I Fall to Pieces...

WINGY The Airplane from Crochet Puzzlements, 1979

Hey, Wingy! You’re looking a wee bit anxious. How come?

It’s Amelia Earhart Day? Gee, I’d think you would want to celebrate the famed aviatrix. Sure, she came to a bad end, but not before blazing a trail for women who wanted to go uppity, up, up!

Besides, it’s not like you fell to pieces in midflight causing her crash, right?

Oh dear.

C’mon Wingy, cheer up. Just think of all the budding pilots who’d love a toy plane that falls apart... er, all the kiddies who’d love to tear you into your component bits ... um, hey, compared to discussing divorce and death, playing with a crash-prone plane isn’t the worst way to celebrate Amelia Earhart Day!

For the complete pattern (and more snark!):

WINGY The Airplane

Materials
140 yds (approx.) of main color rug yarn (sample used gold)
50 yds. (approx.) black rug yarn
15 yds. second color rug yarn (sample used yellow)
Size J crochet hook
Ample stuffing
Felt and glue, for face (if you prefer, face can be embroidered) – black, white, red

But can the face be embroidered so Wingy doesn’t look like the first plane to ever suffer from aviophobia?

Gauge: 3 sts to an inch.
This pattern is worked in continuous rounds. DO NOT CHAIN AND TURN.

Whoa, what’s going to happen if I don’t? The toy will fall apart?

After all, Wingy is supposed to fall apart under pressure. Sue Penrod designed him as one of many puzzle toys for small children to be an “aid in the natural development of his physical and mental coordination.”

So, there’s no need for anxiety, Wingy! It’s just a child’s fine motor skills that are on the line if you’re a lousy toy. No pressure!

Always use the top loop of every st throughout pattern, unless otherwise indicated.

Body
Using main color, ch 4, sl st to join. (4)
RND 1-2: 2 sc in each st around. (8) (16)
RND 3: I sc in each st around. (16)
RND 4: *1 sc in each of the next 2 sts, 2 sc in the third st, repeat from * around. (21)
RND 5-6: 1 sc in each st around. (21)
RND 7: 2 sc in each of the next 5 sts, continue 1 sc in each st around. (26) Stuff.

Start stuffing already? Won’t that give me a reputation as being stuffed up?

RND 8 -22: 1 sc in each st around. (26) Stuff.
RND 23: *1 sc in each of the next 2 sts, skip the third st, 1 sc in the fourth st, repeat from * around. (20) Stuff.
RND 24: 1 sc in each st around. (20) Stuff.
RND 25: *1 sc in each of the next 2 sts, skip the third st, 1 sc in the fourth st, repeat from * around. (15)
RND 26: 1 sc in each st around. (15) Stuff.
RND 27: *1 sc in each of the next 2 sts, skip the third st, 1 sc in the fourth st, repeat from * around. (12)
RND 28: 1 sc in each st around. (12) Stuff.
RND 29: *1 sc in each of the next 2 sts, skip the third st, 1 sc in the fourth st, repeat from * around. (9)
RND 30: 1 sc in each st around. (9) Stuff.
RND 31: sl st every other st around, until opening is closed. Break off and fasten, tucking ends.

Make sure you stuff after every row. After all, Sue guaranteed “hours of pleasure” making these toys.

If you’re a beginner, stick to standard stuffing like wool batting for the tamer fun of trying to keep it from constantly getting tangled in the yarn. More experienced crocheters can up the pleasure ante by stuffing with Styrofoam beads as they crochet.

Top Tail Fin
Using main color, sl st sc into top back end of body, 1 sc in each of the next 5 sts, ch 1 and turn, 1 sc in each of the bottom 6 sc loops, turn and continue 1 sc in each of the top 6 sc loops. (12)
RND 2-4: 1 sc in each st around. (12)
RND 5: *1 sc in each of the next 2 sts, skip the third st, 1 sc in the fourth st, repeat from * around. (9)
RND 6: sl st every other st around, until opening is closed. Break off and fasten, tucking ends. Flatten tail.

I’m beginning to seriously doubt Sue’s promise of pleasure. I mean, sure, I enjoy skipping the 3rd stitch as much as the next gal, but as the Beaver is a symbol of Canada, the thrill went out of flat tails years ago.

