Hello! I am Erin of ekayg, THN Dream Team member, toy maker, kid pleaser, and expert on all things soft and fluffy. I have honed my kid pleasing, fluffiness connoisseur skills with years of training, under the strictest, and most brutally honest of product testers. The demands of my children, er...uh, I mean, product testers, have almost all been perfectly met, to the specifics of their tastes, and they have all agreed that the Puffy Stuffies are the softest, the fluffiest, the snuggliest, of all the toys I've ever made! My oldest, nearly a teen (yikes!), still very much loves his Puffy Stuffy, and is always asking about new animals. My youngest and most demanding product tester (no, seriously, she's made me cry) recently lost her mind over this unicorn, and cannot wait to get her hands on it.
Some of the greatest benefits to these stuffy patterns are:
1. They work up quickly because of the large yarn.
2. They use minimal materials.
3. Because of 1 and 2, they can be sold at a more affordable (and profitable!) price point.
4. People love to touch them because they are so soft, and then, they are hard NOT to buy!
5. They were my best sellers at several markets for this reason!
But on to the main reason I am here today, sharing this pattern with you, and my softness expertise. Jessica has come up with a tool, a game changer, a why-has-no-one-ever-thought-of-this-before piece of absolute brilliance, that makes these simple stuffies even easier, if you can believe it!
The Hook Nook Yarn Ends Weaver! (I feel like I just heard really dramatic music just then. did you hear it too? oh, well, you will once you've used this!)
This tool is an amigurumi artist's dream come true! I was so easily able to pull my ends through the body of this stuffy, in one quick, swift motion, and the ends were so thoroughly hidden in the stuffing that I couldn't even pull them back out to reshoot a process video.
The metal part of this tool is just over 4 inches in length, and the puffy stuffies squish down as it inserts, so it's the absolute perfect size. There is a brilliant latch at the end of the hook, which remains open as you push the hook through your piece, and then swings closed onto your yarn, clasping it in its grip before pulling back through. I have even stuffed my amigurumis with a mixture of polyfil, yarn scraps, and fleece scraps, and this still slid right through it all!
As promised, please continue below for this super fun, super simple Unicorn Puffy Stuffy pattern! Do you have to have the Yarn Ends Weaver to make this pattern? Probably not, but weaving in ends on a large plush with a tiny tapestry needle will get old quickly, now that you know this magic exists! ;-)
Supply List
Bernat Blanket, White (A) - 1 (10.5) ball makes approximately 4 unicorns!
Bernat Baby Blanket, Almond (B)
Bernat Blanket Brights, School Bus Yellow (C)
Bernat Blanket Brights, Pixie Pink (D)
OR Bernat Baby Blanket, Baby Lilac (D)
Small amount of worsted weight yarn in black for eyes and nostrils.
THE HOOK NOOK Crochet hook, K-6.5mm - found in select JOANN stores and coming soon online and internationally
THE HOOK NOOK Yarn Ends Weaver (aka Time Saver, aka Game Changer) - found in select JOANN stores and coming soon online and internationally
Stitch marker
Polyester Fiberfill
The Hook Nook Darning Needle - found in select JOANN stores and coming soon online and internationally
Scissors
Key
Magic ring
rnd, rnds - round, rounds
st, sts - stitch, stitches
sc - single crochet
inc - increase, work 2 sts into same st
dec - decrease, connect 2 sts together to form 1 st
Special Stitches
dc bobble cc - double crochet bobble color change, this is made so that the top of the bobble is your secondary color, representing hooves.
Yarn over with (A), and insert hook into designated st.
Pull up a loop with (A).
Yarn over with (B), and pull through 2 loops, leaving 2 loops of (B) left on hook.
Yarn over with (A) and insert hook into same st.
Pull up a loop with (A).
Yarn over with (B), and pull through 2 loops, leaving 3 loops of (B) left on hook.
Yarn over with (A), and insert hook into same st.
Pull up a loop with (A).
Yarn over with (B), and pull through 2 loops, leaving 4 loops of (B) left on hook.
Yarn over with (A), and insert hook into same st.
Pull up a loop with (A).
Yarn over with (B), and pull through 2 loops, leaving 5 loops of (B) left on hook.
Yarn over with (A), and pull through all 5 loops.
invsc2tog - invisible single crochet 2 together, this is essentially a decrease, but done in such a way as to make the continuous stitching smoother, and the decrease not as noticeable.
Insert hook into front loop only of next stitch, DO NOT yarn over.
Insert hook into front loop of second st.
Yarn over. Pull through 2 loops.
Yarn over and pull through last 2 loops.
Notes
This pattern is worked in a round from the top, down, with no joining. Use a st marker to mark each rnd. The body, arms, and legs are made all in one piece. The ears, horn, and mane are made separately and sewn on. This yarn can be tricky to work with, so here are some tips: to be sure you're not missing any sts, always count each rnd, until you're more comfortable. Because the yarn is so thick, the sts will be very close together, especially during the increasing rnds. Do NOT pull yarn too tightly while sewing or closing, because it can break. Pull gently.
Unicorn Puffy Stuffy Pattern
Body, in White (A)
Begin with magic ring.
