little tortoise

This pattern is based partly on the little animals collection, so it has the same head/body, legs and arms as all of my other little animals.

This pattern has 2 different shells you can make. The first is one colour and is quite simple, and the second one involves different coloured patches and id a bit more complicated.

Difficulty(with plain shell):

easy

Difficulty (with coloured shell):

medium

You will need:

• 2.5mm crochet hook
• dk yarn in brown, dark green and black
• dk yarn in 6 other colours (if doing the multicoloured shell)

For the head and body (starting from the base):
Make a magic loop with 6sc
Round 1: 2sc in each st (12sc)
Round 2: sc in the first st, 2sc in the next st, rep  to end (18sc)
Round 3: sc in the first 2 sts, 2sc in the next st, rep to end. ch1, turn (24sc)
Rounds 4 - 8: (5 rounds) sc in each st (24sc)
Round 9: sc in the first 2 sts, sc2tog, rep to end (18sc)
Round 10: sc in the first st, sc2tog, rep to end (12sc)
Round 11: sc in the first st, sc2tog, rep to end (8sc)
Rounds 12 - 13: (2 rounds) sc in each st (8sc)
Round 14: 2sc in each st (16sc)
Round 15: sc in each st
Round 16: sc in the first 3 sts, 2sc in the next st, rep to end (20sc)
Round 17: sc in each st
Round 18: sc in the first 4 sts, 2sc in the next st, rep to end (24sc)
Rounds 19 - 20: (2 rounds) sc in each st
Round 23: sc in the first 2 sts, sc2tog, rep to end (18sc)
Round 24: sc in the first st, sc2tog, rep to end (12sc)
Round 25: sc2tog to end (6sc)
Fasten off

For the arms (make 2):
Make a magic loop with 6sc
Round 1: sc in the first st, 2sc in the next st, rep to end (9sc)
Rounds 2 - 3: (2 rounds) sc in each st (9sc)
Round 4: sc in the first st, sc2tog, rep to end (6sc)
Rounds 5 - 9: (5 rounds) sc in each st (6sc)
Fasten off

For the legs (make 2):
Make a magic loop with 6sc
Round 1: 2sc in each st (12sc)
Round 2: sc in the first 3 sts, 2cs in the next st, rep to end (15sc)
Rounds 3 - 4: (2 rounds) sc in each st (15sc)
Round 5: sc2tog 3 times, sc in the last 9 sts (12sc)
Round 6: sc in the first 2 sts, sc2tog, rep to end (9sc)
Rounds 7 - 10: (4 rounds) sc in each st (9sc)
Fasten off

For the tail:
make a magic loop with 3sts
Round 1: 2sc in each st (6sc)
Round 2: 2sc in each st (6sc)
fasten off

For the eyebrows (make 2):

with dark green chain 4

fasten off

To make up:

1. sew the arms to the body either side of the head

2. sew the legs to the underside of the body.

3. Sew the tail to the back of the body near the bottom. If you are planning to make some clothes for this tortoise to wear (a full list of all of the clothes made to fit this tortoise can be found here) you may want to make the clothes first and attach the tail in the tail hole of the clothes, to ensure that it's in the right place.

4. embroider facial features onto your tortoise using black dk yarn. You may wish to try and replicate the features I've put on my tortoise, or alter them to suit your desired look. (note - I have squashed the head down a bit to make the face look more rounded)

5. Sew the eyebrows directly above the eyes#

For the main part of the basic shell:
with brown chain 4
Round 1: sc in the second chain st and the next one, 3 as in the last chain st, then sc in the other side of the second chain st you made, then 2sc in the other side of the third chain st you made (the first one you crocheted into) (10sc)
Round 2: 2sc in the first st, sc in the next st, 2sc in the next 3 sts, sc in the next st, 2sc in the last 2 sts
Round 3: sc in the first st, 2sc in the next st, sc in the next st, (sc in the next st, 2sc in the following st) 3 times, sc in the next st, (sc in the next st, 2sc in the following st) twice more to end (14sc)
Round 4: sc in the first 2 sts, 2sc in the next st, sc in the next st, (sc in the next 2 sts, 2sc in the following st) 3 times, sc in the next st, (sc in the next 2 sts, 2sc in the following st) twice more to end (20sc)
Round 5: sc in the first 3 sts, 2sc in the next st, sc in the next st, (sc in the next 3 sts, 2sc in the following st) 3 times, sc in the next st, (sc in the next 3 sts, 2sc in the following st) twice more to end (26sc)
Rounds 6-7: (2 rounds) sc in each st (26sc)
Fasten off

