Totoro!

by Russell Welch

My Scandinavian take on possibly the coolest anime character ever! Feel free to add an umbrella/giant leaf/little girl.

Russell Welch, 2011

Difficulty

You will need:

3.5 mm crochet hook Worsted yarn in two colours1 Polyester stuffing (fibrefill) Tapestry needle A little white or off-white felt Black embroidery floss I decided to give my Totoro a Scandinavian feel, using muted blue and oatmeal yarn. Of course you could use any Totoro colour brown, blue or grey. I used Laura Harding Thistle.

Techniques and Abbreviations

Magic Circle (MC)2 Single Crochet (SC) SC decrease (sc2tog)3 SC increase (SCinc) Slip stitch (SL) Stitch (ST) Basic sewing As with all amigurumi, the rounds are worked in a spiral dont join rounds or chain stitch between them. You will also need to crochet quite tightly to stop the stuffing showing.

Please note, I use American terms throughout (despite being British). If you are British, Single Crochet (SC) is Double Crochet (DC), and Worsted yarn is Double Knit yarn. Magic Circle (aka Magic Ring) tutorials can be found online, or you can just Ch 2 and SC the appropriate amount into the chain furthest from the hook (although this method is more likely to leave a hole).
3 2

I recommend Invisible Decreases where-ever possible. Again, tutorials are available online

Russell Welch, 2011

Pattern
The pattern is worked in several pieces, starting with two circles which become the feet. Ive tried to note at which stage you need to add embroidery, etc, to keep things as simple as possible, but be aware that you can add the arms and tail either before or after you stuff him. If you want to add them before, Id skip ahead and make them first. Also, dont worry if hes not looking too great at the beginning there is a moment in this project where everything will suddenly come together (hopefully!). Before you start, save a length of body-coloured yarn to sew the patterns onto Totoros chest later.

Feet
(Make 2) 1 2 3 MC 6 (SCinc, SCinc, SC) x 2 (10 ST) (SC, SCinc, SC, SCinc, SC) x 2 (14 ST) FO For the second foot, dont fasten off go straight into joining the feet together and making the body.

Body
1 SC around both feet (28 ST) To do this, make the first stitch into the foot your hook isnt through, in the stitch you would have used if you were continuing around that foot (i.e. in the first stitch next to where you fastened off). If this sounds completely mad and you cant work it out, have a look at the picture below. The hook is in position to make the first stitch of this round.

Russell Welch, 2011

Fig. 1: Hook position for joining feet

Go all the way around the first foot, and then all the way around the second one, until you get back to where you started. 2 (SCinc4, 4 SC, SCinc, SC, SCinc, SC, SCinc, 4 SC) x 2 (36 ST) Then, fasten off the loose ends, and use them to sew up any holes. 3 4 5 6 7 8-9 10 11 12 13 14 15
4

(7 SC, SCinc, 2 SC, SCinc, 7 SC) x 2 (40 ST) SCinc, 9 SC, SCinc, 9 SC, SCinc, 19 SC (43 ST) 1 SC, SCinc, 30 SC, SCinc, 10 SC (45 ST) 2 SC, SCinc, 22 SC, SCinc, 19 SC (47 ST) 7 SC, SCinc, 38 SC, SCinc (49 ST) 1 SC in each (49 ST) x 2 19 SC, SC2tog, 28 SC (48 ST) 1 SC in each (48 ST) 36 SC, SC2tog, 10 SC (47 ST) 1 SC in each (47 ST) 14 SC, SC2tog, 31 SC (46 ST) 38 SC, SC2tog, 6 SC (45 ST)

This first increase should be where the two feet join together. If it isnt, something has gone wrong!

Russell Welch, 2011

16 17 18 19 20 21

20 SC, SC2tog, 23 SC (44 ST) 3 SC, SC2tog, 27 Sc, SC2tog, 10 SC (42 ST) 14 SC, SC2tog, 20 SC, SC2tog, 4 SC (40 ST) 9 SC, Sc2tog, 12 SC, SC2tog, 13 SC, SC2tog (37 ST) 4 SC, SC2tog, 10 SC, SC2tog, 10 SC, SC2tog, 7 SC (34 ST) 6 SC, SC2tog, 5 SC, SC2tog, 12 SC, SC2tog, 4 SC, SC2tog (30 ST) Now leave the body while you crochet the belly (in the other colour). Dont fasten off or anything, just take your hook out (maybe keeping the loop safe using a safety pin) and start the next part.

