Crocheting a Little Deer - The days are getting shorter, the trees are changing color, and it’s getting colder fast. There’s no better reason to make your home cozy and style your interior with handmade Home Accessories. This cute little deer is the perfect item for that, so read on and get started!
This little deer made from DMC Natura Medium is the perfect way to spruce up your home. The soft Cushion looks great on the couch, is adorable in a child's room, or can be used as a decorative accent on the windowsill.
Natura Medium is a natural yarn made from 100% combed Cotton. The soft yarn has a matte finish, giving your project an elegant, refined look. With its wide range of colors, Natura Medium offers plenty of options for creating your own unique little deer!
Tools & Supplies:
- 6 x DMC Natura Medium, color 99. Please note: DMC Natura Medium is being discontinued. Would you like to substitute this yarn? If so, consider Yarn and Colors Baby Fabulous in color 14 or 15! You’ll need about 4 balls.
- 1 x Lana Grossa Cotone, size 22
- Crochet Hook size 3.5
- Stuffing: 250 gr.
- Stitch Markers
Would you like to get the pattern and the right number of balls of yarn all at once? Order the complete Natura Hertje Crochet Kit here.
Stitches used:
l. = chain stitch
hv. = slip stitch
v. = single crochet
Crochet Pattern: Deer Cushion
Crochet a chain of 15 stitches and make 1 slip stitch.
Round 1: Start in the 2nd ch. from the Crochet Hook, 7 sc., *skip 1 ch., 1 sc.* Repeat from * to * to the end, 1 ch. (11 sc.)
Rows 2 through 11: 11 sc, 1 sl st.
Row 12: 10 sc, double the last st, 1 sl st (12 sc)
Rows 13–14: 12 sc, 1 sl st
Row 15: Double the first st., 11 sc., 1 ch. (13 sc.)
Round 16: 13 sts, 1 sl st
Row 17: Double the first st., 12 sts., 1 sl st. (14 sts.)
18th row: 14 sts, 4 ch.
Row 19: Start in the 2nd st. from the Crochet Hook and crochet 2 dc into it, 14 dc, crochet the last 2 sts together, 1 ch. (17 dc)
Row 20: 16 sts, double the last st, 2 ch.
Row 21: Start in the 2nd st. from the Crochet Hook and work 2 dc, 18 dc, 1 sl st into this st. (20 dc)
Row 22: 19 sts, double the last st, 2 ch.
Row 23: Start in the 2nd st from the Crochet Hook and work 2 dc, 21 dc, 1 sl st into this stitch. (23 dc)
Row 24: 22 sc, double the last st, 1 sl st (24 sc)
Row 25: Double the first stitch, 23 single crochet, 1 chain stitch (25 single crochet)
Row 26: Crochet the first 2 sts together, 23 sc, 25 ch.
Row 27: Start in the 2nd st. from the Crochet Hook and work 48 sc., 1 ch.
Row 28: 46 sc, crochet the last 2 sts together, 1 ch (47 sc)
Row 29: Crochet the first 2 sts together, 45 sc, 1 sl st (46 sc)
Row 30: 44 sc, crochet the last 2 sts together, 1 ch (45 sc)
Row 31: 43 sc, crochet the last 2 sts together, 1 ch (44 sc)
Row 32: Crochet the first 2 sts together, 42 sc, 1 ch (43 sc)
Row 33: 41 sc, crochet the last 2 sts together, 1 ch (42 sc)
Round 34: Crochet the first 2 sts together, 39 sc, double the last st., 1 ch (42 sc)
Row 35: 40 sc, crochet the last 2 sts together, 1 ch (41 sc)
Row 36: 41 sts, 1 purl st
Row 37: Double the first stitch, 40 v., 1 sl st (42 v.)
Rows 38–39: 42 sts, 1 rep.
Row 40: Crochet the first 2 sts together, 40 sc, 1 sl st (41 sc)
Rows 41 through 43: 41 sts, 1 rep.
Row 44: Double the first stitch, 40 v., 1 sl st. (42 v.)
Row 45: Double the first stitch, 41 sts, 1 sl st (43 sts)
46th row: 43 sts, 1 purl st
Starting on row 47, we'll continue crocheting the top first.
