The Penguin Squish is a cool but cuddly, and very squishy, free crochet pattern on Moogly! Featuring Bernat Blanket, this pattern will waddle its way off your hook and into your heart!
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Part of the 2023 Christmas in July Make Along on Underground Crafter!
How the 2023 Christmas In July Make Along Works
I've teamed up with 27 bloggers have teamed up to bring you a month full of free patterns to kick-start the handmade holiday season -- including crochet, knitting, and sewing projects. There’s something new to make every day in July. Each week will have a theme.
1st Week (July 1-7): Babies, Kids, and Teens
2nd Week (July 8-14): Women
3rd Week (July 15-21): Gifts for Anyone
4th Week (July 22-28): Home
5th Week (July 29-31): Pets
We’ve partnered with nine fabulous craft companies to bring wonderful prizes to you! Find out more information about participating bloggers, the schedule, and how to enter to win the prizes on Underground Crafter. The deadline for entering the giveaway for your chance to win a prize from Eucalan, Fox & Pine Stitches, GlassEyesOnline, Hartiful, KennyClayCo, KnitPal, Knitter’s Relief Balm, Search Press North America, and seashellcrafter is Friday, August 4, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern.
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Visit Underground Crafter to learn more about the prizes, enter the giveaway, and get links to each Christmas in July Make Along post as it is released.
Grab that Bernat Blanket!
I love using Bernat Blanket for my large amigurumi squishes, and the Penguin Squish is no exception! For this one, I used a white skein, a blank skein, and a bit of leftover yellow from the Duck Squish!
Cute and Cuddly for Kids and Adults
This crochet penguin pillow is fun to make - and pet and squeeze! I used safety eyes, but this pattern has not been tested for safety for children under 3 years of age. If you are crocheting it for a baby or toddler, you may wish to embroider on the eyes and make sure that the pieces are sewn on quite securely. If using it as a photo prop, be sure not to leave the toy with a baby unattended.
Penguin Squish
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US-L, 8.0 mm hook, Susan Bates
235 yds Bernat Blanket (6 - Super Bulky; 100% polyester; 300g/10.5 oz; 201 m/220 yds)
A - Coal (1 skein)
B - Whipped Cream (1 skein)
C - Gold (much less than 1 skein)
10" Microbead Pillow Ball or fiber fill
Gauge: 4"/10cm across after Rnd 3.
Size: approx 10" across/tall excluding flippers and feet
HELPFUL LINKS AND TUTORIALS
CSDC - Chainless Starting Double Crochet
Fpdc and Bpdc - Front post/back post double crochet
Duck Squish Tutorial (beak and feet are the same)
NOTES:
Rnds are worked in a spiral.
Do not ch 1 at the beginning of a rnd or join any rnds with a sl st unless specifically directed in the pattern.
Move a stitch marker along the first st of each rnd as you work to keep track of your progress.
Please note that some pieces switch between Rows and Rounds.
PENGUIN SQUISH INSTRUCTIONS:
Black Part of Body - Color A Piece
Rnd 1: With Color A, make a magic circle, ch 1, sc in the ring, 9 hdc in the ring. (10 sts)
Rnd 2: 2 hdc in each st around. (20 hdc)
Rnd 3: *Hdc in the next st, 2 hdc in the next st; rep from * around. (30 hdc)
Rnd 4: *2 hdc in the next st, hdc in the next 2 sts; rep from * around. (40 hdc)
Rnd 5: *Hdc in the next 3 sts, 2 hdc in the next st; rep from * around. (50 hdc)
Rnd 6: *Hdc in the next st, 2 hdc in the next st, hdc in the next 3 sts; rep from * around. (60 hdc)
Rnd 7: Hdc in the next 5 sts, 2 hdc in the next st, *hdc in the next 9 sts, 2 hdc in the next st; rep from * until 4 sts rem, hdc in last 4 sts. (66 hdc)
Rnd 8: *2 hdc in the next st, hdc in the next 10 sts; rep from * around. (72 hdc)
Rnd 9: Hdc in the next 8 sts, 2 hdc in the next st, *hdc in the next 17 sts, 2 hdc in the next st; rep from * until 9 sts rem, hdc in last 9 sts. (76 hdc)
Rnds 10 - 15: Hdc in each st around.
Rnd 16: *Hdc in the next 17 sts, hdc2tog; rep from * around. (72 sts)
Rnd 17: [Hdc in the next 7 sts, hdc2tog] 3 times, hdc in the next 3 sts, ch 4, skip 4 sts, hdc2tog twice, ch 4, skip 4 sts, hdc in the next 3 sts, [hdc2tog, hdc in the next 7 sts] three times. (56 hdc and 8 chs)
Rnd 18: [Hdc2tog, hdc in the next 6 sts] three times, hdc2tog, ch 6, skip next st, skip ch-4, hdc in next 2 sts, ch 6, skip ch-4, skip next st, hdc2tog, [hdc in the next 6 sts, hdc2tog] three times. (46 hdc and 12 chs)
Rnd 19: Hdc in the next 13 sts, 2 dc in the next st, 3 tr in the next st, 2 dc in the next st, hdc in the next 6 sts, ch 6, skip ch-6, sc in the next 2 sts, ch 6, skip ch-6, hdc in the next 6 sts, 2 dc in the next st, 3 tr in the next st, 2 dc in the next st, hdc in the next 13 sts. (38 hdc, 8 dc, 6 tr, 2 sc, 12 chs)
Rnd 20: Sc in the next st, sl st in the next st, break yarn and seamless join leaving a long tail for sewing.
