Gizmo (Free Pattern)

Finally I can show you my long running WIP. Without further ado, here’s GIZMO! (Yarndango number 39!)

For anyone not a child of the 80s or early 90s, Gizmo is the cute main character of the Gremlins movies. They’re super cheesy horror movies with genuinely scary undertones (just ask my sister about the spider Gremlin in the second film!). The first film is by far the better, although the second one is the one that got played on TV every Christmas when I was a kid. I grew up watching Gremlins, but it never occurred to me to amigurumify one until someone on Facebook linked to an article that mentioned the film. After that, well, what else could I do?

Loads of how to photos and the free pattern after the jump.

Ok, Gizmo is a complicated pattern, not for those new to amigurumi. He’s not exactly the most difficult thing out there, but there’re a lot of colour changes and fiddly sewing together. Don’t say you weren’t warned!

The Essentials:

Hook: 3.5mm

Wool: Rusty brown (biscuit brown is what I used, but a rusty colour is probably more authentic); white and peach.

Also needed: Brown embroidery thread; white, brown, peach and black felt.

Finished Size: approx 6” tall

Terms:

CH = Chain

Sc = Single Crochet

INC = Increase

DEC = Decrease

BLO = Back Loops Only

SL ST = Slip Stitch

Head

The head builds up gradually, starting with the eyes.

Make one in white, one in brown.

Magic ring
Round 1: 6Sc into centre of the magic ring [6]
Round 2: INC around [12]
Round 3: {Sc, INC} around [18]
Round 4: {2Sc, INC} around [24]

Close the final round with a SL ST. Leave the brown eye attached to the ball, and cut a long tail for the white eye. Sew them together using this tail through six stitches. This should leave you with 36 stitches around the edge of both eyes.
Continue in brown:

Round 5: {5Sc, INC} around [42]
Round 6: {6Sc, INC} around [48]

Keep the white eye to the left as you look at it, not the right as this photo shows!

Round 7: {7Sc, INC} twice in brown [18], 7Sc, INC, 6Sc in white [15], 1Sc, INC, 7Sc, INC, 7Sc, INC in brown [21]. [54 total]
Round 8: 18Sc in brown, 14Sc in white, 22Sc in brown [54]
Round 9: 19Sc in brown, 14Sc in white, 21Sc in brown [54]
Round 10: 18Sc in brown, 15Sc in white, 21Sc in brown [54]
Round 11: 18Sc in brown, 14Sc in white, 22Sc in brown [54]
Round 12: {7Sc, DEC} twice in brown [16], 7sc, DEC, 5Sc in white [13], 2Sc, DEC, 7Sc, DEC, 7Sc, DEC in brown [19]. [48 total]
Round 13: 6Sc, DEC, 6Sc, DEC, Sc in brown [15], 5Sc, DEC, 6Sc in white [12], DEC, 6Sc, DEC, 6Sc, DEC in brown [15]. [42 total]
Round 14: 5Sc, DEC,5Sc, DEC, Sc in brown [13], 4Sc, DEC, 5Sc, DEC in white [11], {5Sc, DEC} twice in brown [12]. [36 total]
Round 15: {4Sc, DEC} around in brown [30]
Round 16: {3Sc, DEC} around in brown [24]
Round 17: {2Sc, DEC} around in brown [18]
Round 18: {Sc, DEC} around in brown [12]
STUFF
Round 19: DEC around in brown [16]

finish off and take a breather because all that colour changing is like running a marathon. When you’ve recovered, you should have something like this:

Front

Back

Top

White eye to the left as you look at it is the correct Gizmo layout, and white patch to the top of the head. There should be a white patch under his chin as well, but I decided to keep it a little bit simple!

Right, carrying on.

Mouth

Gizmo has a sort of monkey like mouth so in peach CH4.

Round 1: 3Sc down the the chain start in the second ch from the hook, then 3Sc up the other side [6]
Round 2: INC around [12]
Round 3: {Sc, INC} around [18]
Round 4: {2Sc, INC} around [24]
Round 5: {2Sc, DEC} around [18]

Embroider him a smile in brown (black looks too stark against the peach) and then sew to his face just under half way down the join of the eyes.

Grab your peach felt and cut out a cat like nose shape. Add a couple of nostrils with the brown embroidery thread, and glue gun it above the nose.

He’s starting to look Gizmo-esque now isn’t he? Lets add the

Ears (x2)

In brown, Ch21 and join with a SL ST to form a ring. [20]
Round 1: Sc around in brown [20] SL St, ch1 to raise.
round 2: Sc around in white [20] SL ST to join.

Finish off. You’ll have a loop like this:

Stitch these squashed flat to eaither side of Gizmo’s head. The top should line up with the white patch on top of his head.

