Sheep Appliqué

This is a simple pattern for a small sheep appliqué motif - you can stitch flat crochet motifs to pretty much any crochet fabric - add a flock of sheep to blankets, bags, cushions or hats to add a little extra joy and humour 🐑 !

I originally designed these sheep to use on a decorative piece of crochet for Yarndale. These pieces will form part of a yarn installation in the local park during the festival weekend - each panel will be wrapped and stitched around the lamp posts that line the pedestrian path. I really hope they bring a smile to everyone who sees them :)

I used oddments of DK acrylic yarn (Stylecraft Special DK) and a 4 mm hook for my sheep.

The sheep measures approx 9 x 9 cm.

I'm writing my pattern using UK crochet terms as follows :

dc [double crochet] :: insert hook, yarn over, pull the loop back through the stitch (two loops on hook), yarn over and pull through both loops on hook (note :: this is equivalent to the US sc stitch)

tr [treble] :: yarn over, insert hook, yarn over, pull the loop back through the stitch (three loops on hook), yarn over and pull through two loops on hook (two loops left on hook), yarn over and pull through remaining two loops (note :: this is equivalent to the US dc stitch)

NOTE >> If you don't need all the step by step photos, you can find the condensed pattern at the end of this tutorial <<

BODY

Round 1 :: Chain 5; slip stitch in 1st chain to form a ring.

Chain 3 (counts as 1 tr); 14 tr into the ring; slip stitch in 3rd chain of beginning chain-3 to close the round; slip stitch into next stitch ready to begin round 2 (do not fasten off).

[15 stitches]

Round 2 ::

Chain 3 (counts as 1 tr); 1 tr in same stitch;

*work 2 tr into the next stitch;

Repeat from * 13 more times; slip stitch in 3rd chain of beginning chain-3 to close the round; slip stitch into next stitch ready to begin round 3 (do not fasten off). 

[30 stitches]

Round 3 ::

Chain 1; 3 tr in next stitch; chain 1; skip next stitch; slip stitch in next stitch;

*Chain 1; 3 tr in next stitch; chain 1; skip next stitch; slip stitch in next stitch;

Repeat from * 8 more times; fasten off.

[10 scallops]

That's your sheep body made....now lets make our sheep some legs.......

LEGS

Legs are made in pairs - make one pair for forward facing sheep, make two pairs for side facing sheep.

Chain 7; work 3 dc in 2nd chain from hook (this forms a little foot)

1 dc into each of the next 5 chains (as shown above)

Chain 7; work 3 dc in 2nd chain from hook (this forms a little foot); 1 dc into each of the next 5 chains; fasten off.

There you go - a dinky little pair of legs!

You will probably find that the legs don't lie especially flat and will benefit from a little bit of low heat and steam from an iron. If you hold the iron above the crochet and puff some steam down into the stitches, you can re-shape the legs whilst they are still warm and slightly damp from the steam.

↑↑ This is how your legs will look once they are stitched in place.

EDIT TO ADD :: I realised as I was about to press the "publish" button that this poor little sheep doesn't have a tail!!! The front facing sheep doesn't need one, but the side facing sheep does!

TAIL

The tail is very easy - simply chain 5, then starting in the 2nd chain from the hook work 1 dc into each chain (4 sts). Fasten off, leaving a yarn end long enough to stitch the tail to the body.

HEAD

Round 1 :: 

Chain 6; 1 dc into the 2nd chain from hook; 1 dc into each of the next 3 chains;

You should have 1 chain remaining (as shown above)

Work 4 dc into the last chain (this will turn the corner)

You are now going to pick up the single loops of the foundation chain (as shown above)

Work 1 dc into each of the next 4 chains; slip stitch into the base of the very first chain to close the round; do not fasten off.

Round 2 ::

Chain 1; 1 dc in next stitch; 

In the next stitch (shown by my needle in the above photo) we are going to make the first ear

EAR (all worked out of 1 stitch)

1 dc; chain 4; 1 dc in 2nd chain from hook; 1 dc in each of the next 2 chains; 

Work 1 dc into the same stitch where you started the ear (shown by me needle in the above photo).

