipistrelle bats in my courtyard inspired me to make this realistic crochet bat pattern. For some years they seemed to have gone, but this year I started seeing them again at dawn. Fast and swift I saw them fly between the houses and when I got lucky, I could see their perfect shape very clearly, such gorgeous little creatures they are! Buy now – directly from me 🐱

This small and realistic bat is a bit bigger than the palm of your hand when you hold it with the wings spread. I’ve decided to keep everything pretty basic but strikingly realistic. You only need two colours of yarn to make this bat amigurumi, and you can decide for yourself if you want to use pipe cleaners. I’ve used them to keep the wings in shape, but if you make Mr. Batty for a little child, pipe cleaners aren’t an option, so you can stuff the tiny arms and legs to make them more steady. If you’re experienced, you can make this bat in an afternoon, although the tiny arms and legs are a bit fiddly to crochet. I tried working with i-cords instead of 4-stitches-wide tubes, but the i-cords weren’t steady enough to balance the wings.

Info about & links to buy the pattern

Mr. Batty the crochet pipistrelle bat is made with Istex Lett Lopi, a 100% wool with a lot of fuzziness. If you use the recommended yarn, he will have a span width of 18.5 inch/ 22 cm. I would strongly recommend a fuzzy yarn, because it hides the seams of the colour changes.

The pattern is written in US terms and contains a clear and colour-coded description of how to crochet and assemble the crochet bat amigurumi, with extra illustrations and example pictures at the bottom to help you get everything right. In the pattern you can also find what materials you need, the yarn colour numbers, in short, everything you need to know to make your own wondrous crochet bat. All the additional information you need to know about this pattern you can find in the shop listings. You can buy this pattern in my shop at Ravelry, Etsy or directly from me with the link below.

Art

A Son’s Popkes postcard!

November 12, 2019January 30, 2020 Sonja

For a long time I thought about offering the Popkes artworks I made, some as Christmas cards, as postcards. I never actually dared to do it, until now! After many friends and crafters told me I really should give it a try, I decided to have my favourite winter-themed artwork printed as a postcard, how exciting! You can now order ‘A Popkes winter wonderland’ as an A6 postcard in my Etsy shop. I decided to offer a single card ($1,85) and sets of 2, 4, or 6.

The postcards are printed on 350gsm sulfate cardboard. The front is semi-glossy and the back is matte, perfect to write on. They are professionally printed in the Netherlands. On the back in the bottom left corner you’ll find a small graphic and info about the artwork. There is plenty of space to write on.

These cards feel like a classical winter animal tale. They would make a perfect Christmas greeting to send to your loved ones and friends or a lovely wall decoration to brighten up your room! If you are a Popkes fan, you know who’s on this card, but to those of you who don’t know, this postcard features Flam the fox, Finse the rabbit, and Falun the badger. For years it has been a tradition of mine to paint an original Christmas card to send to my family and friends. Before I started Son’s Popkes, I painted funny scenes featuring Santa experiencing bad luck. But when Son’s Popkes became a success, I realised it would be great fun to make the crochet animals the main characters of my Christmas cards. At some point, I even started painting more Popke artworks, where the animals are doing all sorts of things in their natural environment. Who knows what their next adventure will be?

Where to buy?

You can purchase the cards here. Keep in mind that if you order these in December, they will take longer to arrive because of the Christmas rush.

If you have questions or remarks about this postcard, don’t hesitate to leave a comment, I would love to hear from you!

Patterns

Barnsby, crochet barn owl pattern

October 3, 2019October 8, 2019 Sonja

I’m so excited to present you this pattern! Meet Barnsby, a super-realistic but too-cute-to-be-real crochet barn owl.

It has been such an interesting ride to design this owl amigurumi pattern. First of all, barn owls are wondrous-looking creatures with their flat dish-like-looking face. Basically, the face functions as a big ear. The flat disc catches sounds incredibly well, so that they can hear even the tiniest rustle of prey. The challenge for me was to create a flat face that would stay flat when attached to the head. Also, for this streamlined animal I wanted to make a design without too many bumps and attached bits. The owl had to be as seamless as possible.

