Foody DaD is a video Center
1. Preparation and Materials Yarns: Medium weight (Sport or DK weight) cotton yarn. (Gray, Light Pink, Black, White). Crochet Hook: 2.0mm or 2.25mm, suitable for your yarn but for a firm grip. Stuffing: Bead fiber. Frame: 2.5mm thick, bendable electrical wire (essential for neck and legs). Teeth: White polymer clay (baked) or hard felt. 2. Making the Head and Open Mouth (Critical Part) The most important part of this model is the mouth construction. The head starts from the nose, not the top. Upper Jaw (Light Pink): Start with a magic ring of 6. Increase by rounding (up to approximately 30-36 stitches). Knit 5-6 rows. Lower Jaw (Light Pink): Knit a smaller piece than the upper jaw (approximately 24-30 stitches). Joining the Mouth: Using dark gray or black yarn, join the two pieces internally in a "U" shape. This will leave the mouth open. Back of Head (Gray): Switch to gray yarn at the mouth joining point. Increase stitches to create the head volume. Leave 2-3 stitch gaps where the eyes will be (approximately at row 15) or concentrate the increases in those areas to make the cheeks look fuller. 3. Body and Neck Design: The donkey's neck is thin and long. Neck: Begin by picking up stitches from under the head. Insert the wire at this stage. Extend the wire all the way into the head and reinforce it well with stuffing. Body: Continue widening downwards from the neck. Color Change: When you reach the belly (middle of the chest), switch to pink yarn and create the belly area using the "Tapestry" (back-knit) technique.
4. Feet and Hooves Black Hooves: Start with 6 single crochet stitches into a magic ring, increase to 18-24 stitches. Legs: Switch to gray. For the hind legs, increase more stitches at the hip area (e.g., 6 increases in one row) to give that muscular look. Assembly: Before sewing the legs to the body, connect the wire inside to the main wire on the body (in an X shape). This allows the figure to stand upright. 5. Face Shaping (Sculpting) After the knitting is finished, apply the following technique to give the "Donkey" expression: Eye Sockets: Thread gray yarn onto a long needle. Insert it where the eye will go, and come out at the nape of the neck. Stretch the yarn and tie a knot. This will sink the eyes in and make the eyebrows appear prominent. Mouth Corners: Using the same technique, slightly pull back the corners of the mouth to deepen the "smile" line. 6. Iconic Details Ears: Knit two long, leaf-shaped pieces. You can bend them as you like by inserting wire inside. Mane: Attach the black yarns one by one to the back of the neck like "tassels." After attaching, separate the yarns with a comb (or fluff them) and trim them with scissors so they stand upright. Eyes: If using ready-made safety eyes, embroider a thin line around the eye with white yarn (to indicate the sclera). 7. Tooth Placement (Final Touch) Make 4 large teeth from polymer clay and bake them. Glue the teeth to the inside of the mouth with strong clear glue (or hot silicone). The upper two teeth being larger and slightly forward is a characteristic feature of the character. Tip: When knitting the neck, inserting a thin plastic tube (like a straw) into the stitches will prevent the wire from slipping inside the fibers and ensure the head stays upright.
SECTION 1: Nose and Upper Chin (Pink Yarn) Since the mouth is open, the head starts in two separate parts. Row 1: Chain 6, starting from the 2nd chain: 4X, 3X in the last chain, 3X on the other side of the chain, 1V in the last chain (12) Row 2: 1V, 3X, 3V, 3X, 2V (18) Row 3: 1X, 1V, 3X, (1X, 1V)*3, 3X, (1X, 1V)*2 (24) Rows 4-8: 24X (for 5 rows) Row 9: In this row, to give the curve of the upper lip, make a row of V by crocheting only the front loops (FLO). Cut the yarn, leave it exposed. SECTION 2: Lower Chin (Pink Yarn) 1. Row: 6X (into SH) Row 2: 6V (12) Rows 3-6: 12X Joining: Sew the upper and lower jaws and the inside of the mouth together with a black piece (felt or black knit). Make sure the mouth remains open in a "V" shape.
SECTION 3: Back of Head (Gray Yarn) We enlarge the head towards the back by picking up loops around the mouth pieces with gray yarn. Row 1: Pick up a total of 36X around the mouth. Rows 2-5: 36X Row 6: (5X, 1V)*6 (42) Row 7: (6X, 1V)*6 (48) - Attach the eyes between rows 7 and 8, 10X apart. Rows 8-15: 48X Row 16: (6X, 1A)*6 (42) Row 17: (5X, 1A)*6 (36) Row 18: (4X, 1A)*6 (30) - Begin stuffing. Row 19: (3X, 1A)*6 (24) Row 20: Row 1: (2X, 1A)*6 (18) Row 21: (1X, 1A)*6 (12) Row 22: 6A and close. SECTION 4: Long Ears (Gray Yarn - 2 Pieces) Row 1: 6X into SH Row 2: (1X, 1V)*3 (9) Row 3: (2X, 1V)*3 (12) Row 4: (3X, 1V)*3 (15) Rows 5-15: 15X Row 16: (3X, 1A)*3 (12) Insert wire, fold in half and sew to the head.
SECTION: Body (Gray and Pink Yarn) Here you must use "Tapestry" (color transfer). Row 1: 6X into SH Row 2: 6V (12) Row 3: (1X, 1V)*6 (18) Row 4: (2X, 1V)*6 (24) Row 5: (3X, 1V)*6 (30) Row 6: (4X, 1V)*6 (36) Row 7: (5X, 1V)*6 (42) Rows 8-20: Knit 10X in pink yarn at the front of the body (belly), continue the rest with gray yarn. Neck: Decrease by leaving 18X at the top of the body and knit 10 rows upwards. Be sure to use a thick wire inside the neck. Row 6. SECTION: Legs (Black and Gray - 4 Pieces) With Black: 6X into SH -> 6V (12) -> (1X, 1V)*6 (18). Knit 3 rows of 18X. With Gray: Continue with 18X for the length of the leg (approximately 12-15 rows). Front legs should be straight, and the upper parts of the back legs should be wider (with increases) as they join the body. SECTION 7: Fine Work (Character is Here) Teeth: Make 2 large upper and 2 small lower teeth from white polymer clay. Bake and glue inside the mouth. Mane: Attach black yarn along the neck using the hair extension method. Brush with a mohair brush, spray to keep it upright, and cut. Face Shaping (Important): Using a long needle, thread gray yarn under the eye, through the nape, and pull it out. This will make the eyes look "deep" and lively. Do the same for the corners of the mouth. Eye White: Embroider a crescent-shaped line with white thread under the black clipped eye. Critical Tip: The neck in the image is too thin. If you don't insert copper wire and tightly wrap it with fiberfill, the head will be heavy and the toy will constantly tilt forward.