Andy the Android Hip Pack

I love my Droid X and have already made two crochet projects in homage to it.  

You can see my Android Amigurumi and my Andy Hat on my blog.  I've posted pictures as well as patterns.

I wanted to combine my love for the character Andy, with something that can help me carry around my phone, as well as my ID and perhaps a lip gloss and other small things.  Sometimes I want to go out without a purse, but I still want to look hip, I don't want to have bulging pockets...my solution, the Andy Hip Pack.  Andy is crocheted in regular wool, then he is fulled, to make a felt texture. Fulling is when you use hot water and your washing machine to intentionally turn knitted or crocheted items into felt.  Felting is technically when you stab small barbed needles into wool fiber to make a felt texture.  Just thought I'd throw that interesting fact out there :)

In case you're an established crocheter, I am including the pattern below.  If you want to go with me step by step and see pictures, just follow along.

Using a K 10 1/2 hook, note wherever you bind off (bo) leave a tail for sewing
Head make 2
Row 1 Ch 2, 6 sc in the second chain from the hook, ch 1, turn
Row 2 Sc 6 sts, ch 1 turn
Row 3 Sc 1, sc 2 in next st, repeat until you have 9, ch 1, turn
Row 4 Sc 9, ch 1, turn
Row 5 Sc 1, sc 2 in next st, repeat 4 times, sc 1 (13 sts) ch 1, turn
Row 6 Sc 13, ch 1 turn
Row 7 Sc 1, 2 sc in next st, repeat 6 times, sc 1 (19 sts), ch 1, turn
Row 8 Sc 19
bo

Body make 2, but join the back piece to the head
Row 1 Ch 15
Row 2-20 sc 14, ch 1 turn
Bo

Sides make 2
Row 1 ch 21
Row 2-4, sc 20, ch 1, turn
Bo

Top of head
Row 1 Make a loop, push hook into back of chain for each stitch, sc 20, ch 1, turn
row 2-3 sc 20, chain 1 turn
Bo

Bottom of body
Row 1, join one row, same as on head
Row 2-3, sc 14, ch 1, turn

Arms make 2
Row 1 sc 2, 6 sc in 2nd stitch
Row 2-12, sc 6
Bo

Legs make 2
Row 1 sc 2, 6 sc in 2nd stitch
Row 2-6, sc 6
Bo

Antenna make 2
Row 1 sc 2, 4 sc in 2nd st
Row 2-3 sc 4
Bo

Belt loops make 2
Row 1, chain 5
Row 2-10, sc 4, ch 1 turn
Bo

Sew together pieces, attach arms and legs, antenna and belt loops. Sew on button eyes with yarn.

Full/Felt in washer and dryer. After drying, sew in zipper mouth with regular thread 

First you'll need wool.

In order to achieve a nice felt, you need to use 100% wool.  Do not purchase something called "Super Wash" or you will be horribly disappointed.  I've found that Patons Classic Wool has decent results, but I think the best wool may be the one that has the closest color match.  I had this lemongrass color left over from another project so I used that.

You need a size K or 10^1/2 crochet hook

You will also need two buttons and a short zipper, not pictured.  I was able to purchase a 3 inch zipper which I'm told is for low rider jeans.  If you can't find a 3 inch zipper, you can just cut a regular zipper down to size, and secure the end with a few stitches (I recommend plastic zippers if you are cutting them).

The head is basically a half circle.

Head make 2
Row 1 Ch 2, 6 sc in the second chain from the hook, ch 1, turn
Row 2 Sc 6 sts, ch 1 turn
Row 3 Sc 1, sc 2 in next st, repeat until you have 9, ch 1, turn
Row 4 Sc 9, ch 1, turn
Row 5 Sc 1, sc 2 in next st, repeat 4 times, sc 1 (13 sts) ch 1, turn
Row 6 Sc 13, ch 1 turn
Row 7 Sc 1, 2 sc in next st, repeat 6 times, sc 1 (19 sts), ch 1, turn
Row 8 Sc 19
bo

 

Make the Body
Don't worry if your chain looks shorter than the head, as you crochet it will even out.

Body make 2, but join the back piece to the head (you can sew it, but it's easy to make a join)
Row 1 Ch 15
Row 2-20 sc 14, ch 1 turn
Bo

You want to be able to put stuff in your pack, so sides give us some more space.

Sides make 2
Row 1 ch 21
Row 2-4, sc 20, ch 1, turn
Bo

Here you could make a thin rectangle as we did for the side and sew it on, but this method makes it have a nice sharp corner, and you don't have to do any sewing later!

Top of head
Row 1 Make a loop, push hook into back of chain for each stitch, sc 20, ch 1, turn
row 2-3 sc 20, chain 1 turn
Bo

This is done just like the top of the head...or you can make a 14 stitch by 4 stitch rectangle and sew it later, but I think this is way easier.

Bottom of body
Row 1, join one row, same as on head
Row 2-3, sc 14, ch 1, turn

Arms and legs are started the same, the arms are just twice as long as the legs so they're all in one step

Arms make 2
Row 1 sc 2, 6 sc in 2nd stitch
Row 2-12, sc 6
Bo

Legs make 2
Row 1 sc 2, 6 sc in 2nd stitch
Row 2-6, sc 6
Bo

These are made like arms and legs but with less stitches

Antenna make 2
Row 1 sc 2, 4 sc in 2nd st
Row 2-3 sc 4
Bo

Belt loops make 2
Row 1, chain 5
Row 2-10, sc 4, ch 1 turn
Bo

I hate sewing my pieces together, so for fulled pieces I just use the crochet hook to loop the end tails through, it is enough to hold the piece together while it gets fulled in the wash.  I was able to connect all of these pieces without a needle...the only time I took out a needle was to sew the eyes and the zipper.

Sew together pieces, attach arms and legs, antenna and belt loops. 

For this step find buttons with shanks...they will get fulled or felted right into the piece.

Sew on button eyes with yarn.

Load up your washer with your regular laundry that you'd do on hot...I did a bunch of towels and the dog's blanket...this may have been a bad idea b/c dog hair got on my finished piece, but I suppose that was bound to happen...


Full/Felt in washer and dryer. 

One tip, it's easier to sew while this guy is inside out, but make sure you keep the zipper open!

After drying, sew in zipper mouth with regular thread.

Now all you have to do is put it on your belt, load it up and go out looking totally HIP in your hip pack!