And that was something new for me. This summer I’ve been experimenting with new techniques, and I had something in mind that could do the trick. I had never tried something like it before, but how hard could it be? I enthusiastically accepted the challenge. After a few silly-looking experiments, I learned how to use this technique properly. I’m not going to go into details, but attaching a body piece to an unfinished body and then crocheting ahead is a brilliant and super-easy way to get a seamless result. It won’t work for every animal or design, but it’s perfect for birds.

And the face! I got so many positive reactions about the owl’s face, so many people found it perfect. So very jolly you all liked it so much. The face is simply sewn to the head, and by pushing the stuffing to the back of the head and keeping the front practically empty, the face stays nice and flat.

I really hope the finished crochet owl meets your expectations! I can’t deny that I’m very proud of the looks and simplicity of this pattern. With this pattern I think even someone with basic skills can make this super-realistic-looking barn owl amigurumi.

Here are a few more pictures of Barnsby the barn owl, and below them you can find info about and links to buy the pattern.

Info about & links to buy the pattern

Barnsby the realistic barn owl is made with Istex Lett Lopi, a 100% wool with a lot of fuzziness. If you use the recommended yarn, he will be 6 inch / 15 cm high. I would strongly recommend a fuzzy yarn, because it hides the seams of the colour changes.

The pattern is written in US terms and contains a clear and colour-coded description of how to crochet and assemble the crochet owl amigurumi, with extra illustrations and example pictures at the bottom to help you get everything right. In the pattern you can also find what materials you need, the yarn colour numbers, in short, everything you need to know to make your own wondrous owl. All the additional information you need to know about this pattern you can find in the shop listings. You can buy this pattern in my shop at Ravelry, Etsy or order it here.

Heads up: it has a one-dollar release discount till Thursday the 10th of October.

Patterns

Free crochet snail pattern

September 26, 2019September 27, 2019 Sonja

Am I serious? Yes, I thought it would be fun to make a crochet snail, a little friend who can accompany the hedgehog in pictures. So why not make a free pattern as well. I know you all yearned for a crochet snail. Who doesn’t want to make a crochet snail?!

Crochet snail pattern

Before you start

This pattern is written in standard American crochet terms. It’s useful to read it before you start. If you use the recommended yarn, your snail will be 3 inch / 7 cm long. The yarn I’ve used is Istex Lètt lopi, a 100% wool. Use a stitch marker to mark the beginning of a round, move it up each time you start a new round.

Materials

For these snails you’ll need worsted weight yarn and an E US/3.5 mm crochet hook. You need 2 colours of yarn (left-over bits are enough): I’ve used light beige (0086) and acorn (0053) for the light snail and oatmeal (0085) and chocolate (0867) for the darker one. I’ve split a strand of the darkest colour to embroider a mouth. You will also need fibrefill to stuff the snail and a pipe-cleaner to bend the body is optional. Not really my style, but I painted the eyes, using acrylic paint. I couldn’t think of another way the create dark dots. (Needle felting could do the trick, but most people don’t have the tools for that.)

Accessories

Hook E US / 3.5 mm, scissors, embroidery needle, stitch markers or paper clips.

Abbreviations: ch = chain, sc = single crochet, st = stitch, sl st = slip stitch, hdc = half double crochet stitch, dc = double crochet stitch, s2tog = invisible decrease, dec = normal decrease.

Instructions

Shell

The whole shell (round 2 – 5) is worked in the backloops only, so the unworked frontloops form a visible spiral on the outside of the shell.

1. magic ring of 4 = 4

2. 2 sc in each around = 8

3. (sc in next, 2 sc in next) x 4 = 12

4. sc in each around = 12

5. (sc in next, dec) = 8, sl st in 1st backloop and leave yarn end for sewing.

