Oh, what an absolute joy it was, my dear crocheting compadres, when my eyes first beheld the whimsy and charm of this particular crochet marvel – a Chinese dragon, complete with endearing little horns and a dashing mustache! Stumbling upon patterns online is quite the pastime for me, but this one…oh, it stopped me dead in my tracks. I mean, who wouldn’t want to conjure up such a mythical creature from their very own hook and yarn?
This Chinese dragon, my friends, isn’t just any crocheted critter. No, it’s imbued with a certain je ne sais quoi that captures the essence of folklore and days of yore – and yet, it winks at you with a playful, modern twist. Crafting it, with its intricate horns and that mustache (oh, the mustache!) was like being on a first-name basis with an ancient, majestic creature who also happens to know all the latest internet memes.
It’s a pattern that beckons even the most seasoned of crocheters with its siren call, promising adventure with every stitch.
The pattern, though? As approachable as an old friend. Whether you’re a newbie getting your feet wet, or you’ve been in the crochet game so long your stash has its own ZIP code, you’ll find the instructions to be clear, engaging, and oh-so-rewarding. Bring this dragon to life, and watch as it breathes a fiery personality into your crochet collection. So, grab your hooks, my fellow yarn enthusiasts.
Designer: Mstina Crochet
Materials & Tools
- Lace yarn #03
- Black embroidery thread
- 1.75 mm crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- Pins
- Marker
- Cotton fill
- Glue
- 5 mm insertion eyes
Abbreviations
Mr – magic ring
Ch – chain
Sc – single crochet
Inc – increase
Dec – decrease
W – crochet 3 st together
Hdc – half double crochet
Nose
Get started with white yarn:
Rnd 1: 6 sc in Mr (6)
Rnd 2: 6 inc (12)
Rnd 3: (sc, inc) x 6 (18)
Rnd 4: 18 sc (18)
Rnd 5: (2 sc, inc) x 6 (24)
Rnd 6-7: 24 sc (24)
Start from the next round with white and red yarn in between. Red words mean red yarn.
Rnd 8: 7 sc, sc, 8 hdc, sc, 7 sc (24)
Rnd 9: 7 sc, inc, 8 hdc, inc, 7 sc (26)
Fill with cotton and fasten off, and leave a long tail for sewing.
Sutures are made with black embroidery thread.
Body
Get started with white yarn:
Rnd 1: 6 sc in Mr (6)
Rnd 2: 6 inc (12)
Rnd 3: (sc, inc) x 6 (18)
Rnd 4: (2 sc, inc) x 6 (24)
Rnd 5: (3 sc, inc) x 6 (30)
Rnd 6: (4 sc, inc) x 6 (36)
Rnd 7-13: 36 sc (36)
Rnd 14: (4 sc, dec) x 6 (30)
Rnd 15-16: 30 sc (30)
Rnd 17: (4 sc, inc) x 6 (36)
Rnd 18: 36 sc (36)
Rnd 19: (5 sc, inc) x 6 (42)
Rnd 20-28: 42 sc (42)
Rnd 29: (5 sc, dec) x 6 (36)
Rnd 30: (4 sc, dec) x 6 (30)
Rnd 31: (3 sc, dec) x 6 (24)
Fill with cotton.
Rnd 32: (2 sc, dec) x 6 (18)
Rnd 33: (sc, dec) x 6 (12)
Rnd 34: 6 dec (6)
Fasten off, close the hole and hide the yarn tail.
Eyes are between rnd 9 and 10 of body, they are apart of 13 stitches.
Nose is between rnd 5 to rnd 15 of body, with the red part facing down.
Horn x4
Get started with gold yarn:
Rnd 1: 6 sc in Mr (6)
Rnd 2-5: 6 sc (6)
Connect each round in pairs and move on to the next.
Ears x2
Get started with white yarn:
Rnd 1: 6 sc in Mr (6)
Rnd 2: 6 inc (12)
Rnd 3: 12 sc (12)
Fasten off, leave a long tail for sewing.
Ears are between rnd 6 to rnd 7 of the body. For the nostrils, use 2 stitches of black threads, about 4 sts apart.
The mustache can be sewed lower than the eyes by a gold thread, and cut it off. Sew four lines of gold thread next to the eyes as a pattern.
Cone x2
Get started with gold yarn:
Rnd 1: 6 sc in Mr (6)
Rnd 2: 6 sc (6)
Rnd 3: (sc, inc) x 3 (9)
Rnd 4-5: 9 sc (9)
Fasten off, leave a long tail for sewing.
Stomach
Get started with red yarn:
Rnd 1: ch 9, inc, 6 sc, W, 7 sc, sl st (18)
Rnd 2: ch 1, turn, 7 sc, 3 inc, 7 sc (20)
Rnd 3: ch 1, turn, 8 sc, (sc, inc) x 2, 8 sc (22)
Rnd 4: ch 1, turn, 9 sc, (sc, inc) x 2, 9 sc (24)
Rnd 5: ch 1, turn, 9 sc, (inc, sc, inc) x 2, 9 sc (28)
Fasten off, leave a long tail for sewing.
Hand x2
Get started with white yarn:
Rnd 1: 6 sc in Mr (6)
Rnd 2: 6 inc (12)
Rnd 3: (sc, inc) x 6 (18)
Fasten off, leave a long tail for sewing.
Stomach is between rnd 16 to rnd 28 of body, and hands are between rnd 24 to rnd 25 of body.
Tail
Get started with white yarn:
Rnd 1: 6 sc in Mr (6)
Rnd 2: 6 sc (6)
Rnd 3: (sc, inc) x 3 (9)
Rnd 4: 9 sc (9)
Rnd 5: (2 sc, inc) x 3 (12)
Rnd 6: 12 sc (12)
Rnd 7: (3 sc, inc) x 3 (15)
Rnd 8: 15 sc (15)
Rnd 9: (4 sc, inc) x 3 (18)
Rnd 10: 18 sc (18)
Rnd 11: (5 sc, inc) x 3 (21)
Rnd 12: (6 sc, inc) x 3 (24)
Fill with cotton and fasten off, leave a long tail for sewing.
Tail is between R21 to R29 of body.
Dorsal Fin
Get started with gold yarn:
Rnd 1: ch 31, 30 sc (30)
Fasten off, leave a long tail for sewing.
Sew the dorsal fins from bottom to top, aligning the tip of the tail with the first ring at the top of the head. It is recommended to use pins at the top and bottom.