For the underside of the shell:
with brown chain 4
Round 1: sc in the second chain st and the next one, 3 as in the last chain st, then sc in the other side of the second chain st you made, then 2sc in the other side of the third chain st you made (the first one you crocheted into) (10sc)
Round 2: 2sc in the first st, sc in the next st, 2sc in the next 3 sts, sc in the next st, 2sc in the last 2 sts
Round 3: sc in the first st, 2sc in the next st, sc in the next st, (sc in the next st, 2sc in the following st) 3 times, sc in the next st, (sc in the next st, 2sc in the following st) twice more to end (14sc)
Round 4: sc in the first 2 sts, 2sc in the next st, sc in the next st, (sc in the next 2 sts, 2sc in the following st) 3 times, sc in the next st, (sc in the next 2 sts, 2sc in the following st) twice more to end (20sc)
Round 5: sc in the first 3 sts, 2sc in the next st, sc in the next st, (sc in the next 3 sts, 2sc in the following st) 3 times, sc in the next st, (sc in the next 3 sts, 2sc in the following st) twice more to end (26sc)

Sew the two sides of the shell together and stuff. Sew the edges together using backstitching or running stitch around the edge so that the edges stick out (as shown below)





For the main section of the colourful shell:

For each shell section (make 6 in different colours):
make a magic loop with 5sc, slip in the first sc you made, ch1
Round 1: 2sc in each st, slip in the first sc of this round (10sc)
Fasten off

For the base of the colourful shell:
With brown make a magic loop with 6 sc
Round 1: 2sc in each st (12sc)
Round 2: (sc in the first st, 2sc in the next 2 sts) four times to end (20sc)
Fasten off

To join them together:
place each shell section together with right sides facing and sc through both edge stitches to join them together. Do this on two stitches on each shell piece to join them all together in a sort of flower-like shape, as shown below*
Next sc around the bottom edge of these pieces; making 4 sc stitches on each of the outer 5 shell pieces, so that you have 20 sc stitches around the edge I the shell.
After you've done this, make slip stitches in the loops that come through in the right side. Do this first in a loop around the middle shell piece, then make slip stitches up the side to join them to the centre loop of slip stitches, as shown below *
Place the bottom of the shell into the top part of the shell (the colourful bit) so that the stitches around the she line up. Then -stitching through a stitch on both pieces at the same time - (sc in the first 3sts, 2sc in the next st) to end (25sc)
Fasten off

After you have crocheted all of the outer pieces to the inner one, the right side of the shell will look like this

You must then crochet each outer piece to the neighbouring one, again with right sides facing

this is what the right side will look like after all of the pieces are crocheted together

slip stitch around the edge of the shell pieces using the loops as a base.

slip around the centre piece first then make slip stitched up the sides to finish off

you will end up with a hollow shell after crocheting around the bottom edge of the pieces





crochet around the edge to attach the bottom section to the top

After you've made the shells, you can either sew then straight onto the back of the tortoise, or you can make them into a rucksack by adding straps.

For the straps(make 2):
fsc1,
Rows 1-13: (13 rows) ch1, turn. sc in each st (1sc)

Fasten off

Sew the straps onto the flat edge shell, making sure that they stick out enough and are far enough apart to be able to fit onto the turtle's back.

I hope you enjoyed this pattern, please feel free to comment below if you're confused about anything, particularly the make-up of the second shell.
You are more than welcome to sell any finished products you make but please don't repost this pattern and claim it as your own.
Thanks :)