Little bee. The keeper of the jar of honey. A toy or a shelf decor.

Materials:

Yarn of the same thickness for your choice (acrylic, wool, velour or cotton). I used acrylic yarn, 400 m/100 g.

Colors: yellow, brown and white.

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

- A sewing needle, matching sewing threads

- Hollow fibre for stuffing

- For eyes: 2 beads or half-beads, I used 8 mm diam half-beads

- For embroidery: a few threads of black and white

- Transparent glue

- Adhesive Backed Hoop & Loop tape to brush crocheted parts (optional)

- Wire with a diameter of 1mm (2 pieces of 8 cm), optional

- Adhesive fabric tape/plaster.

Abbreviations:

ch – chain

st - stitch

sl st – slip stitch

sc – single crochet

hdc – half double crochet

dc - double crochet

tr - treble crochet

inc – increase (2 sc in 1 st)

dec – decrease (single crochet two stitches together)

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

Arms (make 2)

Work with yellow colour yarn.

Rnd 1. 5 sc in a Magic Ring

Rnd 2. 5 inc (10)

Rnd 3-5. 10 sc

Rnd 6. (dec, 3 sc)× 2 times (8)

Rnd 7-8. 8 sc

Rnd 9. (dec, 2 sc)× 2 times (6)

Rnd 10-11. 6 sc

Rnd 12. 5 sc, 1 sl st (6)

Fasten off, cut off. Do not add the hollow fiber.

Prepare 2 pieces of wire approx. 8 cm, bend it in half. Wrap some adhesive fabric tape around those.

Legs (make 2)

Work with yellow colour yarn.

Rnd 1. 6 sc in a Magic Ring

Rnd 2. 6 inc (12)

Rnd 3. (1 sc, inc)× 4 times (16)

Rnd 4-5. 16 sc

Rnd 6. (3 sc, dec, 3 sc)× 2 times (14)

Rnd 7. 14 sc

Rnd 8. (dec, 5 sc)× 2 times (12)

Rnd 9. 1 sc, 4 sl st, 2 sc, 4 hdc, 1 sc (12)

Rnd 10. 1 sc, into the front loops only: 1 sc, 2 inc, 1 sc, continue: 2 sc, 4 hdc together, 1 sc (11)

Rnd 11. 2 sc, 4 sl st, 2 sc, 3 sc together (9)

Rnd 12. 9 sc

Cut off yarn, leave a tail for sewing. Add some hollow fibre.

Body – head

Stuff as you go.

Start with brown colour yarn. Work 6 ch

Rnd 1. starting from 2nd ch from hook: inc, 3 sc, 3 sc in the last stitch, continue along the other side of chain: 4 sc (12)

Rnd 2. 3 sc in 1 loop, (1 sc, inc)х 2 times, 1 sc, 3 sc in 1 loop, 1 sc, inc, 1 sc,  leave the last 2 stitches unworked (19)

Move PM – a new round will start from here. Keep an eye on your PM and align it if necessary.

The marker goes along the back. Ensure it stays in a straight line, align as and when required. To do so make an additional sc and shift the marker.

Rnd 3. (inc, 2 sc)х 2 times, (inc, 1 sc)х 3 times, (1 sc, inc)х 3 times, 1 sc (27)

Rnd 4. (1 sc, inc) х 4 times, 2 sc, inc, 3 sc, inc, 2 sc, inc, 9 sc (34)

Rnd 5. 13 sc, inc, (3 sc, inc) х 2 times, 8 sc, (inc, 1 sc) х 2 times (39)

Rnd 6. (1 sc, inc) х 2 times, 14 sc, inc, 20 sc (42)

Rnd 7. 42 sc

Work 1 sc, transfer your place marker here.

Rnd 8. 41 sc, 1 sl st (42)

Change to yellow yarn.

Rnd 9. 42 sc

Rnd 10. 34 sc, dec, (1 sc, dec) х 2 times (39)

Rnd 11. (1 sc, dec) х 3 times, 30 sc (36)

Work 1 sc, transfer your place marker here.

Change to brown yarn.

Rnd 12. 36 sc

Rnd 13. 13 sc, dec, (6 sc, dec) х 2 times, 5 sc (33)

Rnd 14. 5 sc, dec, 20 sc, (dec, 1 sc) х 2 times (30)

Rnd 15. (dec, 1 sc) х 2 times, 6 sc, (dec, 1 sc) х 3 times, 9 sc (25)

Rnd 16. 5 sc, attach the 1st arm, work the loops of the arm and body together: 3 sc, work into the loops of the body: 9 sc, attach the 2nd arm, work the loops of the arm and body together: 3 sc, work into the loops of the body: 5 sc (25)

Rnd 17. 2 sc, dec, 1 sc, 3 sc along the arm, continue work into the loops of the body: 1 sc, dec, 3 sc, dec, 1 sc, 3 sc along the arm, continue: 1 sc, dec, 2 sc (21)

Insert the wire into arms. Twist the ends of the wires together. Wrap some adhesive fabric tape around those.

