Eric the E Coli (amigurumi Bacteria)

It’s the season of germs, so let’s welcome them into our houses. OK you can go out and get one of those plush bugs but isn’t it so much nicer to have one that you’ve incubated, with love, yourself? Without further ado I give you Eric the E. Coli!

He’s a relatively simple design; the only fiddly parts are the flagella. You’ll need the following skills:

• Single crochet
• Chain stitch
• Magic circle (Instructions available here)
• If you can do an invisible decrease then you can use that wherever the pattern calls for a sc2tog

And you’ll need the following items:

• Yarn and a matching needle (I used about a half ball of what I think is 4ply and a 4mm hook, but whatever you have lying around should work.)
• Something for eyes (I used safety eyes but buttons, sew on eyes or another colour wool for darning will work just as well)
• Fibrefill or some other stuffing material
• Darning needle
• Scissors (or sharp teeth!)

Terms:

sc Single crochet

sc The number listed of single crochet stitches

ch Chain

2sc in sc Work 2 single crochet into the stitch. (Increase)

sc2tog Single crochet into two stitches. (Decrease)

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Row 1 6sc in a magic circle (6)

Row 2 2sc in each sc (12)

Row 3 1 sc, 2sc in next sc. Repeat five more times. (18)

Row 4 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc, Repeat five more times. (24)

Row 5 3 sc, 2sc in next sc. Repeat five more times. (30)

Row 6 4 sc, 2 sc in next sc. Repeat five more times. (36)

Row 7-15 sc in each (36)

Row 16 2sc, sc then ch 6 from the loop of the stitch, turn back and sc in each chain then rejoin the row with a sc, 2sc. Repeat five more times. (36)

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This is the potentially fiddly bit, so I’ve done some pictures of what to do. These

aren’t done in the round for ease of photographing but the process is the same.

Image one: Single crochet leaving a loop.

Image two: Use the loop as the base for your chain.

Image three: Turn back and work a single crochet into each stitch of the chain.

Image four: Rejoin the round with a single crochet.

Image five: Carry on working your round.

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Row 17 sc in each. (36) (Ensure that your yarn goes on what will be the inside of your bacterium. I make my amigurumi inside out so the yarn would go to the outside and the flagellum you have just made would go to the inside. If you make your amigurumi right side out your yarn would go to the inside and the flagellum would be left on the outside.)

Row 18 sc in each. (36)

Row 19 sc then chain 6 from the loop of the stitch, turn back and sc in each chain then rejoin the row with a sc, 4sc. Repeat five more times. (36)

Row 20-21 sc in each (36) (Same notes for row 17 apply to row 20)

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At about this point you may want to put in the eyes if you are using safety eyes. Use whatever size and location looks good to you. I thought that slightly different sized eyes at slightly different heights would be appropriate for a bacterium so I used a 12mm eye between row 8 and 9 and an 8mm eye between row 11 and 12. If you’re using buttons, sew on eyes or darning then do it at the end.

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Row 22-33 repeat rows 16-21 two more times. (36) (If you want a longer bacterium you can just add more repeats of row 16-18)

Row 34 2sc, sc then chain 6 from the loop of the stitch, turn back and sc in each chain then rejoin the row with a sc, sc2tog. Repeat five more times. (30)

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Stuff fairly firmly at this point.

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Row 35 3sc, sc2tog. Repeat five more times (24) (Same notes for row 17 apply to row 35)

Row 36 2sc, sc2tog. Repeat five more times (18)

Row 37 sc, sc2tog, Repeat five more times (12)

Row 38 sc, sc then chain 40 from the loop of the stitch, turn back and sc in each chain then rejoin the row with a sc. Repeat three more times (12). (This is the same process as you used in row 16, just to make longer flagella)

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Add more stuffing till you get a properly rod shaped bacterium.

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Row 39 sc2tog. Repeat five more times. (6)

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Fasten off, stitch closed with a darning needle and weave in the loose end then admire your freshly incubated germ!