Top-Down Colorful Monkey

I like making projects with as little sewing as possible… sometimes when I sew the head onto the body of a critter, it doesn’t turn out quite the way I want it to. So, for this pattern, I wanted to make the head and body one piece. I start at the top of this cute little monkey with  the curl, and work down to the bottom. I crocheted the arms on while making the body, but wasn’t 100% happy with the way they sit. I think with my next colorful monkey, I will sew the arms like as I did with the legs.

I used worsted weight yarn and a size G hook.  I had partial skeins of green, blue, pink, lavender and tan from another project that I used on this (and I still have an ounce or more left from most skeins). I’d say you need 2-3 ounces of each color.

This was  my starting sketch for color choices: 

I made the mouth and eyes first, so I could sew them on before stuffing the head. 

Mouth: 

The mouth is worked in continuous rounds without joining

Chain 12

SC in 2nd chain from hook and next 9. 3 SC in last. Working on opposite side, work one sc in the next 9 starting chains. Work two more sc in original stitch. Place a marker (my scrap of tan yarn in the picture below) to remind yourself which end is your starting end.

Round 2: 2 sc in next stitch (corner), sc in next 9 stitches, 2 sc in next (corner), sc in next two stitches, 2 sc in next stitch (corner), sc in next 9 stitches, 2 sc in next stitch (corner)

Rounds 3-4, sc around with 2 sc in each corner

(I found it easier to embroider the smile and nostrils at this point, before I started working the even rounds that make the mouth cup up.)

Rounds 5-7 sc around, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Eyes: 

Large colored part (make 2):

Chain 5

SC in 2nd chain from hook and next two stitches, 3 sc in next, sc in the back side of the chain for 3 stitches.

Ch 1, turn. sc in three stitches, 2 sc in each of the next three stitches, sc in next three stitches. Finish off, leaving long tail to sew on. 

Black part:  (make 2)

Make 5 sc in MR. Tighten ring, but do not join.

Sew black part onto colored part. Sew onto face over rows 8-12. Sew mouth centered below eyes, stuffing as you sew.

Head: 

Starting at the top with the color you have chosen for the head. Head and body are made in continuous rounds without joining at the end of each round.

Curl + Round 1

You start with the little curl on the top of the monkey's head: 

Chain 12

3 sc in 2nd chain from and and next 9 chains. In last chain, do 6 sc. 

Round 1: Work 2 sc in each of the 6 sc you made in the last stitch, being careful to keep the curl on top of your work. (12 stitches)

Round 2: sc 1, inc in next stitch, repeat around (18)
Round 3: sc in 2 stitches, inc in next stitch, repeat around (24)
Round 4: sc in 3 stitches, inc in next stitch, repeat around (30)

Round 5: sc in 4 stitches, inc in next stitch, repeat around (36)

Round 6: sc in 5 stitches, inc in next stitch, repeat around (42)

Round 7: sc in 6 stitches, inc in next stitch, repeat around (48)

Round 8: sc in 7 stitches, inc in next stitch, repeat around (54)

Round 9: sc in 8 stitches, inc in next stitch, repeat around (60)

Rounds 10-13: sc around (60 stitches)

Round 14: sc in 8 stitches, dec over next two stitches, repeat around (54)

Round 15: sc in 7 stitches, dec over next two stitches, repeat around (48)

Round 16: sc in 6 stitches, dec over next two stitches, repeat around (42)

Round 17: sc in 5 stitches, dec over next two stitches, repeat around (36)

Round 18: sc in 4 stitches, dec over next two stitches, repeat around (30)

Round 19: sc in 3 stitches, dec over next two stitches, repeat around (24)

Round 20: sc in 2 stitches, dec over next two stitches, repeat around (18)

Stuff while the hole is still big enough to get the stuffing in! 

Rounds 21-22: sc around (18)

 Change to the top color you will be using for the body

Body

Round 1: sc in 2 stitches, inc in next stitch, repeat around (24)
Round 2: sc in 3 stitches, inc in next stitch, repeat around (30)

Round 3: sc in 4 stitches, inc in next stitch, repeat around (36)

Round 4: sc in 5 stitches, inc in next stitch, repeat around (42)

Round 5: sc in 6 stitches, inc in next stitch, repeat around (48)

Round 6: sc in 7 stitches, inc in next stitch, repeat around (54) 

Round 7:  sc in 8 stitches, inc in next stitch, repeat around (60)

Rounds 8: sc around (60)

Change to middle color you will be using for body

Rounds 9-16: sc around

Change to bottom color you will be using for body:

Round 17: sc in 8 stitches, dec over next two stitches, repeat around (54)

Round 18: sc in 7 stitches, dec over next two stitches, repeat around (48)

Round 19: sc in 6 stitches, dec over next two stitches, repeat around (42)

Round 20: sc in 5 stitches, dec over next two stitches, repeat around (36)

Round 21 sc in 4 stitches, dec over next two stitches, repeat around (30)

Round 22: sc in 3 stitches, dec over next two stitches, repeat around (24)

Round 23: sc in 2 stitches, dec over next two stitches, repeat around (18)

 Stuff while the hole is still big enough to get the stuffing in! 

Round 24: sc in 1 stitch, dec over next two stitches, repeat around (12)

Round 25: dec around (6)

Finish off, leaving tail to sew the opening closed. 

Arms: Make 2

Round 1: 5 sc in Magic Ring. Pull tight

Round 2: 2 sc in each stitch around (10)

Round 3: 1 sc in next stitch, inc in next, repeat around (15)

Rounds 4-5: work even 

Change color

Continue to work even until the arm measures 8" long, stuffing as you go.

I attached the arms around Round 3 of the body, crocheting through both layers of the arm while doing Round 3, but I think they might look better sewed on.

Legs:Make 2

Round 1: 6 sc in Magic Ring. Pull tight

Round 2: 2 sc in each stitch around (12)

Round 3: 1 sc in next stitch, inc in next, repeat around (18)

Rounds 4-6: work even 

Change color

Continue to work even until the leg measures 10" long, stuffing as you go.

Tail: 

 Round 1:

4 sc in magic ring. Pull tight

Round 2: inc in first stitch, sc in each stitch around (5) (use a stitch marker to show start of row)

Round 3:  inc in first stitch, sc in each stitch around (6)

Round 4:  inc in first stitch, sc in each stitch around (7)

Round 5:  inc in first stitch, sc in each stitch around (8)

Round 6:  inc in first stitch, sc in each stitch around (9)

Round 7:  inc in first stitch, sc in each stitch around (10)

Round 8:  inc in first stitch, sc in next four stitches, decrease over next two stitches, sc in next two stitches (10)

Continue to repeat row 8 until the tail is desired length (8 - 12"), stuffing as you go. Every few inches you can skip the decrease to make the tail a little wider. I think overall I ended up with fourteen stitches by the end of the tail.

(increasing on one side and doing a decrease opposite it will give the tail a curve)

Ears:

Start at the center of the ear with your accent color: 

Round 1: 6 sc in magic ring. Pull tight

Round 2: increase in each stitch around (12 stitches). Change color to the one you used for the head.

Round 3: Sc in first stitch, increase in next. repeat around (18)

Round 4: Sc in first stitch, decrease over next two stitches, repeat around (12)

Round 5: Dec around (6)

Round 6: Dec around (3)

Finish off, leaving a long tail to sew onto side of head.