I’m back with the third pattern in the third annual Christmas in July Make Along! The crochet Gingerbread Pal is a silly gingerbread cookie sized as a handheld softie. You can also make your version into an ornament or gift tag!
This post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation (at no added cost to you) if you make a purchase using these links. Materials for the sample were generously provided by Clover, Fairfield World, Lion Brand, and WeCrochet.
When I was planning for this year’s Christmas in July Make Along, I was looking at the partially used skein of Lion Brand Pound of Love I used last year to make the Gingerbread Friends. I wanted to crochet another pattern using the same yarns, and that’s just what I did! Besides today’s Gingerbread Pal pattern and the Gingerbread Friends, the Bobblehead Gingerbread Lovey is also made with the same three skeins of yarn. If you love crochet gingerbread patterns, these three projects are a great way to stretch your yarn budget!
This pattern is part of the Christmas in July Make Along, with 31 days of free crochet, knitting, and sewing patterns and crafts tutorials by 27 bloggers, along with your chance to win a prize from one of our favorite companies — AndeanSun Yarns, Clover USA, Crosscut Sewing Co., Eucalan, Hooked for Life, Hummingbird Lane Fabrics, Knitter’s Pride, and Kraemer Yarns. Get all the Christmas in July Make Along details here and don’t forget to enter the giveaway by Wednesday, August 4, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern.
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Gingerbread Pal
Crochet Gingerbread Pattern by Underground Crafter
This silly gingerbread cookie is sized as a handheld softie, but can also be used as an ornament or gift tag.
Do you love crochet gingerbread patterns? Along with the Bobblehead Gingerbread Lovey and the Gingerbread Friends, the Gingerbread Pal can be made with the same three skeins of yarn!
Finished Size
- Approximately 5” (13 cm) tall x 3” (7.5 cm) wide before stuffing.
Materials
- Lion Brand Pound of Love yarn (100% acrylic, 16 oz/454 g, 1,020 yd/932 m) – 1 skein in 126 Umber (CA), or approximately 45 yd (41 m) in CA in any medium weight yarn.
- Lion Brand Basic Stitch Premium yarn (100% acrylic, 3.5 oz/100 g/219 yd/220 m) – 1 skein each in 113 Garnet (CB) and 172 Ivy (CC), or approximately 5 yd (4.5 m) each in CB and CC in any medium weight yarn.
- WeCrochet Bright US Size E-4/3.5 mm crochet hook, or any size needed to obtain correct gauge.
- Fairfield Poly-Fil Premium Polyester Fiber Fill – 12 ounce bag.
- Clover Quick Locking Stitch Marker Set, or locking stitch markers.
- Clover Chibi bent-tip yarn needle.
Gauge
- 10 sc = 2” (10 cm) across. Exact gauge is not critical for this project. Stitches should be small so that fiber filling doesn’t show.
Abbreviations Used in This Pattern
- bob – 5-repeat bobble – [Yo, insert hook in st, yo and draw up a loop, yo and draw through 2 loops] 5 times in same st, yo and draw through all 6 loops on hook. A helpful video tutorial for this stitch is available below.
- If you can’t see the video for the bobble stitch above, click here to watch it on Instagram.
- CA – Color A
- CB – Color B
- CC – Color C
- ch – chain
- pm – place stitch marker
- rep – repeat
- Rnd(s) – Round(s)
- RS – right (front) side
- sc – single crochet
- sc2tog – single crochet 2 stitches together (decrease) – [Insert hook in next st, yo and draw up a loop] twice, yo and draw through all 3 loops on hook. A helpful tutorial for sc2tog by New Stitch a Day is available here.
- sl st – slip stitch
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- yo – yarn over
- *Repeat instructions after asterisk as indicated.
- [] Repeat instructions between brackets as indicated.
Pattern Notes
- The Front and Back Pieces are crocheted flat in rows. Edgings are crocheted in the round.
- Ch 1 at beginning of Rows does not count as a stitch.
- In this pattern, you will change colors within the Row several times to make Icing Eyes and Buttons.
- Do not fasten off CA when changing colors. Instead, drop CA towards the wrong side (back) of the piece you are crocheting and pick it up when changing back to CA.
- Stacey Trock has a helpful video tutorial for changing colors at the end of the single crochet here.
