Step One

Crochet Gingerbread Friends

Finished Size

• 11.5” (29.5 cm) tall x 9” (23 cm) across before stuffing.

Gauge

• Face through Rnd 11 = 4.25” (11 cm) diameter with smaller hook. Exact gauge is not required for this pattern. Stitches should be small so that fiber filling doesn’t show.

Abbreviations Used in This Pattern

• CA – Color A
• CB – Color B
• CC – Color C
• CD – Color D
• ch – chain
• fsc – foundation single crochet – Insert hook in ch 1 from previous st, yo and draw up a loop, yo and pull through 1 loop (counts as ch 1 for next st), yo and draw through 2 loops. Fiber Flux has a helpful video tutorial for this stitch here.
• rep – repeat
• Rnd(s) – Round(s)
• RS – right (front) side
• sc – single crochet
• sc2tog – single crochet 2 stitches together (decrease) – [Insert hook in next st, yo and draw up a loop] twice, yo and draw through all 3 loops on hook. A helpful tutorial for sc2tog by ChristaCoDesign is available here.
• sl st – slip stitch
• st(s) – stitch(es)
• WS – wrong (back) side
• yo – yarn over
• *Repeat instructions after asterisk as indicated.
• [] Repeat instructions between brackets as indicated.
• () Instructions between parentheses are worked into same stitch or space.

Pattern Notes

• Materials make 2 Gingerbread Friends as pictured.
• Gingerbread Friends are made with 2 Body Panels. Each Body Panel begins with a Face crocheted in the round in unjoined spirals and continues with Neck, Torso, Legs, and Arms crocheted flat in rows. Icing Buttons are crocheted in the Round. Scarf and Bow are crocheted flat in rows. Icing Buttons and Bow are sewn to front Body Panel. Body Panels are joined together with single crochet seam and stuffed. Scarf is wrapped around Neck after stuffing.
• Color changes in Scarf are worked in last yo of final sc of indicated Row. Stacey Trock has a helpful video tutorial here.
• You may wish to crochet over the yarn tails as you work. Fiber Flux has a helpful tutorial explaining how to do this here. For best results, point yarn tail ends towards inside (wrong side) of panels.
• A helpful video tutorial for the embroidery backstitch is available at the end of this blog post.
• A helpful photo tutorial for seaming with single crochet is available here.

Step Two

Pattern Instructions

Decorations

Scarf

• With CC and larger hook, ch 101.
• Row 1: (RS) Turn, ch 1, sc in next ch and in next 99 ch, changing to CD in last yo of final sc (see Pattern Notes). Fasten off CC. (100 sts)
• Row 2: Turn, ch 1, sc in first st and in next 99 sts, changing to CC in last yo of final sc. Fasten off CD.
• Row 3: Rep Row 2, do not change color. Fasten off CC.
• For second Gingerbread Friend, follow instructions for Scarf but start with CD through Row 1, change to CC, then change to CD.

Step Three

Icing Buttons – For Each Gingerbread Friend, make 2 in CB as Eyes and 2-3 in CC or CD for Torso

• With yarn and smaller hook, start with magic adjustable ring (see Pattern Notes).
• Rnd 1: (RS) Ch 1, 6 sc in ring, place marker in last st to mark position, tighten ring to close. (6 sts)
• Rnd 2: 2 sc in each st around, fasten off yarn with long tail (approximately 12”/30.5 cm) for seaming.

Step Four

Bow

• With CC and smaller hook, ch 6
• Row 1: Turn, skip 1 ch, sc in next 5 ch. (5 sts)
• Row 2: Turn, ch 1, sc2tog in first 2 sts, sc in next 3 sts. (4 sts)
• Row 3: Turn, ch 1, sc2tog in first 2 sts, sc in next 2 sts. (3 sts)
• Row 4: Turn, ch 1, sc2tog in first 2 sts, sc in next st. (2 sts)
• Row 5: Turn, ch 1, sc in first 2 sts.
• Row 6: Rep Row 5 once.
• Row 7: Turn, ch 1, 2 sc in first st, sc in each st across. (3 sts, increases by 1 st)
• Rows 8-9: Rep Row 7 twice. (Row 8: 4 sts; Row 9: 5 sts)
• Fasten off yarn with long tail (approximately 12”/30.5 cm) for seaming.

