Mauritius Dodo

I made this pair for the recent Put a Bird on it swap. They are small enough to fit in the palm of my hand and I am rather taken with the two. I made Fiona first, but she seemed rather lonely and looked like she could use a mate, so I made Ferdinand to be her companion, and they do seem as though they like each other well enough. I made them each little neck ribbons with their names on it as well. I got the pattern off a!elry, and they were both ama"ingly #uick to hook up and put together.

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Mauritius Dodo amigurumi

Mauritius is an island in the Indian .cean, off the coast of Madagascar. In its isolation, many species de!eloped that would be found nowhere else in the world 1 most famously, the Mauritius Dodo. 2tanding three feet high and unable to fly, how strange it must ha!e looked to the sailors who disco!ered it3 To 4uropeans it seemed stupid, a bird without the sense to run when humans came near and that laid its one, large egg on the ground without any precautions against predators.

.f course, the dodo was not stupid. There were simply no predators on the island to guard against before the arri!al of humans 1 and while the e&tinction of the dodo is often laid at the feet of hunters, numerous references to the disgusting taste of dodo meat make it unlikely that the dodo was hunted to its infamous e&tinction. 5t least 1 it wasn6t hunted down by humans, but by the creatures they brought with them. ats, dogs, and pigs all contributed to the dodo6s doom by hunting their chicks or eating their !ulnerable eggs. 7ess than *,, years after its disco!ery, the dodo bird was e&tinct.

The dodo became famous as one of the earliest and most dramatic e&amples of e&tinction in recorded human history. 8ow you can bring the dodo back to life with a little bit of yarn and some stuffing 1 but remember, folks$ e&tinction is fore!er.

Materials 7ist

Bring it back from e&tinction, at least as a toy.M0$ ed 9eart 2uper 2a!er :*,,; acrylic, +<= yds% +>) meters per *)* g%> o".?, @rey 9eather 1 about A, yds 00*$ Black 1 about > yds 00+$ Bhite 1 about > yds 00A$ 0arrot 1 about > yds /2 @%C ).+>mm crochet hook Darn needle 2mall amount Fiberfill or other stuffing + black **mm :<%*CE? shank buttons 2ewing needle and black thread :to attach buttons? 2titch marker, to keep track of rounds Finished 2i"e

)FE tall & >GE long & AGE wide

@auge

*) sc & *> rows in sc ( ) inches :*,cm?

8ote$ This pattern may be made in any gauge and yarn combination that produces firm, tight stitches. /sing a significantly different yarn weight or hook si"e will produce a dodo of a different si"e than the one pictured.

8otes

Do not Hoin rounds unless directed.

Bhen assembling a stuffed animal made with small parts, sometimes it is helpful to lea!e long yarn ends on the pieces themsel!es and use those ends to sew pieces together. :That is the techni#ue used here.? This is merely one possible method and, as always, your fa!orite method of assembly may be used.

To help keep track of rounds, place a stitch marker in the first stitch of

the round. Mo!e the marker up as your work progresses.

The Pattern

Body

Bith M0, ch +.

nd *$ Bork C sc in the second ch from the hook.

nd +$ Bork + sc in each st around. :*+ sc?

nd A$ I2c in ne&t st, work + sc in ne&t st,I rep from I to I around. :*= sc?

nd )$ I2c in each of ne&t + sts, work + sc in ne&t st,I rep from I to I around. :+) sc?

nds >J<$ 2c in each sc around.

nd =$ I2c+tog o!er ne&t + sts, sc in each of ne&t C sts,I rep from I to I around. :+* sc?

nds KJ*,$ 2c in each sc around.

nd **$ I2c+tog o!er ne&t + sts, sc in each of ne&t > sts,I rep from I to I around. :*= sc?

nd *+$ I2c+tog o!er ne&t + sts, sc in each of ne&t ) sts,I rep from I to I around. :*> sc?

nd *A$ I2c+tog o!er ne&t + sts, sc in each of ne&t A sts,I rep from I to I around. :*+ sc? 2tuff body.

nd *)$ I2c+tog o!er ne&t + sts,I rep from I to I around. :C sc?

Fasten off, lea!ing a tail of yarn se!eral inches long. Bea!e the yarn through the stitches of ound *), pull tight to close. Bea!e in the yarn ends.

9ead

For best results, stuff head as work progresses.

