Crochet Beautiful Donkey

• Yarn – Loopara 5ply combed cotton (Gold 32, Grey 57, Grey 58 and White 60)
• Hook – 2.8mm
• Scissors
• Tweezers
• Fiber Fill
• Eyeball
• Button
• Saliva pliers
• Leather label
• Molding strips
• Yarn Needle
• Stitch marker
• Positioning pin

How to Crochet the Head (Make 1)

1. R1: Start with white yarn. Ch 12, 10 sc in 2nd ch from hook, 3 sc in next st, 9 sc, 2 sc in last st, sl.
2. R2: Ch 1, 2 sc in first st, 9 sc, 3 sc inc, 9 sc, 2 sc inc, sl.
3. R3: Ch 1, (sc, sc inc), 9 sc, (sc, sc inc) 3 times, 9 sc, (sc, sc inc) twice, sl.
4. R4: Ch 1, (sc, sc inc, sc), 9 sc, (sc, sc inc, sc) 3 times, 9 sc, (sc, sc inc, sc) twice, sl.
5. R5-8: Ch 1, 42 sc, sl.
6. R9: Ch 1, (sc, sc2tog, sc), 9 sc, (sc, sc2tog, sc) 3 times, 9 sc, (sc, sc2tog, sc) twice, sl.
7. R10-11: Ch 1, 36 sc, sl.
8. R12: Ch 1, (sc, sc2tog), 9 sc, (sc, sc2tog) 3 times, 9 sc, (sc, sc2tog) twice, sl.
9. R13-14: Change to grey, ch 1 ,30 sc, sl.
10. R15: Ch 1, (3 sc, sc2tog) 6 times, sl.
11. R16-17: Ch 1, 24 sc, sl.
12. R18: Ch 1, (sc, sc2tog, sc) 6 times, sl.
13. R19-20: Ch 1, 18 sc, sl.
14. R21: Ch 1, (sc, sc2tog) 6 times, sl, stuff with fiberfill.
15. R22: Ch 1, 6 sc2tog, sl, fasten off.

How to Crochet the Body (Make 1) and Feet (Make 2)

1. R1: With brown. Magic ring, ch, 6 sc in ring, sl.
2. R2-3: With grey. Ch, 6 sc, sl. For second foot, don't fasten off - ch 6 to join to first foot.
3. R4: Ch, 6 sc inc, 6 sc, 6 sc inc, 6 sc, sl.
4. R5: Ch, (5 sc, sc inc) 6 times, sl.
5. R6: Ch, (3 sc, sc inc, 3 sc) 6 times, sl.
6. R7-11: Ch, 48 sc, sl.
7. R12: Ch, (3 sc, sc2tog, 3 sc) 6 times, sl.
8. R13: Ch, 42 sc, sl.
9. R14: Ch, (5 sc, sc2tog) 6 times, sl.
10. R15: Ch, 36 sc, sl.
11. R16: Ch, (2 sc, sc2tog, 2 sc) 6 times, sl.
12. R17: Ch, 30 sc, sl.
13. R18: Ch, (3 sc, sc2tog) 6 times, sl.
14. R19: Ch, (sc, sc2tog, sc) 6 times, sl.
15. R20: Ch, (sc, sc2tog) 6 times, sl. Insert wire, stuff with fiberfill.
16. R21: Ch, 6 sc2tog, sl.
17. R22-26: Ch, 6 sc, sl. Fasten off leaving long tail.

How to Crochet the Hands (Make 2)

1. R1: With brown, magic ring, ch 1, 6 sc, sl.
2. R2-6: With grey, ch 1, 6 sc, sl.
3. R7: Ch 1, flatten and work 3 sc, sl. Leave long tail and fasten off.

How to Crochet the Ears (Make 2 Each in White and Grey)

1. R1: Ch 8, 2 sc in 2nd ch from hook, 2 hdc, 2 dc, (6 dc), 2 dc, 2 hdc, 2 sc, sl.
2. R2: With grey (do not cut white), ch 1, layer white and grey together and work sc around, 3 sc inc at tip, sc in remaining sts, sl.

How to Crochet the Tail (Make 1)

1. R1: Ch 8, 7 sc in 2nd ch from hook, sl.

How to Crochet the Backpack (Make 1)

1. R1: Ch 11.
2. R2-6: Sc in each st across (10 sc), ch 1, turn, sl.
3. R7: Ch 1, Single crochet around entire piece, working 3 sc in each corner, sl.
4. R8: Working in back loops only, ch 1, sc in each st around, sl.
5. R9-15: Ch 1,Sc in each st across, ch 1, turn, sl. Fasten off.
6. R16-21: Ch 1, 8 sc across, ch 1, turn. Rep for 5 more rows, sl.

How to Crochet the Strap (Make 1)

1. R1: Ch 12. Sew strap to backpack.

Crochet Donkey Assembly

1. The finished crochet project weighs approximately 50.6 grams.
2. Once all parts are crocheted, begin assembly.
3. For the hair, cut yarn into small sections.
4. Weave in all loose ends on the head.
5. Use crochet hook to pull hair strands through and knot them.
6. After attaching all hair, trim to shape.
7. For ears, use positioning pin to position them correctly, then sew in place.
8. Ensure ears are symmetrical on both sides.
9. Position arms with stitch markers, then sew to secure.
10. Cut dark grey yarn into small sections for tail details, using the same method as the hair.
11. Sew tail securely to the body.
12. Insert wire support into head and sew to secure.
13. Use stitch markers to mark facial features, then insert safety eyes.
14. Split dark grey yarn into 2 strands to embroider eyebrows and nose.
15. Use a small amount of glue to secure eye pieces.
16. Split white yarn into 2 strands to embroider eye whites.
17. Finally, add blush to complete your donkey!
18. Fold the backpack in half and sew together to secure the shape. Fill the backpack with stuffing material.
19. Attach buttons to complete the backpack.

Crochet Tips:

1. Maintain consistent tension throughout your work to ensure all stitches are uniform in size.
2. Pull each round snugly when completing slip stitches to join - this helps define the shape and create crisp details.
3. For best results, use invisible decrease (also known as sc2tog through front loops only) instead of regular single crochet decrease. This creates smaller holes and a neater finish.
4. When changing colors, make the change in the last stitch of the previous round while it's still unfinished. This creates a smoother transition and cleaner color changes.

Assembly Tips:

1. When attaching hands and ears, ensure symmetry on both sides for a balanced look.
2. For better-shaped ears, reinforce with extra stitches at the back, or you can insert wire support in the last round while crocheting.
3. When sewing parts together, start by placing a few securing stitches spaced further apart, then fill in the remaining spaces with additional stitches.
4. Make sure to leave extra length when wrapping wire with tape - this provides better stability and support.