Rnd 18.  (5 sc, dec)х 3 times (18)

Rnd 19.  Into the back loops only: (2 sc, dec, 2 sc)х 3 times (15)

Rnd 20. 15 sc

Change to yellow yarn.

Rnd 21. Into the front loops only: inc х 15 times (30)

Rnd 22.  (2 sc, inc)х 10 times (40)

Rnd 23.  10 sc, 3 inc, (2 sc, inc)х 4 times, 2 sc, 3 inc, 10 sc (50)

Do not cut the thread! Now you need to crochet a white collar.

Attach a white colour thread to previously unworked front loops of the 21th round. Crocheting direction is marked with an arrow on the photo. Work 3 ch. Insert the hook into the half-loop and work: 3 dc. Continue work into every half-loop 3 dc. Join into a ring with a sl st. Fasten off, cut off.

Continue crocheting the head.

Rnd 24-26. 50 sc

Rnd 27.  10 sc, 3 dec, (2 sc, dec)х 4 times, 2 sc, 3 dec, 10 sc (40)

Rnd 28. 40 sc

Rnd 29.  (4 sc, dec, 4 sc)х 4 times (36)

Rnd 30-32. по 36 sc

Rnd 33.  (2 sc, dec, 2 sc)х 6 times (30)

Rnd 34.  (3 sc, dec)х 6 times (24)

Rnd 35.  (1 sc, dec, 1 sc)х 6 times (18)

Rnd 36.  (1 sc, dec)х 6 times (12)

Rnd 37. 6 dec (6)

Fasten off, cut off. Do not close off the loops of the last round just yet, you will do it later!

Mustache (make 2)

Crochet with brown colour yarn

Rnd 1. work 9 ch, starting from 3rd ch from hook: 2 hdc in 1 loop, 6 sl st (8)

Fasten off, cut off.

Wings (make 2)

Work with white colour yarn. It is better to use cotton yarn. Work in rows. See the pictures for guidance.

Before starting crocheting, leave a tail of yarn for further operation, about 50cm long.

Rnd 1. work 3 ch, starting from 2nd ch from hook: 2 sc, turn

Rnd 2. 3 ch, 1 hdc, 1 ch, 1 hdc, turn

Rnd 3. 4 ch, skip 1 stitch, 2 dc in 1 loop, 1 ch, skip 1 stitch, 1 dc, turn

Rnd 4. 4 ch, skip 1 stitch, 1 dc, 1 ch, 1 dc, 2 ch, skip 1 stitch, 1 dc, turn

Rnd 5. 6 ch, skip 1 stitch, 1 sl st2н, 2 ch, skip 1 stitch, 1 dc, 1 ch, 1 dc, skip 1 stitch, 1 dc.

Fasten off, cut off.

Take a length of yarn that you left unworked previously and work sl sts around the wing. 2nd wing should mirror 1st wing, turn it over before working sl sts around it. Crocheting direction is marked with an arrow on the photo.

Assembly and Decoration

Attach and sew on the mustache and legs.

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

Spot 0 is on the top of the head.

Points 1 & 2, 3 & 4 are in the 27th round of the head, 2 stitches between them.

Points 5 & 6 are in the middle of the neck, between the 20th and 21st rounds, with 1 stitch between them.

Prepare a long needle for sculpting and a strong thread, make a knot.

Insert the needle in the opening in the head (spot 0), hide the knot in the hollow fibre, take the needle out in spot 6 on the neck. Make a very tiny stitch to fasten the thread.

Insert the needle out in spot 6, take the needle out in spot 2 (thread runs inside the head). Insert the needle in spot 1 (thread runs over the work), take it out in spot 5. Tighten the thread, help with the fingers to keep it in place. Make a short stitch and a knot. Repeat the tightening once more.

Repeat sculpting for the left eye socket. Points #5-3-4-6.

Hide the end.

Glue on the eyes.

Embroider the whites of the eyes with white colour yarn. See the photo for guidance. Insert the needle in the opening on the head to hide the ends. Do not forget to pull the loops on the head top once you have finished to embroider.

Embroider eyelids with black colour thread. I embroidered with a thread folded in two. 

Embroider eyelashes and eyebrows.

Embroider a smile. Embroider as follows: with a black sewing thread that’s folded once make 6-7 short stitches from spot A to B. Do not pierce the work through completely, just grab the top layer of the work. Return to spot A. Make wraps around the stitches by inserting the needle under each stitch. You should get a neat and smooth smile.

Take the needle out where the thread won’t be seen, e.g. at the top of the head. Fasten off and cut off.

Should you want your bee to be a bit fluffier you may brush the body of a bee with a pet brush or a hook & loop tape. 

Sew on the wings.

The little bee is completed!