Row 47: double the first stitch, 11 single crochets, double the last stitch, 1 chain stitch (15 single crochets)
Row 48: double the first stitch, 13 single crochet, double the last stitch, 1 chain (17 single crochet)
Row 49: double the first stitch, 15 single crochet, double the last stitch, 1 chain (19 single crochet)
50th row: double the first stitch, 17 single crochet, double the last stitch, 1 chain (21 single crochet)
Row 51: double the first stitch, 19 single crochet, double the last stitch, 1 chain (23 single crochet)
Row 52: double the first stitch, 21 single crochet, double the last stitch, 1 chain (25 single crochet)
53rd row: 24 sts, double the last st, 1 sl st (26 sts)
54th row: 26 sts, 1 purl st
Row 55: 25 sts, double the last st, 1 sl st (27 sts)
Rows 56 through 59: 27 sts, 1 rep.
Row 60: double the first stitch, 26 sts, 1 sl st (28 sts)
61st row: 27 sts, double the last st, 1 sl st (29 sts)
Rows 62 through 63: 29 sts.
Row 64: double the first stitch, 27 v., double the last stitch, 1 turn (31 v.)
Row 65: double the first stitch, 29 single crochet, double the last stitch, 1 chain (33 single crochet)
Row 66: double the first stitch, 31 single crochet, double the last stitch, 1 chain (35 single crochet)
Row 67: double the first stitch, 33 single crochet, double the last stitch, 1 chain (37 single crochet)
68th row: 36 sts, double the last st, 1 sl st (38 sts)
Row 69: double the first stitch, 36 v., double the last stitch, 1 sl st (40 v.)
Row 70: Double the first stitch, 39 sts, 1 yo (41 sts)
71st row: 40 sts, double the last st, 1 sl st (42 sts)
72nd round: 42 sts, 1 rep.
Row 73: double the first stitch, 21 single crochets, 3 slip stitches (mark the first slip stitch), 16 single crochets, double the last stitch, 1 chain (44 stitches)
74th row: 16 sts, 1 sl st, turn without a turning chain.
75th round: 2 ch., 15 dc., 1 sl st. (17 st.)
Row 76: 13 sts, 1 sl st, no turn (14 sts)
Row 77: 2 ch., 12 dc., 1 sl st. (14 st.)
Row 78: Crochet the first 2 sts together, 7 sc, 1 sl st, no turn (9 sts)
Row 79: 3 ch., 4 dc., crochet the last 2 sts together (8 sts)
Stitch it up.
Let's move on to the other ear; position the little deer so that its head is to the left of its body.
Round 1: Join a new strand of yarn in the stitch next to the Stitch Marker, 1 sl st. In the next stitch, 21 dc, 1 dec. (23 sts.)
2nd round: 15 sc, crochet the last 2 sts together, 1 ch (16 sc)
Round 3: Crochet the first 2 sts together, 14 sc, 1 ch (15 sc)
4th round: 13 sc, crochet the last 2 sts together, 1 ch (14 sc)
Round 5: Crochet the first 2 sts together, 12 sc, 1 sl st (13 sc)
6th round: 11 sc, crochet the last 2 sts together, 1 ch (12 sc)
Row 7: Crochet the first 2 sts together, 10 sc, 1 sl st (11 sc)
Row 8: 9 sc, crochet the last 2 sts together, 1 ch (10 sc)
Row 9: Crochet the first 2 sts together, 8 sc, 1 ch (9 sc)
Row 10: 7 sc, crochet the last 2 sts together, 1 ch (8 sc)
Row 11: Crochet the first 2 sts together, 6 sc, 1 ch (7 sc)
Row 12: Crochet the first 2 sts together, 3 sc, crochet the last 2 sts together, 1 ch (5 sc)
Row 13: Crochet the first 2 sts together, 1 sc, crochet the last 2 sts together, 1 ch (3 sc)
Row 14: Crochet the first 2 sts together, 1 sc, 1 ch (2 sc)
Round 15: Crochet 2 stitches together.
Stitch it up.
Second Leg
Place the little deer upside down with its head facing you and its left front leg on the left.
Round 1: Attach a strand of yarn and crochet 2 dc in the first st., 14 dc, 1 chain (16 dc)
Row 2: Crochet the first 2 sts together, 14 sc, 1 ch (15 sc)
3rd round: 13 sc, crochet the last 2 sts together, 1 ch (14 sc)
Row 4: Crochet the first 2 sts together, 12 sc, 1 sl st (13 sc)
5th round: 11 sc, crochet the last 2 sts together, 1 ch (12 sc)
6th round: 12 sts.
