Crochet Pattern

« Barbel beetle»
Author: Juliya Kalmykova
This pattern is intended for personal use only. It is forbidden to distribute and post
it anywhere and to anyone!

The size of the toy when crocheting from the same materials as me is 8,5 cm (=3 inches) in
length+9 cm (=3,5 inches) antennae
Necessary materials
● Lace weight/1ply yarn - СОСО.100% mercerized cotton. 240m (=262 yard)/50 g. Color black and
turquoise
● Black sewing thread, for winding feet and antennae
● Hook size 1 mm
● Synthetic filling
● Needle
● Scissors
● Acrylic paint (black and white color), and also a brush.
● Thin wire with a diameter of 0.7-0.9 mm for legs and antennae.
● Black polymer clay for eyes
● A moment gel glue
● Transparent acrylic paint (to paint the eyes on request)
● Thick cardboard paper for frame

Abbreviations
Sc – single crochet
Hdc – half double crochet
Sl st – slip stitch
Inc - increase
Dec – decrease
Ch – chain
Wings
Crochet with turquoise yarn
Both wings are crocheted in the same way.
1 row: ch25, starting from the second chain on the hook: 24 sc.
Next, crochet in rows.

2 row: ch1, 20 hdc, 1 sc, 3 sl st = (24)

3 row: 1 sl st, 2 sc, 21 hdc = (24)
4 row: ch1, 20 hdc, 2 sc, 2 sl st = (24)
5 row: 5 sc, 19 hdc = (24)

Next, apply a thin wire around the entire wing and crochet it with sc around. The total number of
stitches on all 4 sides = 57 sc

Cut the yarn.

Body + Head
Crochet with black yarn
The marker goes along the tummy, follow the marker and align it if necessary!
1 round: 6 sc. in amigurumi ring
2 round: (inc)*6 times = (12 sc)
3 round: (12 sc)
4 round: (1 sc, inc)*6 times = (18 sc)
5 round: (18 sc)
6 round: (2 sc, inc)*6 times = (24 sc)
7-16 rounds: (24 sc) (10 rounds)
17 round: (7 sc, inc)*3 times = (27 sc)
18-22 rounds: (27 sc) (5 rounds)
23 round: (8 sc, inc)*3 times = (30 sc)
24-28 rounds: (30 sc) (5 rounds)
Fold the body in half and cut out a cardboard shape along it. The width of the cardboard should
be less than the crocheted fabric, and make the length 1 cm longer. Insert the cardboard paper
(the marker on the abdomen should remain exactly in the middle as per photo 3).

photo 3
Stuff the back moderately tight (not to a stone state!), and stuff the tummy very thin! It should
remain practically flat.
Next, crochet the wings to the body. The total number of stitches = 9 (7 main upper ones, in the
photo below there are red dots and one loop on the left and on the right, in the photo below there
are blue dots). Begin to crochet the wings from point "1" and end with point "9".
29 round: 6 sc on the body, 9 sc together with 9 stitches of one wing, 9 sc together with 9
stitches of the second wing, 6 sc on the body = (30 sc)

30 round: (3 sc, dec)*6 times = (24 sc)

31 round: (2 sc, dec)*6 times = (18 sc)
32-33 rounds: (18 sc) (2 rounds)
34 round: through front loop of the previous round (2 sc, inc)*6 times = (24 sc)
35 round: (3 sc, inc)*6 times = (30 sc)
36 round: (4 sc, inc)*6 times = (36 sc)
37 round: (1 sc, dec)*12 times = (24 sc)
38 round: (2 sc, dec)*6 times = (18 sc)
39 round: (1 sc, dec)*6 times = (12 sc)
Stuff the body with synthetic filling.
40 round: (12 sc)
41 round: (1 sc, inc)*6 times = (18 sc)
42 round: (18 sc)
43 round: (1 sc, dec)*6 times = (12 sc)
Stuff the body with synthetic filling.
44 round: (dec)*6 times = (6 sc)
45 round: Decreases to close.
Cut the yarn and weave in the yarn ends.
Sew up the upper part of the wing no more than 1 cm. Insert the thread with a needle into the
body (photo 1), sew up the required length for the outer stitches of the wings (photo 2, 3), bring
the needle into the head, fasten and hide (photo 4. For example, photo of ladybug design is
taken).

photo 1 photo 2 photo 3 photo 4

Next, decorate antennae and legs. Insert a thin wire at the very beginning of the crocheting of
the head. Distance between wires = 2 stitches.

Ready antennae of my beetle = 9 cm (=3,5 inches) each, with a whole body length of 8,5 cm (=3,3
inches).
The antennae of this beetle are long and have different thicknesses, and after about every
centimeter, a thicker winding should be made so that the antennae in these places are slightly
convex. For clarity, I will show a photo of a real barbel, be guided by it. I wrapped the antennae
with only black thread, and then painted over the gaps with oil paint. You can immediately wrap
it with colored thread first, and only then make black bulges with black thread.
Coat the tip of the wire with glue and wrap it with a regular black thread in 1 layer.
Bend the tip of the antennae using the pliers. Smear it with glue and wrap it with another layer of
thread. Next, wrap, focusing on the photo of the barbel. Repeat on the second side of the
antennae in the same way, immediately measuring the required length of the wire. The middle of
the antennae, which is located inside the head, should also be wrapped with thread so that inside
the head they do not go to one side or the other too freely.

Next, decorate the legs. The photo below shows where the wire is inserted. Insert the wire into
the lower part of the beetle above the cardboard base, that is, the wire is between the cardboard
and the crocheted fabric.
The wrapping principle is the same as the antennae. When winding, consider thin and thick parts.
To do this, we are guided by looking at the photo of a real barbel and my winding. Bend the ends
of each leg in the same way as the antennae.

The length of the body of my beetle = 8.5 cm (=3,3 inches), the length of the upper leg in a
straight position = 4.5 cm (=1,8 inches), the length of the middle leg = 5 cm (=2 inches) and the
length of the lower leg = 6.5 cm (=2,5 inches)
The length of the lower legs should be less than the length of the whole body, in my case by 2 cm
(=0,8 inches). The rest of the legs are reduced relative to the lower leg

Eyes
Sculpt a small ball from black polymer clay with a diameter of 5 mm. Cut it in half, touch up the
edges if they are deformed. Stretch one part a little and form a teardrop shape.

Bake and glue over the antennae of the beetle (the sharp end should look up). Cover the eyes
with glossy acrylic varnish.
And the last stage is toning and coloring. Acrylic or oil paint is suitable for this. I tinted with black
and turquoise oil paint. The photo below shows the places and colors of toning.

The beetle is ready!