Toyland, Toyland, Little Girl and... Penguin Land?

Crocheted Penguin from Star Variety Show of Knitted and Crocheted Models, 1942

Clarence the Clown is jealous of Little Lucy’s relationship with Mr. Ping the Penguin. Melvin the Monkey, however, knows that this spring romance is doomed to fail.

Little Lucy and Mr. Ping come from two different worlds. She’s a flesh and blood little girl, while he’s constructed entirely of Pingouin brand yarn. She has hands to hold him, but all he has is wings he can flap in her general direction. One day Lucy will grow tired of sitting beside Mr. Ping, and she’ll leave him outside over night, in the rain. By the time she remembers him, Mr. Ping’s pretty white belly will have turned black with mildew.

And that will be the end of Mr. Ping. Lucy might mourn for a day, but by the end of the week she’ll have moved on to a next victim love, Mr. Hobby.

Melvin the Monkey has seen it all before. Penguins have nothing to offer humans when it comes to romance. Even though it’s true that Penguins do have very big balls.

Of yarn!

Sheesh, people. Lucy’s not even four years old! No wonder Marvin the Monkey looks shell-shocked.

For the complete pattern (and more snark!):

CROCHETED PENGUIN

Materials Required – AMERICAN THREAD COMPANY “GEM” COTTON YARN.

Okay, so this penguin isn’t actually made of Pingouin brand yarn. Sadly, if I make a Mr. Ping, he won’t be either, as Pingouin brand yarn extinct. But if you happen to stumble across a stash in somebody’s basement, you could make a penguin out of it.

For how cool would that be?

4 Skeins Black.

3 Skeins White.

2 Bone rings for eyes.

Bone Crochet Hook Number 4 or 5.

Kapok or Cotton for filling.

The tropical Kapok tree produces fluffy seedpods that can be used for stuffing just like cotton. And I totally knew that before I looked it up on Wikipedia.

Work body and head of Penguin firmly taking up back loop of st only.

It’s important to take a firm hand with your penguins. Otherwise they’ll waddle all over you.

Tail. 1st Row. With Black ch 4, 3 s c on ch, ch 1, turn.
2nd to 6th Rows. 2 s c in first and last s c, 1 s c in each remaining s c.
7th and 8th Rows. 1 s c in each s c.
9 to 17th Rows. Same as 2nd row (31 s c).
18th to 24th Rows. Working on the 31 sts, start each row with ch 2, and end each row with a d c, work remainder of row in s c.
25th to 26th Rows. Same as 2nd row.
27th to 28th Rows. 1 s c in each s c.
29th, 30th, 33rd, 34th, 37th, 38th Rows. Increase 1 s c at the beginning and end of each row.
31st, 32nd, 35th, 36th, 39th, 40th Rows. 1 s c in each s c (there should now be 47 s c).
41st to 55th Rows. 1 s c in each s c.

And the next thing you know, you’ll be neck deep in penguins.

57th Row. 1 s c in each s c.
Next 12 Rows. Repeat 56th and 57th rows alternately (33 s c).
Without breaking yarn start head, work back over 15 s c, ch 1, turn.
2nd and 3rd Rows. Decrease 1 st at beginning of each row.
4th and 5th Rows. 1 s c in each s c.
6th and 7th Rows. Increase 1 st at beginning of each row.
8th Row. Same as 4th row.
9th Row. Same as 6th row.
10th Row. 1 s c in each s c then chain 12 for bill.
11th Row. 11 s c on ch, and 1 s c in each s c.
12th Row. Increase 1 st at beginning of row and work 1 row even.
15th and 16th Rows. Increase 1 st at beginning of each row.
17th, 18th, 19th, 20th Rows. Decrease 1 st at beginning and end of each row. Break yarn.
Join yarn at 4th st from center at opposite side, leaving 3 center sts free, 1 s c in each of the next 15 s c.
2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th Rows. Work same as first half of head.

This pattern was brought to you by The Count. Ha, ha, ha!

