Zelda the Zebra Free Crochet Pattern

Happy Tuesday my crafty friends! Are you ready for my weekly free crochet pattern?

I literally fell in love with Coco's look...that chubby shape and the gorgeous mustard scarf are beyond adorable.

... so I couldn’t help but working on a new character based on the same design!

Let me introduce you to

Zelda the Zebra!!

I had a lot of fun designing and crocheting Zelda!

Few things that I love about this project...

- the muzzle and the body are joined and then worked in one piece (instead of being sewn together) to give a more natural look

- the fuzzy mane made by attaching strings of yarn to the zebra's neck

- the knit-look crochet scarf made with the Tunisian technique

Here on the blog you'll find the written instructions on how to work the scarf, but if you are new to this technique you can find many explanatory step-by-step pictures on the PDF version listed on my Etsy page

So are you ready to make your own Zelda the Zebra?!

Here's the FREE pattern!

YARN: Light (3) in White, Black, Gray and Pink; Classic Cotton Thread in Black

MATERIALS: C2 - 2.75 mm Hook; (Tunisian) Crochet Hook H8 - 5 mm; Poly Filling

DIMENSION: H. 7.5” x W. 4”

ABBREVIATIONS: magic ring (mr), stitch (st), slip stitch (sl st), single crochet (sc), half double crochet (hdc), Tunisian simple stitch (TSS), fasten off (F/O)

SKILL LEVEL: Intermediate

INSTRUCTIONS: work in rounds (join with a sl st and ch 1 at the end of each round) unless otherwise instructed.

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MUZZLE (gray and white yarn)

1) starting off with gray yarn, 6 sc in a mr (6)

2) sc inc around (12)

3) *1 sc, 1 sc inc*, repeat ** around (18)

4) *2 sc, 1 sc inc*, repeat ** around (24)

5) *3 sc, 1 sc inc*, repeat ** around (30)

6) *4 sc, 1 sc inc*, repeat ** around (36)

7-9) sc even (36)

10) *4 sc, 1 sc dec*, repeat ** around (30)

11) sc even (30)

12) switch to white yarn, sc even (30)

13-15) sc even (30); F/O, cut the yarn and stuff the muzzle.

BODY (white and black yarn)

1) starting off with white yarn, 8 sc in a mr (8)

2) sc inc around (16)

3) *1 sc, 1 sc inc*, repeat ** around (24)

4) *2 sc, 1 sc inc*, repeat ** around (32)

5) *3 sc, 1 sc inc*, repeat ** around (40)

6) *4 sc, 1 sc inc*, repeat ** around (48)

7-9) sc even (48)

10) switch to black yarn, sc even (48)

11) switch back to white yarn, sc even (48)

12-13) sc even (48)

14) switch to black yarn, sc even (48)

15) switch back to white yarn, sc even (48)

16-17) sc even (48); start stuffing

18) switch to black yarn, sc even (48)

19) switch back to white yarn, sc even (48)

20-21) sc even (48)

22) switch to black yarn, sc even (48)

23) switch back to white yarn, sc even (48)

24-25) sc even (48); keep stuffing as you go

26) switch to black yarn, *4 sc, 1 sc dec*, repeat ** around (40)

27) switch back to white yarn, sc even (40)

28-29) sc even (40)

30) switch to black yarn, *3 sc, 1 sc dec*, repeat ** around (32)

31) switch back to white yarn, sc even (32)

32-33) sc even (32)

Do not cut the yarn once you have completed the body, CH 1 INSTEAD.

Merge the body and the muzzle together:

34) join the yarn with a sl st to any one stitch of the last round of the muzzle, ch1 and sc in the same st, crochet around 29 sc, work 1 hdc in the chain between muzzle and body, then keep working on the body, *2 sc, 1 sc dec*, repeat ** 8 times, then work 1 last hdc into the ch in between body and muzzle (56)

35) *3 sc, 1 sc dec*, repeat ** 6 times, 26 sc (50)

36-37) sc even (50)

38) *3 sc, 1 sc dec*, repeat ** around (40)

39) sc even (40); keep stuffing as you go

40) *3 sc, 1 sc dec*, repeat ** around (32)

41) sc even (32)

42) *2 sc, 1 sc dec*, repeat ** 4 times, 16 sc (28)

43) *5 sc, 1 sc dec*, repeat ** around (24)

44) *1 sc, 1 sc dec*, repeat ** around (16); finish stuffing

45) sc dec around (8); F/O, close the hole and wave in ends

Embroider the NOSTRILS between rounds # 5-8 of the muzzle, 14 stitches apart.

