Numder 2 March 2019

TURTLE LEIA
crochet pattern by @toysneed

In this issue:
MATERIALS AND STEP BY STEP
TOOLS LIST PHOTOS AND
Necessary materials DESIGNER’S
list, yarn brands and HELP
its color number
There are 34 step-by-
PATTERN step photos of the
process in this pattern.
Detailed instructions Moreover, you can
for each piece of the always seek advice
toy from the author of the
pattern
Contents
03 FROM AUTHOR
Introduction

05 GETTING READY
Materials and tools. Abbreviations

07 HEAD
Instructions and photo

08 NEEDLE SCULPTING
Instructions and video

10 BODY
Instructions and photos

12 ARMS AND LEGS

Instructions and photos, video tips

16 SHELL. OUTER PART

Instructions and photos, video tips

24 SHELL. INNER PART

Instructions and photos, video tips

33 PLASTRON
Instructions and photos

37 STRAPS
Instructions and photos, video tips

44 HASHTAG FOR YOUR WORKS

#pattern_from_toysneed
 From author
Glad to see you on the pages of my pattern “Turtle Leia”!
Let me introduce myself. My name is Ekaterina.

The turtle pattern became significant for my creative work, because

after releasing it I understood and defined my main creative philosophy:
I make the toys that are played with!. Both children and parents like the
turtle and her unusual shell color. They like that the shell can be taken
off and put on again.

This is currently my most popular pattern. I tried to make it clear and

understandable. Pay attention to the links included into the pattern - I
recorded videos of difficult parts. If you have any questions, I am always
glad to help. Don’t hesitate to write me on Etsy or directly to my
Instagram account @toysneed.

The pattern “Turtle Leia” is my design. It is for your personal use only.
Copying, sharing, or translating this pattern without the author’s
agreement is prohibited.
You can publish finished toys on your Instagram with the hashtag
#pattern_from_toysneed. Also you can see other people’s works,
crocheted using my patterns. 

Thank you for your order and happy crocheting!

Ekaterina Kobets, @toysneed

03
 Getting ready

Materials and tools

1. Alize Cotton Gold (100g/330m, cotton/acrylic) pistachio №385

2. Alize Cotton Gold (100g/330m, cotton/acrylic) grey jeans №21 - can
be substituted with any sport weight yarn with similar meterage.
3. Yarnart jeans (50g/160m, cotton/acrylic) green №11 - can be
substituted with any sport weight yarn with similar meterage.
4. Alize Diva Batik (100g/350m, 100% acrylic) №3307 -  can be
substituted with any sport weight yarn with similar meterage.
5. 8 mm eyes
6. 2 mm crochet hook (US B size)

Please note the meterage is: 330m / 100g for the body and 350m / 100g
for the shell.
The pattern indicate: suggestions yarn can be substituted with any sport
weight yarn with SIMILAR METERAGE. 
The main recommendation: the yarn for the shell should be slightly
thinner than the yarn for the body.

05
 Abbreviations

In this pattern we use US crochet terminology.

MR - magic ring
sc - single crochet
dc - double crochet
inc - increase
dec - decrease
hdc – half double crochet
3-dc-bobble – bobble stitch (3 double crochet stitches are worked in one
stitch until they are closed together at the end - 3dctog or 3dc cluster)
(12) - the number of sets in a row
(...)*n - repeat n times

06
 Head

1. 6 sc in MR (06) 17. sc in all 60 st (60)

2. 6 increases (12) 18. sc in all 60 st (60)
3. (1 sc, inc)*6 times (18) 19. sc in all 60 st (60)
4. (2 sc, inc)*6 times (24) 20. (8 sc, dec)*6 times (54)
5. (3 sc, inc)*6 times (30) 21. (7 sc, dec)*6 times (48)
6. (4 sc, inc)*6 times (36) 22. (6 sc, dec)*6 times (42)
7. (5 sc, inc)*6 times (42) 23. (5 sc, dec)*6 times (36)
8. (6 sc, inc)*6 times (48) 24. (4 sc, dec)*6 times (30)
9. (7 sc, inc)*6 times (54) 25. (3 sc, dec)*6 times (24)
10. (8 sc, inc)*6 times (60) 26. (2 sc, dec)*6 times (18)
11. sc in all 60 st (60) Finish and fasten off.
12. sc in all 60 st (60) Insert the eyes between rounds
13. sc in all 60 st (60) 13 and 14, 16 sts apart.
14. sc in all 60 st (60) Stuff firmly.
15. sc in all 60 st (60) Embroider the sclera (whites of
16. sc in all 60 st (60) eyes) with white thread.
Needle sculpt the face (see
Watch the video “How to make a
page 8).
magic ring”:
Count 3 rounds up from the eyes
https://youtu.be/cBs25utZPuI
and embroider the eyebrows
with grey color. The eyebrow
width is 5 sts.
07
 Needle sculpting

Now we need to needle sculpt the face. For that we will need a long
needle and  thread matching the head color. Insert the needle into the
opening at the bottom of the head, leaving a long tail. Run the needle
through head, bringing it out under the left eye. Move over 1-2 sts and
reinsert the needle, bringing it out under the right eye. Move over 1-2 sts
and reinsert the needle again.  Make sure these entry points are
symmetrical beneath each eye. Bring the needle out under the left eye in
the same place again and repeat the same steps with both eyes. Then run
bring the needle out of the opening at the bottom of the head. Now we
have two thread tails. Pull them so the head slightly is squeezed together
and the eyes are indented. Then tie off and tuck the ends inside of the
head.

