Paintbox Yarns Bernard the Dinosaur Crochet Pattern

Paintbox Yarns Bernard the Dinosaur Crochet Pattern

What Is Being Made

Bernard the Dinosaur is an intermediate-level amigurumi toy designed by Irene Strange. The completed dinosaur stands approximately 7 inches (18 centimeters) tall, making it a charming handmade accessory suitable for children or decorative display. This free downloadable crochet pattern produces a finished stuffed dinosaur toy using colorful yarn in a playful design.

Craft and Techniques

This project is created using the crochet technique, specifically worked in continuous rounds without joining. Rather than completing each round with a join stitch, the crocheter uses a stitch marker to denote the start of each round, maintaining continuous spiral construction throughout the piece. This method creates a seamless appearance and is a fundamental approach in amigurumi toy making.

The pattern employs invisible decreases as the primary shaping method. The instructions explain the invisible decrease technique in detail: insert the hook under the front loop of the first stitch and both loops of the second stitch, yarn over and draw a loop through to the front of the work, then complete the stitch like a regular single crochet or double crochet. This technique creates neater, less visible decreases compared to standard decrease methods. Crocheters may also use regular decreases if preferred.

Assembly involves sewing the piece together using a tapestry needle and the leftover yarn length. The pattern specifies picking up all front loops with the tapestry needle and pulling tight to close seams, ensuring a professional finished appearance.

Stitches Used

• Chain (ch) – the foundation stitch for creating the base of the pattern
• Single Crochet (sc) or Double Crochet (dc) – the primary working stitches, with US and UK terminology provided throughout the pattern
• Decrease (dec) – worked as invisible decreases to shape the dinosaur's body and features

Materials and Yarn

Bernard the Dinosaur is designed to be made with Paintbox Yarns Cotton Aran, available exclusively at Lovecrafts.com. The pattern requires 1.8 ounce (50 gram) balls of yarn in multiple colors.

Colorway 1 consists of:

• 1 ball in Spearmint Green (A)
• 1 ball in Washed Teal (B)
• 1 ball in Champagne White (C)
• Small amount of Blush Pink (D)
• Small amount of Racing Green (E)

Colorway 2 consists of:

• 1 ball in Pale Lilac (A)
• 1 ball in Royal Blue (B)
• 1 ball in Vanilla Cream (C)
• Small amount of Candyfloss Pink (D)
• Small amount of Raspberry Pink (E)

The pattern notes that yarn quantities are approximate and based on average requirements. Paintbox Yarns cannot accept responsibility for the finished item if any yarn other than the recommended yarn is used. A tapestry needle is required for sewing seams and closing the finished dinosaur.

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as intermediate, indicating it is suitable for crocheters with some experience beyond basic skills. The continuous round construction, invisible decrease technique, and assembly process require familiarity with fundamental crochet methods and the ability to follow multi-step instructions.