Grab your peach felt again (you’re gonna need  A LOT of peach felt).

Cut two Gizmo ears:

 Using your glue gun once again, slot and stick the ears into the flattened rounds:

To finish the head, now we need some eyes. Get all your felt and cut a big circle of white (approx 2cm diameter), a slightly smaller circle of brown (approx 1.5cm diameter), a small circle of black (approx 7mm diameter) and two banana shapes in peach, the same width as your white circle.

Judge it by eye for the measurements, above is just a rough guideline. Your white circle should be about as big as 3 rounds of your crocheted eye.

Stick them together by layering black on top of brown, on top of white with the peach over the white and just overlapping the brown. I made six eyes before I got it right, so be prepared to persevere!

These are the second of three sets and still not quite right, but the layering formation is clear.

Once you have the perfect eyes, get them stuck in place in the centre of your crocheted eyes.

Aww – hello Gizmo head!

Put this bit to one side for now and we’ll make the

Body

More colour changing! Lets go!

In white, make a magic ring.

Round 1: 6Sc into the centre of the magic ring [6]
Round 2: INC around [12]
Round 3: {Sc, INC} around [18]
Round 4: {2Sc, INC} around [24]
Round 5: {3Sc, INC} around [30]
Round 6: Sc around [30]
Round 7: 3Sc in white, 3Sc in brown, 24 Sc in white. [30]
Round 8: 2Sc in white, 5Sc in brown, 23 Sc in white. [30]
Round 9: 1Sc in white, 7Sc in brown, 22 Sc in white. [30]
Round 10: 1Sc in white, 14Sc in brown, 8 Sc in white, 7Sc in brown. [30]
Round 11: {3Sc, DEC} three times in brown [12], 3Sc, DEC, 3SC in white [7], DEC, 3Sc, DEC in brown [5]. [24 total]
Round 12: {2Sc, DEC} three times in brown [9], {2Sc, DEC} twice in white [6], 2Sc, DEC in brown [3]. [18 total]
Round 13: {sc, DEC} three times in brown [6], {Sc, DEC} twice in white [4], Sc, DEC in brown [2]. [12 total]

Finish off leaving a long tail for sewing and stuff.

It should look like he’s wearing a little brown tail coat. He’s not, it’s just his fur, but that’s the appearance that came to mind.

Sew the head to the body, the point of brown to the centre of the back.

Congratulations – you made it through the colour changes! From here on in life is much simpler.

Legs (x2)

In peach, make a magic ring (yes, peach, Gizmo has feet showing through the fur)

Round 1: 6Sc into the centre of the magic ring [6]
Round 2: INC around [12] Colour change to white.
Round 3: {Sc, INC} around [18]
Round 4: Sc around BLO [18]
Round 5-7: Sc around [18]
Round 8: {3sc, DEC} three times, 3Sc [15]
Round 9: {3sc, DEC} around [12]

Finish off leaving a long tail for sewing and stuff.

Toes (x6, three per foot)

In peach, make a magic ring

Round 1: 6Sc into the centre of the magic ring [6]
Round 2: Sc around [6]
round 3: Sc around [6]

Finish off leaving a long tail for sewing. Sew each individual toe to the front of the foot in a line.

Sew the legs to the body.

I suggest pinning them in place to find the optimum placing. Mine stands up nicely (although he gets top heavy with arms so you’ll have to fight him to get the standing up happening when he’s complete!)

Arms (x2)

Start out by making six peach fingers (three per arm) in the same ways as you made the toes above.

Sew the fingers in a line. You need 12 stitches round the edge, so I suggest sewing two stitches from the outside fingers through one stitch of the inside finger each.

Loop your white yarn through one stitch of the joined fingers and continue:

Round 1: Sc around [12]
Round 2: {Sc, INC} around [18]
Round 3: Sc around [18]
Round 4: {Sc, DEC} around [12]
Round 5: Sc around [12] Colour change to brown
Round 6-8: Sc around [12]
STUFF
Round 9: DEC around [6]
Round 10: Sc around [6]

Finish off leaving a long tail for sewing.

Sew your arms in place just under the head (where it joins the body)

Congratulations! You are the proud owner of your very own Mogwai Gizmo. Love him, look after him and remember the three rules:

– Don’t get him wet
– Don’t expose him to sunlight
– Don’t feed him after midnight

Or else you’ll have to dig out some black yarn and make all the other Mogwai that spawn, and then you’ll have to find some green yarn to make the evil Gremlins and then before you know it your house will be over run.

Also, make sure you keep your stationary out of his reach:

Also submitted to Handmade Monday and Working on it Wednesday