9th Row. Increase 1 s c at end of row, then ch 12 for bill.
10th Row. 11 s c on ch, and 1 s c in each s c.
11th Row. Increase 1 s c at beginning of row and work 1 s c in each s c, omitting last 5 s c.
12th Row. Decrease 1 st at beginning of row and work 1 s c in each s c.
13th and 14th Rows. 1 s c in each s c.
15th and 16th Rows. Increase 1 st at beginning of each row.
17th, 18th, 19th 20th Rows. Decrease 1 st at beginning and end of each row, break yarn.
Join yarn between the two head pieces and work over the 3 free s c. Work 11 rows even.
12th Row. Increase 1 st at beginning and end of row and work 10 more rows even.
23rd Row. Increase 1 st at beginning and end of row and work 8 rows even, then decrease 1 st at beginning of each row until 2 sts remain. Work 12 more rows even, break yarn.

The great thing about Toyland is that you get to revisit it when you have children of your own.

Front. With White starting at lower edge, ch 37. 36 s c on ch. Work 30 more rows even taking p back loop of st only.
Next 9 Rows. Decrease 1 st at beginning of each row (27 s c).
41st, 42nd, 45th, 46th, 49th, 50th Rows. 1 s c in each s c.
43rd, 44th, 47th, 48th, 51st, 52nd Rows. Decrease 1 st at beginning of each row.
53rd to 70th Rows. Decrease 1 st at beginning of each row or until 3 sts remain, then work 3 or 4 rows on the 3 sts, break yarn.

But the greatest thing about Toyland is that you can refuse to leave it when your children become teenagers. And then you can spend the next several years horribly embarrassing them every chance you get.

One, two, three, one, two, three, batty, batty, bat!

Wings. With White ch 9, 8 s c on ch, work 15 rows or until work measures about 7 inches. Make 2 White and 2 black sections. Crochet them together with Black. Work a second row of s c all around wing decreasing at lower edge to shape. Across top of wing decrease until 3 sts remain.

Feet. Ch 6, 5 s c on ch and work 1 more row even.
3rd and 4th Rows. Increase 1 st in first and last s c.
5th and 6th Rows. Increase 1 st in first st.
7th and 8th Rows. Decrease 1 st at beginning of row. Work 2 feet White and 2 in Black. Crochet the 2 sections together with Black filling them slightly if desired.
Lower circle section, work in s c taking up both loops.

I had high hopes that this might be the rare four-footed penguin. As it turns out, you’ll just sew all of those feet together.

Although, if you really want to crochet a four-footed, mutant penguin, I say go for it! What could possibly go wrong?

Ch 2, 6 s c in first ch, join.
2nd, 3rd, 4th Rows. 2 s c in every other s c.
5th, 6th, 7th, 8th Rows. 2 s c in every 3rd s c. Work 3 rows even then work 29 s c, ch 1, turn. Work back over the 29 s c, work 2 more rows even.
Next 9 Rows. Decrease 1 st at beginning and end of row. Work 2 rows even.
Next 5 Rows. Decrease 1 st at beginning and end of row or until 3 sts remain, break yarn.

To put Penguin together, sew the two Black head pieces to center head-piece, allowing 3 or 4 rows of center section to extend below bill.
Starting at the 18th row from lower edge of Black, sew in White piece, being careful to match the rows of the body of Penguin, continue sewing White to end of bill.
Fill body. Cut a cardboard slightly smaller than the 11 rows of lower circle, fit section in and sew it to front of Penguin, sew around back of Penguin in 18th row taking up 1 loop of st only, then with Black crochet White and Black tail sections together. Sew feet in place. Sew wings in position.

Eyes. Crochet over the bone rings with White, and sew in place.

And tah-dah! You now have a giant, vintage penguin, circa 1942.

But stay tuned for more Penguin Kitsch. After all, this is March... of the Penguins!

Ba-doom-cha!

Click here for the printable pattern.