Please note: This listing is for a downloadable PDF of the pattern instructions for making Max …there is no hard copy of the pattern available, nor a finished item. The pattern is available only in English :)

ERRATUM:

Please note: The pink arrow on the very bottom left hand side photo on page 29, should be placed so that the joining starts on the SQUARE MOTIF, NOT the pentagon.

Please make a note of a correction to round 4 of the square motif in the pattern. Round 4 should read as follows:

“Join a new color yarn. Ch3 (counts as first dc). Make a dc into each of the next four sc stitches. Ch1, then * make a dc into the same sc space as the previous dc. Make a dc into each of the next 3 sc’s from Round 3. Make a dc into the long dc stitch of the previous round. Make a dc into each of the next 5 sc’s of the previous round.Ch1. * Repeat from * to * two times more. Make a dc into the same sc space as the previous dc . Make a dc into each of the next three sc stitches of Round 3. Join with a slip stitch to the third chain of the “ch3” at the beginning of the round. (4 sets of 9 dc’s separated by 4 chain stitches, ie four “9dc repeats”)

Hi everyone :)

I am so sorry to have to let you know about an omission in the Max pattern. I missed the fact that the charted and written instructions for the heptagon were not included…so sorry!

I have updated the pattern to include the missing page of instructions…it is the file labelled “_corr” at the end of the file name. The only difference between this and the previous PDF IS PAGE 10… if you printed your pattern before the update, please don’t print the whole pattern again…all you need to print is page 10. This is the page that shows the chart and instructions for the African Flower Heptagon.

Max the bulldog is the fifteenth of my patterns that makes use of the African Flower hexagon crochet motif and variations thereof, joined in a specific order to make a recognizable 3D item. I love this African Flower pattern and the creative possibilities of using it to make 3D items  Max is an excellent stash buster project, as you only need to use very small amounts of leftover sock yarn to make a motif.

So, let’s take a look at the important points and how to start making your own little bulldog :)

:: Steps to making your own Max ::

NB: First read the whole pattern through properly, so you have a good overview. Make sure you know how to crochet the African Flower hexagon crochet motif. I have included both written and charted instructions for the African Flower hexagon in this pattern. If you are a visual learner, you can see a step by step photo tutorial on my blog: http://heidibearscreative.blogspot.com/2010/05/african-fl... Make sure you are able to crochet an African Flower pentagon, heptagon, octagon, square and triangle … for clarity: the pentagon has five petals and five sides and the heptagon has seven petals and seven sides and so on…. The difference is simply the number of “petal” repeats that you crochet…pentagons, hexagons and heptagons etc are therefore equally easy to crochet. I have included written and charted instructions in this pattern on how to crochet an African Flower Pentagon (as well as all the other motifs). I have also posted a fully explained pentagon tutorial, on my blog, which can be found here:

http://heidibearscreative.blogspot.com/2011/09/african-fl...

Make sure you have gone through and practiced the join-as-you-go technique. This has been explained and illustrated in the PDF named Appendix : Joining Tutorials, which can be found at the end of this pattern. Since the joining method is really very important to the success of the project, I strongly suggest that you practice joining on scrap yarn motifs before starting the project. If you would prefer to sew your motifs together, you won’t need to practice the join-as-you-go technique, but will need to be confident in your neat sewing ability. I have not included instructions on how to sew stuff together…there are plenty resources available on the internet… Either choose your yarn for this project or use the sock yarn that you have left over from other projects. Make all the required motifs for your bulldog, BUT only up to Round 4 of the African Flower motif if you are doing a join-as-you-go method, or the full motif up to Round 5 if you are sewing up the motifs.

: : Materials Requirements : :

The bulldog that has been crocheted for this pattern, was made using sock weight/fingering/#1 weight yarn. Using this weight yarn will give you a bulldog measuring approximately 25cm nose to bum and 18cm from the top of the head to the feet.

ALL THE CROCHET STITCHES USED IN THIS PATTERN ARE BASED ON AMERICAN CROCHET TERMS

Sock weight / Fingering weight yarn/ #1 in colors of your choice… this little bulldog is a great stash busting project as you can use small amounts of sock yarn for each motif, and the more colourful the prettier  . Although I can’t tell you how much yardage of each color I used I can tell you that the total weight of yarn for the bulldog was around 150g (unstuffed).

The yardage for the sock yarn I used is around 320m/100g (350yds/100g). It is a superwash merino yarn, but you can use any alternative fingering weight yarn you like…I suggest that animal fibre yarns would be preferable, as they have more stretch, making the stuffing and shaping of Max easier. Try to use a yarn with a similar yardage per 100g. If you use a heavier weight yarn and a larger hook, the doggie will be bigger than the one made in sock yarn, and you will obviously need more polyester stuffing.

Crochet Hook 1.75mm

If you are planning to make your bulldog in a heavier weight yarn, adjust your hook size accordingly…however, use the smallest hook size possible for the weight of yarn that you can manage. Note that the hook size recommended by the yarn manufacturer would not be the correct size to use for this project…Since the bulldog is stuffed, your stitch density will need to be tighter than usual to prevent the stuffing from popping out. Make a test motif in your chosen yarn and hook to see which would be the best size to use.

Polyester toy stuffing Haemostats (optional for stuffing)

Scissors Tapestry Needle used for sewing in ends Sewing Pins

Sewing needle Curved sewing needle

Long tapestry needle

Eyes (plastic safety eyes or glass wire-looped eyes). PLEASE NOTE THAT ATTACHED EYES ARE NOT RECOMMENDED FOR TOYS CREATED FOR CHILDREN! They can be a suffocation hazard. If you are making this toy for a child, rather embroider the eyes using embroidery thread! I would still suggest sculpting the eye sockets before embroidering the eyes…it adds a lovely realistic element :) I have used 12mm wire looped glass eyes. These can easily be sourced from sellers on eBay and Etsy.

: : Skills Requirements : :

Basic Crocheting Skills: Chain stitch (ch) , Single Crochet (sc), Double Crochet (dc), Slip Stitch (sl st), joining a chain to make a ring, joining in a new color yarn, foundation double crochet (if you have never done a foundation double crochet chain before, here is a wonderful tutorial for you to learn…it’s easier than you think!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGPkRHF0rUw

Join-as-you-go motif joining: This pattern will require that you join the crocheted motifs each stitch to each stitch. This is necessary to prevent the stuffing popping out of the doggie. It is imperative that you are confident in your join-as-you-go ability. The method I use is explained in the Appendix pages found at the end of the pattern. These tutorials are illustrated by using motif chart illustrations with explanatory notes. This cuts down on printing :)

However, if you are scared witless by the thought of doing a join-as-you-go joining method, all is not lost…you can simply make all your motifs in full (including Round 5), then sew them together. The order of motif placement and the number of sides needing to be joined stays exactly the same whether you join-as-you-go or sew up.

I hope that you will enjoy making little Max…I have tried very hard to ensure that there are no errors in the pattern, however, I am only human…if you find something amiss, please kindly pm me on Ravlery :) Thank you and Happy Crocheting!

xxx Heidi