Both spooky and cute, the Small Crochet Bat pattern is sure to delight. It makes a great quick gift, Halloween ornament, garland, or keychain. Add a bow or witch hat for extra fun.
Read on to learn more about the inspiration and yarn choice for the Small Crochet Bat or scroll down to the bottom to find the free pattern.
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The Inspiration
The Small Crochet Bat is perhaps the cutest pattern in the set of interactive Halloween Ornaments. While it’s also probably the most difficult, it’s still beginner-friendly and small enough that it shouldn’t take too long to make.
The Small Crochet Bat pattern can be used alone either as an ornament or small Halloween piece for decoration, gift-giving, turning into a keychain, imaginative play, etc. You can also use the witch hat, another pattern in the set, to give your bat an extra witchy feel. In this case you can omit making the ears and stitch the hat right onto the head.
The pattern also includes instructions for a small bow that can be used as either a bow somewhere on the top of the bat’s head or as a bowtie. Options are fun!
I’m excited to see how you’ll choose to create your Small Crochet Bat. Happy Crocheting!
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The Yarn
The Small Crochet Bat was made using Red Heart Super Saver Yarn. This is a classic, inexpensive, worsted weight, acrylic yarn option that is often readily available in many stores and online.
I opted for a more classic bat, working in Charcoal yarn. I also definitely could have used black yarn, but rarely use stark black or white as it’s trickier to photograph and I honestly love the somewhat muted look that I get when replacing a deep charcoal for black and a soft white or ivory for white.
All that said, there is such a wide variety of colors available in Red Heart Super Saver Yarn including darks, neutrals, pastels, brights, and even neons. Then there are even flecked, variegated, ombre, striped, camo, metallic, brushed, options.
Now I’m thinking that my next Small Crochet Bat needs to be in a Buff Fleck or for some fun, perhaps a purple. Oh, and perhaps a classic again, but in brown. Truly the joy of amigurumi is the ability to use all the colors, especially on small projects like this where you’re not out much if it turns out not to be your favorite. Give it away, someone will love it for sure!
Substitutions. Any brand of worsted weight acrylic yarn should work well for making the Small Crochet Bat but note that due to variations among brands, the finished size may vary slightly. If a worsted cotton yarn is preferred, this too should work fine. Making the Small Crochet Bat with different-sized yarns has not been tested, but should also likely work well, just make sure that any necessary hook size adjustments are made to accommodate the chosen yarn.
As always, I’d love to see/hear about your experiences with making the design and the products you chose to use. Tag me on social media @jenhayescreations and use the hashtag #jenhayescreations to share!
The Pattern
Difficulty
Advanced Beginner
Materials
- Crochet Hook, Size E/4 (3.5 mm) (I use mostly Clover Amour hooks)
- Stitch Marker(s)
- Scissors
- Stuffing
- Pins
- Tapestry Needle
- Safety eyes, 9 mm
- Safety nose, 8 mm (optional)
- Embroidery Floss, black (DMC 310), white (DMC BLANC), and pink (DMC 776) (optional)
- Embroidery Needle
- Dritz Disc Needle Pullers
- Chopstick, dowel, or something similar to help with stuffing small parts
- Red Heart Super Saver (worsted 4-Medium, 100% acrylic, 364 yds/333 m, 7 oz/198 g), Color (A) Charcoal, used approx. 28 yds/26 m
Gauge
Using hook size E/4 (3.5 mm) the first 4 rounds of the Small Crochet Bat’s head measure approximately 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) in diameter.
Finished Measurements
Using hook size E/4 (3.5 mm) and worsted yarn the Small Crochet Bat measures approximately 3.25 inches (8.3 cm) tall with a wing span of approximately 4 inches (10 cm).
Design Notes
- The pattern is written in English using US crochet terminology.
- The pattern is written in continuous rounds, it will be helpful to place a stitch marker at the beginning stitch of the round and move it up at the start of each additional round.
- At the end of each round, the number of stitches for completion is noted in parentheses.
- Further design notes, tips, and options will be provided throughout the pattern to help aid in construction.
- Caution! If using safety eyes/noses, take into consideration who will be using the item. The use of safety eyes is not recommended for children under the age of three or for those prone to putting things in their mouths as they may cause a choking hazard. Crocheted or hand-embroidered eyes are a great alternative!