1 dc into each of the next 3 stitches;

2 dc in next stitch; 2 dc in next stitch (this makes the chinny-chin-chin)

1 dc into each of the next 3 stitches;

Now in the next stitch (shown by needle above) we are going to make the 2nd ear....

EAR (all worked out of 1 stitch)

1 dc; chain 4; 1 dc in 2nd chain from hook; 1 dc in each of the next 2 chains; 

Work 1 dc into the same stitch where you started the ear (shown by me needle in the above photo).

1 dc in next stitch; slip stitch into next stitch (or use the invisible join method with a darning needle) to close the round.

Fasten off, leaving a tail end long enough to stitch the head to the body.

Because you worked each ear in opposite directions, you'll see that one goes down and the other goes up?!

Just as you did for the legs, gently give the head a puff of warm steam and give the ears a tweak to re-shape them and encourage them to mirror each other. They should both be slightly drooping downwards.

FACE

You'll need some finer weight black yarn to embroider the face. If you have some 4ply yarn then that will work perfectly - if not, you can split the plies of a length of DK weight yarn. See in the above photo, the DK  yarn will fairly easily separate into 3 strands? Cut a length and gently unwind and peel off 1 strand and discard it......

.....then thread the 2-ply yarn length onto a darning needle. It may look a bit wibbly,  but that won't matter.

Start by stitching the nose/mouth. You can do this as one stitch - this is called "Fly Stitch"

You can watch a simple fly stitch video tutorial ((here)), but it's very easy to do.

Make sure you position the nose/mouth low down on the sheep's face.

It should sit very close to the bottom edge of the chin (as above).

For the eyes I've used "French Knots", wrapping the yarn three times around the needle and keeping the knot nice and tight.

You can watch a simple french knot video tutorial ((here)).

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww, such a cutie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You can make your sheep either forward facing (left) or side facing (right).

Stitch the head to the body first (leave the legs till last).

Stitch around the outside edge of the head but leave the ears flapping freely.

Lastly stitch in the legs.

Position them one pair at a time and hold them in place, then carefully flip your sheep over and stitch on the wrong side....

↑↑ Actually, this is a good example of how NOT to stitch the legs haha!! See how wonky they are??! I mean, you want your sheep to have character, but not to be deformed in any way. 

If the legs do come out very wonky after stitching, use the steam iron puff-method and gently straighten the legs out whilst they are still warm and damp from the steam.

EDIT : don't forget to add a tail!

I hope your sheep finds somewhere lovely to graze.....you may find that it looks a bit lonesome and you will need to provide some sheepy friends...

.....a flock of yarny sheep is definitely a very good thing.

Have fun!!!

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Here is the condensed version of the pattern for you to copy/paste/print....

🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑

APPLIQUÉ SHEEP

BODY

Round 1 :: Ch 5; sl st in 1st ch to form a ring.

Ch 3 (counts as 1 tr); 14 tr into the ring; sl st in 3rd ch of beginning ch-3 to close the round; sl st into stitch ready to begin round 2 (do not fasten off). 

[15 stitches]

Round 2 ::

Ch 3 (counts as 1 tr); 1 tr in same stitch; *work 2 tr into the next stitch;

Repeat from * 13 more times;  sl st in 3rd ch of beginning ch-3 to close the round; sl st into next stitch ready to begin round 3 (do not fasten off). [30 stitches]

Round 3 ::

Ch 1; 3 tr in next stitch; ch 1; skip next stitch; sl st in next stitch;

*Ch 1; 3 tr in next stitch; ch 1; skip next stitch; sl st in next stitch;

Repeat from * 8 more times; fasten off. [10 scallops]

 

TAIL

Ch 5; beginning in 2nd ch from hook, work 1 dc in each ch. Fasten off, leaving a long tail end for stitching. [4sts]

 

LEGS

Legs are made in pairs - make one pair for forward facing sheep, make two pairs for side facing sheep.

