The Littlest Buddha: A free pattern.
Please make lots of them, but don't sell them. Buddha's wisdom is meant only for sharing and caring... never profit... not even for me.
The pattern hasn't been tested so forgive me if there are missing steps or something is confusing. Please please please let me know if you find an error or can help me clarify something. This is the first pattern I've shared.
He's about 6.5" tall but if you use a thinner yarn and a smaller hook, you'll get a smaller guy... and thus using a thicker yarn and bigger hook, he'll be taller.
I used stitch markers for the beginning of each round so I didn't get lost, but I lose count easily, so it's up to you. You could probably also make a little robe for him if you'd rather he not be nude.
Tools:
Yarn: I used crappy WW acrylic... probably a Red Heart brand
Hook: F
Yarn Needle
Stitch Markers
Black embroidery floss
Poly-fill or anything else that makes good stuffing
Stitches:
sk = skip
bobble = yo, hook through st, yo, pull through st, yo, pull through 2 loops on hook, yo, insert hook in same st, yo, pull through st, yo, pull through 2 loops, yo, pull through all 3 loops on hook
sc2tog = hook through st, yo, pull through st, hook through next st, yo, pull through st, yo, pull through all loops on hook
Starting with the Body
ch 2, sl st together to create circle center
Round 1: ch 1, 6 sc in center
Round 2: 2 sc in each st (12 sc)
3: *2 sc next st, sc* 6 times (18 sc)
4: *2sc next st, sc next 2 sts* 6 times (24)
5: *2 sc next st, sc next 3 sts* 6 times (30)
6-8: sc each st (30)
9: sk first st, sc next 13 sts, sk st, sc next 13 sts (28)
10: sk first st, sc next 12, sk st, sc next 12 (26)
11-13: sc each st (26)
14: sk first st, sc next 11 sts, sk st, sc next 11 (24)
15-17: sc each st aroun (24)
18: *sc2tog, sc next 2 sts* 6 times (18)
19: *sc2tog, sc next 2 sts* 4.5 times (13)
20-21: sc around (13)stuff the bottom.
22: *2sc next st, sc* 5.5 times (18)
23: *2sc next st, sc next 2 sts* 6 times (24)
24-28: sc around (24)
29: *sc2og, sc next 2* 6 times (18)
30: *sc2og, sc* 6 times (12)stuff the rest of the body... you can't overstuff here, so just keep stuffing
31: sc2og each pair of sts following until there are about 4-6 sts left and then FO leaving long length for sewing and attaching.
Legs (you'll make 2, but you'll have to reverse a few things so you don't have 2 left feet...although the guy in the picture does and you can hardly tell. I've tried to put in the unique instructions for the other foot where it makes sense in italics... but you might have to just use your best judgement):
starting at foot: ch 7
Row 1: turn, sk first 2 ch (counts as first hdc), 5 hdc to end (6 sts)
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sl st around ENTIRE foot... so across those 6 sts from row 1 and then across the bottom of the original chain... the heel is at the bottom of your work and now you're going to make toes at the top (12 sts)
Row 3: (Note: There are about 3 spaces at the top of the foot) ch3, sl st in first space at top of foot (you made the baby toe), ch 3, sl st in same space as first toe, ch 3, sl st in 2nd space, ch 3, sl st AGAIN in 2nd space, ch 4, sl st in back of 2nd ch of the ch4 (so you've hooked the toe chain to itself... not the foot yet), ch 1, sl st to last space on foot
Row 4 Left Foot (turns into a Round leading up the leg): sl on bottom 4 sts of foot going towards heel, sc next 4 sts around heel, ch 4, sl st to join ch4 to first sc of heel. (8 sc sts in round)
(ROW 4 for Right foot: sl on TOP of foot (until there will be 4 sts to sc in at the heel), ch 4, join to other side of foot so that there will be 4 sts around heel, sc 4 sts on heel.)
Now working completely in the round.