Abbreviations/Stitches Used
- back bar of the ch/back ridge – horizontal bar on the backside of a ch
- bo – bobble (3dcbo –described below under special stitches)
- ch – chain
- dc – double crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- Rnd(s) – round(s)
- sc – single crochet
- sc2tog – single crochet 2 stitches together (invisible decrease)
- sl st – slip stitch
- st(s) – stitch(s)
- [ ] / ( ) – work instructions between brackets/parenthesis as many times as directed
- magic circle/adjustable ring
- Some hand embroidery
Special Stitches
Bobble (bo): A 3dcbo (three double crochet bobble) is used in this pattern. Essentially it’s 3 half-finished double crochets worked all in the same stitch that are joined at the end as one stitch, creating a puffy stitch.
To create a 3dcbo
With the working loop on the hook:
- Yarn over, insert hook into the next stitch,
- Yarn over and pull up a loop (three loops on the hook),
- Yarn over and pull through two loops (one leg made, two loops on the hook),
- Yarn over, insert hook into the same stitch,
- Yarn over and pull up a loop (four loops on the hook)
- Yarn over and pull through two loops (two legs made, three loops on the hook),
- Yarn over, insert hook into the same stitch,
- Yarn over and pull up a loop (five loops on the hook)
- Yarn over and pull through two loops (three legs made, four loops on the hook),
- Yarn over and pull through all four loops. (3dcbo completed)
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Let’s Make Our Small Crochet Bat!
Bat Head and Body
>Design Note: The Small Crochet Bat is made from the head down as one piece with the ears and wings stitched on later.
Using Color (A)
- Rnd 1: 6sc in an adjustable (magic) circle. (6sts)
- Rnd 1 alternative: If preferred, ch 2 and then 6sc in 2nd chain from hook. (6sts)
- Rnd 2: 2sc in each st around. (12sts)
- Rnd 3: [Sc in the next st, 2sc in next st] 6 times. (18sts)
- Rnd 4: Sc in the next st, 2sc in the next st, [sc in the next 2sts, 2sc in the next st] 5 times, sc in the next st. (24sts)
- Rnds 5-9: Sc in each st around. (24sts for 5 Rnds)
- Rnd 10: Sc in the next st, sc2tog, [sc in the next 2sts, sc2tog] 5 times, sc in the next st. (18sts)
Insert the safety eyes and/or nose. The starting stitch is at the back of the piece. The suggested placement for the eyes is between Rnds 6 and 7 approximately 4sts apart. The suggested placement for the nose is between Rnds 7 and 8 centered between the eyes. Using embroidery floss and an embroidery needle, stitch any desired facial features. Pictured, the mouth is stitched between Rnds 9 and 10 approximately 3-4sts in length, with a small tooth stitched on either end.
Firmly stuff and shape the head and continue to do so as the pattern progresses.
- Rnd 11: [Sc in the next st, sc2tog] 6 times. (12sts)
- Rnd 12: [Sc in the next 4sts, sc2tog] 2 times. (10sts)
- Rnd 13: [Sc in the next st, 2sc in the next st] 5 times. (15sts)
- Rnd 14: Sc in the next 3sts, 2sc in the next 3sts, sc in the next 5sts, 2sc in the next 3sts, sc in the next sts. (21sts)
- Rnds 15-16: Sc in each st around. (21sts for 2 Rnds)
- Rnd 17: [Sc in the next 5sts, sc2tog] 3 times. (18sts)
- Rnd 18: Sc in the next 9sts, bo, sc in the next 2sts, bo, sc in the next 5sts. (18sts)
- Rnd 19: [Sc in the next st, sc2tog] 6 times. (12sts)
- Rnd 20: [Sc in the next st, sc2tog] 4 times. (8sts)
- Fasten off leaving a long tail to close up the hole. Close the hole with a tapestry needle stitching only through the front loops until the hole pulls nicely closed, secure, and weave in the end.
Ears
>Design Option: If making the Small Crochet Bat wearing a witch hat, omit making the ears.
