Moo Moo Cuddle Cows

What You Will Need

Yarn:

• Cream (for the body, head, ears, and legs)
• Pink (for the muzzle)
• Black (for the spots and hooves)
• Brown (for the horns and the tuft)
• White (for the eye patches)
• A little gray or light blue (optional, for the eye swirls)
• Tip: Use a DK weight cotton or cotton blend yarn. Cotton gives crisp, tidy stitches that hide the stuffing and make the cow look neat and chunky. Use a smaller hook than usual so your stitches stay tight.

Tools:

• 3.0 mm (D/3) crochet hook
• 2 small black beads or 5 mm black safety eyes (per cow)
• Poly-fil or fiberfill stuffing
• Yarn needle with a large eye for sewing and embroidering
• Stitch markers
• Sharp scissors
• Straight pins for placing the pieces before sewing

The Basics (US Terms)

• MR = magic ring
• sc = single crochet
• inc = increase (work 2 single crochets into the same stitch)
• dec = decrease (work 2 single crochets together, invisible decrease is best)
• sl st = slip stitch
• BLO = back loop only
• All pieces are worked in continuous rounds. Use a stitch marker to mark the first stitch of each round.
• When changing colors, pull the new color through on the last stitch of the previous round.

Let Us Get Started

Each cow is made of a body, a head, a muzzle, two eye patches, two ears, two horns, four legs, and several spots. Then add a tuft of hair on top.

Part 1: The Body

Worked with cream yarn.

1. Round 1: Work 6 sc into a magic ring. (6 stitches)
2. Round 2: Inc in every stitch around. (12 stitches)
3. Round 3: (1 sc, inc) repeat 6 times. (18 stitches)
4. Round 4: (2 sc, inc) repeat 6 times. (24 stitches)
5. Round 5: (3 sc, inc) repeat 6 times. (30 stitches)
6. Round 6: (4 sc, inc) repeat 6 times. (36 stitches)
7. Rounds 7 to 14: Work 1 sc in every stitch around. (36 stitches)
8. Round 15: (4 sc, dec) repeat 6 times. (30 stitches)
9. Round 16: (3 sc, dec) repeat 6 times. (24 stitches)
10. Round 17: (2 sc, dec) repeat 6 times. (18 stitches)
11. Stuff the body firmly, making sure it is nice and round.
12. Round 18: (1 sc, dec) repeat 6 times. (12 stitches)
13. Round 19: Dec 6 times. (6 stitches)
14. Cut the yarn, leaving a long tail. Pull the tail through the front loops of the last 6 stitches and pull tight to close. Weave in the end.

Part 2: The Head

Worked with cream yarn.

1. Round 1: Work 6 sc into a magic ring. (6 stitches)
2. Round 2: Inc in every stitch around. (12 stitches)
3. Round 3: (1 sc, inc) repeat 6 times. (18 stitches)
4. Round 4: (2 sc, inc) repeat 6 times. (24 stitches)
5. Rounds 5 to 9: Work 1 sc in every stitch around. (24 stitches)
6. Round 10: (2 sc, dec) repeat 6 times. (18 stitches)
7. Round 11: (1 sc, dec) repeat 6 times. (12 stitches)
8. Stuff the head firmly so it is nice and round.
9. Round 12: Dec 6 times. (6 stitches)
10. Cut the yarn, leaving a long tail for sewing. Pull the tail through the front loops of the last 6 stitches and pull tight to close.

Part 3: The Muzzle

Worked with pink yarn.

1. Round 1: Work 6 sc into a magic ring. (6 stitches)
2. Round 2: Inc in every stitch around. (12 stitches)
3. Round 3: (1 sc, inc) repeat 6 times. (18 stitches)
4. Round 4: (2 sc, inc) repeat 6 times. (24 stitches)
5. Rounds 5 to 6: Work 1 sc in every stitch around. (24 stitches)
6. Round 7: (2 sc, dec) repeat 6 times. (18 stitches)
7. Round 8: (1 sc, dec) repeat 6 times. (12 stitches)
8. Stuff the muzzle firmly so it is nice and round.
9. Round 9: Dec 6 times. (6 stitches)
10. Cut the yarn, leaving a long tail for sewing. Pull the tail through the front loops of the last 6 stitches and pull tight to close.

Part 4: The Eye Patches (Make 2)

Worked with white yarn.

1. Round 1: Work 6 sc into a magic ring. (6 stitches)
2. Round 2: Inc in every stitch around. (12 stitches)
3. Join with a sl st to the next stitch and fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. Flatten the little circle.

Part 5: The Ears (Make 2)

Worked with cream yarn.

1. Round 1: Work 6 sc into a magic ring. (6 stitches)
2. Round 2: (1 sc, inc) repeat 3 times. (9 stitches)
3. Round 3: (2 sc, inc) repeat 3 times. (12 stitches)
4. Rounds 4 to 6: Work 1 sc in every stitch around. (12 stitches)
5. Round 7: (2 sc, dec) repeat 3 times. (9 stitches)
6. Cut the yarn, leaving a long tail for sewing. Do not stuff. Pinch the ear flat so it looks like a floppy oval ear.

