Fall is my favourite time of year in big part because, you guessed it…Halloween! I especially love, love, love pumpkin carving! Here are some shots of pumpkins that me and my guy have carved in the last three years:
(We are also big nerds so Marvel, Star Wars, Game of Thrones, and Doctor Who pumpkins are par for the course!)
Of course I also crocheted a little something to spruce up my Halloween decor! Admittedly, this Vampire Ami is not going to win any scare contests, but he’d make a super cute addition to your couch as a Halloween cushion or cuddler!
As usual, this pattern is made in the same style as our Ragdoll patterns; separate pieces worked in flat rows and then joined together to give them that unique 2-D look. Dracula here has just 2 (!!!) separate pieces. However, this pattern incorporates the tapestry (or intarsia) crochet technique and has a lot of colour-work involved.
His finished measurement is approximately 26cm/10″ from top to bottom.
Let’s get started! I encourage you to read everything thoroughly before beginning, particularly if you don’t have a lot of experience with tapestry crochet.
Here’s what I used:
**If you’d prefer a downloadable or printable version of this pattern, an inexpensive, formatted, and ad-free PDF can be purchased HERE.**
- 3.5mm hook (I use THESE hooks!);
- Red Heart Super Saver in Black;
- Red Heart Super Saver in Grey Heather;
- Red Heart Super Saver in White;
- Bernat Super Value in Light Damson (purple);
- Black crochet thread for mouth (I use THIS kind!);
- Light weight cotton yarn in red for fangs;
- 12mm Safety Eyes;
- Stuffing;
- Tapestry needle
Reading this Pattern and Colour Changes:
Everything is worked in single crochet stitches, except for Row 55, where the stitches will be specified. So, in order to indicate the colour-changes, I have omitted the usual “sc” in front of the stitch counts in any lines with colour-changes and I’ve used the associated colour letter instead. For example, “Binc” means to work a sc increase in black yarn. “B7, P9” means to work the next 7 sc in Black and the next 9 sc in Purple, and so on.
Due to the colour-changes, you will have several skeins or balls of yarn attached to your project at once. I opted to use two skeins of yarn, one for each side of the cape and then again for each side of the hair. You could also do this by taking one skein of yarn and separating it into two smaller balls. This cuts down significantly on having to carry your yarn.
The bonus part of the colour-changes in an amigurumi is that you don’t have to worry about what the back of your panels look like! This is why I carry my yarn on the back instead of carrying it inside the stitch as you go. It prevents any colours from bleeding through where they shouldn’t. As long as you always carry your yarn on the back of your panel, you won’t have to weave in any ends and you’ll have a beautiful smooth front with clear lines and colours. Please see the photos below to get an idea of where and how I carried my yarn.
When changing colours, you will insert your hook into the stitch for the last stitch of Colour A and pull up a loop. Then, with Colour B, yarn over and complete the stitch by pulling through both loops with Colour B. Drop your working yarn in Colour A and continue with Colour B. You will pick your Colour A working yarn back up again on the way back in the next row when you need it.
*Make sure to always drop your yarn on the WRONG side of your panel!* So, for example, when you are working on a row where the wrong side of the panel is facing you, you will have to make a conscious effort to pull your yarn toward you to the wrong side of the panel when dropping your yarn during a colour-change. This is because it will naturally drop to the side furthest away from you if you don’t.
Here is the colour legend:
B – Black
P – Purple
G – Grey
W- White
Front Body (make 1 panel). Start with Black:
The panels are worked from the bottom up, starting with the legs.
*Ch 1 and turn at the end of each row*
Pay careful attention to the colour changes!
Row 1: Ch 6, B5 (5 sts)
Row 2: Binc, B3, Binc (7 sts)
Row 3: In Purple, ch 11, P10 back along chs, and then continue across row: B7 (17 sts)
Row 4: Binc, B7, P9 (18 sts)
Row 5: P9, B9 (18 sts)
Tie off. Repeat rows 1-5 for the second leg and tie off. You will now have two separate leg pieces, like so:
Now we will join both leg pieces together by crocheting across both pieces in row 6. Join your purple yarn in the first stitch of the leg piece you just finished.
