A pair of doves in love

Materials:

- Yarn of your choice. Cotton, acrylic, wool will do. You can choose smooth or fluffy yarn.

- Colors: white, red, a small amount of light brown yarn, brown yarn.

My bird is crocheted from 200m / 50gr "Baby" yarn. The height of the bird is 7 cm

- A crochet hook, I have 1,5 mm crochet hook

- Hollow fibre for stuffing

- A sewing needle, matching sewing threads

- A long needle for sculpting, strong thread for sculpting

- For the eyes: 2 half-beads, I used 6mm diam half-beads or 1 pair of ready-made eyes

- Transparent glue.

Abbreviations:

ch – chain

sl st – slip stitch

sc – single crochet

hdc – half double crochet

dc – double crochet

inc – increase (2 sc in 1 st)

dec – decrease (single crochet two stitches together)

(...) x N times – repeat instructions in brackets N times

Tail

1) 9 ch, starting from 3rd ch from hook: 3 hdc, 2 sc, 2 sl st, 1 ch, turn (7)

2) 4 sc, 3 hdc, 2 ch, turn (7)

3) 3 hdc, 2 sc, 2 sl st, 1 ch, crochet from A to B: 2 sc

Fasten off, cut off.

Body - head

Stuff as you go.

1) 7 sc in a Magic Ring

2) (inc)× 6 times, 3 sc in 1 loop (15)

3) 2 sc, (inc, 1 sc)× 5 times, 1 sc, 2 inc (22)

4) 5 sc, (inc, 2 sc)× 3 times, inc, 5 sc, 3 sc in 1 loop, 1 sc (28)

5) 4 sc, (inc, 2 sc)× 5 times, inc, 5 sc, 2 inc, 1 sc (36)

6) 7 sc, inc, 4 sc, inc, 5 sc, inc, 4 sc, inc, 9 sc, 3 sc in 1 loop, 2 sc (42)

7) 37 sc, attach the tail, work the loops of the tail and body together: 2 sc, work into loops of the body: 3 sc (42)

8) 10 sc, inc, (6 sc, inc)× 2 times, 10 sc, 3 dec, 1 sc (42)

9) 1 sc, dec, 31 sc, dec, 6 sc (40)

10) dec, 31 sc, dec, 5 sc (38)

11) 34 sc, 2 dec (36)

12) 2 sc, dec, 26 sc, dec, 2 sc, dec (33)

13) 4 sc, dec, 5 sc, dec, 6 sc, dec, 5 sc, dec, 3 sc, dec (28)

14) 28 sc

15) 6 sc, into the front loops only: 3 inc, 3 sc, inc, 2 sc, inc, 3 sc, 3 inc, continue: 6 sc (36)

16-19) 36 sc

Work 1sc, transfer your place marker here

20) 7 sc, 4 dec, 6 sc, 4 dec, 7 sc (28)

21-22) 28 sc

23) (dec, 5 sc)× 4 times (21)

24) 24 sc

25) (1 sc, dec, 1 sc)× 6 times (18)

26) (dec, 1 sc)× 6 times (12)

Add hollow fibre.

27) 6 dec (6)

Cut the thread, pull off the loops, hide the tip.

Wings (make 2)

1) 2 ch, starting from 2nd ch from hook: 3 sc, ch, turn (3)

2) 1 sc, inc, 1 sc, ch, turn (4)

3) inc, 2 sc, inc, ch, turn (6)

4) 6 sc, turn (6)

You will now make the feathers.

5) 5 ch, starting from 3rd ch from hook: 3 hdc, continue along the stitches of the wing: skip 1 stitch, 2 sl st

7 ch, starting from 3rd ch from hook: 5 hdc, continue along the stitches of the wing: 2 sl st,

5 ch, starting from 3rd ch from hook: 3 hdc, continue along the stitches of the wing: 1 sl st

Fasten off, cut off.

Beak

Work with light brown colour yarn.

1) 2 ch, starting from 2nd ch from hook: 3 sc, ch, turn (3)

2) inc, 1 sc, inc, ch, turn (5)

3) inc, 3 sc, inc (7)

Cut off yarn, leave a tail for further operation.

Sew sides A and B. Add a piece of hollow firbe. Sew the beak to the head.

Assembly and Decoration

Find the points for sculpting. See the photo for guidance.

To sculpt the eyes: take some strong sewing thread and fasten it below in point 5, take the needle out in point 2. Insert the needle in point 1 and back in point 5. Sculpt the second eye. Points 6-3-4-6.

Optional: tint the eye sockets before you glue the eyes on. This will make them look more expressive. I used eye shadows of brown colour and a brush. See photos for guidance. Glue on the eyes.

Sew on the wings.

Embroider the paws (see photo). Or crochet paws, just like this cardinal https://www.crazypatterns.net/en/blog/2816/northern-cardinal  

Heart

Stuff as you go.

1) 6 sc in a Magic Ring

2) (inc)× 6 times (12)

3) 12 sc

Crochet 2 such Parts. Fasten and cut off thread of Part 1, do not cut thread of Part 2!

4) work into the loops of the first Part 6 sc, work into the loops of the second Part 12 sc, work into the loops of the first Part 6 sc (24)

5) (4 sc, dec)х 4 times (20)

6) 20 sc

7) (3 sc, dec)х 4 times (16)

8) 16 sc

9) (2 sc, dec)х 4 times (12)

10) (1 sc, dec)х 4 times (8)

11) 4 dec

Pull off the loops. Cut the thread, hide the end. 

Decorate the pigeons (on request).