Skill Level: Intermediate

Size: 8” tall

Gauge: 18 sts and 24 rows = 4” [10 cm]

Materials

Yarn: DMC Natura Just Cotton Medium (100% Cotton; 82 yards [75 meters]/50 grams): Grey 120 (A, 2 skeins), Blue 700 (B, 1 skein), Fucsia 444 (C, 1 skein), Yellow 09 (D, 1 skein), White 01 (E, 1 skein), Black 02 (F, 1 skein)

Hook: US size 6 (4.0 mm)

Notions: Fiberfill, stitch marker, safety eyes, tapestry needle.

Special Stitches

Inc – Work 2 sts in same st.

Dec – Work next 2 sts tog

Pattern Notes

The donkey is worked in the amigurumi method, working in a continuous spiral without closing each round with a slip stitch.

You may find it helpful to mark the last st of each round, moving the marker up as you work.

Pattern

Head

With E, make magic ring.

Rnd 1: Make 8 sc in magic ring. (8 sts)

Rnd 2: (Inc in next st, sc in next st) 4 times. (12 sts)

Rnd 3: (Inc in next st, sc in next 2 sts) 4 times. (16 sts)

Rnd 4: (Inc in next st, sc in next 3 sts) 4 times. (20 sts)

Rnd 5: Sc in all 20 sts.

With F, embroider nostrils to face over Rnd 3.

Change to A.

Rnd 6: Sc in all 20 sts.

Rnd 7: (Inc in next st, sc in next 4 sts) 4 times. (24 sts)

Rnd 8: Sc in all 24 sts.

Rnd 9: (Inc in next st, sc in next 5 sts) 4 times. (28 sts)

Rnd 10: (Inc in next st, sc in next 6 sts) 4 times. (32 sts)

Rnd 11: Sc in next 10 sts, (inc in next st, sc in next st) 6 times, sc in next 10 sts. (38 sts)

Rnds 12-13: Sc in all 38 sts.

Insert safety eyes between Rnd 9 and 10. Stuff the head and continue stuffing as you go.

Rnd 14: Dec, sc in next 34 sts, dec. (36 sts)

Rnd 15: (Dec, sc in next 4 sts) 6 times. (30 sts)

Rnd 16: Sc in all 30 sts.

Rnd 17: (Dec, sc in next 3 sts) 6 times. (24 sts)

Rnd 18: Sc in all 24 sts.

Fasten off.

Ears (make 2)

With A, make magic ring.

Rnd 1: Work 4 sc in magic ring. (4 sts)

Rnd 2: Sc in all 4 sts.

Rnd 3: Inc 4 times. (8 sts)

Rnds 4-6: Sc in all 8 sts.

Rnd 7: (Inc in next st, sc in next st) 4 times. (12 sts)

Rnds 8-9: Sc in all 12 sts.

Rnd 10: (Dec, sc in next sts) 4 times. (8 sts) 

Legs (make 4)

With A, make magic ring.

Rnd 1: Work 6 sc in magic ring. (6 sts)

Rnd 2: Inc 6 times. (12 sts)

Rnd 3: Sc in all 12 sts.

Rnd 4: BL sc in all 12 sts.

Change to E.

Rnd 5: Sc in all 12 sts.

Change to F.

Rnd 6: Sc in all 12 sts.

Change to A.

Rnds 7-13: Sc in all 12 sts.

Work Inside Part

Place the legs next to each other.

Rnd 1: Work 5 sc in first leg, 5 sc in 2nd leg, 5 ch, 5 sc in 3rd leg, 5 sc in 4th leg, 5 ch, sl st first sc.

Rnd 2: FLO sc in next 30 sts. (30 sts)

Rnd 3: (Dec, sc in next 3 sts) 6 times. (24 sts)

Rnd 4: (Dec, sc in next 2 sts) 6 times. (18 sts)

Rnd 5: (Dec, sc in next st) 6 times. (12 sts)

Rnd 6: Dec 6 times. (6 sts)

Work Outside Part

Join A and make a ch in first ch after the 2 frontal legs.

