Bumble Bee
A rounded bee with a yellow head, two-round body bands and soft wings.
Amigurumi · Easy · 3–4 hours · Body about 8 cm across; length and wingspan need a finished-piece measurement
Yarn and tools
- weight: DK (CYC 3)
- fibre: Cotton
- amount: 30 g Bee Yellow, 25 g Charcoal, 10 g Frosted White
- examples: Ricorumi DK, Scheepjes Catona
- hook: 2.5 mm
- gauge: 36-st sphere = 8 cm across
Notions
- Fibrefill 20 g
- 2 x 6 mm safety eyes
- Stitch marker
- Tapestry needle
- Black yarn for antennae
Stitches used
- Magic Ring (MR)
- Single Crochet (sc)
- Increase (inc)
- Invisible Decrease (inv dec)
- Chain (ch)
- Slip Stitch (sl st)
- Whip Stitch & Mattress Seam (seam)
- Safety Eyes & Embroidered Eyes (eyes)
- Tapestry Colourwork (tapestry sc)
Notes
- Rounds 1–7 are Bee Yellow; body bands then change every 2 rounds: 8–9 Charcoal, 10–11 Bee Yellow, 12–13 Charcoal, 14–15 Bee Yellow, 16–17 Charcoal, 18–19 Bee Yellow. Carry the spare strand loosely inside.
- Because the stripes wrap a spiral, there will be a tiny step at the colour change — turn it to the back and it disappears.
Pattern
Body — striped
- With Bee Yellow: MR, 6 sc into the ring. (6 sts)
- Inc x6 (12 sts)
- [Sc 1, inc] x6 (18 sts)
- [Sc 2, inc] x6 (24 sts)
- [Sc 3, inc] x6 (30 sts)
- [Sc 4, inc] x6 (36 sts)
- Sc around. Place the safety eyes between rounds 5 and 6, 6 sts apart, on the Bee Yellow band. (36 sts)
- Change to Charcoal. Sc around. (36 sts)
- Sc around. (36 sts)
- Change to Bee Yellow. Sc around. (36 sts)
- Sc around. (36 sts)
- Change to Charcoal. Sc around. (36 sts)
- Sc around. (36 sts)
- Change to Bee Yellow. [Sc 4, dec] x6 (30 sts)
- Sc around. (30 sts)
- Change to Charcoal. [Sc 3, dec] x6 (24 sts)
- [Sc 2, dec] x6 — stuff firmly. (18 sts)
- Change to Bee Yellow. [Sc 1, dec] x6 (12 sts)
- Dec x6. Close the hole. This end is the tail. (6 → closed sts)
Wings (make 2) — Frosted White
- MR, 6 sc into the ring. (6 sts)
- Inc x6 (12 sts)
- [Sc 1, inc] x6 (18 sts)
- Sc around. (18 sts)
- [Sc 1, dec] x6 (12 sts)
- Do not stuff. Flatten the 12-st opening so 6 sts lie on each face; sl st through matching pairs across all 6 pairs to close it. Fasten off with a 25 cm tail for attaching this closed edge. (6 joined pairs sts)
Finishing
- Stinger: with Charcoal, ch 4 and sl st back down the chain. Sew to the closed tail end. (— sts)
- Antennae: cut two 12 cm lengths of Charcoal. Thread through the top of the head 3 sts apart, knot each tip and trim to 2 cm. (— sts)
- Sew both wings to the back at rounds 8–9, angled outwards and slightly up, 5 sts apart. Stitch each base twice — wings take the most handling. (— sts)
- Face: embroider a small smile in Charcoal between the eyes, and add two pink cheek circles if you like. (— sts)
- Optional keyring: sew a small loop of Bee Yellow to the top of the head and attach a split ring. (— sts)