Step Five

Body Panel – Back

Face

• With CA and smaller hook, ch 4, skip 3 ch, join with sl st to next ch to form ring.
• Rnd 1: (RS) Ch 1, 6 sc in ring, place marker in last ring to mark position. Move marker up each round. (6 sts)
• Rnd 2: 2 sc in each st around. (12 sts)
• Rnd 3: *2 sc in next st, sc in next st; rep from * around. (18 sts)
• Rnd 4: *2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts; rep from * around. (24 sts)
• Rnd 5: *2 sc in next st, sc in next 3 sts; rep from * around. (30 sts)
• Rnd 6: *2 sc in next st, sc in next 4 sts; rep from * around. (36 sts)
• Rnd 7: *2 sc in next st, sc in next 5 sts; rep from * around. (42 sts)
• Rnd 8: *2 sc in next st, sc in next 6 sts; rep from * around. (48 sts)
• Rnd 9: *2 sc in next st, sc in next 7 sts; rep from * around. (54 sts)
• Rnd 10: *2 sc in next st, sc in next 8 sts; rep from * around. (60 sts)
• Rnd 11: *2 sc in next st, sc in next 9 sts; rep from * around. (66 sts)
• Rnd 12: *2 sc in next st, sc in next 10 sts; rep from * around. (72 sts)
• Do not fasten off. Begin working in Rows.

Shape Neck

• Row 13: (RS) Sc in next 15 sts, skip next 57 sts. (15 sts)
• Row 14: Turn, ch 1, sc in same st and next 14 sts.
• Rows 15-16: Rep Row 14 twice.
• Row 17: Turn, ch 1, 2 sc in first st, sc in each st across to last st, 2 sc in last st. (17 sts, increases by 2 sts)
• Rows 18-19: Rep Row 17 twice. (Row 18: 19 sts; Row 19: 21 sts)

Torso

• Row 20: (WS) Turn, ch 1, sc in first st and in each st across. (21 sts)
• Row 21: Rep Row 21, place stitch markers in first and last st of this row to mark position for Arms.
• Rows 22-28: Rep Row 21, 7 more times, place stitch markers in first and last st of this row to mark position for Arms.
• Rows 29-34: Rep Row 21, 6 more times.

Shape First Leg

• Row 35: (RS) Turn, ch 3, skip first ch, sc in next 2 ch, sc in next 9 sts on Torso, skip next 12 sts. (11 sts)
• Row 36: Turn, ch 1, sc in first st and in next 10 sts.
• Rows 37-50: Rep Row 36, 14 more times.
• Row 51: Turn, ch 1, sc2tog in first 2 sts, sc in each st across to last 2 sts, sc2tog. (9 sts, decreases by 2 sts)
• Rows 52-54: Rep Row 51, 3 times. (Row 52: 7 sts; Row 53: 5 sts; Row 54: 3 sts) Fasten off CA.

Shape Second Leg

• Next Row: With RS facing and smaller hook, skip next 3 sts on Row 34, join CA with sl st to next st, ch 1, sc in same st, sc in next 7 sts, (insert hook, yo and draw up a loop twice, yo and draw through 2 loops) in next st, fsc twice. (11 sts)
• Rep Rows 36-54 as for First Leg. Fasten off CA.

