Spring Chicken Tutorial psst... pass it on

Look at these chickens, cool or what? I sent them as my gift in the brooch swap but now I want to make one for myself and thought maybe you might like to too.

I can not take credit for the kilt pin concept, I saw it on pinterest, but I have written out a crochet version of this fantastic chicken idea. I wanted an easy crochet version as the one I saw was in knitted moss stitch.

This tutorial is for intermediates as it is a bit fiddly and you need to know how to twiddle your fingers a little. It is written using UK crochet terms.

You will need:

2.5 mm hook, ribbon for a bow, 4 ply cotton yarn, a kilt pin, and a small fluffy chicken to chop up!

Starting at the closure end, double crochet 15 - 20 stitches onto the stem to end at the hinge.

Foundation Row: Next chain 19 and ss join into the end of the Kilt pin dc.

Row 1: dc18 in each chain to end. ch1 and turn

Row 2: ss into the first 2 sts, dc into 12 sts, ss into next 2 sts, ch1 and turn.

Row 3: ss into 3 sts, dc into 10 sts, ss in next st, ch and turn.

Row 4: ss in 1 st *2dc in the next st, 1dc in the next* do this 4 times, ss in next 3 sts, turn (without a turning ch)

Row 5: ss in the first 3 sts, dc in next 2 sts, 1htr, 2tr in the next st, 3dtr in the next st, 2tr in the next st, 1htr, dc in the next 2 sts, ss6, Turn (without a turning chain)

Row 6: 9dc, 2dc in the next st, 2 in the next,8dc, ss and fasten off

Good stuff, the hard bit is done, now you need to make another one on it's own. Following the same pattern from foundation row to row 6.

Time to start construction. Sew them together adding some toy stuffing or yarn bits depending on how chunky you want it. This pattern works either with the blunt end for a head which makes a hen or with the thin end as the head for more of a cockerel shape. 

I didn't photograph it but you need to chop the legs off a fluffy chick and ensure you sew these into the base as you stuff your chicken.

To make a beak, sew a loop into the head, then work a hand-stitched button clasp stitch all the way around and pull it together at the beak end. You could add a felt beak, or whatever you are good at.

You can make a french knot eye or use a button or a bead. I like to just use up all the bits I already have.

Then just let you imagination run wild from your sewing basket. 

I hope some people give it a go, it looks great on a bag or as an unusual coat pin. You can always make the chicken and sew a normal brooch pin on if the kilt pin is a bit scary - but I love it this way. I need to make one for myself now, you know what they say, plumbers always have leaky pipes!

Thanks for stopping by. Jo xxxx

www.deramores.com/blog-awards: This blog entry is my submission to the Deramores Blog Awards 2014. Deramores is the UK’s number one online retailer of knitting and crochet supplies.