Body

1. magic ring of 4 = 4

2. sc in each around = 4

3. (sc in next, 2 sc in next) x 2 = 6

4-9. sc in each around = 6

10. sc in next, s2tog, sc in next, 2 sc in next 2 = 7

11. sc in next, s2tog, sc in next 2, 2 sc in next, sc in next = 7

12. s2tog, sc in next 2, 2 sc in next, sc in next 2 = 7

13. repeat round 12 = 7

14. sc in next, 2 sc in next, sc in next, s2tog x 2 = 6, sl st and leave yarn end for sewing.

You can now insert a pipe cleaner if you like to use one. Sew the hole closed by putting the needle from the inside out through all the outside loops of the 6 st, clockwise. If you do it correctly, you can now pull the end and it will close the gap. Weave in the end.

Make the eyes by attaching the yarn at the side of the head, between round 2 and 3. Ch 3 st, in 2nd ch from hook sl st and weave in the yarn ends as shown in the image. You can embroider the mouth between round 1 and 2.

Now stuff the shell and attach it to the body. Position the shell as shown in the image and sew between the frontloops of the last round so you don’t change the edge. I’ve sewn back and forth between the side of the snail.

There, your not-so-slimy slimy new friend is finished!

Stories

A barn owl pattern in progress

September 23, 2019 Sonja

Some of you know already I am working on a barn owl pattern. A while ago I posted a picture of the face I designed on Instagram and I’ve been busy working on the body. At the same time I’ve been working on other things and everything isn’t going as speedily as I had hoped for.

So here’s a little progress update. Last week I finished the barn owl’s body, thinking this would be the final version. But I am not completely satisfied just yet. I tried something new to attach the tail and wings seamlessly and it looks very neat, but new things take more time.

In the picture you see prototype 2. I want to use a lighter colour for the wings and back. Also, I don’t like how the spots on the belly are positioned, I tried to make them look random, but they’ve become quite geometrical on the right side (in this picture). And I think the chest needs to be a bit wider, the wings are too close to each other. I’m hoping to publish the barn owl pattern the first or second week of October and it looks like I am going to make that date!

I’ve also been working on a crazy little free pattern, a little creature many of us don’t like to have in high numbers in our gardens, but hedgehogs do. Yes, they will be cute! That pattern will be available here by the end of this week.

And what could it possibly be?

Uncategorized

Dapper Poochey, crochet rabbit pattern

July 4, 2019August 28, 2026 Sonja

Well, what happened here? I liked Poochey in his trendy cardigan so very much that I decided to add him as a “dapper rabbit pattern” to my shops. Would you’ve been able to resist it? Just look at this utterly adorable crochet rabbit in his fancy outfits! Buy now – directly from me 🐱

I cannot give myself all the credit for this. After I released the little cardigan pattern, Jan made a delightful collection of lovely little cardi’s for her crochet bunnies. After seeing her ever-so-cheerful pictures, I decided I just had to make a separate pattern for Poochey in the cardigan. I made Poochey’s cardigan just for fun after seeing a knitted rabbit wearing a sweater on Instagram, but when I put the sweater on and took that picture of him a while back, I began to get the idea of making a separate pattern. But because it felt a bit strange to re-launch an existing pattern, I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea. Jan made me realise that it is! Not everyone who visits my blog would want this version, but I don’t want other crafters missing out on this.

And how much fun it is to make all those little cardigans! Not only that, but all the tiny cute buttons you can’t put on your own garments, you can use for little bunny cardigans. I had so much fun looking for buttons that matched my bright-coloured sweaters. I found buttons with flowers and stars, animal-shaped ones – oh, there are so many fabulous buttons to find! And I cannot help laughing at Poochey’s expression every time I see it. In every single picture he has that same look of utter confusion. Which cardigan is your favourite? Mine is the green one with the star buttons.

Here are few original pattern pictures of this dapper crochet rabbit; below them you can find info about and links to buy the pattern.