Rnd 1: BL inc, 3 sc in next 3 ch, inc, (inc, sc in next 2 sc, inc, sc in next 2 sc, inc) 2 times, inc, sc in next 3 ch, inc, (inc, sc in next 2 sc, inc, sc in next 2 sc, inc) twice. (54 sts)

Rnd 2: (Inc in next st, sc in next 5 sts) 9 times. (63 sts)

Stuff the legs and continue stuffing the body as you go.

Rnds 3-7: Sc in all 63 sts.

Rnd 8: (Dec, sc in next 5 sts) 9 times. (54 sts)

Rnd 9: Sc, (dec, sc in next 2 sts) 8 times, sc in next 2 sc, dec, sc in next sc, dec, sc in next sc, attach Head at Donkey’s base by working sc in next 6 sc, sc in next sc, dec, sc in next sc, dec, sc in next sc. (36 sts base, 18 sts edge head)

Rnd 10: Sc, (dec, sc in next sts) 8 times, sc in next 2 sc, dec twice, sc in next 18 sts, dec twice, sc in next sc. (42 sts)

Rnd 11: Sc, (dec, sc in next 2 sts) 4 times, sc in next 5 sc, dec, sc in next 2 sc, dec twice, sc in next 2 sc, dec twice, sc in next 2 sc, dec, sc in next 4 sc. (34 sts)

Rnd 12: Sc in next 20 sts, dec 4 times, sc in next 6 sts. (30 sts)

Rnd 13: (Dec, sc in next 3 sts) 6 times. (24 sts)

Rnd 14: (Dec, sc in next 2 sts) 6 times. (18 sts)

Rnd 15: (Dec, sc in next sts) 6 times. (12 sts)

Rnd 16: Dec 6 times. (6 sts)

Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing.

Saddle

With C, make magic ring.

Rnd 1: Work 10 sc in magic ring. (10 sts)

Rnd 2:  Inc 10 times. (20 sts)

Rnd 3: Inc twice, sc in next 8 sts, inc twice, sc in next 8 sts. (24 sts)

Rnd 4: (Inc in next st, sc in next st) twice, sc in next 8 sts, (inc in next st, sc in next st) twice, sc in next 8 sts. (28 sts)

Rnd 5: Sc in all 28 sts.

Change to D.

Rnd 6: Sc in all 28 sts.

Change to B.

Rnd 7: Sc in all 28 sts.

Fringe

Cut D.

Take two pieces of fringe yarn and fold theme in half.

Insert hook in first st and hook the folded yarn loop.

Pull the loop through about a third of the way.

Now open up the loop and slip the ends of the yarn through the loop.

Gently pull it tight to create the first piece of fringe.

Continue adding two pieces of yarn to each st along the edge of the saddle (excluding 5 sts).

Reins and Bridles

First With B, ch 25.

Row 1: Ch 1, sc in next 25 sts. (25 sts)

Change to D

Row 2: Sc in all 25 sts.

Fasten off.

Second

With D, ch 28, sl st in first ch to make a circle. (It will go to the edge of the snout between E and A.)

Insert hook in a ch, ch 25.

Row 1: Ch 1, sc in next 25 ch.

Fasten off.

Cut 6 short strands of C and knot them on the side of second bridle.

Tail

With A, ch 6.

Fasten off.

Finishing

Sew Ears on the top of the Head.

Cut several strands of A (approximately 3” long). Fold in half and use your crochet hook to join a stand in some stitch between the ears and in the back of Donkey’s Head.

Sew the saddle on the top Donkey’s Body (5 sts without fringes must coincide with the side of the donkey’s head).

Sew First Bridle, sewing the ends on Saddle, leaving Neck in Donkey in middle.

Place the closed part of Second Bridle on the muzzle of the asylum and pass the fringed part not sewn around the head of the nursery and then sew it on the closed bridle.