Watch the video “How to make needle sculpting”:

https://youtu.be/ONZ4UpJCiKQ

08
23
01
 Body
1. 6 sc in MR (06) 17. sc in all 42 st (42)
2. 6 increases (12) 18. sc in all 42 st (42)
3. (1 sc, inc)*6 times (18) 19. (5 sc, dec)*6 times (36)
4. (2 sc, inc)*6 times (24) 20. sc in all 36 st (36)
5. (3 sc, inc)*6 times (30) 21. sc in all 36 st (36)
6. (4 sc, inc)*6 times (36) 22. (4 sc, dec)*6 times (30)
7. (5 sc, inc)*6 times (42) 23. sc in all 30 st (30)
8. (6 sc, inc)*6 times (48) 24. sc in all 30 st (30)
9. (7 sc, inc)*6 times (54) 25. (3 sc, dec)*6 times (24)
10. sc in all 54 st (54) 26. sc in all 24 st (24)
11. sc in all 54 st (54) 27. sc in all 24 st (24)
12. sc in all 54 st (54) 28. (2 sc, dec)*6 times (18)
13. (7 sc, dec)*6 times (48) 29. sc in all 18 st (18)
14. sc in all 48 st (48) 30. sc in all 18 st (18)
15. sc in all 48 st (48) Finish and leave a tail for sewing.
16. (6 sc, dec)*6 times (42) Stuff firmly.

10
02
 Arms and legs
Watch video:
1. Magic ring: https://youtu.be/cBs25utZPuI
2. Toes: https://youtu.be/sEOmzp1zUKw
3. Color changing: https://youtu.be/Ko1TFZIUE_c

Start to crochet in grey color.

1. 6 sc in MR (06)
2. 6 increases (12)
3. (1 sc, inc)*6 times (18)
4. (2 sc, inc)*6 times (24)
5. Toes: work this round in back loop only: 2 sc, (3-dc-bobble, 1 sc)*5
times, 12 sc (24)

12
6. change to the main color, sc in all 24 st (24)
7. sc in all 24 st (24)
8. sc in all 24 st (24)
9. sc in all 24 st (24)
10. (2 sc, dec)*6 times (18)
11. sc in all 18 st (18)
12. sc in all 18 st (18)
13. sc in all 18 st (18)
14. sc in all 18 st (18)
15. sc in all 18 st (18)
16. sc in all 18 st (18)
17. (1 sc, dec)*6 times (12)
18. 6 decreases (06)
Stuff only the bottom part of each arm and leg. The top portion needs to
be lay flat against the body. Close the opening, leaving a long thread for
sewing onto the body.  
Make 2 arms and 2 legs. Sew arms between rows 20-23 and legs between
rows 11-13.

13
03 04

05
 07

06 08
 Shell
Outer part
Crochet with colorful yarn (melange, gradient) or crochet
alternating beige, grey, brown, dark green colors. I used Alize Diva Batik
(100g/350m, 100% acrylic) №3307. Can be substituted with any sport
weight yarn with the same meterage.
Hexagon
1. 6 sc in MR (06)
2. 6 increases (12)
3. (1 sc, inc)*6 times (18)
4. (2 sc, inc)*6 times (24)
5. (3 sc, inc)*6 times (30)
Finish and fasten off.
Make 14 hexagons using these instructions (they are the scutes for shell).
Then join them in random order by crocheting sc into back loops along
the edges of hexagons. The shell shape should be: 2+3+4+3+2 (14
hexagons). Each side of the hexagon should be joined with 6 sc to
another hexagon (see the scheme on pages 17-18 and video instructions
through the link below).

Watch the video “How to join hexagons”:

https://youtu.be/ENfOVcCShHA

16
17
18
09
 Outer shell, continued

Then crochet 2 rounds around whole the shell.

Round 1: work into back loops only. To make the shell edge smooth and
even follow these instructions while crocheting the first round: 3 sc-
hdc-1 dc along one side of the first hexagon, then 1 double crochet into
the point, where two hexagons are joined, and 1 dc-hdc-3 sc along side
of the next hexagon. This way the edge of the shell will be increased and
the spaces between hexagons will be filled with dc stitches.

Round 2: (3 sc, dec) *repeat around. This helps round out the shape of
the shell.