Info about & links to buy the pattern

Poochey and his cardigan are made with Istex Lett Lopi, a 100% wool with a lot of fuzziness. If you use the recommended yarn, he will be 7 inch / 17 cm high. I would strongly recommend a fuzzy yarn, because it hides the seams of the colour changes.

The pattern is written in US terms and contains a clear and colour-coded description of how to crochet and assemble the crochet rabbit amigurumi, with extra illustrations and example pictures at the bottom to help you get everything right. In the pattern you can also find what materials you need, the yarn colour numbers, in short, everything you need to know to make your own dapper rabbit(s). All the additional information you need to know about this pattern you can find in the shop listings. You can buy this pattern in my shop at Ravelry, on Etsy or directly from me with the link below.

If you already have the pattern for Poochey and Fudge but want to make Poochey like this, you can find the free pattern for the cardigan here.

Patterns

Free doll cardigan pattern

June 20, 2019July 1, 2019 Sonja

Maybe I should call it ‘Popke crochet cardigan pattern’. How cute is this?!

Most of you have already seen Poochey in his dapper outfit on my Instagram page and I got many requests for the little cardigan pattern. Because I wanted to design another little cardigan for the squirrel, I wanted to publish both when the squirrel was finished. And now is the time! Here are two free patterns for very trendy Popke cardigans. The cardigans are about the same size but the rabbit cardigan has different shaped sleeves, the squirrel cardigan doesn’t really have sleeves.

Instructions

I’ll keep this pattern very basic. The cardigans are approximately 7 cm / 3 inch wide and high, when made with worsted weight yarn and hook 3.5 mm/ E. I’ve used Istex Lett Lopi for the cardigans, the same yarn as the animals are made with.

Abbreviations: ch = chain, sc = single crochet, st = stitch, sl st = slip stitch, hdc = half double crochet stitch, BLO = work in back (inside) loops only, lst = loop stitch, s2tog = invisible decrease, pm = place marker.

The cardigans are made in rows. After you’ve made the starting chain, you do a first dc in the 4th ch from hook. You’ve actually made two dc’s because the top of the chain that forms when you work into the 4th stitch will be the 1st dc. After each turn, you ch 3 and dc in 5th ch from hook. Here you also make two dc’s in one and by skipping the 1st dc (that’s why you work into the 5th st) you keep the stitch count the same. It’s useful to keep marking the 1st stitches, because you might overlook them.

Rabbit cardigan

1. ch 26, in 4th ch from hook dc (pm in 1 st before this dc), dc in next 22 = 24, turn

2. ch 3, in BLO: in 5th ch from hook dc (pm in 1 st before this dc too), dc in next, 3 dc in next, dc in next 4, 3 dc in next, dc in next 6, 3 dc in next, dc in next 4, 3 dc in next, dc in next 3 = 32, turn

3. ch 3, in 5th ch from hook dc (make sure to mark the right stitch as 1st), dc in next 2, 3 dc in next (this is in the middle st of the 3 you did in the previous row), dc in next 6, 3 dc in next, dc in next 8, 3 dc in next, dc in next 6, 3 dc in next, dc in next 4 = 40, turn

4. ch 3, in 5th ch from hook dc, dc in next 3, dc in next (in the middle of 3), skip 8 st, dc in next (middle of 3), dc in next 10, dc in next (middle of 3), skip 8, dc in next (middle of 3), dc in next 5 = 24, turn

5. ch 3, in 4th ch from hook dc, dc in next 22, 2 dc in last = 26, turn

6.ch 1, in 2nd ch from hook sc, sc in next 5, hdc in next 2, dc in next 10, hdc in next 2, sc in next 5, sl st in last = 26, weave in yarn end.

Now sl st a neat seam all the way around the cardigan (not the collar) by starting at the top left corner. Make sure you have the same number of stitches on each front. The unworked loops from round 2 should be on the inside of the cardigan. You can add some buttons if you like, there is enough space between the stitches to form the buttonholes.

