FREE - Friendly Monster Pocket Hug
Size 3.25″ W x 3″ H (8.25 x 7.7 cm)
Pocket Hugs are fun pocket size crochet makes to send to someone that you want to stay connected to (like grandkids), need a little extra support (a friend going through something trying), or someone that just needs a little giggle (anyone you know). They are a way to convey a message of love, support or friendship. Besides being fun, this one is practical too. It can be used as a key cover, or it is perfect for earphones or earbuds that everyone uses these days.
Materials
Pocket Hugs are great stash busters. They don’t take a lot of yarn as they are small makes and all kinds of unusual colour combinations only make them more fun.
The Friendly Monster Pocket Hug was made using four colours of #4 medium weight acrylic yarn and a 5 mm crochet hook. It can be made in one colour or switch up the components with different colours depending upon what you have in your stash.
Besides yarn, the following items are required:
Measuring tape
Stitch Markers
Scissors
Gauge
No gauge swatch required. Use hook suggested for the yarn you have selected. Size will vary somewhat depending upon your crochet tension but this will be of no consequence.
Abbreviations – US Terminology
ch Chain
sc Single Crochet
slst Slip Stitch
st Stitch(es)
sk Skip
mc Magic Circle
* Repeat what follows
Pattern
Rectangle – Make 1
With main colour, leaving a small tail for sewing mouth opening at end, ch 11,
ROW 1: In 2nd ch from hook, sc, sc 9 more to end of row, ch 1, turn. (10 st)
ROW 2: Sc in ea st to end of row, ch 1, turn. (10 st)
ROW 3 – 20: Repeat Row 2. Fasten off. Leave small tail to sew mouth opening closed.
Finishing Monster
1. As per fig. 1, fold rectangle so that the ends meet in the middle to form the mouth.
2. Using the tails left at the start of the chain and when fastening off, sew two stitches on either side of the mouth to join the two ends (see the “x” on fig. 1).
3. Join yarn at top corner of rectangle on one side (see white zig-zag line in fig. 1) and sc through stitches on both edges to join the edges. Fasten off. Weave in ends. Repeat on other side.
Mouth
4. Join contrasting colour to any stitch on wrong side along edge of mouth, single crochet along the edge of one edge, continue along other edge to form a round, place stitch marker in 1st st.
5. Working in continuous rounds, sc 4 more rounds. Fasten off leaving tail long enough to sew mouth.
6. Fold mouth to outside, sew along edges to form lips. Weave in all ends.
Eyes – Make 2
7. To make iris, use your preferred colour (in this version it is white) make mc, ch 1, sc 4 in mc, slst into 1st sc to join. Fasten off leaving tail to sew to monster.
8. Make yarn eye (see video) for pupil.
9. Sew pupil to center of iris.
10. Sew completed eyes to monster above mouth (see fig. 1).
Limbs – Make 4
Choose a colour to make limbs. Arms and legs can be different colours as per this version, the same colour or the same colour as the main colour.
11. With colour selected, ch 8, (to make hand/foot) slst into 3rd ch from hook, ch 2, slst back into same st, use slip stitch outline stitch to work back down the limb to the start. See the video for the Slip Stitch outline for reference. For the monster, the yarn will already be attached so slip knot isn’t required.
12. Sew limbs to rectangle. Weave in all ends.
Hanger – Make 1
13. With colour selected, leave a tail at the start of chain, ch 20, leave a tail when fastening off.
Ball – Make 1
14. RND 1: Make mc, ch 1, sc 4 in mc, pull mc closed. (4 st)
RND 2: Working in continuous rounds, sc 2 in each st. (8 st)
RND 3: Sc in each st (8 st).
RND 4: Sc2tog 4 times. Fasten off leaving long tail to close. (4 st)
– To close ball, slst into front loop of each of the remaining 4 loops, pull tight, sew to secure closed.
– Fold hanger in half to find center, sew ball to center of hanger. Weave in all ends.
15. Pull ends of hanger through 2 different stitches centered over the top of the monster, tie together, trim tails so that they are long enough that fringe will hang out of the mouth. (Keys can be attached to this tie).