Belly
1 2 MC 8 2 SC in each (16 ST) Weave in the loose end. 3 4 5 6 7 (SCinc, 1 SC) x 8 (24 ST) (SCinc, 2 SC) x 8 (32 ST) (SCinc, 2 SC, SCinc, 3 SC, SCinc, 4 SC, SCinc, 3 SC) x 2 (40 ST) (SCinc, 3 SC, SCinc, 4 SC, SCinc, 5 SC, SCinc, 4 SC) x 2 (48 ST) (SCinc, 5 SC) x 8 (56 ST) FO, leaving a long tail Now sew the belly on so it is positioned in the middle of Totoros front side (the back is the side with a tailbone, which is also the side your hook should be on). The slightly longer axis should be vertical (the belly piece is very slightly oval). Dont worry if there are wrinkles in it these will disappear when you sew it on and stuff him. Sew some chevrons onto the belly using the body colour. Now continue with the body and head.

Russell Welch, 2011

Body / Head
22 23 24 25 26 27 28 (13 SC, SC2tog) x 2 (28 ST)5 1 SC in each (28 ST) 20 SC, SC2tog, 6 SC (27 ST) 8 SC, SC2tog, 17 SC (26 ST) 24 SC, SC2tog (25 ST) 6 SC, SC2tog, 6 SC, SC2tog, 7 SC, SC2tog (22 ST) (4 SC, SC2tog, 3 SC, SC2tog) x 2 (18 ST) Cut two circles of white or off-white felt (I used a hole punch!), and sew them on using a French knot for the pupil (you could use glue as well if you need extra security). Then add a triangle nose and another French knot for the mouth (or you could cut some more felt and give him a huge grin!). You can also add whiskers. I made some by cutting 4 cm lengths of illusion cord (nylon cord), and melting the ends over a candle to make a little blob that looks like the root of a hair. I then spray painted them black (using masking tape to stop them blowing away!), threaded them out of Totoros cheeks from the inside, and cut them to length. You could also buy whiskers, or embroider them! Stuff him! 29 30 (1 SC, SC2tog) x 6 (12 ST) 6 SC2tog (6 ST) Sew up the top and fasten off, threading the loose end back through his body and snipping it off.

Be careful to start this round in the right place, as the last stitch of the previous round was a decrease!

Russell Welch, 2011

Tail
1 2 MC 6 2 SC in each (12 ST) Weave in the loose end. 3 4 5 1 SC in each (12 ST) SC2tog, 10 SC (11 ST) SC2tog, 9 SC (10 ST) FO, stuff and attach it to the tailbone (see the picture below for positioning).

Fig. 2: Staring into the distance...

Russell Welch, 2011

Ears
(Make 2) These are worked from the tip to the base. Ch 2 1 SC Ch1/turn SCinc Ch1/turn 2 SC Ch1/turn 2 SC Ch1/turn SC2tog Ch1/turn 1 SC FO, leaving a tail to sew it on with. Then sew them on, weaving the end that is at the tip down and using that for extra security. I tied the two ends together after sewing each ear on, and then threaded them into the body as usual.

1 2 3 4 5 6

Arms
(Make 2) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 MC 6 2 SC in each (12 ST) SCinc, 10 SC, SCinc (14 ST) SCinc, SCinc, 5 SC, SCinc, 4 SC, SCinc, SCinc (19 ST) SCinc, 1 SC, SCinc, 6 SC, SCinc, 6 SC, SCinc, 1 SC, SCinc (24 ST) 4 SC (from here rows are partial) turn6 6 SC turn 5 SC turn 4 SC turn 3 SC FO, leaving a long tail to sew it on

Dont chain between rows here, just SC into the first stitch after the one your hook is through

Russell Welch, 2011

Sew both of the arms on, leaving a small gap to put a little stuffing in at the last moment.

Email me with questions or feedback: ravenslane@yahoo.co.uk For more patterns, please visit my Etsy shop: http://ravenslane.etsy.com Please note that I dont own anything relating to Totoro. He is from the lovely film My Neighbour Totoro by Studio Ghibli / Hayao Miyazaki. The pattern is my own creation based on the character, and as such I am not selling him or the pattern. You may print the pattern for your own use, but it may not be copied, sold or distributed. You may not sell items made using this pattern. Russell Welch, 2011

Russell Welch, 2011