Embroider the U-shaped EYES between rounds # 16-19 of the muzzle, 10 stitches apart.

Embroider the EYEBROWS between rounds # 19-21, 6 stitches apart.

EARS (white yarn; make two)

1) 4 sc in a mr (4)

2) *1 sc, 1 sc inc*, repeat ** twice (6)

3) *2 sc, 1 sc inc*, repeat ** twice (8)

4) sc even (8)

5) *3 sc, 1 sc inc*, repeat ** twice (10); F/O and leave a long tail of yarn.

Do not stuff the ears, flatten them instead before sewing them on the top of the head, between rounds #39-43.

MANE (black yarn)

Cut a total of 15 6” long strings of black yarn.

- fold yarn in half having a U-shaped bend on one side and two ‘tails’ on the other side

- insert your hook into a loop, and catch the bend in your string piece

- pull the bend through the loop

- pull the two ‘tails’ through the bend and then pull the tails

- repeat along the neck of the zebra

- separate yarn fibers, then brush them

- trim the mane to desired length (approximately half inch).

ARMS (black and white yarn; make two)

1) starting off with black yarn, 5 sc in a mr (5)

2) sc inc around (10)

3) sc even (10)

4) switch to white yarn, sc even (10)

5) sc even (10)

6) *3 sc, 1 sc dec*, repeat ** twice (8)

7) sc even (8)

8) *2 sc, 1 sc dec*, repeat ** twice (6)

9-10) sc even (6); F/O and leave a long tail of yarn. Do not stuff the arm, sew it to the side of the body, between rounds # 24-26.

LEGS (black and white yarn; make two)

1) starting off with black yarn, 8 sc in a mr (8)

2) *3 sc, 1 sc inc*, repeat ** twice (10)

3) sc even (10)

4) switch to white yarn, sc even (10)

5-10) sc even (10); F/O and leave a long tail of yarn to sew the leg to the bottom part of the body, between round #2-6. Stuff the leg before sewing it on.

TAIL (black yarn)

1) leaving a long string of yarn at the beginning of the work, ch 5, work 1 sl st into the 2nd ch from the hook, work then 3 sl st (4); F/O and leave a long tail of yarn. Open up the fibers of both strings at the end of the tail, brush them and cut them at the desire length. Use a scrap piece of black yarn to sew the other end of the tail to the back of the body, between rounds #12-13.

SCARF (pink yarn)

1) Chain 4

2) Insert your hook into the 2nd ch from your hook, yarn over (wrap the yarn over your hook) and pull the strand of yarn through the first loop on your hook. (This adds one loop onto your hook)

3) Insert your hook into the next chain, yarn over (wrap the yarn over your hook) and pull the strand of yarn through the first loop on your hook. (This adds one loop onto your hook)

Repeat steps 3 for each chain across. When you are done you should have 4 loops on your hook.

Now let’s finish this row of Tunisian simple stitches by working in the other direction.

4) Yarn over (wrap yarn over your hook), pull the strand of yarn through the first loop on your hook. (There should still be 4 loops on your hook)

5) Yarn over (wrap yarn over your hook), pull the strand of yarn through the next 2 loops on your hook. (There should now be 1 less loop on your hook)

Repeat steps 5 until there is only 1 loop left on your hook

6) Insert your hook between the 2 vertical bars of the 2nd st. Yarn over (wrap yarn over your hook)

Pull the strand of yarn through the first loop on your hook (This adds one loop onto your hook).

Do the same for each stitch across. When you are done you should have 4 loops on your hook.

Make a total of 53 rows. Once you have completed the last row, fasten off and leave a long tail of yarn to sew the first and the last rows together.

Wrap the infinity scarf around the body.

I can't wait to see your version of my ZELDA THE ZEBRA! 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!