Some crochet projects are planned well in advance. You choose the yarn, think about colours, draw sketches and spend ages working out the pattern.
Schiachbert definitely wasn’t one of them. 😂
A few years ago, I was spending a cosy evening with my friends Bianca and Galle (yes, that’s her nickname). It was autumn, Halloween was just around the corner, we had wine – and at some point we started talking about amigurumi.
None of us probably remembers exactly how the idea came about. But at some point, this name suddenly appeared:
Schiach + Herbert = Schiachbert.
“Schiach” is an Austrian word for “ugly” – so Schiachbert is basically our wonderfully ugly version of Herbert.
Don’t ask. There was wine involved. 😂
And once you invent a crochet monster called Schiachbert, it obviously has to look the part. So we turned the whole thing into a challenge:
Who could crochet the ugliest, most horrible and at the same time funniest Schiachbert?
So off we went – and, of course, each of us came up with something completely different. In the end, though, there was one pretty clear winner: Bianca’s Schiachbert.
Three eyes, crooked teeth, his tongue sticking out and a hat that was far too small – the thing was so wonderfully ugly that Galle and I decided: We need one too.
So we crocheted our own versions based on Bianca’s winning Schiachbert. Of course, none of our Schiachberts turned out exactly like the others – and that’s still part of his charm today. Those different versions eventually became the basis for this crochet pattern.
And because Halloween is just around the corner, it’s time to bring Schiachbert out again. Maybe he’ll soon have a few new relatives at your house too –
and remember: When it comes to Schiachbert, the uglier, the better.
Crochet Pattern – Schiachbert
Schiachbert is worked mainly in continuous spiral rounds. Mark the beginning of each round with a stitch marker or a contrasting piece of yarn.
Materials
Schiachbert is a great project for using up your yarn scraps. There are no rules when it comes to colours – after all, every Schiachbert should look a little different.
- approx. 80 g (approx. 106 m / 116 yds) yarn in the main colour
- yarn scraps for the eyes, pupils, teeth, tongue, hat and hatband
- crochet hook 3.0 mm (UK 11 / US C/2)
- crochet hook 2.5 mm (UK 12 / US C/2) for the hatband
- toy stuffing
- stitch marker
- yarn needle
Original model (purple): Big Lisa Premium by Gründl
Size: approx. 30 cm (11.8 in)
Gauge: 23 dc (sc) × 23 rounds = 10 × 10 cm (4 × 4 in)
The finished size may vary slightly depending on the yarn you use and your personal crochet tension. Crochet fairly tightly so that the stuffing does not show through the stitches.
Abbreviations
This pattern uses UK crochet terminology. US crochet terms are given in brackets.
st(s) = stitch(es)
ch = chain
t-ch = turning chain
dc (sc) = double crochet (single crochet)
sl st = slip stitch
rnd = round
row = row
1 | Body
The body is worked in continuous spiral rounds.
Rnd 1: Work 6 dc (sc) into a magic ring.
Rnd 2: 2 dc (sc) in each st = 12 sts
Rnd 3: 2 dc (sc) in every 2nd st = 18 sts
Rnd 4: 2 dc (sc) in every 3rd st = 24 sts
Continue in this way, increasing the number of stitches between increases by 1 in each rnd.
Rnd 15: 2 dc (sc) in every 14th st = 90 sts
Rnds 16-60: Work even over 90 sts without further increases.
Close the final rnd with 1 sl st. Cut the yarn and weave in the end on the inside.
2 | Base
The base is also worked in continuous spiral rounds.
Rnd 1: Work 6 dc (sc) into a magic ring.
Rnd 2: 2 dc (sc) in each st = 12 sts
Rnd 3: 2 dc (sc) in every 2nd st = 18 sts
Rnd 4: 2 dc (sc) in every 3rd st = 24 sts
Continue in this way until you have 90 sts after Rnd 15.
Do not cut the yarn!
Stuff the body generously with toy stuffing.
Now join the base to the body with 1 rnd of sl sts. Work each sl st through the outer loop of the base and the inner loop of the body.
Cut the yarn and weave in the end.
3 | Eyes
Schiachbert has two large eyes and one small eye. Have fun with the colours – the three eyes do not have to match at all.
Large Eye – make 2
Rnd 1: Work 6 dc (sc) into a magic ring.
Rnd 2: 2 dc (sc) in each st = 12 sts
Rnd 3: 2 dc (sc) in every 2nd st = 18 sts
Rnd 4: 2 dc (sc) in every 3rd st = 24 sts
Rnd 5: 2 dc (sc) in every 4th st = 30 sts
Rnd 6: 2 dc (sc) in every 5th st = 36 sts
Rnd 7: 2 dc (sc) in every 6th st = 42 sts
Rnd 8: 2 dc (sc) in every 7th st = 48 sts
Cut the yarn, leaving a sufficiently long tail for sewing on later.
Small Eye – make 1
Rnd 1: Work 6 dc (sc) into a magic ring.
Rnd 2: 2 dc (sc) in each st = 12 sts
Rnd 3: 2 dc (sc) in every 2nd st = 18 sts
Rnd 4: 2 dc (sc) in every 3rd st = 24 sts
Rnd 5: 2 dc (sc) in every 4th st = 30 sts
Cut the yarn, leaving a sufficiently long tail for sewing on later.
Large Pupil – make 2
Rnd 1: Work 6 dc (sc) in black into a magic ring.
Rnd 2: 2 dc (sc) in each st = 12 sts
You can finish the pupil here or add a coloured border:
Optional Rnd 3: Change to a colour of your choice and work 2 dc (sc) in every 2nd st = 18 sts.
