These sleepy elves are ready for your little one to cuddle with while they drift off to sleep. Made with sport weight baby yarn, the finished size is approximately 10 inches tall.
If you want a pattern that you can save on your computer and easily print, this pattern is available in my Ravelry shop for only $2.00. I love printing patterns and saving them in a binder to keep track of the ones I’ve done and the ones I still plan to do.
Abbreviations:
ch: chain
sc: single crochet
inc: increase (2 single crochets in one loop)
dec: decrease (pull yarn through loop, pull yarn through second loop, yarn over and pull through all loops)
Materials needed (with affiliate links):
Baby yarn, or any size 3 yarn, preferably in shades of the same color. For example, white, light pink, medium pink and dark pink.
Rattle inserts (optional)
I purchased these rattle inserts from Amazon last year, and I decided they were perfect for inside of the sleepy elf.
I put one inside of each of their bodies, but you could also insert them in their heads if you want. Or even put one in both so that they’re extra “rattley.” If you use a rattle in them, be sure to insert it into the middle of the stuffing so there are no hard spots in it.
This pattern is worked “in-the-round”, and stitches are worked through both loops unless otherwise noted.
Head:
With light colored yarn, ch 3. Sl st to first ch to create circle. (Instead, you can perform the “magic circle” if you’d like.)
Row 1: ch 1, 5 sc inside of circle. (5 stitches)
Row 2: Inc in each stitch around. (10 stitches)
Row 3: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next stitch, repeat from * around. (15 stitches)
Row 4: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 2 stitches, repeat from * around. (20 stitches)
Row 5: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 3 stitches, repeat from * around. (25 stitches)
Row 6: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 4 stitches, repeat from * around. (30 stitches)
Row 7: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 5 stitches, repeat from * around. (35 stitches)
Row 8: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 6 stitches, repeat from * around. (40 stitches)
Row 9: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 7 stitches, repeat from * around. (45 stitches)
Row 10: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 8 stitches, repeat from * around. (50 stitches)
Rows 11-18: Sc in each stitch around. (50 stitches)
Row 19: *Dec in first 2 stitches, sc in next 8 stitches, repeat from * around. (45 stitches)
Row 20: *Dec in first 2 stitches, sc in next 7 stitches, repeat from * around. (40 stitches)
Row 21: *Dec in first 2 stitches, sc in next 6 stitches, repeat from * around. (35 stitches)
Row 22: *Dec in first 2 stitches, sc in next 5 stitches, repeat from * around. (30 stitches)
Row 23: *Dec in first 2 stitches, sc in next 4 stitches, repeat from * around. (25 stitches)
Row 24: *Dec in first 2 stitches, sc in next 3 stitches, repeat from * around. (20 stitches)
Tie off. Stuff tight with poly-fil.
Hat:
With medium color, ch 3. Sl st to first ch to create circle. (Instead, you can perform the “magic circle” if you’d like.)
Row 1: ch 1, 4 sc inside of circle. (4 stitches)
Row 2: Sc in each stitch around. (4 stitches)
Row 3: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next stitch, repeat from * around. (6 stitches)
Switch to white.
Row 4: Sc in each stitch around. (6 stitches)
Row 5: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 2 stitches, repeat from * around. (8 stitches)
Switch to medium color.
Row 6: Sc in each stitch around. (8 stitches)
Row 7: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 3 stitches, repeat from * around. (10 stitches)
Row 8: Sc in each stitch around. (10 stitches)
Switch to white.
Row 9: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 4 stitches, repeat from * around. (12 stitches)
Row 10: Sc in each stitch around. (12 stitches)
Switch to medium color.
Row 11: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 5 stitches, repeat from * around. (14 stitches)
Row 12: Sc in each stitch around. (14 stitches)
Row 13: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 6 stitches, repeat from * around. (16 stitches)
Switch to white.
Row 14: Sc in each stitch around. (16 stitches)
Row 15: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 7 stitches, repeat from * around. (18 stitches)
Switch to medium color.
Row 16: Sc in each stitch around. (18 stitches)
Row 17: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 8 stitches, repeat from * around. (20 stitches)
Row 18: Sc in each stitch around. (20 stitches)
Switch to white.
Row 19: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 3 stitches, repeat from * around. (25 stitches)
Row 20: Sc in each stitch around. (25 stitches)
Switch to medium color.
Row 21: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 4 stitches, repeat from * around. (30 stitches)
Row 22: Sc in each stitch around. (30 stitches)
Row 23: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 5 stitches, repeat from * around. (35 stitches)
Switch to white.
Row 24: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 6 stitches, repeat from * around. (40 stitches)
Row 25: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 7 stitches, repeat from * around. (45 stitches)
Switch to medium color.
Row 26: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 8 stitches, repeat from * around. (50 stitches)
Rows 27-28: Sc in each stitch around. (50 stitches)
Switch to white.
Rows 29-30: Sc in each stitch around. (50 stitches)
Switch to medium color.
Rows 31-33: Sc in each stitch around. (50 stitches)
Switch to white.
Rows 34-35: Sc in each stitch around. (50 stitches)
Switch to medium color.
Row 36: Sc in each stitch around. (50 stitches)
*Side note: You can make the hat longer by adding a few more rows before doing the brim.*
Switch to darker color.
