1/3Niu Lai Cow Charm
Original design by @大眼章鱼🐙
A cheerful yellow cow charm with a deadpan face, based on the character from the film Niu Lai. The hooves, legs, body and head are worked as one continuous piece with no seaming - only the arms, horns, ears and muzzle are sewn on.
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Hook
- 2.5mm
- Yarn
- 4-ply / fingering cotton
- Time
- 4-6 hours
Materials
- 4-ply cotton or chenille-style yarn in ginger yellow and a skin tone for the hoovesAmazon ↗
- 2.5mm hookAmazon ↗
- Fabric glue for the face detailsAmazon ↗
- StuffingAmazon ↗
- Yarn needleAmazon ↗
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Stitches used: ch, sc, inc, dec, hdc, dc, sl st, MR
"Niu Lai" Cow Charm — One-Piece Body (Feet + Body + Head, No Seaming) Rnd 1: Ch 3 (or, if you know the double-chain start: work 2 double-chain sts, then 1 standing ch), inc, [sc, dc, 2 hdc, dc, sc], inc Rnd 2: 2 sc, dec, 2 sc, dec, 2 sc Rnd 3: 2 sc, 2 dec, 2 sc - change to ginger yellow Rnd 4: 6 sc (6) Rnd 5: *sc, inc, sc* x2 (8) Rnds 6-7: 8 sc (8) Rnd 8: *3 sc, inc* x2 (10) Rnds 9-10: 10 sc (10). Stuff. Make a second foot the same way, then join the two feet with ch 2. Rnd 11: 2 sc, inc, 4 sc, inc, 6 sc, inc, 4 sc, inc, 2 sc Rnd 12: inc, 2 sc, inc, 6 sc, inc, 4 sc, inc, 6 sc, inc, 2 sc, inc, 2 sc Rnd 13: 2 sc, 2 inc, 11 sc, inc, 5 sc, inc, 6 sc, 2 inc, 2 sc, dec Rnd 14: 37 sc, dec (38) Rnd 15: 38 sc (38) Rnd 16: 2 sc, 2 dec, 26 sc, 2 dec, 2 sc (34) Rnd 17: 34 sc (34) Rnd 18: 12 sc, dec, 5 sc, dec, 13 sc (32) Rnds 19-20: 32 sc (32) Rnd 21: 2 sc, dec, 10 sc, dec, 4 sc, dec, 6 sc, dec, 2 sc (28) Rnds 22-24: 28 sc (28) Rnd 25: *sc, dec, sc* x7 (21). Stuff. Rnd 26: *sc, dec* x7 (14) Rnd 27: *sc, inc* x7 (21) Rnd 28: *sc, inc, sc* x7 (28) Rnd 29: *3 sc, inc* x7 (35) Rnds 30-35: 35 sc (35) Rnd 36: *3 sc, dec* x7 (28) Rnd 37: *sc, dec, sc* x3, 2 dec, sc, 2 dec, sc, dec, 2 sc, dec. Stuff. Rnd 38: *sc, dec* x6, sc (13) Rnd 39: 6 dec, sc (7). Fasten off, sew the opening closed and pull tight. Colours: Rnds 1-3 skin tone (hooves), Rnds 4-39 ginger yellow.
Notes
Body of the cow charm from the film 'Niu Lai', worked in one piece from the hooves up through the legs, body and head with no seaming. Hook 2.5mm, 4-ply cotton (chenille-style yarn shown). Waist decrease at Rnd 26 then re-increase at Rnd 27 forms the neck. Fabric glue is used for the face details. In this diagram x = sc, v = inc, A = dec, t = dc, f = hdc.
"Niu Lai" Cow Charm — Arms, Horns, Ears & Muzzle LEFT ARM Rnd 1: 4 sc in MR (4) Rnd 2: 2 sc, inc, sc, 1 picot, sl st back to the first st Rnd 3: 4 sc, inc - change to ginger yellow (6) Rnds 4-5: 6 sc (6) Rnd 6: *sc, inc, sc* x2 (8) Rnds 7-9: 8 sc (8) Rnd 10: sc, 2 dc, 2 hdc, 2 dc, sc Rnds 11-12: sl st, sc, dc, 2 hdc, dc, sc, sl st RIGHT ARM Rnd 1: 4 sc in MR (4) Rnd 2: 2 sc, inc, 1 picot, sc, sl st back to the first st Rnd 3: 4 sc, inc - change to ginger yellow (6) Rnds 4-5: 6 sc (6) Rnd 6: *sc, inc, sc* x2 (8) Rnds 7-9: 8 sc (8) Rnd 10: sc, 2 dc, 2 hdc, 2 dc, sc Rnds 11-12: sl st, sc, dc, 2 hdc, dc, sc, sl st HORN (make 2) Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR (6) Rnds 2-3: 6 sc (6) Rnd 4: *sc, inc* x3 (9) Rnd 5: 9 sc (9) Rnds 6-7: 2 sc, 2 dc, hdc, 2 dc, 2 sc EAR (make 2) Ch 5, starting in 2nd ch from hook: sc, dc, hdc, 3 sc in the end st, hdc, dc, sc MUZZLE Rnd 1: Ch 3, starting in 2nd ch from hook: 2 sc, 3 sc in one st, sc, inc Rnd 2: inc, sc, 3 inc, sc, 2 inc Rnd 3: 14 sc - change to ginger yellow (14) Rnds 4-5: 14 sc (14) The face is embroidered with a single strand of yarn.
Notes
Second page of the cow charm: arms with a picot hoof detail, horns, ears and a two-colour muzzle. The arms are mirror images - the picot sits on the opposite side of Rnd 2. Face embroidered with a single strand; fabric glue used to hold details.
Frequently asked questions
How does the body get a neck if it is one piece?
Round 26 decreases sharply to 14 stitches and round 27 increases straight back out again. That pinch is the neck, and it is why the head reads as separate without being sewn on.
Are the arms identical?
No - they are mirrored. The picot that forms the hoof detail sits on the opposite side of round 2 on the left and right arms.
How is the face done?
The expression is sewn with a single strand of yarn, and the maker used fabric glue to hold the details flat.
What is the double-chain start mentioned in round 1?
It is an alternative to chain 3 - if you know the double chain (foundation chain) technique you can start with 2 double-chain stitches plus a standing chain, which gives a neater hoof edge.
