I designed this little seal for a Swedish friend (the internet tells me that the grey seal is the biggest seal in Sweden).

You need 8 ply grey wool and a 3.75 mm hook. This pattern is written in American crochet notation and the finished seal is 13 cm long.

Tail flippers (make two)

Round 1: 4sc in a magic ring (4 stitches)

Round 2: sc in the first stitch, increase in the next stitch – repeat (6 stitches)

Round 3: sc in the first stitch, increase in the next stitch – repeat (9 stitches)

Rounds 4 and 5: sc in each stitch (9 stitches) (2 rounds)

Round 6: sc in the first stitch, decrease the next two stitches together – repeat (6 stitches)

Round 7: sc in the first stitch, decrease the next two stitches together – repeat (4 stitches)

Fasten off the first flipper. Don’t fasten off the second flipper.

 

Body

We now need to join the two tail flippers.

Round 8: 2 sc in the second flipper (the one where you didn’t fasten off), 4 sc around the first flipper, 2 sc on the second flipper (8 stitches)

Round 9: sc in the first stitch, increase in the next stitch – repeat (12 stitches)

Round 10: sc in each stitch (12 stitches)

Round 11: sc in the first stitch, increase in the next stitch – repeat (18 stitches)

Round 12: sc in each stitch (18 stitches)

Round 13: sc in the first two stitches, increase in the next stitch – repeat (24 stitches)

Rounds 14 – 20: sc in each stitch (24 stitches) (7 rounds)

 

Neck and head

Round 21: (decrease two stitches together) x 6, 12 sc (18 stitches) (make sure that all of the decreases are at the front of the seal’s head so that he is looking up)

Round 22: (decrease two stitches together) x 6, 6 sc (12 stitches) (make sure that all of the decreases are at the front of the head)

Stuff the body (but not the tail)

Rounds 23 – 26: sc in each stitch (12 stitches) (4 rounds)

Round 27: (decrease two stitches together) x 6 (6 stitches)

Stuff the head

Round 28: sc in the first stitch, decrease the next two stitches together – repeat (4 stitches)

Fasten off, weave in end.

 

Flippers (make two)

The pattern is the same as for the tail flippers, just fasten both off, leaving enough of a tail for sewing

 

Assembly

Sew on the flippers and some googly eyes.