Free crochet pattern: Ornithology (bird ornament)

Ornithology

You will need:
Scraps of worsted weight yarn in up to four colours
An H/8 (5mm) crochet hook
A little bit of polyester fibrefill or some yarn scraps as stuffing
Large-eyed darning needle
Scissors
Tape measure

Finished size: about 3.5 inches from beak to tail

Gauge: not important as long as you are making a dense enough fabric that the stuffing is not poking through

Abbreviations:
ch chain
ss slipstitch
dc US double crochet (UK treble)
sc US single crochet (UK double)
rnd round
st stitch

Body:
Make a magic circle, ch 1 to secure
Rnd 1: ch 3 (represents first dc), 15 dc into ring, ss to top of ch 3 to join into circle
Pull tail to close hole as much as possible, fasten off
Rnd 2: ch 3, dc into same st, work 2dc into each st around, ss to join
Rnd 3: ch 3, dc into same st, dc into next st, *(2dc into next st, 1dc into next st) repeat from * around, ss to join [in other words, you are increasing in every other st]
Fasten off and cut yarn leaving a long enough tail to sew up body.

You will have a wavy circle – that is the intention so don’t worry that it’s not flat. Fold the circle in half so that your yarn tail is coming from a corner and is in the right place to start sewing up the body. Overcast the seam, taking the needle under one strand of each stitch along the edge. About an inch from the end, add some stuffing, and finish sewing. Fasten off and take the tail through the body and snip off the extra.

Wings (make 2):
Leave a long enough tail for sewing the wing on to the body – about 6 inches.
Make a slipknot, ch4, join to first ch to form a ring with ss. Ch3, 7dc into ring, ch1, turn
Sc into each st (8 sts), fasten off
Weave in tail from last st.
Use first tail to sew wing to body (use curve of sts on body between rnds 2 and 3 as a guide, or position any way you like). Overcast through the hole made by the initial ch4 ring. Fasten off underneath wing and take tail through body and snip.

It is up to you which way around you attach the wings. I prefer the side which shows the front of the dcs and the back of the scs; whichever you use, be consistent.

Beak:
Leaving a tail long enough for sewing, about 4 inches, make a slipknot, ch2, sc into 2nd ch from hook, fasten off leaving tail about 4 inches long.
Use tails to attach beak to one end of body, finish off by taking ends through body and snip.

Tail feathers:
Cut four strands about 7 inches long, push hook through end of body opposite beak, hook the strands in the middle, pull through, hook again and pull through loop. Tighten.

Cut a piece of yarn about 18 inches long. Thread the darning needle, push it straight down through hole in centre of bird’s back and out the other side, go back up through body making sure to catch some yarn at the bottom of the body so that the hanging loop doesn’t come out.

And that’s it. Please let me know if you find any ambiguities or errors so I can clarify or correct. Thank you.