Row 6: Pdec, P6, B9, Binc, Binc, B9, P6, Pdec (36 sts)
Row 7: P7, B22, P7 (36 sts)
Row 8: Pdec, P5, B22, P5, Pdec (34 sts)
Rows 9-11: P5, B24, P5 (34 sts)
Rows 12-19: P4, B26, P4 (34 sts)
Row 20: P4, B4, G18, B4, P4 (34 sts)
Row 21: Pdec, P3, B1, G22, B1, P3, Pdec (32 sts)
Rows 22-23: P4, G24, P4 (32 sts)
Row 24: Pdec, P3, G22, P3, Pdec (30 sts)
Rows 25-26: P4, G22, P4 (30 sts)
Row 27: Pdec, P3, G20, P3, Pdec (28 sts)
Row 28: Pdec, P3, G18, P3, Pdec (26 sts)
Now we will start the collar of the cape.
Row 29: In Purple, ch 7, P6 along chs, P6, G14, P6 (32 sts)
Row 30: In Purple, ch 7, P6 along chs, P9, G9, P12, Pdec (37 sts)
Row 31: Pdec, P8, W16, P9, Pdec (35 sts)
Row 32: Pdec, P4, W24, P3, Pdec (33 sts)
Row 33: Pdec, W28, P1, Pdec (31 sts)
Row 34: Pdec, W29 (30 sts)
Now we will start incorporating Black for the hair.
Row 35: [B1, W1] in same st, W28, [W1, B1] in same st (32 sts)
Row 36: Binc, W30, Binc (34 sts)
Row 37: Binc, W32, Binc (36 sts)
Row 38: Binc, B1, W32, B1, Binc (38 sts)
Rows 39-45: B3, W32, B3 (38 sts)
Row 46: Bdec, B2, W30, B2, Bdec (36 sts)
Row 47: B4, W28, B4 (36 sts)
Row 48: Bdec, B3, W13, B1, W12, B3, Bdec (34 sts)
Row 49: B6, W9, B3, W10, B6 (34 sts)
Row 50: Bdec, B5, W8, B5, W7, B5, Bdec (32 sts)
Row 51: B7, W5, B7, W6, B7 (32 sts)
The remaining rows are done in all Black:
Row 52: Dec, sc 28, Dec (30 sts)
Row 53: Dec, sc 26, dec (28 sts)
Row 54: Dec, sc 24, dec (26 sts)
Row 55: Dec, sc 2, hdc 3, dc 12, hdc 3, sc 2, dec (24 sts)
Tie off. Put aside for assembly later.
Back Body (make 1 panel) Start with Black:
Row 1: Ch 6, sc 5 (5 sts)
Switch to Purple yarn. Rows 2-34 are all worked in Purple.
Row 2: Inc, sc 3, inc (7 sts)
Row 3: Ch 11, sc 10 along chs, then continue across row: sc 7 (17 sts)
Row 4: Inc, sc 16 (18 sts)
Row 5: Sc across (18 sts)
Tie off. Repeat rows 1-5 for second leg. Tie off. Repeat rows 1-5 for the second leg and tie off. You will now have two separate leg pieces. Now we will join both leg pieces together by crocheting across both pieces in row 6, just like you did for the front panel. Join your purple yarn in the first stitch of the leg piece you just finished.
Row 6: Dec, sc 15, inc twice, sc 15, dec (36 sts)
Row 7: Sc across (36 sts)
Row 8: Dec, sc 32, dec (34 sts)
Rows 9-20: Sc across (34 sts)
Row 21: Dec, sc 30, dec (32 sts)
Rows 22-23: Sc across (32 sts)
Row 24: Dec, sc 28, dec (30 sts)
Rows 25-26: Sc across (30 sts)
Row 27: Dec, sc 26, dec (28 sts)
Row 28: Dec, sc 24, dec (26 sts)
Row 29: Ch 7, sc 6 along chs, then continue across row: sc 26 (32 sts)
Row 30: Ch 7, sc 6 along chs, then continue across row: sc 30, dec (37 sts)
Row 31: Dec, sc 33, dec (35 sts)
Row 32: Dec, sc 31, dec (33 sts)
Row 33: Dec, sc 29, dec (31 sts)
Row 34: Dec, sc 29 (30 sts)
Switch to Black yarn. Rows 35-55 are all worked in Black.