Side Tail Fins
Using main color, sl st sc into side back end of body, 1 sc in each of the next 5 sts, ch 1 and turn, 1 sc in each of the bottom 6 sc loops, turn and continue 1 sc in each of the top 6 sc loops. (12)
RND 2-3: 1 sc in each st around. (12)
RND 4: *1 sc in each of the next 2 sts, skip the third st, 1 sc in the fourth st, repeat from * around. (9)
RND 5: sl st every other st around, until opening is closed. Break off and fasten, tucking ends. Repeat, from start to finish, for other side tail fin. Flatten tail fins.

Wings

Using mail color, sl st sc into side of body, start at about rnd 9. 1 sc in each of the next 10 sts, turn and continue 1 sc in each of the next 10 sts, right below first row of 10, making a long oval circle, for a total of 20 sts.
RND 2-8: 1 sc in each st around. (20)
RND 9: *1 sc in each of the next 2 sts, skip third st, 1 sc in the fourth st, repeat from * around. (15)
RND 10: 1 sc in each st around. (15) Stuff lightly.

Ooo, stuff lightly. This could be fun. After all, according to the dictionary definitions of lightly this means you can stuff nimbly, indifferently, cheerfully, or frivolously.

Pace yourself. You can have too much fun crocheting, after all.

RND 11: *1 sc in each of the next 2 sts, skip third st, 1 sc in the fourth st, repeat from * around. (12)
RND 12: 1 sc in each st around. (12) Stuff lightly.
RND 13: *1 sc in each of the next 2 sts, skip the third st, 1 sc in the fourth st, repeat from * around. (9)
RND 14: sl st every other st around, until wing opening is closed. Break off and fasten, tucking ends. Repeat same, from start to finish, for other wing.

Small Wheel Axle
Using black, ch 4, sl st to join. (4)
RND 1-6: 1 sc in each st around. (4) Break off and fasten, tucking ends.

Small Wheel Axle Loops
Using main color, sl st sc into starting rnd of side tail fin, ch 4, sl st back into under side of fin; break off and fasten, tucking ends. Repeat the same for other loop under other fin, to complete holder-loops for axle of small wheel.

Small Wheel
Using black, sh 4, sl st to join. (4)

Me: Surely, you meant ch 4 instead of shushing me four times.

Sue: It’s a typo, and don’t call me Shirley.

RND 1-8: 1 sc in each st around. (4)
RND 9: sl st ends together, to make round; break off and fasten, tucking ends. Slip wheel onto axle and slip axle through loop, to put small wheel in place.

Front Axle
Using black, ch 4, sl st to join. (4)
RND 1: 2 sc in each st around. (8)
RND 2-17: 1 sc in each st around. (8) Stuff as you go along.
RND 18: sl st every other st around, until axle opening is closed. Break off and fasten, tucking ends.

You know, all this superfluous stuffing, endless tucking of ends, and shameless semi-colon abuse makes me wish I’d been a good Canadian and celebrated John A. MacDonald Day instead.

It's really too bad I've already missed out on yesterday's No Pants Day. I could have thrown pants to the wind, instead of airplane parts.

Front Axle Loops
Using main color, sl st sc into underside of wing, where wing begins, ch 8, skip 3 sts, sl st back into underside of wing; break off and fasten, tucking ends. Repeat same for other axle holder. Slip axle into loops.

Tires (Front Wheels)
Using black, ch 4, sl st to join. (4)
RND 1: 2 sc in each st around. (8)
RND 2-18: 1 sc in each st around. (8) Stuff as you go along.
RND 19: Shape piece into a donut, sl st the two ends together; break off and fasten, tucking ends. Repeat same, from start to finish, for other tire. Slip tires onto axle.

Propellers
Using second color, ch 6, sl st to join. (6) Working through center of chain ring, *1 sc, 1 hdc, 1 dc, 1 tc, 1 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc, repeat from * 4 more times to complete; break off and fasten, tucking ends. Repeat same for other propeller.

Using second color, make 2 small pompoms to hold and fasten propellers on wings. Propellers are not designed to be removable, but by fastening pompom ends through chain ring of start of propeller and tying ends of pompom to wing, propeller can be turned.

Rotating pompom propellers! Not FCC approved, but Sue finally delivers the fun!

Finishing
Fasten and tuck all ends. Face may be cut out of felt and glued on or, if desired, face can be embroidered on.

You’re done, and ready to take off! But given Wingy’s fragile psyche, you may want to bring along a beagle as your wingman.

Click here for the printable pattern.