Bith M0, ch +.

nd *$ Bork C sc in the second ch from the hook.

nd +$ Bork + sc in each st around. :*+ sc?

nds AJ>$ 2c in each sc around. :*+ sc?

nd C$ I2c in ne&t st, sc+tog o!er ne&t + sts,I rep from I to I around. := sc?

nds <JK$ 2c in each sc around. := sc?

ow *,$ 2l st in ne&t sc, ch *, sc in each of ne&t > sts, ch *, turn. :> sc? :Begin working flat instead of in the round.?

ow **$ Bork + sc in ne&t st, sc in each of ne&t A sts, work + sc in ne&t st, ch *, turn. :< sc?

ow *+$ 2c in ne&t st, work + sc in ne&t st, sc in each of ne&t A sts, work + sc in ne&t st, sc in ne&t st, ch *, turn. :K sc?

ow *A$ 2c+tog o!er ne&t + sts, sc in each of ne&t > sts, sc+tog o!er ne&t + sts, ch *, turn. :< sc?

ow *)$ 2c in first st, Isc+tog o!er ne&t + sts, sc in ne&t st,I rep from I to I * more time, ch *, turn. :> sc?

ow *>$ 2c+tog o!er ne&t + sts, sc in ne&t st, sc+tog o!er ne&t + sts. :A sc?

Fasten off, lea!ing a tail of yarn se!eral inches long to use during

assembly.

DodoLs wingBings :make +?

Bith M0, ch +.

ow *$ Bork + sc in the second ch from the hook, turn.

ow +$ 0h *, work + sc in each st across, turn. :) sc?

ow A$ 0h A, sl st in first sc, Ich A, sl st in ne&t sc,I rep from I to I across.

Fasten off, lea!ing a tail of yarn se!eral inches long to use during

assembly.

Beak

Bith 00*, ch +.

ow *$ Bork A sc in the second ch from the hook, turn. :A sc?

ow +$ 0h *, work + sc in each st across, turn. :C sc?

ow A$ 0h *, sl st in ne&t st, sc in ne&t st, work + hdc in each of ne&t + sts, sc in ne&t st, sl st in ne&t st, turn. := sts?

ow )$ 0h *, sl st in each of ne&t + sts, sc in ne&t st, work + hdc in each of ne&t + sts, sc in ne&t st, sl st in each of ne&t + sts, turn. :*, sts?

ow >$ 0h *, sl st in first st. sc+tog o!er ne&t + sts, Mhdc+tog o!er ne&t + stsN + times, sc+tog o!er ne&t + sts, sl st in ne&t st, turn. :C sts?

ow CJ=$ Bith 00+, ch *, sc in each st across, turn. :C sc?

ow K$ 0h *, work + sc in each st across, turn. :*+ sc?

ow *,$ 0h *, Isl st in ne&t st, work A dc in ne&t st, sl st in ne&t st,I sc

in each of ne&t C sts, rep from I to I * more time. :*C sts?

Fasten off, lea!ing a tail of yarn se!eral inches long to use during assembly.

ear of DodoTail

Bith 00+, ch ).

ow *$ 2l st in second ch from hook, ch *,, sl st in same st, Isl st in ne&t st, ch *,, sl st in same st,I rep from I to I * more time.

Fasten off, lea!ing a tail of yarn se!eral inches long to use during assembly.

Bing feathers :make +?

Bith 00+, ch ).

ow *$ 2l st in second ch from hook, ch <, sl st in same st, Isl st in ne&t st, ch <, sl st in same st,I rep from I to I * more time.

Fasten off, wea!e in the yarn ends.

DodoLs feetFeet :make +?

Bith 00A, ch >.

ow *$ 2tarting in the second ch from hook, sc in each st across, turn. :) sc?

ows +J)$ 0h *, sc in each st across, turn.

ow >$ 0h *, sl st in first sc, ch ), sl st in same sc, Isl st in ne&t sc, ch ), sl st in second, third, and fourth chain from the hook, sl st in same sc,I rep from I to I + more times.

Fasten off, lea!ing a tail of yarn se!eral inches long to use during assembly.

Finishing Instructions

/sing yarn left at 9ead, sew 9ead section to Body :with ound * of the Body being the tail section, and ound *) facing the head?. 2ew head to body

/sing yarn attached to Bing, 2ew Bing Feathers to BingsO attach Bings to Body. /sing yarn attached to Tail, sew Tail to Body. /sing attached yarn, fold Feet in half, sew closed along edges. 2ew Feet to Body. 7ightly stuff BeakO sew closed along edges using matching yarn :lea!ing end open?. 2ew Beak to 9ead using attached yarn. 2ew beak to head

/sing needle and thread, sew buttons to Beak as eyes. :8ote$ attaching these buttons for eyes renders this stuffed animal unsuitable for children under age A. If you wish to make it childJsafe, painted, embroidered, or safety eyes may be substituted.?