Squirrel cardigan

1. ch 26, in 4th ch from hook dc (pm in 1 st before this dc), dc in next 22 = 24, turn

2. ch 3, in 5th ch from hook dc, dc in next 2, skip next 3, ch 4, dc in next 10, skip next 3, ch 4, dc in next 4 = 26, turn

3. ch 1, in 2nd ch from hook sc (1st stitch), sc in next 7, dc in next 10, sc in next 8 = 26, turn

4. ch 1, in 2nd ch from hook sc, sc in next 4, hdc in next 3, dc in next 10, hdc in next 3, sc in next 5 = 26, turn

5. ch 1, in 2nd ch from hook 2 sc, sc in next 4, hdc in next 3, dc in next 10, hdc in next 3, sc in next 4, 2 sc in next = 28, turn

6. ch 1, in 2nd ch from hook sc, sc in next 4, hdc in next 4, dc in next 10, hdc in next 4, sc in next 4, sl st in last = 28, weave in yarn end.

Now sl st a neat seam like you did for the other cardigan. I’ve added small beads as buttons because there isn’t much space between the stitches to form buttonholes. But there are of course alternative ways to create ‘buttonholes’.

Note: this 1st version of the pattern isn’t edited professionally as, just by me, so if you notice a mistake, please let me know.

Patterns

Floof, crochet squirrel pattern

June 12, 2019August 28, 2026 Sonja

Now look what I’ve made this time, a new and improved crochet squirrel pattern! This is Floof, a cheeky little grey squirrel. Buy now – directly from me 🐱

Some of you might be thinking, ‘A squirrel amigurumi? I thought you were making a fox?’ And erm, yes, I did write that I was working on a fox. But I just couldn’t resist using the new skills I learned when I made the rabbit pattern for a more realistic squirrel pattern. Because in short, that is how designing works sometimes. You learn something from making one animal and a process starts in your head where that new skill is enhanced for another animal. When I was working on the fox, an idea began evolving around a squirrel. ‘What if I made the rabbit’s body more curved with smaller feet and a bigger belly patch, wouldn’t that be perfect for a crochet squirrel if I combined it with a tail similar to the look of the hedgehog spines?’ I asked myself. And when something so exciting like that starts to take shape in my mind, I can barely wait to start making it!

It sounded easier than it was. Creating the characteristic curved back of a squirrel was rather difficult to design, especially when there also had to be a white belly patch. I couldn’t just decrease a few stitches here and there at the back and increase them on the front, because that made the belly look way too wide. So I had to find the right balance between a curved back and a good looking belly. The squirrel turned out a little bit less bent forward than I had imagined, but I like this better. Because Floof is standing up a bit, he looks much more cheeky, like real grey squirrels look after they’ve come into your garden and stolen the bird food. I’m very satisfied with this look – and the tail … the tail is magnificent! The loop stitches take a bit more time to make, but after they are cut and brushed a bit, they absolutely make a very realistic, fluffy squirrel tail. For this grey squirrel amigurumi, I’ve used two contrasting colours of a thinner yarn to create a double coloured effect, but you can of course choose one colour as well. I think I’m totally in love with this fellow. And because I like red squirrels even more, I think I’ll have to make another squirrel very soon! Here are some more pictures of this scrumptious looking crochet squirrel, and below them you can find info about and links to buy the pattern.

Info about & links to buy the pattern

Floof is made with Istex Lett Lopi, a 100% wool with a lot of fuzziness, and the tail is made with two strands of Lopi Einband held together. If you use the recommended yarn, your squirrel will be 5.5 inch / 14 cm standing.

The pattern is written in US terms and contains a clear and colour-coded description of how to crochet and assemble the crochet squirrel and acorn, with extra illustrations and example pictures at the bottom to help you get everything right. In the pattern you can also find what materials you need, the yarn colour numbers – in short, everything you need to know to make your own realistic fluffy squirrel. All the additional information you need to know about this pattern you can find in the shop listings. You can buy this pattern in my shop at Ravelry, Etsy or directly from me with the link below.