Round 7: 10 sc, crochet the last 2 sts together, 1 ch (11 sc)
Rows 8 through 22: 11 sc, 1 sl st
Row 23: Crochet the first 2 sts together, 7 sc, crochet the last 2 sts together, 1 ch (9 sc)
Row 24: Crochet the first 2 sts together, 5 sc, crochet the last 2 sts together, 1 ch (7 sc)
Row 25: 7 sts. Bind off.
The last part is the tail and back. Start with the deer's back.
Round 1: Skip 3 sts from the beginning and join a new strand of yarn in the next st, 1 ch. (= 1st dc), crochet 24 more dc, crochet the last 2 sts together, 1 sl st. (26 dc)
2nd row: 24 sc, crochet the last 2 sts together, 1 ch (25 sc)
Round 3: Crochet the first 2 sts together, 21 sc, crochet the last 2 sts together, 1 ch (23 sc)
4th round: 21 sc, crochet the last 2 sts together, 1 ch (22 sc)
Row 5: Crochet 2 stitches together 2 times, 16 sc, crochet the last 2 stitches together, repeat once (19 sc)
Row 6: Crochet the first 2 sts together, 13 sc, crochet 2 sts together 2 times, 1 chain (16 sc)
Round 7: Crochet 2 stitches together 2 times, 10 single crochets, crochet the last 2 stitches together, repeat once (13 single crochets)
Row 8: Double the first st., 10 sc, crochet 2 sts together, 1 sl st. (13 sc.)
Row 9: Crochet the first 2 sts together, 11 sc, 1 sl st (12 sc)
Row 10: 10 sc, crochet the last 2 sts together, 1 ch (11 sc)
Round 11: Crochet the first 2 sts together, 9 sc, 1 sl st (10 sc)
Row 12: 8 sc, crochet the last 2 sts together, 1 ch (9 sc)
Rows 13–14: 9 sts, 1 sl st
Round 15: Crochet the first 2 sts together, 7 sc, 1 ch (8 sc)
Row 16: Double the first stitch, 5 sc, crochet the last 2 stitches together, 1 chain (8 sc)
Row 17: Crochet the first 2 sts together, 6 sc, 1 sl st (7 sc)
Row 18: Crochet the first 2 sts together, 3 sc, crochet the last 2 sts together, 1 ch (5 sc)
Row 19: Crochet the first 2 sts together, 3 sc, 1 sl st (4 sc)
Row 20: Crochet 2 stitches together 2 times, (2 sc.) Fasten off.
Crochet a second little deer in the same way.
If you have two little deer, crochet a border around them using v.
At the corners—such as the legs, the tip of the tail, and the tips of the ears—crochet 2 double crochets in 1 stitch.
Make sure you crochet the same number of single crochets between these points on both deer; this will make it easier to join them together later. Also, make sure you have a front and a back, so crochet the edge with single crochets on the right side of the deer (on one side, the head is to the right of the body, and on the other side, the head is to the left of the body).
I ended up with a total of 360 stitches. If your number of stitches increases or decreases, that's okay, but make sure you have the same number of stitches for both deer.
Connector
Take one side of the deer cushion and crochet 1 single crochet in the back loop of each single crochet you’ve crocheted around it. Crochet 6 rounds this way to create a raised edge, then fasten off.
Now take the second deer; we'll attach it to the raised edge with a needle and thread.
For example, start at the tip of the tail where you crocheted 2 sts into 1 st, and place the other side on the edge so that it lies directly opposite (right side up). Attach a thread and pick up each stitch: from the edge, pick up the entire stitch (2 loops), and from the deer, pick up 1 loop (so you also get a little border, just like with the first deer), and sew the entire cushion closed using an overhand stitch. Stuff the cushion a little at a time as you go.
Once the cushion is completely closed, crochet a border of slip stitches into the front loops on both sides.
Dots on the back
Last but not least, the dots.
Crochet 6 v. into a magic ring with white yarn, then double every stitch on the next round (12 sc)
Fasten off. Make 6 dots this way and single crochet the dots onto the back, 3 on each side.