White Part of Body - Color B Piece
Rnds 1 - 7: Rep Rnds 1 - 7 of Black Part of Body - Color A Piece.
Rnd 8: Hdc in the next 13 sts, 2 dc in the next st, 3 tr in the next st, 2 dc in the next st, hdc in the next 6 sts, *hdc2tog twice, hdc in the next 2 sts, hdc2tog twice**, hdc in the next 2 sts, rep * to **, hdc in the next 6 sts, 2 dc in the next st, 3 tr in the next st, 2 dc in the next st, hdc in the next 13 sts. Place stitch markers in sts #27, 32, 35, and 40. (52 hdc, 8 dc, 6 tr)
Rnd 9: Sc in the next st, sl st in the next st, break yarn and seamless join.
Adding the Eye Areas to the White Part of Body - Color B
Row 1: Join with hdc to first marked st (27), hdc in next 5 sts; turn. (6 hdc)
Row 2: Ch 1, hdc in each st across; turn.
Row 3: Ch 1, hdc2tog, hdc in the next 2 sts, hdc2tog; break yarn and finish off. (4 sts)
Repeat Rows 1 - 3 starting at the third marked st (35).
Beak - Color C
Rnd 1: Make a magic circle, ch 1, sc in the ring, 6 hdc in the ring. (7 sts)
Rnd 2: 2 hdc in each st around. (14 sts)
Rnd 3: Hdc in next st, sc in next 5 sts, hdc in next 2 sts, sc in the next 5 sts, hdc in next st. (14 sts) Tip: Weave in your first end now.
Row 4: Fold piece flat, ch 1, sc through next st and last st, sc through next 6 sets of sts; break yarn and finish off leaving a long tail for sewing.
Feet - Color C (Make 2)
Row 1 [RS]: Leaving a long tail for sewing, make a magic circle, ch 1, sc 3 in the circle; close the circle, but do not join, turn. (3 sc)
Row 2 [WS]: CSDC in first st, 3 dc in the next st, dc in the last st; turn. (5 dc)
Row 3: Ch 1, fpdc in first st, [2 sc in next st, fpdc in next st] twice; turn. (7 sts)
Row 4: Ch 1, bpdc in first st, [sc in next 2 sts, bpdc in next st] twice; turn.
Row 5: Ch 1, fpdc in first st, [sc in next st, 2 sc in next st, fpdc in next st] twice; turn. (9 sts)
Row 6: Ch 1, bpdc in first st, [loosely sl st in next 3 sts, bpdc in next st] twice; turn.
Row 7: Ch 1, fpdc in first st, [sl st in next 3 sts, fpdc in next st] twice; break yarn and finish off leaving a long tail for sewing
Penguin Squish Assembly
NOTE: The Eye Areas will overlap the Color A Piece ch sps, so be sure to orient the pieces so that they both face forward.
1 - Add Feet: Sew to Rnd 18 of Color A Piece on bottom, as shown. (Center stitch marker is in the sc of the last Rnd.)
2 - Add Safety Eyes: Add safety eyes to Color B Piece Eye Areas, as shown.
2 - Add Beak: Sew the Beak to the Color B Piece, around Rnds Rows 6 and 7, between the eyes.
3 - Final Assembly: Insert stuffing or ball into Color A piece. Use stitch markers to attach Color A and Color B pieces, matching the flippers (2 dc, 3 tr, 2 dc) and overlapping the Eye Areas on top of the Color A chain spaces. Using long tail of Color A piece, sew Color A piece to Color B piece.
Keeping Cool with Crochet?
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The Fine Print
Follow Moogly on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, TikTok, and Instagram! Thank you to Yarnspirations for providing the materials shown in this post. Written pattern copyright Tamara Kelly 2023, all rights reserved. Please do not reprint or repost this pattern, but please do link to this page to share this pattern with others.
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Alexandra says
Aww - this is adorable! I love penguins.
Joan says
Absolutely darling! One of my favorite children's books was about a baby penguin.
Lesley-Anne Clements says
What are the 6 slots for in the black section, I'm putting mine together, but cannot see what to do with these, thank you
Tamara Kelly says
Hi Lesley! The chain sections on the black piece are where the "bumps" on the white section overlay! They are behind the eyes. 🙂
Lesley-Anne says
Yes thank you, I had worked it out and have finished one, which I have posted on Cricket Uk and have nearly finished the second one. But thank you so much for your reply, from Lesley-Anne xx
Sandra says
Would love an answer to this also. It says overlap but mine together looks off and maybe due to this.
Tamara Kelly says
Hi Sandra, I answered Lesley-Anne above!
Cherie says
Adorable penguin with novel construction methods. Looking forward to learning a number of new techniques. Managed to pick up the yarn, and I'm ready to go.