A warm welcome to you once again. I am thrilled to present our newest companion. Bramble the Berry Bat is a project close to my heart. He challenges the notion that creatures of the night must be sharp or scary. Instead, we have engineered a design that begs to be held. The pronounced cheeks give him a remarkably gentle face, while his tiny body ensures he sits perfectly in the palm of your hand. Take your time with the shaping rounds. Every stitch counts toward that perfect, rounded silhouette.
About This Creation
Bramble is a masterclass in soft geometry. By utilizing asymmetrical increases in the lower face, we force the fabric outward to create undeniably chubby cheeks. His head commands attention, comprising seventy percent of his total height. This exaggerated proportion is the secret to his endearing nature. His wings feature soft scallops, completely avoiding any sharp points.
Project Snapshot
🧶 Skill Level: Intermediate
🧶 Time Requirement: Four to five hours
🧶 Construction: Worked in continuous rounds
Materials
✨ Super bulky velvet or chenille yarn in Dark Berry Purple
✨ Super bulky velvet or chenille yarn in Soft Lilac for the wings and ears
✨ Worsted weight cotton yarn in Mustard Yellow for the bowtie
✨ 5.0mm crochet hook
✨ 14mm safety eyes
✨ High-quality polyester fiberfill stuffing
✨ Large-eye yarn needle
✨ Stitch markers
Abbreviations
🪡 MR: Magic Ring
🪡 sc: single crochet
🪡 inc: increase (two single crochet in one stitch)
🪡 dec: decrease (invisible decrease preferred)
🪡 hdc: half double crochet
🪡 dc: double crochet
🪡 ch: chain
🪡 st/sts: stitch/stitches
🪡 sl st: slip stitch
The Pattern
The Oversized Head (Start with Dark Berry Purple)
Round 1: 6 sc in a MR (6)
Round 2: 6 inc (12)
Round 3: 1 sc, 1 inc repeat 6 times (18)
Round 4: 2 sc, 1 inc repeat 6 times (24)
Round 5: 3 sc, 1 inc repeat 6 times (30)
Round 6: 4 sc, 1 inc repeat 6 times (36)
Round 7: 5 sc, 1 inc repeat 6 times (42)
Round 8: 6 sc, 1 inc repeat 6 times (48)
Round 9: 7 sc, 1 inc repeat 6 times (54)
Rounds 10 to 13: 54 sc (54)
Round 14: 15 sc, 6 inc, 12 sc, 6 inc, 15 sc (66)
Notice how we place consecutive increases here. The 12 single crochet stitches sit exactly in the center of the face. The sets of six increases will form his beautifully chubby cheeks.
Rounds 15 to 18: 66 sc (66)
Safety Eye Placement: Insert your 14mm safety eyes between Rounds 14 and 15. Space them exactly 9 stitches apart, perfectly centered within that 12-stitch gap from Round 14.
Round 19: 15 sc, 6 dec, 12 sc, 6 dec, 15 sc (54)
Round 20: 7 sc, 1 dec repeat 6 times (48)
Round 21: 6 sc, 1 dec repeat 6 times (42)
Begin stuffing the head firmly. Pay special attention to the cheeks. Push the fiberfill outwards into the increase pockets to maintain that wide shape.
Round 22: 5 sc, 1 dec repeat 6 times (36)
Round 23: 4 sc, 1 dec repeat 6 times (30)
Round 24: 3 sc, 1 dec repeat 6 times (24)
Round 25: 2 sc, 1 dec repeat 6 times (18)
Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. Finish stuffing the head.
The Tiny Body (Dark Berry Purple)
Round 1: 6 sc in a MR (6)
Round 2: 6 inc (12)
Round 3: 1 sc, 1 inc repeat 6 times (18)
Round 4: 2 sc, 1 inc repeat 6 times (24)
Round 5: 3 sc, 1 inc repeat 6 times (30)
Rounds 6 to 8: 30 sc (30)
Round 9: 3 sc, 1 dec repeat 6 times (24)
Rounds 10 to 11: 24 sc (24)
Round 12: 2 sc, 1 dec repeat 6 times (18)
Round 13: 18 sc (18)
Fasten off and leave a long tail. Stuff the body firmly. It should feel sturdy and bottom-heavy.
The Rounded Ears Make 2 (Soft Lilac)
Round 1: 4 sc in a MR (4)
Round 2: 1 sc, 1 inc repeat 2 times (6)
Round 3: 1 sc, 1 inc repeat 3 times (9)
Round 4: 2 sc, 1 inc repeat 3 times (12)
Round 5: 3 sc, 1 inc repeat 3 times (15)
Rounds 6 to 7: 15 sc (15)
Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Do not stuff the ears. Flatten them gently.
The Scalloped Wings Make 2 (Soft Lilac)
Row 1: Chain 11. Starting in the 2nd chain from your hook, crochet 10 sc. Chain 1, turn. (10)
Row 2: 10 sc. Chain 1, turn. (10)
Row 3: 1 sc in the first stitch. Skip 1 stitch. Place 5 dc into the next stitch. Skip 1 stitch. 1 sc in the next stitch. 1 sc in the next stitch. Skip 1 stitch. Place 5 dc into the next stitch. Skip 1 stitch. 1 sc in the final stitch. (14)
Fasten off and leave a long tail for sewing. The wings should curve softly inwards.
The Tiny Feet Make 2 (Dark Berry Purple)
Round 1: 6 sc in a MR (6)
Round 2: 6 sc (6)
Fasten off and leave a tail. These are tiny bobbles. Do not stuff.
The Mustard Bowtie (Mustard Yellow)
In a MR, perform the following sequence: chain 2, 2 hdc, chain 2, sl st into the ring. Chain 2, 2 hdc, chain 2, sl st into the ring. Pull the magic ring tight. Wrap your yarn tail around the center three times to form the middle knot. Fasten off and leave a tail for attaching.
Assembly
➡️ Thread your needle with the head tail. Sew the oversized head to the open neck of the tiny body. Stitch through every single post to ensure stability.
➡️ Position the flattened ears on top of the head, spanning Rounds 4 through 8. They should angle slightly outward. Sew them securely in place.
➡️ Pin the soft wings to the back of the body. Align the top edge of the wings with Round 12 of the body. Sew along the straight edge (Row 1), leaving the scalloped edges free to flap.
➡️ Attach the tiny feet to the bottom of the body at Round 4, spacing them about four stitches apart.
➡️ Sew the little mustard bowtie directly under Bramble’s chin, perfectly centered on the front of the body.