Mini strawberry keychain pattern

Height

7 cm

Gauge

21 stitches and 23 rows in 10 cm

Stitches

646

You will need

• Worsted (4) yarn in the colours listed
• 3.5 mm crochet hook, or the size that matches your swatch
• Polyester fibre stuffing, yarn needle, stitch marker
• Keyring or lobster clasp
• Strong cotton yarn or cord for the keyring link
• A: Red
• B: Sage
• C: Dark brown
• D: Cream

Before you start

• Make a small test piece first. If it comes out larger than the gauge, try a smaller hook. If it comes out smaller, try a larger hook.
• A number in brackets at the end of a line, such as (24), is how many stitches you should have. Count them before moving on.
• Made a mistake? Pull the yarn gently to undo the stitches back to the mistake, then carry on from there.
• Toys are worked in a spiral, so rounds are not joined. Put a stitch marker in the first stitch of the round. When you come back to the marked stitch, the round is done: take the marker out, work that stitch, and put the marker in the stitch you just made. That is the first stitch of the new round.
• Keep your stitches tight so the stuffing does not show. A smaller hook than the yarn label suggests helps with this.
• Add stuffing a little at a time, and shape it with your fingers before closing a part.
• Work the face and seeds at round 16, before stuffing. It is much easier while the body is open.

Abbreviations

MR	magic ring. Make a loop with the yarn tail, work the first stitches into it, then pull the tail to close the hole.
sc	single crochet. Put the hook in a stitch, wrap the yarn, pull up a loop (2 loops on hook), wrap again and pull through both.
inc	2 sc in the same stitch. One stitch becomes two.
dec	invisible decrease: sc 2 together through front loops. Two stitches become one.
ch	chain. Wrap the yarn over the hook and pull it through the loop on the hook.
sl st	slip stitch. Put the hook in a stitch, wrap the yarn, and pull through the stitch and the loop on the hook in one go.
hdc	half double crochet. Wrap the yarn, put the hook in a stitch, pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), wrap again and pull through all 3.
dc	double crochet. Wrap the yarn, put the hook in a stitch, pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), then twice wrap and pull through 2.

Body

Colour A (Red). Start at the point of the strawberry and work up in a spiral. Stop after round 16, while the body is still open.

Rnd 1	6 sc in MR	(6)
Rnd 2	sc around	(6)
Rnd 3	inc × 6	(12)
Rnd 4	sc around	(12)
Rnd 5	(1 sc, inc) × 6	(18)
Rnd 6	sc around	(18)
Rnd 7	(2 sc, inc) × 6	(24)
Rnd 8	sc around	(24)
Rnd 9	(3 sc, inc) × 6	(30)
Rnd 10	sc around	(30)
Rnd 11	(4 sc, inc) × 6	(36)
Rnds 12–16	sc around	(36)

The body should now be narrow at the bottom and full at the top. Do not cut the yarn. Work the face and seeds next, while you can still reach inside.

Face

Colour C (Dark brown). Choose the front of the body. Round 1 is the point, so higher rounds are further up. Do not pull the yarn tight, or the fabric will pucker. Tie the ends on the inside.

1.	Eyes: on rounds 13 and 14, leave about 6 stitches between the centres of the eyes. Make each one a small upright oval by going through the same points a few times. Keep them the same size.
2.	Smile: halfway between the eyes, around rounds 11 and 12, make a gentle curve about 3 stitches wide.

Seeds

Colour D (Cream). Work about 14 to 18 seeds: 8 to 10 on the front and the rest on the sides and back.

1.	Bring the needle out under a stitch, then go in one round above or below to make a short upright stitch, about one stitch tall.
2.	Space the seeds evenly and stagger them. Keep them all the same direction and length.
3.	Keep seeds away from the eyes and do not put any over the smile.

Close the body

Colour A (Red). Carry on from round 17. Start stuffing after round 18. Spread it evenly through the wide middle, and do not pack the point or it will turn round. After round 21, cut the yarn leaving about 20 cm and thread it on a yarn needle. Take the needle through the front loop of each of the 6 stitches, always from the hole outwards. Then pull to close the hole and hide the end inside.

Rnd 17	(4 sc, dec) × 6	(30)
Rnd 18	(3 sc, dec) × 6	(24)
Rnd 19	(2 sc, dec) × 6	(18)
Rnd 20	(1 sc, dec) × 6	(12)
Rnd 21	dec × 6	(6)

Leaf cap

Colour B (Sage). Work a flat circle, then add 5 pointed leaves around it without cutting the yarn.

Rnd 1	6 sc in MR	(6)
Rnd 2	inc × 6	(12)
Rnd 3	(1 sc, inc) × 6	(18)
Rnd 4	(2 sc, inc) × 6	(24)
Rnd 5	(3 sc, inc) × 6	(30)
Leaf × 5	1 sl st in next stitch, ch 5, skip the first chain from the hook, then 1 sl st, 1 sc, 1 hdc and 1 dc in the next 4 chains, 1 sl st in next stitch of the circle, 1 sc in each of the next 4 stitches

Each leaf uses 6 stitches of the circle, so the 5 leaves use all 30. Cut the yarn leaving a long tail.

Assembly

1.	Set the leaf cap on the closed top of the body with the centres lined up. Open the leaves outwards and slightly down. Fix only the round part with a few strong stitches, and leave the leaf tips free.
2.	Attach the keyring: fold about 80 cm of strong yarn in Colour B in half and pass it through the keyring, making a doubled link about 2 cm long. Take the two ends through the centre of the leaf cap to the top of the body.
3.	Sew the link in place, going again and again through several stitches on rounds 19 to 21 of the body, so the body takes the pull and not the leaves. Take the ends through the body in different directions and cut them close to the surface.
4.	If you like, wrap green yarn closely around the link for a neat stem.
5.	Pull the keyring firmly a few times to check that it holds. Check that the eyes are level, the smile is centred and no loose ends are showing.

Stitches used in this pattern

• How to make a magic ring in crochet
• How to single crochet for beginners
• Crochet increase and invisible decrease
• How to chain stitch in crochet
• How to slip stitch in crochet
• How to half double crochet
• How to double crochet