FREE PATTERN & STEP-BY-STEP VIDEO TUTORIAL

Hello!

It has been far too long since I’ve had a crochet video here at Ink & Stitches, and although that may be the case, I’m here to tell you that I’m back and plan to stay! I’ve missed sharing crochet tutorials with you, free patterns, and just Bee-ing Present (see what I did there?) here on my blog. So with that, let’s dive into another free pattern and this time I hope you’ll hop over to my YouTube channel and follow along as I crochet with you from start to finish this little guy, BEE PRESENT!

Also, if you are a left-handed crocheter, I’ve created a tutorial video just for you here!

You’ll find the full pattern below, however, if you’d like the printable, full photo-tutorial, ad-free pattern, you can grab your copy over on Etsy, Ravelry, LoveCrafts, or Creative Fabrica!

Without further ado, LET’S CROCHET!

Crochet Along with me on Ink & Stitches YouTube and don’t forget to subscribe! 😀

BEE PRESENT

SIZE: 3 inches

DIFFICULTY: Beginner

SKILLS REQUIRED: crocheting in the round, magic ring, chain, single crochet, slipstitch, increase, half double crochet, double crochet, treble crochet, invisible decrease, small amounts of embroidery.

MATERIALS & TOOLS: 3.25mm hook, stitch marker, black and pink embroidery thread, embroidery needle, yarn needle, 2-inch foam cube or stuffing, and a pair of 6mm safety eyes.

YARN:
Yarn Weight: 4-ply, Worsted Weight Fiber: 100% Acrylic

YARN COLORS:
(A) Yellow
(B) Black
(C) Light Blue

ABBREVIATIONS (US TERMS):

rnd(s) = round(s)
mr = magic/double magic ring
ch = chain stitch
slst = slip stitch
st(s) = stitch(es)
SC = single crochet
inc = increase
hdc = half double crochet
dc = double crochet
tr = treble (triple) crochet
FO = Fasten Off

USEFUL TIPS:

Make all pieces before assembling.
Stinger can be slightly stuffed or left unstuffed.
No matter what side of the cube is facing you you should see the lines of the rows going top to bottom.
For smaller wings/bow, ch6, slst in 2nd ch from hook, sc, hdc, dc, 3tc in last, cont on other side of ch, tc, dc, hdc, sc, slst in last.

PATTERN NOTES:

This pattern is worked mostly using the back and forth method of crocheting a flat piece by sc across and ch1, turn, before starting the next row.

Body Sides (make 6)
With Color A, ch9.
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc across. 8 sts
Row 2-8: ch1, turn, sc across. 8 sts
Row 9: Cont along outside of square, 2sc in last sc sp of Row 8, (6sc along side, 3sc in corner) 2 times, 6sc along side, sc in corner slst to 1st sc of Row 8. 36 sts
Fasten off, weave in end.

Bow Sides/Wings (make 2)
With Color C, leaving a tail for sewing, ch8.

Rnd 1: Slst in 2nd ch from hook, sc, hdc, 2dc, tc, 3tc in last st, (Cont along other side of ch) tc, 2dc, hdc, sc, slst. 15 sts
Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing.

Stinger
With Color B.
Rnd 1: With B and working into a mr, 4sc. 4 sts
Rnd 2: sc around. 4 sts
Rnd 3: [sc, inc] 2 times. 6 sts
Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing.

Bow Center Circle
With Color C.
Rnd 1: With C and working in the rnd, 6sc in a magic ring. 6sts
Rnd 2: sc around. 6sts
Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing.

Now that the pieces are made we can start assembling!

ASSEMBLY: Embroidering the Face

Place the 6mm safety eyes as close to evenly on either side as you can, and lock them in place with the safety eye backings. Make sure that the crocheted rows are vertical (up and down).

Grab your embroidery needle and black embroidery thread and start by knotting the end. Coming up from the back side (making sure to go between the fibers of a single strand of yarn to stop the knot from going through), come up just a bit lower and to the right of the left eye, then do a straight stitch down to just down a bit and to the left of the right eye. Now, to make the mouth pull down, come up in between and slightly lower than the first line, wrap the thread around that first line and put the needle back through the same hole as the thread is coming out from to pull that mouth line down. Make one more straight line at a diagonal angle on the
right side to make the smile crease.

Grab your pink embroidery thread and with a knotted strand, come up below each of the eyes and do straight stitches beneath them. I went over the same stitch several times to get the line thicker. You could also use a scrap piece of pink yarn as well!

ASSEMBLY: Adding Stripes and Wings

With a slipknot on your hook, and Color B, chain around the body by going across the rows as shown in the images below, connecting the chain as you go. When you reach the start of the stripe, FO, weave in ends making sure that the lines are connecting. Repeat twice more so that your bee present has three stripes around.

With the Bow Circle piece, whipstitch down around the second stripe at the top.

Now attach each wing/bow piece to either side making sure to connect them not only to the center Bow Circle, but also to take tacking stitches on the bottom on the back side of the wing. In the image below, you’ll see that the front braid created facing forward is being left untouched. You want to
still see that definition.