Rnd 1: 6 sc in magic ring; 6 sts
Rnd 2: inc in each st around; 12 sts
Rnd 3: inc in each st around; 24 sts
Rnd 4: (inc in next st, sc in next 3 sts)6x; 30 sts
Rnd 5-11: sc in each st around; 30
The dc bobbles will be worked with color changes. See pictures below for more details.
Each bobble will begin with color (B) on the hook, so when completing your last st before the bobble, pull color (B) through to finish that st. (as pictured)
Rnd 12: (dc bobble cc, sc in next 14 sts)2x; 30 sts
Rnd 13-14: sc in each st around; 30 sts
Rnd 15: sc in next 3 sts, dc bobble cc, sc in next 8 sts, dc bobble cc, sc in next 17 sts; 30 sts
Before you continue on to close, sew your eyes in place between rnds 7 and 8. The eyes span about 4 sts, with 2 sts between them, covering the span of 1 rnd. Pro top: wrap your yarn around itself on the curve before making the lashes. It helps to hold that curved shape! Knot and fasten off all pieces inside the body. You might even want to stop here, and make the snout. It is slightly easier to sew on before stuffing!
Begin stuffing. Body will stretch as you stuff, so stuff a little more after each rnd here before closing.
Rnd 16: (invsc2tog, sc in next 3 sts)6x; 24 sts
Rnd 17: invsc2tog 6x; 12 sts
Rnd 18: invsc2tog 6x; 6 sts
Complete stuffing, if you can put anymore through the middle.
Fasten off and weave the end around the hole to close.
Snout in Almond (B)
Ch 8
Row 1: turn and inc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next 5 chs, inc in last ch; 9 sts
Row 2: ch 1 and turn, sc in each st across; 9 sts
Row 3: ch 1 and turn, dec, sc in next 5 sts, dec; 7 sts
Row 4: ch 1 and turn, dec, sc in next 3 sts, dec; 5 sts
Fasten off, leaving long tail for sewing. Before sewing onto the body, use black worsted yarn to sew on the nostrils. Sew the snout onto the center of the body, between the arms. You can gently stuff to puff out, or sew flat with the top around rnd 8 or 9 and the bottom around rnd 14.
Instructions for using your ends weaver
Once you have closed up the bottom, with the latch in the open position, push your ends weaver through the top of the head, all the way through the body of the stuffy, to the bottom, as close to where your yarn comes out as possible. Place your yarn into the hook, and allow the latch to close over it, holding yarn in place. Be sure to pull from the end of the yarn so you have enough to pull all the way through your stuffy. Then, pull the ends weaver all the way through the body, pulling your yarn out at the top of the head, and cut excess yarn. Done!
Watch the how to video here!
Horn in School Bus Yellow (C)
Begin with magic ring.
Rnd 1: 4 sc in magic ring; 4 sts
Rnd 2: (inc, sc in next st)2x; 6 sts
Rnd 3: (inc, sc in next 2 sts)2x; 8 sts
Rnd 4: (inc, sc in next 3 sts)2x; 10 sts
Rnd 5: (inc, sc in next 4 sts)2x; 12 sts
Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. Sew horn to the top center of the head, sewn around rnd 3 to help it keep the width, and gently stuffed.
Mane in Pixie Pink (D)
Ch 7
Row 1: turn and inc in 2nd ch from hook, inc in each ch across; 12 sts
Row 2: ch 1 and turn, sc in next 3 sts, ch 8; 3 sts and 8 chs
Row 3: turn and inc in 2nd ch from hook, inc in next 6 chs, sc in next 3 sts; 17 sts
Row 4: ch 1 and turn, sc in next 4 sts, ch 9; 4 sts and 9 chs
Row 5: turn and inc in 2nd ch from hook, inc in next 7 chs, sc in next 4 sts; 20 sts
Row 6: ch 1 and turn, sc in next 5 sts, ch 10; 5 sts and 10 chs
Row 7: turn and inc in 2nd ch from hook, inc in next 8 chs, sc in next 5 sts; 23 sts
Row 8: ch 1 and turn, sc in next 6 sts, ch 11; 6 sts and 11 chs
Row 9: turn and inc in 2nd ch from hook, inc in next 9 chs, sc in next 6 sts; 26 sts
You should have a total of 5 ringlets. Fasten off leaving a very long tail for sewing. Sew the mane onto the head with the shortest ringlet to the front/side of the horn, and the others all turning toward the back. The style depends upon how you sew it on! You can have the ringlets dangle, or, like pictured, sew them in flower like curls.
Ears in White (A), make 2
*Note, the left ear (your right with unicorn facing you) is ONE rnd shorter to account for the extra lift of the hair.
Begin with magic ring.
Rnd 1: 4 sc in magic ring; 4 sts
Rnd 2: (inc, sc in next st)2x; 6 sts
Rnd 3: (inc, sc in next 2 sts)2x; 8 sts
Stop here and fasten off for the left ear. Leave long tail for sewing.
Rnd 4: (inc, sc in next 3 sts)2x; 10 sts
Fasten off, and leave long tail for sewing.
Sew the taller ear to the side without the hair, next to the horn. Sew the shorter ear on top of the hair, on the other side of the horn.
Your unicorn is ready for snuggles, and you have officially earned brownie points with all the children you know! ;-) I hope you have enjoyed making her as much as I enjoyed designing. To find more of my Puffy Stuffy patterns, you can visit my website, or follow along on Instagram or Facebook for new releases!
