These guys are everywhere where I live. I like them because (unlike me) they have attitude and can sing really well. I decided to make one because I thought they have good plumage for my first ever attempt at tapestry crochet in a soft toy. There are different types of magpie (eg white back, black back). Just as I was trying to figure out which type to make this pretty guy flew down, landed on the railing outside my door and looked at me as if to say ‘crochet me like one of your French magpies’. So I did. But from the warbling noises he made when I went back into my apartment I think he may have actually wanted food, rather than to be immortalised in crochet.
My magpie is 15 cm tall. He is made with black and white 8ply wool and a 4 mm hook. The pattern is written in American crochet notation. It is possible that when you make him the colours may be one or two stitches out. If that happens then just follow the gist of the pattern and do what is necessary to get the correct plumage.
Head
With black wool
Round 1: 6sc in a magic ring (6 stitches)
Round 2: increase in every stitch (12 stitches)
Round 3: sc in the first stitch, increase in the next stitch – repeat (18 stitches)
Round 4: sc in the first two stitches, increase in the next stitch – repeat (24 stitches)
Round 5: sc in the first three stitches, increase in the next stitch – repeat (30 stitches)
Round 6: sc in each stitch (30 stitches) (12 black, 7 white, 11 black) The white is the back of the head.
Round 7: sc in each stitch (30 stitches) (12 black, 7 white, 11 black)
Round 8: sc in each stitch (30 stitches) (11 black, 9 white, 10 black)
Round 9: sc in the first three stitches, decrease the next two stitches together – repeat (24 stitches) (7 black, 10 white, 7 black)
Round 10: sc in the first two stitches, decrease the next two stitches together – repeat (18 stitches) (5 black, 7 white, 6 black)
Round 11: sc in the first stitch, decrease the next two stitches together – repeat (12 stitches) (3 black, 5 white, 4 black)
Neck
Round 12: sc in each stitch (12 stitches) (2 black, 7 white, 3 black)
Round 13: sc in each stitch (12 stitches) (2 black, 7 white, 3 black)
Fasten off the white and weave in the end. Work just with the black wool.
Stuff
Body
Round 14: sc in the first stitch, increase in the next stitch – repeat (18 stitches)
Round 15: sc in the first two stitches, increase in the next stitch – repeat (24 stitches)
Round 16: sc in each stitch (24 stitches)
Round 17: sc in the first 9 stitches, increase in the next 6 stitches (the back), sc in the next 9 stitches (30)
Round 18: sc in each stitch (30 stitches)
Round 19: sc in the first 12 stitches, increase in the next 6 stitches, sc in the next 12 stitches (36 stitches)
Rounds 20 – 23: sc in each stitch (36 stitches)
Round 24: (decrease two stitches together) x 3, sc in the next 24 stitches, (decrease two stitches together) x 3 (30 stitches)
Rounds 25 – 26: sc in each stitch (30 stitches)
Round 27: (decrease two stitches together) x 3, sc in the next 18 stitches, (decrease two stitches together) x 3 (24 stitches)
Round 28: sc in each stitch (24 stitches)
Round 29: (decrease two stitches together) x 3, sc in the next 12 stitches, (decrease two stitches together) x 3 (18 stitches)
Round 30: (decrease two stitches together) x 3, sc in the next 6 stitches, (decrease two stitches together) x 3 (12 stitches)
Stuff
Switch to white wool.
Round 31: decrease until the hole closes
Fasten off, weave in end.
Tail
With black wool
Round 1: chain 11 (one of which is a turning chain), sc 9 along the chain, increase, then on the other side of the chain sc 8, increase
Rounds 2 – 4: sc in each stitch
Round 5: decrease two stitches together, sc 9, decrease two stitches together, sc 9 (in other words, sc in each stitch except decrease at the ends)
Switch to white wool.