Part 6: The Horns (Make 2)

Worked with brown yarn.

1. Round 1: Work 6 sc into a magic ring. (6 stitches)
2. Rounds 2 to 5: Work 1 sc in every stitch around. (6 stitches)
3. Stuff very lightly with a tiny bit of stuffing.
4. Cut the yarn, leaving a long tail for sewing. Leave the end open.

Part 7: The Legs (Make 4)

Worked with black and cream yarn. Start at the hoof.

1. Round 1 (black): Work 6 sc into a magic ring. (6 stitches)
2. Round 2 (black): Inc in every stitch around. (12 stitches)
3. Round 3 (black): Work 1 sc in the BLO of every stitch around. (12 stitches) This leaves a little ridge, which makes the scalloped edge on the hoof.
4. Round 4 (cream): Work 1 sc in every stitch around. (12 stitches)
5. Round 5 (cream): (2 sc, dec) repeat 3 times. (9 stitches)
6. Rounds 6 to 7 (cream): Work 1 sc in every stitch around. (9 stitches)
7. Stuff firmly.
8. Cut the yarn, leaving a long tail for sewing. Leave the end open.

Part 8: The Spots (Make 4 per cow, in mixed sizes)

Worked with black yarn.

Small spot:

1. Round 1: Work 6 sc into a magic ring. (6 stitches)
2. Round 2: Inc in every stitch around. (12 stitches)
3. Join with a sl st and fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing.

Large spot:

1. Work Rounds 1 and 2 of the small spot.
2. Round 3: (1 sc, inc) repeat 6 times. (18 stitches)
3. Join with a sl st and fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing.

Make 2 large and 2 small spots for each cow, or mix them to suit your taste.

Assembly and Finishing

This is where your cows come to life. Take your time pinning before you sew.

Finishing the Head:

1. Pin the muzzle on the lower front of the head, so it sticks out and covers the bottom half of the face. It should sit slightly below the center of the head.
2. Sew the muzzle on all the way around with the long tail. Add a little more stuffing under it, if needed, to make it nice and round.
3. With dark brown or black yarn, embroider two small nostrils on the muzzle, about 3 stitches apart.
4. Pin an eye patch on each side of the top of the head, just above the muzzle. They should sit close together and look slightly crossed, which makes the cow look funny and sweet.
5. Place a small black bead (or safety eye) in the center of each eye patch, and sew it on firmly. Then sew each eye patch onto the head.
6. If you like, use gray or light blue yarn to embroider a tiny swirl around each eye bead for the goofy look in the photo.

Adding the Horns, Ears, and Tuft:

1. Pin the horns on top of the head, about 4 stitches apart, and slightly angled outward. Sew them on all the way around the base.
2. Pin the ears on each side of the head, below and behind the horns, pointing out sideways. Sew them on along the bottom edge only, so the tips can flop out.
3. Tuft: Cut 4 strands of brown yarn and 2 strands of cream yarn, each about 3 inches long. Fold them in half, and pull the loop through the top center of the head, between the horns. Pull the tails through the loop to make a knot. Trim the ends to about 1 inch and fluff them.

Attaching the Head:

1. Pin the head on the front of the body, a little above the center, and tilted slightly downward.
2. Sew all the way around the back of the head, going through the front stitches of the body. Sew firmly, so the head does not wobble.

Attaching the Legs:

1. Pin the 4 legs to the underside of the body, with the front legs about 2 inches (5 cm) behind the head and the back legs near the rear.
2. Sew each leg on firmly, going around twice. Place the legs a little apart so the cow stands up.

Adding the Spots:

1. Pin the spots on the body in a pleasing pattern, with 1 or 2 on each side. Look at the photo for ideas, and place a small spot near the legs, a large one in the middle, and one on the back.
2. Sew them on with the tails, going around the edge with small stitches.
3. Weave in all remaining ends.

A Few Friendly Tips

• Keep it snug: Keep your tension tight and even. Loose stitches let the stuffing show through, and tight stitches make the cow look neat and chunky.
• Standing strong: If your cow tips over, sew the legs a little further apart and add a bit more stuffing to the body and legs.
• Expression: Pin the eyes in place and look at them from a few angles. Putting them close together and slightly off-center makes the cow look goofy, and placing them farther apart makes it look sweet.
• Make it your own: Try a brown cow with cream spots, a pink strawberry cow, a baby cow with extra-big eyes, or add a tiny bell on a ribbon around the neck.
• Tail: For a tail, chain 10 in cream, sl st back down the chain, and add a little brown tuft at the end. Sew it to the back of the body.
• Size up: For bigger cows, use chunky yarn and a larger hook, with the same stitch counts.
• Safe for little ones: For babies and toddlers, skip the beads and safety eyes, and embroider the eyes with black yarn instead. Sew the spots on firmly, or embroider them.

I hope you enjoy making these two silly, sweet little cows. They are such a fun project and make the most wonderful handmade gifts.

If you run into any trouble or just want to share how your cows turned out, please reach out. I love seeing what you create.

Happy crocheting!