20
10
11
12
 Shell. Inner part

Worked in turned rows. Ch1 and turn at the end of each row.
1. Ch 11. Starting in the 2nd chain from the hook, sc 10 (10)
2. 4 sc, inc, inc, 4 sc (12)
3. sc in all 12 st (12)
4. inc, 4 sc, inc, 5 sc, inc (15)
5. inc, 13 sc, inc (17)
6. inc, 1 sc, inc, 3 sc, inc, 3 sc, inc, 3 sc, inc, 1 sc, inc (23)
7. sc in all 23 st (23)
8. inc, 2 sc, inc, 4 sc, inc, 4 sc, inc, 5 sc, inc, 2 sc, inc (29)
9-31. sc in all 29 st (29)
32. dec, 2 sc, dec, 4 sc, dec, 4 sc, dec, 5 sc, dec, 2 sc, dec (23)
33. sc in all 23 st (23)
34. dec, 1 sc, dec, 3 sc, dec, 3 sc, dec, 3 sc, dec, 1 sc, dec (17)
35. dec, 13 sc, dec (15)
36. dec, 4 sc, dec, 5 sc , dec (12)
37. sc in all 12 st (12)
38. 4 sc, dec, dec, 4 sc (10)
39. 10 sc (10)
Finish and fasten off the thread.

24
13 14

15
 Shell assembly

1. The inner part of the shell should be smaller than the outer part. 
It is fine, that’s the way it should be.
2. Join the two parts with pins. Make sure to line up the upper and
lower corners of both shell parts.
3. Crochet sc along the edges of both parts through both layers. As
the outer part is larger than the inner part, we join their edges in
this way: 2 stitches of the outer shell are joined with 1 stitch of the
inner shell.
4. Stuff the shell lightly, so it will lay gently on turtle’s back.

Watch the video "Shell assembly":

https://youtu.be/0yt5iMWpZVY

26
16
17
18
19
20
21
 Plastron
*Plastron (the piece that covers the turtle's belly).
Use Yarnart jeans (50g/160m, cotton/acrylic) green color №11 (can be
substituted with sport weight yarn with the same meterage).
Worked in turned rows. Ch 1 and turn at the end of each row.
1. Ch 14. Starting in the 2nd chain from the hook, sc 13 (13)
2. inc, 11 sc, inc (15)
3. inc, 13 sc, inc (17)
4. inc, 1 sc, inc, 11 sc, inc, 1 sc, inc (21)
5. inc, 2 sc, inc, 13 sc, inc, 2 sc, inc (25)
6. inc, 3 sc, inc, 3 sc, inc, 7 sc, inc, 3 sc, inc, 3 sc, inc (31)
7. sc in all 31 st (31)
8. sc in all 31 st (31)
9. sc in all 31 st (31)
10. dec, 3 sc, dec, 17 sc, dec, 3 sc, dec (27)
11. 12 sc, dec, 13 sc (26)
12. dec, 8 sc, dec, 2 sc, dec, 8 sc, dec (22)
13. sc in all 22 st (22)
14. dec, 18 sc, dec (20)
15. dec, dec, 12 sc, dec, dec (16)
16. sc in all 16 st (16)
17. sc in all 16 st (16)
18. sc in all 16 st (16)
19. sc in all 16 st (16)
20. sc in all 16 st (16)
21. sc in all 16 st (16)
22. dec, 5 sc, dec, 5 sc, dec (13)
Crochet sc along the edges of the piece to make it smooth.
33
22
Fastening plastron to the shell (rectangles)
Now you will crochet rectangles along the sides of the plastron. Count
up 9 rounds from the bottom of the piece: (sc 5 sets, ch 1, turn). Repeat
this for a total of 10 rows. Make an identical rectangle on the other side.
This  creates two fasteners which will go under the turtle's arms.

35
23
 Straps
Watch the video: https://youtu.be/L7KKyqvRLsQ

To make the shell easy to put on and take off the turtle, we will make
straps to tie above the toy’s shoulders. These straps will be made using
the i-cord technique. Make four identical straps 10 cm (3.9 inches)
long. 

Ch3, then insert the hook into the second ch from hook, yarn over and
pull up a loop, but don’t finish the stitch (two loops on hook). Then insert
the hook into the third ch from hook, yarn over and pull up a loop again
(three loops on hook). Now slip the last two loops from the hook and
hold them with your finger to prevent them from unraveling. Now there
is one loop on hook. Chain 1 through this loop. Then put the second loop
back onto the hook (one of the loops you are holding with your finger),
and chain 1 into it (2 loops on hook). Then put the third loop back on
your hook and chain 1. There are three loops on your hook again. This
method allows you to simultaneously crochet three rounds of chains
vertically.
When your i-cord is 10 cm long, yarn over and pull through all 3 loops on
your hook. Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing.

37
24
Shell and plastron assembly
1. Sew two straps to the upper corners of the turtle’s plastron. 
2. The other two straps should be sewn to the inner part of the shell. To
find the point for sewing, look at the inner shell.  Count 12 rounds
down from the top edge and 8 stitches from the side edge and attach
the straps.   
3. Join the rectangles of the plastron with the shell. Looking at the
inner shell, count up 10 rounds from the bottom edge and 6 stitches
from the side. Attach the rectangles here.

Watch the video “How to sew the plastron to the shell”:

https://youtu.be/84ggay-hJdQ

39
25 27

26 28
29
30
31
 Put the shell on your turtle - the turtle is finished!
I can't wait to see your work! Publish your photo with the
hashtag #pattern_from_toysneed
Thank you for your purchase and I hope to see you soon!

44