Row 37: Working in back loops only, sc in each stitch around. (50 stitches)
Rows 38-39: Sc in each stitch around. (50 stitches)
Row 40: Sc in first stitch, *in next stitch sc, ch 4, sc, sc in next stitch. Continue from * around.
Tie off. You can stuff the hat with poly-fil so it will stand up straight, or you can fold the top down and attach it to the hat. Pull the hat onto the elf’s head. Be sure the hat is where you want it, then sew it in place. Sew eyes and mouth on with embroidery floss.
Legs:
With dark colored yarn, ch 3. Sl st to first ch to create circle. (Instead, you can perform the “magic circle” if you’d like.)
Row 1: ch 1, 5 sc inside of circle. (5 stitches)
Row 2: Inc in each stitch around. (10 stitches)
Row 3: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next stitch, repeat from * around. (15 stitches)
Row 4: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 2 stitches, repeat from * around. (20 stitches)
Row 5: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 3 stitches, repeat from * around. (25 stitches)
Row 6: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 4 stitches, repeat from * around. (30 stitches)
Row 7: *Dec in first 2 stitches, sc in next 4 stitches, repeat from * around. (25 stitches)
Rows 8-9: Sc in each stitch around. (25 stitches)
Row 10: *Dec in first 2 stitches, sc in next 3 stitches, repeat from * around. (20 stitches)
Switch to medium color.
Row 11: In front loops only, sc in each stitch around. (20 stitches)
Row 12: Sc in each stitch around. (20 stitches)
Row 13: Dec in first 2 stitches, sc in next 8 stitches, dec in next 2 stitches, sc in last 8 stitches. (18 stitches)
Switch to white.
Row 14: Sc in each stitch around. (18 stitches)
Stuff tight with poly-fil. Tie off first one. With second leg, don’t tie off. Continue on with body.
Body:
With yarn still attached to second leg, ch 2.
Row 1: Attach to first leg, sc around leg, sc in each ch of ch 2, sc around other leg, sc in each ch on other side of ch 2. (40 stitches)
Switch to medium color.
Rows 2-4: Sc in each stitch around. (40 stitches)
Switch to white.
Rows 5-6: Sc in each stitch around. (40 stitches)
Switch to medium color.
Rows 7-8: Sc in each stitch around. (40 stitches)
Row 9: *Dec in first 2 stitches, sc in next 6 stitches, repeat from * around. (35 stitches)
Switch to white.
Rows 10-11: Sc in each stitch around. (35 stitches)
Switch to medium color.
Row 12: Sc in each stitch around. (35 stitches)
Row 13: *Dec in first 2 stitches, sc in next 5 stitches, repeat from * around. (30 stitches)
Row 14: Sc in each stitch around. (30 stitches)
Switch to white.
Rows 15-16: Sc in each stitch around. (30 stitches)
Switch to medium color.
Row 17: Sc in each stitch around. (30 stitches)
Row 18: *Dec in first 2 stitches, sc in next 4 stitches, repeat from * around. (25 stitches)
Row 19: Sc in each stitch around. (25 stitches)
Switch to darker color.
Row 20: Sc in each stitch around. (25 stitches)
Row 21: *Dec in first 2 stitches, sc in next 3 stitches, repeat from * around. (20 stitches)
Switch to lighter color.
Row 22: Sc in each stitch around. (20 stitches)
Tie off. Stuff body tight with poly-fil. I like to stuff it extra full to make it more firm, especially since the stuffing will break down over time. Sew head onto body. Stop before you close the last few stitches and stuff extra poly-fil in to firm up the neck.
Arms:
With light colored yarn, ch 3. Sl st to first ch to create circle. (Instead, you can perform the “magic circle” if you’d like.)
Row 1: ch 1, 5 sc inside of circle. (5 stitches)
Row 2: Inc in each stitch around. (10 stitches)
Row 3: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next stitch, repeat from * around. (15 stitches)
Row 4: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 2 stitches, repeat from * around. (20 stitches)
Rows 5-6: Sc in each stitch around. (20 stitches)
Row 7: *Dec in first 2 stitches, sc in next 2 stitches, repeat from * around. (15 stitches)
Switch to darker color.
Row 8: Sc in each stitch around. (15 stitches)
Switch to medium color.
Rows 9-11: Sc in each stitch around. (15 stitches)
Switch to white.
Rows 12-13: Sc in each stitch around. (15 stitches)
Switch to medium color.
Row 14: Sc in each stitch around. (15 stitches)
Row 15: *Dec in first 2 stitches, sc in next stitch, repeat from * around. (10 stitches)
Row 16: Sc in each stitch around. (10 stitches)
Tie off. Stuff about halfway with poly-fil. If you want, you can attach darker colored yarn with a slip stitch at row 8, sc around the sleeve, then work 3 sc’s into each stitch around to create a ruffly cuff.
Sew arms onto sides of body.
And there you have your finished elf.
I hope you enjoy this pattern! You’re welcome to sell items that you make using my patterns, as long as you don’t post the pattern anywhere else, and link back to my page if you’d like to. If there are any mistakes, or something is unclear, please feel free to leave me a comment and let me know. Or message me on Facebook. If you create any elves of your own, be sure to post a photo on my Facebook page so I can see. I love seeing all of the things people are creating, and I’d love to see the different variations that people make of these.
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