Round 6: sc in each stitch
Round 7: decrease two stitches together, sc 7, decrease two stitches together, sc 8
Rounds 8 – 9: sc in each stitch
Round 10: decrease two stitches together, sc 7, decrease two stitches together, sc 7
Round 11: sc in each stitch
Round 12: decrease two stitches together, sc 5, decrease two stitches together, sc 6
Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
First Wing
With black wool
Round 1: 6sc in a magic ring (6 stitches)
Round 2: sc in each stitch (6 stitches)
Round 3: increase, sc 2, increase, sc 2 (8 stitches)
Round 4: increase, sc 3, increase, sc 3 (10 stitches)
Round 5: increase, sc 4, increase, sc 4 (12 stitches)
Round 6: increase, sc 5, increase, sc 5 (14 stitches)
Round 7: increase, sc 6, increase, sc 6 (16 stitches)
Round 8: increase, sc 7, increase, sc 7 (18 stitches) (so that would be, increase (black), sc 2 (white), sc 2 (black), sc 3 (white), increase (black), sc 7 (black))
Round 9: increase, sc 8, increase, sc 8 (20 stitches) (increase (black), sc 2 (white), sc 2 (black), sc 4 (white), increase (white), sc 8 (black))
Round 10: increase, sc 9, increase, sc 9 (22 stitches) (increase (black), sc 4 (white), sc 4 (black), sc (white), increase (white), sc 9 (black))
Round 11: sc in each stitch (22 stitches) (sc 3 (black), sc 2 (white), sc 17 (black))
Round 12: sc in each stitch (22 stitches) (sc 2 (black), sc 2 (white), sc 18 (black))
Round 13: sc in each stitch (22 stitches) (sc 2 (white), sc 20 (black))
Round 14: sc in each stitch (22 stitches) (sc 2 (white), sc 20 (black))
Round 15: sc in each stitch (22 stitches) (sc 2 (white), sc 20 (black))
Round 16: decrease the first two stitches together, sc 9, decrease the next two stitches together, sc 9 (20 stitches) (decrease (white), sc (white), sc 8 (black), decrease (black), sc 9 (black))
Round 17: decrease the first two stitches together, sc 8, decrease the next two stitches together, sc 8 (18 stitches) (decrease (white), sc (white), sc 7 (black), decrease (black), sc 8 (black))
Round 18: (decrease two stitches together) x 2, sc 5, (decrease two stitches together) x 2, sc 5 (14 stitches) (decrease white, decrease black, the rest is black from now on so fasten off the white and weave in the end)
Round 19: (decrease two stitches together) x 2, sc 3, (decrease two stitches together) x 2, sc 3 (10 stitches)
Round 20: decrease until the hole closes, don’t stuff, leave a long tail for sewing
Second Wing (a mirror image of the first wing)
With black wool
Round 1: 6sc in a magic ring (6 stitches)
Round 2: sc in each stitch (6 stitches)
Round 3: increase, sc 2, increase, sc 2 (8 stitches)
Round 4: increase, sc 3, increase, sc 3 (10 stitches)
Round 5: increase, sc 4, increase, sc 4 (12 stitches)
Round 6: increase, sc 5, increase, sc 5 (14 stitches)
Round 7: increase, sc 6, increase, sc 6 (16 stitches)
Round 8: increase, sc 7, increase, sc 7 (18 stitches) (increase (black), sc 3 (white), sc 2 (black), sc 2 (white), increase (black), sc 7 (black))
Round 9: increase, sc 8, increase, sc 8 (20 stitches) (increase (white), sc 4 (white), sc 2 (black), sc 2 (white), increase (black), sc 8 (black))
Round 10: increase, sc 9, increase, sc 9 (22 stitches) (increase (white), sc (white), sc 4 (black), sc 4 (white), increase (black), sc 9 (black))
Round 11: sc in each stitch (22 stitches) (sc 8 (black), sc 2 (white), sc 12 (black))
Round 12: sc in each stitch (22 stitches) (sc 8 (black), sc 2 (white), sc 12 (black))
Round 13: sc in each stitch (22 stitches) (sc 8 (black), sc 2 (white), sc 12 (black))
Round 14: sc in each stitch (22 stitches) (sc 8 (black), sc 2 (white), sc 12 (black))
Round 15: sc in each stitch (22 stitches) (sc 8 (black), sc 2 (white), sc 12 (black))
Round 16: decrease the first two stitches together, sc 9, decrease the next two stitches together, sc 9 (20 stitches) (decrease (black), sc 6 (black), sc 2 (white), sc (black), decrease (black), sc 9 (black))
Round 17: decrease the first two stitches together, sc 8, decrease the next two stitches together, sc 8 (18 stitches) (decrease (black), sc 7 (black), sc (white), decease (white), sc 8 (black))
Round 18: (decrease two stitches together) x 2, sc 5, (decrease two stitches together) x 2, sc 5 (14 stitches) (decrease x 2 (black), sc 5 (black), decrease (white), decrease (black), sc 5 (black)) fasten off and weave in the white, the rest is just black.
Round 19: (decrease two stitches together) x 2, sc 3, (decrease two stitches together) x 2, sc 3 (10 stitches)
Round 20: decrease until the hole closes, don’t stuff, leave a long tail for sewing
Beak
With black wool
Round 1: 4sc in a magic ring (4 stitches)
Round 2: sc in each stitch (4 stitches)
Round 3: sc in the first stitch, increase in the next stitch – repeat (6 stitches)
Round 4: sc in each stitch (6 stitches)
Switch to white wool
Round 5: sc in the first stitch, increase in the next stitch – repeat (9 stitches)
Rounds 6 – 7: sc in each stitch (9 stitches)
Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
Feet and legs (make two of each)
With black wool
First you will need to make three short toes
Round 1: 4 sc in a magic ring (4 stitches)
Rounds 2 – 3: sc in each stitch (4 stitches)
Then one long toe
Round 1: 4sc in a magic ring (4 stitches)
Rounds 2 – 5: sc in each stitch (4 stitches)
Arrange the toes so that the three short ones are at the front and the long one is at the back. Sew together.
Now make the leg.
With black wool
Round 1: 4sc in a magic ring (4 stitches)
Rounds 2 – 5: sc in each stitch (4 stitches)
Round 6: sc in the first stitch, increase in the next stitch – repeat (6 stitches)
Round 7: sc in the first stitch, increase in the next stitch – repeat (9 stitches)
Round 8: sc in the first stitch, increase in the next stitch – repeat (13 stitches)
Round 9: sc in each stitch (13 stitches)
Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. Sew the foot to the leg. Stuff the leg.
Assembly
Sew the beak and googly eyes to the head. Sew the wings, tail and legs to the body.
