The TIGER: Chinese Zodiac Animals #3

I love our little tiger pattern.  What a sweet guy he turned out to be!  I don't think I have any tigers in my life but they are known to be brave, competitive and a bit unpredictable.  Tigers are born leaders and apparently, they are quite irresistible!

This little guy is made with a round head.   Please visit the main pattern page first for more tips and important information.  With worsted yarn and size A hook, the tiger will be approximately 8 inches in circumference.
  

You will need:

orange yarn, black yarn in worsted weight
stuffing (polyfill or wool)
safety eyes (8 or 9mm for this size)
crochet hook (I love using the size A to get a tight fabric but any hook up to size G will work.  You will just get a much bigger animal!)

tapestry needle


Key:

Ch = chain

INC = 2 sc into one stitch

#INC = do # increases in a row

DEC = invisible decrease turns the next 2 sts into one st

# or sc# = separate sc stitches (no increasing or decreasing) 

Begin Here:

We will use orange yarn to start.   Please note: as written in the pattern below, after the 8th round, change to black and crochet half a round with black before changing back to orange.  Crochet 2 orange rounds.  On the next round, insert some black segments.  Then crochet 2 orange rounds.  You can be creative and make it up as you go along!  Just remember to leave slack when you drop the yarn and pick it up again to change colours.  To keep it even simpler, just cut the old colour leaving a small tail to tie old and new yarns together to hold them.  No one will know since all the ends will be inside your amigurumi!

R1  With orange, magic circle with 6 stitches into the loop.

R2  INC around. (12)

R3  (1, INC) around (18)

R4  1, INC, 2, INC, 3, INC, 2, INC, 3, INC, 2 (23) 

R5  INC, 4, INC, 3, INC, 4, INC, 3, INC, 4 (28) 

R6  3, INC, 6, INC, 6, INC, 6, INC, 3 (32)

R7  5, INC, 9, INC, 9, INC, 6 (35) 

R8  3, INC, 10, INC, 11, INC, 8 (38)

Change to black after this round to do part of R9.  I have chosen the portion where his forehead is.  Remember to change back to orange mid round.

R9  12, INC, 25 (39)

R10  INC, 38 (40) Orange round.

R11  sc around in orange (INSERT EYES BETWEEN R6/7, nine sts apart)

R12  38, DEC (39) Use some black on this round.

R13  25, DEC, 12 (38) Orange round.

R14  8, DEC, 11, DEC, 10, DEC, 3 (35) Orange round.

R15  6, DEC, 9, DEC, 9, DEC, 5 (32) Use some black on this round.

R16  3, DEC, 6, DEC, 6, DEC, 6, DEC, 3 (28) Orange round.

(Tie any knots you have from changing colours.  Fill with stuffing almost to the top.)

R17  4, DEC, 3, DEC, 4, DEC, 3, DEC, 4, DEC (23) Orange round.

R18  2, DEC, 3, DEC, 2, DEC, 3, DEC, 2, DEC, 1 (18) Use some black on this round.  Tie off all knots before moving on.

R19  (DEC, 1) repeat around (12)  Orange.

R20  (DEC, 1) repeat around. Fasten off. Weave loose end through each stitch in the opening. Fill completely with stuffing.  Pull tightly to close.  Sew in your ends.

Embroidering the nose and mouth:

Embroider the nose and mouth after you finish the body/head.  Thread about 18 inches of black yarn on your needle.

1.  Go in from the bottom of the tiger and make a triangle going back and forth with the black yarn for the nose starting at the wide edge.  Keep your stitches close together so you see minimal orange showing through.  Our tiger had 6 stitches.

2.  Come out with your needle at the base of the triangle and go back in where you want the centre of the mouth to be (we will call this point X).  You will end up with the small vertical line below his nose.   (Did you know this is called the "philtrum"???)

3.  Come back out at one corner of the mouth.  Enter back in at "X".

4.  Come back out at the other corner of the mouth.  Enter back in at "X".

5.  Now have a look at the 2 sides of the mouth.  To make sure the little smile/curve stays put, come out midway between the corner of the mouth and "X".  Catch the horizontal yarn  and go back in at the same place.

6.  Do this for the other side of the mouth.

You may have to do this a few times until you have something that you like.  When you are happy, go back out to where you started at the bottom of the tiger, tie a knot and push the knot into the tiger's head/body.

Ears (make 2 in orange):

R1  Magic Circle with 4 sts in the loop.

R2  (1, INC) twice around (6)

R3  (2, INC) twice around (8)

R4  (3, INC) twice around (10).

R5  (4, INC) twice around (12).

R6  (5, INC) twice around (14).  Bind off leaving a tail to sew to top of head.  Flatten and sew the opening shut.  Sew on.  Repeat for the other ear.

Yay!  The Tiger is complete!   Stay tuned for the next animal....the BUNNY!

PS.  As always, please let me know if there are any issues with the pattern and I will fix it up!