First Arm

• Row 1: With RS facing and smaller hook, join CA with sl st at top marked row of Torso, remove markers from this side of Torso, ch 1, sc in side of same row, sc in side of next 7 rows. (8 sts)
• Row 2: Turn, ch 1, 2 sc in first st, sc in next 6 sts, skip next st. (8 sts)
• Row 3: Turn, ch 1, sc in first st and in next 7 sts.
• Rows 4-10: Rep Row 3, 7 more times.
• Row 11: Turn, ch 1, sc2tog in first 2 sts, sc in next 4 sts, sc2tog. (6 sts)
• Row 12: Turn, ch 1, sc2tog in first 2 sts, sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog. (4 sts)
• Row 13: Turn, ch 1, sc2tog twice. Fasten off CA. (2 sts)

Second Arm

• Row 1: With RS facing and smaller hook, join CA with sl st at bottom marked row on opposite side of Torso, remove markers from this side of Torso, ch 1, sc in side of same row, sc in side of next 7 rows. (8 sts)
• Row 2: Turn, sl st in first st (does not count as st), sc in next 6 sts, 2 sc in last st. (8 sts)
• Rep Rows 3-13 as for First Arm, do not fasten off CA.

Panel Edging

• With RS facing, ch 1, sc in side of each row from Second Arm to Torso to Neck, sc in next 57 sts around Face, sc in side of each row from Neck to Torso to First Arm, sc in next 2 sts on Row 13 of First Arm, sc in side of each row from underside of First Arm to Torso to First Leg, sc in next 3 sts on Row 54 of First Leg, sc in side of each row from inside of First Leg to Torso, sc in 3 skipped sts from Row 34 on Torso, sc in side of each row from inside of Second Leg to Torso to Second Arm, sc in next 2 sts on Row 13 of Second Arm, join with sl st to first sc. Fasten off CA.

Step Six

Body Panel – Front

• Rep as for Body Panel – Back. Do not fasten off.

Step Seven

Assembly and Finishing

• With yarn needle, weave in starting ends on Scarf. Weave in starting yarn tail on Buttons and Bow.
• Thread yarn needle with long yarn tail in CC from Bow. Use yarn needle to sew Bow to RS of Face or Torso on Body Panel – Front as desired. Weave in yarn tail on WS of Body Panel – Front.

• Thread yarn needle with long yarn tail from Icing Buttons for Torso (in CC and CD). Use yarn needle to sew Icing Buttons to RS of Torso on Body Panel – Front. Wave in yarn tail on WS of Body Panel – Front. Repeat for each remaining Icing Button.

• Thread yarn needle with long yarn tail in CB from first Icing Button Eye. Use yarn needle to sew Eye to RS of Face on Body Panel – Front. Weave in yarn tail on WS of Body Panel – Front. Repeat for second Icing Button Eye.
• Thread yarn needle with approximately CB. Embroider Icing details (such as smile) using the embroidery backstitch (see Pattern Notes).

Step Eight

• Position Body Panels with WS together and RS of Body Panel – Front facing up so that stitches on Panel Edging on Front and Back are aligned. Continue crocheting with CA and smaller hook at Second Arm on Body Panel – Front. Begin joining both Body Panels with single crochet seam (see Pattern Notes). Work single crochet seam along Second Arm to Torso to Neck to Face. Once Face is seamed, stuff Face firmly with fiber filling.
• Continue to work single crochet seam around Neck to Torso to First Arm. Once First Arm is seamed, stuff First Arm firmly with fiber filling. Add additional stuffing to Torso.
• Continue to work single crochet seam along Torso to First Leg. Once First Leg is seamed, stuff First Leg firmly with fiber filling. Add additional stuffing to Torso.
• Continue to work single crochet seam along Torso to Second Leg. Once Second Leg is seamed, stuff Second Leg firmly with fiber filling. Add additional stuffing to Torso.
• Continue to work single crochet seam along Torso to Second Arm, stopping when Second Arm is partially seamed. Add additional stuffing to Torso. Stuff Second Arm firmly.

• Continue to work single crochet seam along Second Arm, adding stuffing as you work. Join with sl st to first sc of seam. Fasten off. With yarn needle, weave in yarn tail on inside of Gingerbread Friend.