Ch 7; work 3 dc in 2nd ch from hook (this forms a little foot) ;1 dc into each of the next 5 ch;

Ch 7; work 3 dc in 2nd chain from hook (this forms a little foot); 1 dc into each of the next 5 ch; fasten off.

 

HEAD

Round 1 :: 

Ch 6; 1 dc into the 2nd ch from hook; 1 dc into each of the next 3 ch; 4 dc into the last chain (this will turn the corner).

You are now going to work into the single loops of the foundation chain.

Work 1 dc into each of the next 4 ch; sl st into the base of the very first ch to close the round; do not fasten off.

Round 2 ::

Ch 1; 1 dc in next stitch; in the next stitch make the first ear ::

EAR (all worked out of 1 stitch)

1 dc; ch 4; 1 dc in 2nd ch from hook; 1 dc in each of the next 2 ch; 1 dc into the same stitch where you started the ear.

Continue with head ::

1 dc into each of the next 3 stitches; 2 dc in next stitch; 2 dc in next stitch (this makes the chin); 1 dc into each of the next 3 stitches; in the next stitch make the second ear ::

EAR (all worked out of 1 stitch)

1 dc; ch 4; 1 dc in 2nd ch from hook; 1 dc in each of the next 2 ch; 1 dc into the same stitch where you started the ear.

Continue with head ::

1 dc in next stitch; sl st into next stitch (or use the invisible join method with a darning needle) to close the round.

Fasten off, leaving a tail end long enough to stitch the head to the body.

🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑

Comments

[rikrochet]

what a yarny slay - a gen z crocheter

[Carol Delorme]

Thank you for sharing this adorable lamb pattern. I just got back from Scotland and was fortunate enough to tour the New Lanark Mill along with the miles rolling hills of of the countryside with their abundant flocks of beautiful sheep. So of course I had to do a lamb themed gift for my daughter in law’s baby shower. I’m feeling so accomplished that I could make such a sweet appliqué to adorn the blanket I just finished crocheting. The directions are great and the pictures are a big help.

[ROBERT Catherine]

Merci pour le tuto
Il est très sympathique
Je vais commencer mon troupeau pour les fêtes de pâques
Amitiés de Normandie
FRANCE

[Susan]

I adore these sheep and all your work. You are doing very important work for many peoples’ morale.

[Ann Cooper]

Thank you so much for sharing your pattern. I can crochet a little but am not confident so very much appreciate it.

Our Knit and Natter Group (Garswood, Nr Wigan) are doing an Easter installation after the success of our Christmas one so am looking forward to including this.

[Heidi vernon]

Wonderfull

[Mrs Heidi vernon]

These look so real,thank you,your ideas are great ,love all your patterns.

[Kathleen Southworth]

Just adorable Lucy, thank you for the inspiration. Can't wait to make these for on a baby blanket. X

[Bev Morgan]

These sheep are so cute I am going to make a cushion in shades of green and blue for my flock of sheep. The cushion can live on our boat where we constantly see fields of sheep.

[Maria Shaikh]

Just adorable!!!!

[Ipukris]

Thank you for thr patterns. I so see these sheeps running on a wall inframed with a real painting frame. This would look lovely on a friends childs wall, don't you think? This will be a lovely and joyful project for me to do. Thank you again for do good advice, guides and inspiraation. It will make me smile. Hope it will make her sleep well whilst watching the crocheted painting!

[Jackie Farrow]

Thank you for sharing the pattern. As I won't be able to be at Yarndale this year I think I will make my own sheep banner. For those of us who won't be at the event will there be a chance to have the pattern for the key rings. Love everything you do. 😀

[Dana Hopkins]

So adorable, starting my flock in the morning!

[Elsie]

OMG these are too cute!! I can't attend Yarndale (maybe 2020, 2021, 2022...??) so I'll crochet myself a flock and pretend I'm there!! Thanks for the adorable pattern. And, is it ok if there a few pink sheep in my flick??