Small Pupil – make 1
Rnd 1: Work 6 dc (sc) in black into a magic ring.
You can either leave the pupil black or add a coloured border:
Optional Rnd 2: Change to a colour of your choice and work 2 dc (sc) in each st = 12 sts.
Sew the pupils onto the eyes. They can be positioned slightly off-centre. Then arrange the three finished eyes on Schiachbert’s body and sew them securely in place.
Tip:
Try out the positions before sewing everything on. Different-sized eyes, colourful borders and wonky pupils are absolutely encouraged when making Schiachbert. 😉
4 | Mouth & Teeth
Using a yarn scrap, embroider a curved mouth onto Schiachbert’s body.
Large Tooth
ch 3 + 1 t-ch.
Rows 1-3: Work 3 dc (sc) in each row.
Finish with 1 sl st and leave a sufficiently long tail for sewing on.
Small Tooth
ch 3 + 1 t-ch.
Rows 1-2: Work 3 dc (sc) in each row.
Finish with 1 sl st and leave a sufficiently long tail for sewing on.
Sew both teeth above the embroidered mouth.
Tip:
Schiachbert’s teeth are allowed to be different and crooked. You could work one tooth for only 2 rows and the other for 3 or 4 rows. You can also decrease 1 st at one edge in the final row, or pull one side a little tighter when sewing it on. This gives each tooth a slightly different shape.
And please don’t get the ruler out – crooked teeth are absolutely encouraged on Schiachbert. 😂
5 | Tongue
ch 5 + 1 t-ch. The foundation chain is then worked along both sides.
Row 1:
Work 4 dc (sc) back along the chain. Turn the work slightly and work 5 dc (sc) into the 5th ch. Place a stitch marker in the middle st, i.e. the 3rd of these 5 sts.
Continue along the other side of the foundation chain and work another 4 dc (sc) = 13 sts.
ch 1 and turn. The turning chain does not count as the first dc (sc).
Row 2:
Work 5 dc (sc). Increase in each of the next 3 sts – the st immediately before the marker, the marked st and the st immediately after it. Work another 5 dc (sc) = 16 sts.
Finish with 1 sl st and leave a sufficiently long tail for sewing on.
Sew the tongue below the mouth, attaching only the straight edge so that the tongue sticks out freely.
6 | Hat
The hat is worked in continuous spiral rounds.
Rnd 1: Work 8 dc (sc) into a magic ring.
Rnd 2: 2 dc (sc) in each st = 16 sts
Rnd 3: 2 dc (sc) in every 2nd st = 24 sts
Rnd 4: 2 dc (sc) in every 3rd st = 32 sts
Rnds 5-9: Work even over 32 sts.
Rnd 10: 2 dc (sc) in every 4th st = 40 sts. Work this rnd through the back loop only (BLO).
Rnd 11: 2 dc (sc) in every 5th st = 48 sts
Rnd 12: 2 dc (sc) in every 6th st = 56 sts
Rnd 13: 2 dc (sc) in every 7th st = 64 sts
Cut the yarn and weave in the end.
Hatband
Using a 2.5 mm (UK 12 / US C/2) crochet hook, ch 34 and join to form a ring with 1 sl st.
Cut the yarn and weave in the ends.
Slip the band over the hat.
Shape the hat with a little toy stuffing, then sew it onto Schiachbert’s head slightly to one side – a little wonky is just right.
Tip for the Hat Brim
Don’t worry if the hat brim looks a little wavy or curls after crocheting – that’s completely normal. Depending on your yarn and crochet tension, this may be more or less noticeable.
Simply shape the brim with your fingers. If you would like it to hold its shape permanently, you can also use a little fabric stiffener. Shape the brim as desired and leave it to dry completely.
7 | Finishing
Now it’s time to give Schiachbert his very own character.
Before sewing the eyes, teeth and hat permanently in place, arrange all the pieces on the body and play around with their positions a little.
Because with Schiachbert, there’s one rule:
One eye too high? Good.
One tooth crooked? Even better.
The hat sitting wonky? Perfect. 😂
No two Schiachberts need to look exactly alike – and if yours turns out a little different from ours, you’ve basically done everything right.
So, what does Schiachbert do now?
Galle has already given her Schiachbert a proper job: he works as a doorstop. She simply placed a tightly sealed bag of rice in the bottom and filled the rest with regular toy stuffing. This gives him enough weight to stay nicely in place.
And Brutus, her dog, has also made friends with Schiachbert by now. Whether Schiachbert had any say in the matter, we don’t know.
🧶 Now it’s your turn!
Have a look through your yarn scrap stash, combine whatever colours you happen to find and crochet your very own Schiachbert. Colourful, wonky, spooky or simply wonderfully ugly – anything goes.
📸 I’d love to see your finished Schiachberts here on CrazyPatterns.
I can’t wait to see what your monsters look like – because one thing is certain: no two will ever be the same. 🎃
✨ And if you enjoy my posts, I’d love it if you followed me here on CrazyPatterns. That way, you won’t miss any new #FreeStitches posts with free knitting and crochet patterns.
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🧡 Perhaps you'll also enjoy exploring more articles on my CrazyPatterns blog - or maybe you'll discover your next favourite pattern in my shop.
So, have fun crocheting your own Schiachbert – and remember: the uglier, the better! 🎃
Lots of love,
Kathrin with Emma & Muki
Photos, designs & content © Kathrin | stricken-im-trend.com