- To change colors at the end of the bobble, [Yo, insert hook in st, yo and draw up a loop, yo and draw through 2 loops] 5 times in same st in the bobble color, fasten off the bobble color and drop it towards the wrong side (back) of the piece you are crocheting, with CA yo and draw through all 6 loops on hook. Push the bobble towards the right side (front) as you change color.
- A helpful video tutorial for embroidering the back stitch is available towards the end of this blog post.
- A helpful photo tutorial for seaming crochet pieces together with the mattress stitch is available here.
Pattern Instructions
Back Piece
- With CA, ch 6.
- Row 1: Turn, skip 1 ch, sc in next 5 sts. (5 sts)
- Row 2: Turn, ch 1, 2 sc in first st, sc to last st, 2 sc in last st. (7 sts)
- Rows 3-5: Rep Row 2, 3 times. (13 sts)
- Row 6: Turn, ch 1, sc in first st and in each st across.
- Rows 7-10: Rep Row 6, 4 times. Pm in first and last stitch of Row 10 to mark arm placement.
- Rows 11-23: Rep Row 6, 13 times.
- Row 24: Turn, ch 1, sc2tog in first 2 sts, sc in each st across to last 2 sts, sc2tog. (11 sts)
- Rows 25-27: Rep Row 7, 3 times. (5 sts)
- Do not fasten off CA. Continue to Back Piece Edging.
Back Piece Edging
- Rnd 1: (Right Side) Turn, ch 1, sc in next 5 sts, turn to work along side of unfinished edge without removing stitch marker, sc in side of each row across to foundation chain, turn to work along foundation ch, sc in unworked side of next 5 sts from foundation chain, turn to work along side of unfinished edge without removing stitch marker, sc in side of each row across to first sc, join with sl st. Fasten off CA.
Front Piece
- Rep instructions for Back Piece through Row 5.
- See Pattern Notes for instructions for changing colors in Rows 6, 14, 18, and 22.
- Row 6: (Right Side) Turn, ch 1, sc in first 2 sts, *sc in next st changing to CC in last yo, bob in next st changing to CA in last yo,** sc in next 4 sts, rep from * to ** once, sc in next 3 sts.
- Row 7: Turn, ch 1, sc in first st and in each st across.
- Rows 8-10: Rep Row 7, 3 times. Pm in first and last stitch of Row 10 to mark arm placement.
- Rows 11-13: Rep Row 7, 3 times.
- Row 14: Turn, ch 1, sc in first 5 sts, sc in next st changing to CC in last yo, bob in next st changing to CA in last yo, sc in next 6.
- Rows 15-17: Rep Row 7, 3 times.
- Row 18: Turn, ch 1, sc in first 5 sts, sc in next st changing to CB in last yo, bob in next st changing to CA in last yo, sc in next 6.
- Rows 19-21: Rep Row 7, 3 times.
- Row 22: Rep Row 14 once.
- Row 23: Rep Row 7 once.
- Row 24: Turn, ch 1, sc2tog in first 2 sts, sc in each st across to last 2 sts, sc2tog. (11 sts)
- Rows 25-27: Rep Row 7, 3 times. (5 sts)
- Do not fasten off CA. Continue to Front Piece Edging.
Front Piece Edging
- Rnd 1: (Right Side) Turn, ch 1, begin working in the round, bob in first st (push bob towards front), sc in next 3 sts, bob in next st (push bob towards front), *turn to work along side of unfinished edge, sc in side of each row across to marked row, bob in side of marked row (push bob towards front),** sc in side of each row across to foundation chain, turn to work along foundation chain, sc in unworked side of next 5 sts from foundation chain, rep from * to **, sc in side of each row across, join with sl st to first bob. Fasten off CA with long yarn tail (approximately 24”/61 cm) for seaming.
Assembly and Finishing
- Thread yarn needle with long piece (approximately 12”/30.5 cm) in CB. Embroider mouth below bobble Icing Eyes on Right Side using back stitch (see Pattern Notes).
- Position Front Piece with Right Side facing up over Back Piece so that Wrong Sides are together. Align bobble “arms” on Front Piece to stitch markers on Back Piece.
- Thread yarn needle with long yarn tail from Front Piece Edging. Starting at back bobble “leg,” seam pieces together with mattress stitch (see Pattern Notes) through second bobble “arm.” Once you have about 2” (5 cm) unseamed remaining, stuff firmly with fiber filling. As you finish seaming, continue to stuff.
- With yarn needle, weave in ends.
