Hurray, it’s Waitangi Day!

Toy Lamb from Ideas for Gifts, 1949

Okay, truth is, I know next to nothing about New Zealand. Except that Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings was filmed there, and they have sheep. Oh, and way back in grade 8 Geography class I learned that the kakapo is a very noisy, nocturnal parrot.

Thanks to the Mighty Internet, however, I now know that Waitangi Day is New Zealand’s national holiday, just like Canada Day and Australia Day. It’s also an excuse to get very, very drunk in London.

So in honor of Waitangi Day, my gift to all New Zealanders is this adorable baby sheep (if you’ll forgive the ewe-phemism)!

Because, New Zealand in no way has too many sheep.

For the complete pattern (and more snark!)

TOY LAMB . . . G-104

MATERIALS: CHADWICK’S READ HEART BABY WOOL, 4 balls (3/4 oz. balls) of White and scraps of Pink . . . CLARK’S O.N.T. Plastic Crochet Hook No. 5 . . . Scraps of Black, Mid Pink and Mid Rose Pearl Cotton . . . 1 yard blue satin ribbon, 1/2 inch wide . . . Cotton batting for stuffing . . . A small bell.

Use double yarn throughout

GAUGE: 4 sc make 1 inch; 4 rnds make 1 inch.

Sheep have myriads of uses, beyond the obvious ones of providing wool and being the prime ingredient in mutton kebabs. For instance, they can be used to create serious poetry.

BODY . . . Starting at center of Back, ch 2. 1st rnd: 7 sc in 2nd ch from hook. 2nd rnd: 2 sc in each sc around. 3rd rnd: * 2 sc in next sc (1 sc increased), sc in next sc. Repeat from * around. 4th, 5th and 6th rnds: Inc 7 sc evenly on each rnd. Work without increasing until piece measures 3 inches. Dec 7 sc evenly around – to dec 1 sc, work off 2 sc as 1 sc. Work without decreasing until piece measures 6 inches. Dec 7 sc evenly on next 3 rnds. Join and break off. Stuff firmly with cotton. Sew up opening.

HEAD . . . Starting at front, ch 2. 1st rnd: 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook. 2nd to 11th rnds: Inc 3 sc evenly one each rnd. Work without increasing until piece measures 4 inches. Dec 6 sc evenly on each of next 4 rnds. Join and break off. Stuff firmly with cotton and sew up opening.

If you decide to crochet multiple lambs and then spray paint them with poetical words, don’t shuffle them too enthusiastically.

NECK . . . Starting at one end make a chain 3 inches long. Join with a sl st to form ring. 1st rnd: Sc in each ch around. 2nd, 3rd and 4th rnds: Sc in each sc around. Join and break off. Sew one end of Neck to Body. Stuff firmly with cotton. Sew Head to opposite end of neck.

BACK LEG (Make 2) . . . Starting at top, ch 20. Join with sl st. 1st rnd: Sc in each ch around. Sc in each sc around until piece measures 2 1/2 inches. Next rnd: Half dc in next 7 sc, sc in each remaining sc around. Following rnd: Half dc in each half dc and sc in each sc around. Now make sc in each st around until piece measures 5 inches in all. Dec 4 sc evenly on next rnd. Work withouth decreasing until piece measures 6 1/2 inches in all. Break off. Attach Pink, sc in each sc around. Dec 4 sc evenly on each rnd until opening is closed. Join and break off. Stuff firmly with cotton. Sew up opening across top. Sew Legs to Body leaving half dc rows in back.

FRONT LEG (Make 2) . . . Starting at top, ch 16. Join with sl st. Work as for Back Legs. Sew Legs to body, having half dc rows in front.

First, you might annoy them. And remember, there are millions more of them than us.

EAR (Make 2) . . . Starting at center, ch 15. 1st row: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, 3 sc in last ch; working along opposite side of starting chain, make sc in each ch across. 2nd, 3rd and 4th rows: Sc in each sc across, increasing 3 sc evenly across rounded end. Ch 1, turn. Break off at end of 4th row. Sew straight end of Ear to Head.

TAIL . . . Work as for Ear until 1 row is completed. Break off. Sew Tail to Body.

Embroider face with scraps of Pearl Cotton. With White yarn, embroider French knots over Body and Head. Tie ribbon around neck. Sew bell to ribbon.

Second, you could end up with an infestation of Tree Sheep. Or – the ultimate nightmare scenario – a flock of Killer Flying Sheep!

I tried to warn ewe!

Click here for the printable pattern.