Bubu is the owlet I’ve always dreamed of making!
Many years ago, when I created my first realistic owl, Okiri, I came across an adorable image of an owl plush toy online. It was fluffy and plump, and I instantly loved it. Although it wasn’t quite what I had envisioned for my project, I saved the image both on my computer and in my mind. Each time I designed a new owl pattern, that plush toy would come to mind, even though it wasn’t the species I wanted to create.
Over the past month, I embarked on another artistic endeavour. Last summer, I illustrated two owl growth charts, depicting an owl’s development from ‘egg to owl’ in twelve images. What began as a fun side project evolved into a serious quest. A Dutch magazine dedicated to owls agreed to publish the growth charts, suggesting it would be even better if I included all six owl species that breed in our country. I was thrilled, but it meant I needed to create four additional charts. It was quite an undertaking, but I absolutely loved it and learned a great deal about our owls. When I shared my progress on Instagram and mentioned that designing a new pattern would take longer, I received so many enthusiastic reactions and new followers! This was likely due to the photo I posted featuring all the owls I’ve created, which made me realise that many of you share my passion for owls.
To celebrate this owlet spirit, I decided it was time to design a super cute and fluffy owl chick inspired by that retro plush toy (which I fortuitously found and purchased from an Etsy shop). My goal was to keep this owl amigurumi as simple as possible while ensuring it was round, fluffy, and undeniably cute!
I adored the plush toy’s colouring: the almond-coloured face paired with a beige-striped body. Since there isn’t an Istex Lett Lopi almond colour, I decided to hold two strands of Einband Lopi almond together; it’s not ideal, but it was worth it for that shade. I made the body rounder than previous owls and integrated a tail shape. Initially, I planned to forgo wings, but once the first version was complete, I decided that Bubu needed separate wings. I also had an easy idea for the paws, and when I tested it, the result was perfect!
When Bubu was finally finished, I felt such joy. He resembles many of the owlets I’ve drawn. By simply changing the colours of the face and eyes, you can create any owl species chick! You might be curious about Bubu’s species. I had to search for a while before I was certain. At first, I thought the plush toy resembled a great horned owl chick. But then I accidentally stumbled upon a photo of an owl chick that was basically the plushy. It turned out to be a Western screech owlet, the most perfect owl chick on the planet.
Here are some more pictures of Bubu the crochet owlet. Below them, you’ll find all the information you need about the pattern.
This is an easy pattern made with basic stitches, with each step explained in detail to ensure that even beginners can create this owl amigurumi. My pattern format includes instructions like ‘sc in next, 2 sc in next, invdec,’ etc. I chose this format because it works better for creating realistic amigurumi.
This crochet owl is made with Istex Lett Lopi (a 100% wool yarn known for its fuzziness) and stands 5.5 inches (14 cm) tall. The pattern includes clear and colour-coded instructions on how to crochet and assemble the doll, along with instructional images with extra notes. You’ll also find pictures of the finished doll at the end. In the pattern, you’ll discover what materials you need as well as the yarn colour numbers, in short, everything necessary to create your own realistic owl amigurumi! All the additional information you need to know about this pattern you can find in the shop listings. You can purchase it in my shop at Ravelry or Etsy.
And heads up! This pattern has a one-dollar release discount until March the 3rd. Feel free to let me know if you need any additional information.
sonspopkes.com 