Make 2
Using Color (A)
- Rnd 1: 4sc in an adjustable (magic) circle. (4sts)
- Rnd 1 alternative: If preferred, ch 2 and then 4sc in 2nd chain from hook. (4sts)
- Rnd 2: [Sc in the next st, 2sc in next st] 2 times. (6sts)
- Rnd 3: Sc in each st around. (6sts)
- Fasten off leaving a long tail for attaching the ear to the head.
- Leave the ear unstuffed (except the starting tail).
Wings
Make 2
Using Color (A)
- Rnd 1: 4sc in an adjustable (magic) circle. (4sts)
- Rnd 1 alternative: If preferred, ch 2 and then 4sc in 2nd chain from hook. (4sts)
- Rnd 2: [Sc in the next st, 2sc in next st] 2 times. (6sts)
- Rnd 3: [Sc in the next st, 2sc in next st] 3 times. (9sts)
- Rnd 4: [Sc in the next 2sts, 2sc in next st] 3 times. (12sts)
- Rnd 5: [Sc in the next 3sts, 2sc in next st] 3 times. (15sts)
- Rnd 6: [Sc in the next 4sts, 2sc in next st] 3 times. (18sts)
- Rnd 7: Press the triangle flat so the top, open edges line up with the starting st on the right edge, ch 3, working in the back bar of the ch sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook and the next ch, now working through both edges (note that there should be 9 sets of sts to work through): [sc in the next 2sts, (hdc, dc, hdc) in the next st] 2 times, sc in the next 2sts, (hdc, dc) in the next st.
- Fasten off leaving a long tail to attach the wing to the body. Using a tapestry needle weave the tail to the top point of the wing (the center of the magic circle) in preparation for sewing the wing to the body. Make sure not to pull too tightly and concave the final stitches of the wing.
- Add detail to the wing (optional): Using 6 strands of black embroidery floss (fewer strands if thinner lines are desired) and an embroidery needle, stitch lines (embroidery backstitch) on the front side of the wings from the top corner (Rnd 1) to each of the points at the edge of the wing. Note when stitching that the first ch of Rnd 7 should be at the bottom of the wing on both sides.
Assembly
Pin all the pieces together to determine the desired placement for the entire Small Crochet Bat and stitch securely into place.
General placement and stitching suggestions:
- Ears – The ears are placed on the top of the head with the inner edge of the ear between approximately Rnd 2 and 3 and the outer edge at about Rnd 5 on either side.
- Wings: Stitch the wings to each side of the body, the embroidery (if used) should face forward. The top inside corner of the wing (Rnd 1) is stitched at approximately Rnd 13 of the body and the wing is then stitched to the body for about 6 Rnds of the wing.
Additional Options
1. Add a Witch Hat
Use the Witch Hat pattern found HERE.
>Design Note: If making the hat for the Small Crochet Bat to wear, omit the ears and stitch the hat directly to the head.
2. Add a Bow
Using a desired color (used approx. 3 yds/3 m)
- Ch 4, [dc in the 4th ch from the hook] 2 times, ch 3, sl st in the same st, ch 4, [dc in the 4th ch from the hook] 2 times, ch 3, sl st in the same st.
- Fasten off leaving a long tail for wrapping several times around the middle and securing the bow to the project. Weave in the starting tail.
- Stitch the bow on the Small Crochet Bat in the desired location.
3. Turn the Small Crochet Bat into an Ornament
Cut a length of yarn (or ribbon) long enough to create a loop for hanging. Using a tapestry needle thread one end into the top of the Small Crochet Bat, remove the needle, and knot the two ends together. Turn the loop until the knot hides inside the bat.
Reach Out, Share, and Follow Along!
As always, I’d love to see your creation if you’re willing to share! Comment below or tag me on social media. You can find me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram (tag @jenhayescreations and use the hashtag #jenhayescreations to show off your work and have a chance to be featured), and stay tuned to find me in the future on YouTube!
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Copyright and Use Policy
This pattern and its photos are copyright of Jennifer Hayes (Jen Hayes Creations) and are for personal, non-commercial use only. You may not copy, sell, republish, distribute, or translate my patterns, photos, or tutorials in part or whole. Share this pattern on social media by using the social sharing buttons or a link to the pattern. You are welcome to sell any finished items produced from this pattern. Please credit Jen Hayes Creations as the designer and include a link to the pattern listing if selling the finished piece online. Thank you!
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