Nutcracker Free Crochet Pattern

Welcome back to my blog my friends!

If you have been following my crochet journey, you know already that I enjoy going through my old designs to find projects to rework and improve!

This time I stumbled upon a Christmas project, that you all have loved over the past years, but that definitely needed a new and fresh look - the Nutcracker!!

New colors, new proportions, cute hair and beard and a couple of finishing touches made this oldie ready for the upcoming Christmas season!!

What do you think? Are you ready to crochet the NUTCRACKER and have some fun together?!

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***You can purchase a downloadable AD-FREE PDF of the pattern with more than 40 step-by-step pictures, sketches and tips

on Etsy HERE

7 pages of detailed instructions to guide you through

the making process!

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Here's the FREE pattern!

YARN: light yarn (3) in black, linen, mustard, red, blue and white; super bulky fur yarn (6) in white

MATERIALS: 2.5 mm crochet hook; polyester fiber fill; yarn needle; two 6mm plastic safety eyes

DIMENSION: H. 10” x L. 3.5” (27 x 10 cm)

ABBREVIATIONS: magic ring (mr), stitch (st), slip stitch (sl st), single crochet (sc), half double crochet (hdc), front loop only (FLO), back loop only (BLO), fasten off (F/O)

SKILL LEVEL: beginner

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Head and body (black, tan, mustard, red yarn)

Rnd 1: starting off with black yarn – 8 sc in a mr (8)

Rnd 2: sc inc around (16)

Rnd 3: (1 sc, 1 sc inc) rep around (24)

Rnd 4: (2 sc, 1 sc inc) rep around (32)

Rnd 5: (3 sc, 1 sc inc) rep around (40)

Rnd 6: working in BLO, sc even (40)

Rnds 7 - 17: working in both loops now – sc even (40); do not F/O black yarn

Rnd 18: switch to tan yarn and work in the BLO of rnd #17 – sc even (40)

Work one more row with black yarn in the FLO of rnd # 17; F/O black yarn.

Rnds 19 - 29: working in both loops now – sc even (40); F/O tan yarn.

Insert plastic safety eyes between rnds # 22-23, 6 sts apart.

Rnd 30: switch to mustard yarn – sc even (40)

Rnd 31: sc even (40)

Rnd 32: switch to red yarn – sc even (40)

Rnds 33 - 42: sc even (40); do not F/O red yarn

Rnd 43: switch to black yarn – sc even (40); start stuffing

Rnd 44: sc even (40); F/O black yarn.

Rnd 45: switch back to red yarn – sc even (40)

Rnds 46 - 47: sc even (40)

Rnd 48: working in BLO – (2 sc, 1 sc dec) rep around (30); finish stuffing

Rnd 49: working in both loops now – (1 sc, 1 sc dec) rep around (20)

Rnd 50: sc dec around (10); F/O, close the hole and wave in end.

Work one extra row of 40 hdc with red yarn in the FLO of rnd # 47; F/O, cut the yarn and wave in end.

Embroider 3 horizontal STRIPES (7 sts in length) on the chest with yellow yarn between rnds #35-36, #37-38, #39-40.

Create the 6BUTTONS on the sides of the vest stripes, by embroidering French Knots with yellow yarn.

Embroider the NOSE with some scrap tan yarn between rnds # 22-24.

Embroider the MOUTH (between rnds #27-28), the EYEBROWS (between rnds #22-23) and the MUSTACHES (between rnds #26-29) with some scrap black yarn.

Legs (brick yarn; make two)

Rnd 1: starting off with black yarn – 6 sc in a mr (6)

Rnd 2: sc inc around (12)

Rnd 3: working in BLO, sc even (12)

Rnds 4 - 11: sc even (12); F/O black yarn.

Rnd 12: switch to white yarn – sc even (12)

Rnd 13: sc even (12); F/O white yarn.

Rnd 14: switch to blue yarn – sc even (12); stuff the leg

Rnds 15 - 21: sc even (12); F/O and leave a long strand of yarn to sew the legs to the bottom of the body.

Arms (mustard, red, tan yarn)

Rnd 1: starting off with yellow yarn – 5 sc in a mr (5)

Rnd 2: sc inc around (10)

Rnd 3: working in BLO – sc even (10)

Rnd 4: working in both loops now – sc even (10)

Rnd 5: switch to red yarn – sc even (10)

Rnds 6 - 15: sc even (10); start stuffing

Rnd 16: switch back to yellow yarn – sc even (10)

Rnd 17: sc even (10); F/O yellow yarn

Rnd 18: switch back to red yarn – sc even (10); F/O red yarn

Rnd 19: switch to tan yarn – sc even (10)

Rnd 20: sc even (10); finish stuffing

Rnd 21: working in BLO – sc dec around (5); F/O, close the hole and wave in end.

Position the arms to the side of the body and secure them in place with pins. Cut a long strand of yellow yarn, and sew the arms to the body.

Hair and Beard (white fur yarn)

Create the Hair by vertically covering the side and the back of the head with white fur yarn. Embroider two short horizontal stripes (7 sts in length) right below the mouth with fur yarn to create the Beard.

I can't wait to see your version of my NUTCRACKER! Feel free to tag me (@elisascrochet) in your photos on Instagram or Facebook if you'd like!

Elisa

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This pattern is an original pattern by Elisa Sartori of Elisa's Crochet.  Please do not claim this pattern as your own. If you wish to share this pattern, you may link to this pattern but please do not reprint it on your site. You may keep a copy for your own personal use but please DO NOT sell the pattern or distribute it.

You may sell products made from this pattern but please clearly credit the design to me, Elisa Sartori of Elisa's Crochet. Permission is NOT granted for mass production or factory manufacturing of any kind. Thank you!

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