Round 5-13: sc each st (8)
(Round 13 for Right Leg should have 7 sc and then 1 hdc in last st)
Stop here and sew the ch 4 from the begging of leg to the top of the foot. I don't have specific instructions... look at your foot and how the leg tapers and try to mimic that. Stuff calf.
Round 14 for Left leg: sc each in 6 sts, hdc next st, bobble
(Round 14 for Right leg: bobble, hdc, sc, sc2tog, 2 sc)
Round 15 for Left leg: hdc, sc next 2, sc2tog, sc next 2, 2 sc in bobble
(Round 15 for Right leg: 2 sc in bobble, sc each remaining sts)
Round 16: *sc next st, 2sc in next st* 4 times (12)Rounds
17-24: sc each st (12)F.O. leaving long length.
Stuff. Be carefull not to stuff the knee too much or it won't look right when it's bent. Also, don't stuff super full to the end of the thigh because you'll be sewing the open hole together and sewing the part of the leg that is the inner thigh to the outer edge. You'll want to stagger it a little so you're sewing the last row of sts from the inner thigh to the second-to-last row of sts on the outer thigh. You want the leg to attach as flatly as possible, but become 3-d right away. You can sort of see it better in how the arm is attached in the below at the left. All limbs are attached in about the same way.
Arms (like the legs, you'll make 2 and the other arm has a few areas that are different so you don't end up with two left arms... it matters with the arms because of how the hands need to match up):starting with hands: ch 5
Row 1: turn, sk 1 st, sc in 4 sts
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc in 3 sts, sl st last st
Row 3: ch 1, turn, sk first st (the sl st), 1 sc, ch 3, sl st in butt of first ch st (thumb), sl st in next st of palm, sl st in top 3 sts
Row 4 becoming Round 4: sl st 2 sts on back of hand, sc top loop of sts around wrist: 4 sc, ch 3, join to first sc with sl st
(Row/Round 4 other hand: sl 2 sts on top of hand, ch 3, join to other side of hand in st so there will be 4 sts around wrist area before it will join with first ch, sc in top loop of 4 sts around wrist)
Round 5-12: sc around (7 sts)
Sew wrist to hand like you sewed the legs to the tops of the feet. You want your hands perpendicular to the arm so the palms will come together easily in prayer.
Stuff the forearms.
Round 13: sc 3 sts, bobble, sc 2, sk last st
(Round 13 for other arm: bobble, sc 2 sts, sk st, sc next 3 sts)
Round 14: 3 sc, 2 sc in bobble, 2 sc (7)
(Round 14 for other arm: 2 sc in bobble, sc rest of sts)
Round 15-16: sc around (7 sts)
Round 17: sc, 2 sc next st, 5 sc (8)
(Round 17 for other arm: sc in 5 sts, 2 sc next st, sc)
Round 18: sc 2 sts, 2 sc nexgt st, 5 scs (9)
(Round 18 other arm: sc in 5 sts, 2 sc next st, sc last 2 sts)
Rounds 19-25: sc each st around (9)
F.O. leaving long length for attaching.
Stuff, but again, don't overstuff at the elbow or it won't bend correctly and don't stuff a lot near the shoulder.
Like the legs, sew the inner arm about a row deeper to the outer arm. You'll attach at a diagonal on the body so that the upper arms are angled towards the knees, and when you bend the elbows they bend uppish and towards the heart-center of the body.
Ears (make 2)
ch 4, turn, sk st, sc in next 2 sts, and sl st in last.
F.O. with enough to attach.
Top of head thing:
finger loop, and 5 sc in loop pulling tight, sl st to first sc and F.O. with length for attaching.
Attaching everything:
I attached each limb and then just sewed the limbs together so they'd stay where I wanted them.
I put the legs on on top of each other so I just made a few stitches sewing one calf to the other and then attached both legs to the body.
After attaching the arms, I made a few stitches to hold the hands together and then also attached the thumbs to the body.
The ears and head thing are just sewn on in no particularly artful way.
I made the face with regular black embroidery floss. I tried a few different faces, but this one seemed the most serene.
Your questions and comments are always welcome.
Namaste!
