Curtain Tie-Back Bee - Free Crochet Pattern

This little bee works hard holding a curtain bunched together during the day, and hanging on the banister when off work at night. If you make two (one for each side of a curtain) consider reversing the front (its belly) and back (its wings) so the pair can hang next to each other.

Size: The head is the widest part and it's about 3.25" diameter The length of the body is about 6" from top of the head to the stinger. The main yarn I use is on the bulky side for medium weight.

What you will need

Yarn: I'm using Red Heart Super Saver (4, medium) yellow and black for the head and body. White for wings (I like something softer for the wings so I'm using Lion brand Feels like Butta). And black 100% medium/4 cotton (I'm using Lily Sugar 'n Cream) for the "arms" that will be used to tie the curtain back (cotton is more durable for tying/retying).

Hook: 3.5mm

Other: Stuffing, safety eyes (I'm using 9mm, but the size isn't crucial), scissors, a tapestry needle, and stitch markers or another color yarn to mark the start of rounds; where the rounds are continuous it can get tricky if you lose count.

Directions

Abbreviations

• SC = single crochet
• INC = increase: 2 SC in one stitch
• DEC = decrease: one SC into two stitches (invisible decrease looks better - use the front loops of the two stitches you are decreasing)
  
• SLST = slipstitch

Overview

The head and the body are worked as one continuous piece (personally, I have trouble sewing on heads so I love it when I can do this). During the increasing in the first few rounds I try to put the actual increase in different places so I'm making the head a circle and not a hexagram.

When I get to the body I switch from continuous rounds to closing each round so the color transitions are better aligned. This leaves a bit of a seam so I prefer not to crochet the head this way. Most patterns choose one or the other method for moving across rounds but I often switch from one to the other as needed.

This bee will be tied to a curtain and looking to its right (so the front of the face is at a 90 degree turn from the body).

Head and Body

• R1: [yellow until R25] 6 SC into a magic ring (6 stitches) [Figures 1 and 2]

I start with a magic ring (Figure 1) because it allows you to close the starting hole better. But you an also start with a chain of two and put R1 into the 2nd chain from the hook.

• R2: INC x6 (12)
• R3: *INC, SC* x6 (18)
• R4: *2 SC, INC* x6 (24)
• R5: *SC, INC, 2 SC* x6 (30)
• R6: *INC, 4 SC* x6 (36)
• R7: *3 SC, INC, 2 SC* x6 (42)
  
• R8: *6 SC, INC* x6 (48) [Figure 3; done increasing the head]
  
• R9-14: (6 rounds): 48 SC (48)

Add eyes between R9 and R10, approximately 8 stitches apart. The eyes are on the front of the face, but the front of the bee's body will be on the side. Since that's the part that will be flush against the curtain it's the best place to put the color transitions, which will be where the rounds start. So aim for the front of the face to be at 90 degrees to the start of rounds [Figures 4 and 5 are after R11; Figure 6 is after R14]. But since I switch to closing each round when get to color transitions it's not as important.

• R15: *6 SC, DEC* x6 (42) [Start decreasing the head]
  
• R16: *5 SC, DEC* x6 (36)
• R17: *4 SC, DEC* x6 (30)
• R18: *3 SC, DEC* x6 (24)
• R19: *2 SC, DEC* x6 (18) 

This is a good time to stuff the head, but don't overstuff because you will not be closing it; also in general, you don't want this bee overstuffed and heavy.

 

• R20: *SC, DEC* x6 (12) [Figures 7 and 8 before and after stuffing; finished head]
  
• R21: INC x12 (24) [Figure 9; start increasing for the body]
• R22: *3 SC, INC* x6 (30)
• R23: *4 SC, INC* x6 (36) [Done increasing body] 

Change to rounds from continuous: SLTS end of R23 to the first stitch of the next round. For the rest of the body start each round with a chain 1 and end each round with a SLST to the first stitch skipping over the starting 1 chain. Color transitions: Change colors at the end of the final SC of the round before, so the ending SLST is in the new color. No need to carry the second color when switching because you start and end each color in the same location of the round.

• R24: [yellow] chain 1, 36 SC, SLST to first SC
  
• R25: [black] chain 1, 36 SC, SLST to first SC
• R26: [black] chain 1, 36 SC, SLST to first SC [Figure 10]
  
• R27: [yellow] chain 1, 36 SC, SLST to first SC
• R28: [yellow] chain 1, 36 SC, SLST to first SC
• R29: [yellow] chain 1, *4 SC, DEC* x6 (30), SLST to first SC
• R30: [black] chain 1, 30 SC, SLST to first SC [Figure 11]
• R31: [black] chain 1, *3 SC, DEC* x6 (24), SLST to first SC [Figure 12]
• R32: [yellow] chain 1, *6 SC, DEC* x3 (21), SLST to first SC 

Stuff the body and continue stuffing as you go until you go until R35. Do not overstuff.

• R33: [yellow] chain 1, *5 SC, DEC* x3 (18), SLST to first SC
  
• R34: [yellow] chain 1, *SC, DEC* x6 (12), SLST to first SC [done with yellow]
  
• R35: [black] chain 1, *SC, DEC, SC* x3 (9) [switch to continuous rounds so stinger is pointy]
  
• R36: [black] *SC, DEC* x3 (6)
• R37: [black] 3 DEC (3) end with a SLST and leave a bit of yarn as the stinger (~1") [Figure 13]

Antennae

Cut two strands of 12" black yarn. Fold each in half, and loop through the 6th round about 15 stitches apart (about 4 or 5 stitches to the side of each eye) [Figures 14 and 15]. Then put the hook through the loop and put 4 chains using the double strand, then pull the ends through and trim. The chained part should be about an inch, and the two ends about 1/2" [Figures 16 and 17].

 

Wings

Make two wings using soft white yarn.

• R1: 6 SC into a magic ring
• R2: INC x6 (12)
• R3: *INC, SC* x6 (18)
• R4: *4SC, DEC* x3 (15)
• R5: *SC, DEC, 2SC* x3 (12)
• R6: *2SC, DEC* x3 (9)
• R7: *SC, DEC* x3 (6); finish with a SLST and leave some yarn to sew on [Figure 18 also shows the two arms]

The wings are not stuffed; they are sewn to the back of the bee, which is the opposite of the side the arms will be on.

I sewed the last 3 rows or so together to make a heart shape and then sewed the middle of the "heart" to the body of the bee [Figure 20].

Arms

Use black cotton yarn for the arms. Make two, about 10" long each and attach at the top black stripe, one centered to the face, and the other on the opposite side [Figures 19 and 21].

You can make a tube of 8 SC in a round then crochet as many rounds as it takes to get to the needed length. Or you can do something that looks a bit more insect-like and is much sturdier (that's what I did): crochet a Romanian cord for each arm. A video is better than written instructions for this cord, so here's a random one I used (you can google others): YouTube tutorial: how to make a Romanian cord

The Romanian cord is built with SCs stacked at an angle through rotation which means it's denser and stronger. It's pretty, and really great for purse straps and dog collars for amigurumi pups. 

That's it, your bee is done. Make a second one with the arms/wings reversed so they can hang side by side or facing each other on the curtains.