Crocheted Lion

My birthday gift to Peter this year :). Last year I gave him a lamb (Peter was told to "feed Christ's sheep), this year I decided to do a lion (with his second name being Daniel, it worked with Daniel in the lion's den :).). I remembered, after I decided that, the verse about the lion and the lamb lying together... I thought it was funny, haha :).

I looked for a pattern everywhere online... I just so didn't want to experiment, because I thought it would take too long, haha :). But after everything I was finding was either way too big, absolutely too small (think half an inch tall), knit (I prefer crocheting when working with toys now... one of my my friends laughed with glee when she heard that... "I converted you!" she told me, heehee :). She gave me my first crochet lesson ;).), or just not what I was hoping for, I bit the bullet and decided to use a pattern I had for a cat that I had used previously...

 

 
...and turn it into a lion. Needless to say, I didn't just add fringe to the neck like I at first thought I would. What I really did was use that pattern to decide how wide I wanted each piece to be at it's widest, and created my own. And I learned loop stitch! That was so much fun :)!!!!!

 So, here is my pattern for this little lion :)!

Crocheted Lion Toy

Supplies:
Size F/5 (3.75) crochet hook 
Four-ply yellow yarn
Polyfill stuffing
Small amount of black yarn
Metal yarn needle

Head
Chain 2
1: Work 3 loop st in first ch. Place marker/ move up with each row. (3 st.)
2: 2 loop st in each st around  (6 st.)
3: 2 loop st in each s around (12 st.)
5: *loop st in next 2 st, 2 loop stitch in next st* around (18 st.)
6: *loop st in next 3 st, 2 loop st in next st* around (24 st.)
7: *loop st in next 4 st, 2 loop st in next st* around (30 st.)
8: *loop st in next 5 st, 2 loop st in next st* around (36 st.)
9: loop st in ever st around (36 st.)
10: *loop st in next 5 st, skip 1* around (30 st.)
11: *sc in next 4 st, skip 1* round (24 st.)
12:*sc in next 3 st, skip 1* around (18 st.)
13: *sc 1, skip 1* next 12 sts, sc in next six (12 st.)
14: sc around (12 st.)
Stuff here. 
15: *sc 1, skip 1* around (6 st.)
Cut yarn end.

Body
Chain 2
1: Work 6 sc in first ch. Place marker/ move up with each row. (6 st.)
2: *2 sc in each sc around* (12 st.)
3: *1 sc, 2 sc in next st* around (18 st.)
4: *2 sc, 2 sc in next st* around (24 st.)
5-9: sc around (24 st.)
10: *1 sc in next 5 sc, skip 1* around (20 st.)
11-17: sc around (20 st.)
18:*1 sc, skip 1* around (10 st.)
Cut yarn, and stuff.

Legs (make 4)
Chain 2.
1: 5 st in 1st ch. Place marker/ move up with each row. (5 st.)
2: 2 sc in each sc around (10 st.)
3: 2 sc in next 3 st., sc around (13 st.)
4: Sc around (13 st.)
5: *sc, skip 1* in first 6 st, sc around (10 st.)
6-10: sc around (10 st.)
cut and stuff.

Tail
Chain 2.
1: 3 loop st in first chain. (3 st.)
2: 2 loop st around (6 st.)
3-9: sc around (6 st.)
Cut yarn.

Ears
Chain 2
1: 6 sc in first chain. (6 st.)
2: 2 sc in each st around (12 st.)
Cut yarn.

Sew pieces together using a metal yarn needle. Using black thread, embroider eyes and a nose. 

There it is :)! Have fun, and feel free to ask questions :)!