Row 35: Inc, sc 28, inc (32 sts)
Row 36: Inc, sc 30, inc (34 sts)
Row 37: Inc, sc 32, inc (36 sts)
Row 38: Inc, sc 34, inc (38 sts)
Rows 39-45: Sc across (38 sts)
Row 46: Dec, sc 34, dec (36 sts)
Row 47: Sc across (36 sts)
Row 48: Dec, sc 32, dec (34 sts)
Row 49: Sc across (34 sts)
Row 50: Dec, sc 30, dec (32 sts)
Row 51: Sc across (32 sts)
Row 52: Dec, sc 28, dec (30 sts)
Row 53: Dec, sc 26, dec (28 sts)
Row 54: Dec, sc 24, dec (26 sts)
Row 55: Dec, sc 2, hdc 3, dc 12, hdc 3, sc 2, dec (24 sts)
Tie off.
Assembly:
Step 1: Eyes, Mouth, and Fangs
First thing’s first! We need to attach all of our facial features to the front panel.
The first thing I did was insert 12mm safety eyes about 9 rows up from the bottom of the head.
Stitch on the mouth using black crochet thread.
Finally, using light weight red yarn, stitch on two little fangs at each end of the mouth in a triangle shape. I did mine by simply making three stitches like so:
Step 2: Body
Okay, here are the two pieces you should now have at this step, as well as a picture to show what the back of my panels look like:
Originally, I used silver embroidery thread for the fangs but halfway through the assembly I decided to redo them in red so they would pop! Just note that the above photos were taken before I redid them.
Place the two body panels together, matching up all sides and colours.
**Make sure the front of your Vampire is facing you as you crochet around the outside of the piece.**
Starting on the left side of the head, begin attaching the panels together by chaining one and single crocheting around the outside of the panels starting in Black.
As you crochet along the outside, you will need to switch colours where appropriate. When switching colours, insert your hook into the last stitch of Colour A. Pull up a loop in Colour A. Then Yarn over in Colour B to complete the stitch. Continue with Colour B until you need to switch again.
Continue crocheting all around the cape in purple, switching to Black at the feet, and then back to purple, and then back to black for the head. Stop a few stitches from the top of the head.
I also created a picot in each of the four corners of the cape to make them extra pointy. When you reach a point, make the picot by chaining 3 and then slst in the first chain. Then continue to sc around as normal.
Stuff the body.
Continue crocheting around. Top up stuffing. Close with a slst to first st. Tie off. With your tapestry needle, poke the yarn tail back inside the piece.
Step 3: Finishing Touches
Lastly, I did some needle sculpting to indent the eyes a little bit to add a bit of character. With a length of White yarn, you can do this by doing the following steps:
- Insert your tapestry needle behind Eye A (I started with the right eye, but it doesn’t matter);
- Exit the needle from behind Eye B ;
- Reinsert the needle into a different stitch behind Eye B;
- Exit the needle out the back of your Vampire’s head;
- Thread the yarn tail from Eye A into your needle. Reinsert your needle into a different stitch behind Eye A.
- Exit your needle out the same stitch in the back of your Vampire’s head.
- Gently tug on both yarn tails to create the sculpting.
- Tie a knot in the yarn tails and poke back inside the piece.
Also, I regret not adding a bow-tie because I think it would be the perfect addition to this ami! If you decide to add a bow-tie, please share a pic on Facebook or Instagram and tag me!
Happy Halloween, everyone!
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Such lovely patterns and ideas!
Love your work!
Thank you, Suzanne!
Love them all!!! Thank you so much for sharing them with us!!!