Hi everyone! Chenoa from jellyKNITTING here with you again on THN blog to share the pattern for the Aves Egg with all of you. I am so excited for this one, because it will be my first amigurumi pattern for the blog (and seasonally appropriate, too!).
When I was a kid, my parents set up the traditional Easter egg hunt for myself and my brother every Easter morning. Usually, these were whole-house hunts, sometimes even including the front and back yards. As my brother and I grew older, the complexity of these hunts increased. My parents were always careful to keep count of the eggs they hid, to make sure that every egg was found so there wouldn’t be any forgotten and left to rot!
.png)
When I started this pattern, I though it would be a great way to not have to worry about eggs going undiscovered. This way, Easter egg hunts could be as complex as you wanted, and no need for the fun to end right away! If some eggs aren’t found, you can give the seekers the time they need to find them, even if that means multiple days hunting for the elusive last egg or eggs.
Don’t have kids, but still want a reason to make this pattern? Turns out, these are quite the hit with our cats! These toys are soft, safe, and do really interesting things when rolled along the ground (you know, in the opinion of a cat). All of our cats have, surprisingly, been very excited about stealing and playing with these eggs!
The Aves Egg is versatile and can be constructed in a variety of yarn weights. Samples provided use The Hook Nook “Small Stuff” (recommended 5mm hook) and The Hook Nook “Yummy Tweed” (recommended 6.5mm hook) yarns. However, feel free to experiment with a variety of yarns to create something truly unique! At the end, I’ll also have some modification notes for you to be able to make striped and speckled eggs, too. That way, each egg can be completely unique and personalized.
Abbreviations and Required Skills
Chain (ch)
Single crochet (sc)
Single crochet twice into the same stitch (sc2x)
Single crochet 2 together (sc2tog)
Slip stitch (slst)
Stitch(es) (st/sts)
Supplies
All supplies can be found in Jessica's shop!
The Hook Nook “Small Stuff” Yarn and a 5mm crochet hook, or…
The Hook Nook “Yummy” Yarn and a 6.5mm crochet hook.
Ends weaver or darning needle, for finishing.
Polyfil or some other type of stuffing (fabric or yarn scraps work great too)
Stitch marker, if desired.
Gauge
When it comes to amigurumi gauge, there are a number of factors to consider. Do you want your final piece to be flexible and soft, or are you typically a tight crocheter? Use the recommended hook size for the yarn. Want your piece to be firmer, or maybe your tension is a little loose? Size down one or maybe even two hook sizes. Play around with this pattern to find your preferred hook size to match the yarn you use. I tend to have average tension, but I like when the toys I make are soft and flexible, so I usually just use the recommended hook size for the yarn.
A note on working in the round...
This pattern requires working in the round. When working in the round, you have two options. Pick the option that works best for you:
At the end of a round, simply continue to work into the first st of the previous round. You will essentially work in a spiral. It can be very helpful to mark the first st of each round with a st marker to help you keep track.
At the end of a round, you can slst into the first st of the round you just completed, then ch 1 before starting the next round. This method works particularly well if you want to do jogless color changes, but it does form a seam that is slightly noticeable.
Pattern
Foundation: ch 3, slst into your first chain to form a loop, then ch 1.
Round 1: sc into your foundation loop 8 times [8 sts]
At this point, please reference the note above (if you have not already) regarding working in the round. Pick your preferred method to work in the round.
Round 2: sc2x in the first st, sc in the next 3 sts, sc2x in the next st, sc in the final 3 sts [10 sts]
Round 3: sc in the first 2 sts, sc2x into the next st, sc in the next 4 sts, sc2x into the next st, sc in the final 2 sts [12 sts]
Round 4: sc2x in the first st, sc in the next 5 sts, sc2x in the next st, sc in the final 5 sts [14 sts]
Round 5: sc in the first 3 sts, sc2x into the next st, sc in the next 6 sts, sc2x into the next st, sc in the final 3 sts [16 sts]
Round 6: sc2x in the first st, sc in the next 7 sts, sc2x in the next st, sc in the final 7 sts [18 sts]
Round 7: sc in the first 4 sts, sc2x into the next st, sc in the next 8 sts, sc2x into the next st, sc in the final 4 sts [20 sts]
Round 8: sc2x in the first st, sc in the next 9 sts, sc2x in the next st, sc in the final 9 sts [22 sts]
Round 9: sc in the first 5 sts, sc2x into the next st, sc in the next 10 sts, sc2x into the next st, sc in the final 5 sts [24 sts]
Round 10: sc2x in the first st, sc in the next 11 sts, sc2x in the next st, sc in the final 11 sts [26 sts]
Round 11: sc in the first 19 sts, sc2x into the next st, sc in the final 6 sts [27 sts]
Round 12: sc in the first 6 sts, sc2x into the next st, sc in the final 20 sts [28 sts]
Round 13: sc in every st around [28 sts]
Round 14: sc in every st around [28 sts]
Round 15: *sc2tog, sc in the next 5 sts*. Repeat the portion within * * 3 more times [24 sts]
Round 16: *sc in the next 2 sts, sc2tog, sc in the next 2 sts*. Repeat the portion within * * 3 more times [20 sts]
Round 17: *sc2tog, sc in the next 3 sts*. Repeat the portion within * * 3 more times [16 sts]
Round 18: *sc in the next st, sc2tog, sc in the next st*. Repeat the portion within * * 3 more times [12 sts]
At this point, it is a good idea to stuff your egg to your desired firmness, as it can be difficult to stuff after the final round.
Round 19: sc2tog 6 times around [6 sts]
Break yarn, and weave your yarn end through the final 6 sts to cinch them closed. Tie off, and hide your yarn end inside your piece.
Variations
Adding stripes: to add stripes, you will need to change color for a few rounds. If you want this transition to be seamless, you will do the following:
Slip stitch your new color to the next stitch to begin your round.
Continue working the pattern with your new color for as many rounds as you desire. The next time you want to change colors (back to the first color, or to another new color), simply slip stitch with your new color first, then continue working the pattern.
You can make any number of rounds a different color, so that each of your eggs can be totally personalized!
Adding speckles: to add speckles, you will be working with a different color on individual stitches. It can help to keep the following in mind:
Your speckles will look cleanest if you change colors right before completing each stitch. If you are working in single crochet, you will change to your new color before you do the final yarn over to pull through the last 2 stitches on your hook. When you change back to your main color, you will have to do the same!
Rounds 3, 6, 9, 15, and 18 have stitch counts divisible by 3, so the speckles work really well if you make every 3rd stitch your contrast color on those rows. On round 12, you can still work every 3rd stitch, and you will just have one extra stitch left over for your main color.
Experiment with different speckling patterns to make your egg completely your own!
Different yarns
This pattern was originally designed with THN “Small Stuff” yarn in mind but it actually works great with the “Yummy” line of yarns as well! I made several in eggs with some of the tweed Yummy yarns, and absolutely love the rustic look and slightly larger size of the eggs.
I hope you enjoy making this pattern, for yourself, your family, or your pets! I would love if you could share them with me on Instagram or Facebook , using the #AvesEgg. Feel free to check out my website for more of my work, and you can find my patterns on my Ravelry page.
Enjoy the process, and happy hunting!
