Carl The Crochet Cardinal
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I have a new little love. This darling crochet cardinal. He’s cute. He’s squishy. He’s quick to crochet. Perfection!
Meet darling Carl: my latest crochet bird pattern!
Do you remember Toby the Turkey? The cutie pie turkey I designed several months ago? Well ever since, I’ve had a secret obsession with designing crochet birds.
There might actually be an entire FLOCK of them sitting on the shelf above our living room TV right now. My husband has his favorites and he even brought out his bird watching book for more inspiration.
My crochet birds are incredibly fun to crochet and they are so darn cute that they make you smile. Perfect for tucking into little corners of your world or for gift giving.
I wanted to start out with a cardinal because cardinals hold such a special place in my heart. Cardinals mean different things to different people. They can represent hope, devotion, wisdom or blessings.
Some people believe that seeing a cardinal is a sign that a deceased loved one is nearby, symbolizing a connection between the earthly realm and the one beyond.
Since cardinals don’t migrate, their beautiful red is breathtaking against our snowy winter landscapes here in Michigan. When I spot them, they always remind me of people we’ve lost. They give me a moment to remember the good times and how blessed I was to know and love them.
I love a cardinal or two in my winter decor. They brighten my life and remind me that we’re all connected to our past, our present and our future. Sometimes it’s the littlest of things in life that can remind you of what you treasure most: family, friends and love.
Let’s talk the crochet details.
Enter the two amazing components of this cute pattern: A Super Bulky Weight yarn crocheted with a smaller than normal hook to give the piece just the right amount of stiffness. And the chenille style yarn. I’m a big fan of Premier Parfait Chunky yarn for this project.
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Pop over to Herrschner’s for the best pricing or Amazon. If you can’t locate a color, this Etsy shop seems to stock them all and has pretty fast shipping.
The head and body is worked in 1 piece. The tummy has a few extra stitches for that adorable pudgy look.
The details on this little guy make all the difference. Designing with a bulky weight yarn can make it a challenge to get small pieces with a lot of detail. You’ll find the beak, feet, feathers have very few stitches, but very intentional placement. It’s so fun and quick to crochet these little elements.
Let’s crochet!
Crochet Cardinal
Materials
- Super Bulky Weight #6 yarn (try Herrschners, Amazon or Etsy)
- Red: 45 yards, sample used Premier Parfait Chunky in Cardinal
- Gold: 3.5 yards, sample used Premier Parfait Chunky in Mustard
- Black: 1/2 yard, sample used Premier Parfait Chunky in Black
- US H8/5.00 mm crochet hook these are my absolute favorite hooks I recommend to everyone!)
- 10 mm safety eyes. NOTE: if making for a baby or young child, embroider eyes instead
- Stitch markers to keep track of rows
- Fiberfill
- Tapestry needle and scissors
Resources and tutorials you may find helpful in following this pattern: Crochet Abbreviations, US to UK Crochet Conversion Chart. Find links to stitches on the “Tutorial” menu: Getting Started will show basic stitches used in many patterns and Crochet Stitch Dictionary shows our growing collection of crochet stitch tutorials.
Gauge:
My gauge is 6 sc to 2 inches. However, gauge is not important in this pattern. You may use other weights of yarn. Adjust hook size to fit your needs.
Resources and crochet tutorials you may find helpful in following this pattern: Crochet Abbreviations, US to UK Crochet Conversion Chart. Find links to stitches and basic crochet skills on the “Tutorial” menu: Getting Started will show basic stitches such as the slip stitch, single crochet, double crochet stitch and chain stitch used in many patterns and Crochet Stitch Dictionary shows our growing collection of crochet stitch tutorials.
Crochet Abbreviations:
- ch = chain
- sc = single crochet
- sl st = slip stitch
- st = stitch(es)
Finished Crochet Cardinal Size
The cardinal is approximately 6” tall x 4.5” wide.
How to Crochet a Bird
The head and body of the crochet cardinal are worked in one piece, starting at the top of the head, decreasing at the neck and then increasing to work the body. Then we crochet the beak, wings, feet and top and tail feathers.
Cardinal Head and Body
Using red yarn, make a magic ring.
R1: 6 sc into ring (6 sts). Work in rounds
R2: 2 sc in ea st (12 st)
R3: *sc in next st, 2 sc in next. Repeat from * around. (18 st)
R4: *sc in next 2 st, 2 sc in next. Repeat from * around. (24 st)
R5-8: sc around. (24 st)
R9: *sc in next 2 st, sc next 2 st together. Repeat from * around (18 st)
R10: *sc in next st, sc next 2 st together. Repeat from * around (12 st)
Insert safety eyes between rows 6 & 7, leaving 4 stitches in between them. Stuff head and continue to stuff body as you work.
R11: *sc in next st, 2 sc in next. Repeat from * around. (18 st)
R12: *sc in next 2 st, 2 sc in next. Repeat from * around. (24 st)
R13: sc around (24 st)
R14: *sc in next 5 st, 2 sc in next. Repeat from * around. (28 st)
R15-18: sc around. (28 st)
R19: *sc in next 5 st, sc next 2 st together. Repeat from * around (24 st)
R20: *sc in next st, sc next 2 st together. Repeat from * around (16 st) Firmly stuff body the rest of the way.
R21: *sc next 2 st together. Repeat from * around (8 st) Fasten off, weave end through last stitches and pull tight.
Beak
With Gold yarn, make a magic ring.
R1: 4 sc into ring (4 sts). Work in rounds
R2: (sc in next st, 2sc in next st) twice (6 st). Fasten off, using an invisible join if you prefer.
Sew beak between and below eyes. Beak covers all of row 8 and parts of rows 7 & 9 (or as desired).
Black Accent Stripe Around Beak
The black stripe around the beak is made with a single stitch, looped over and around the beak. Here’s how: Thread a yarn needle with a long strand of black yarn.
Tie a knot at the end of the yarn. Then use the needle to come up through the body and stuffing, pushing the needle out through the middle of the underside of the beak where it meets the body. Tug on the yarn so that the knot pops into the stuffing and hides the end.
The threaded strand of yarn is now coming out from under the center of the beak. Carefully take the strand of yarn and wrap it around the outside of the beak to form a circle around the bottom edge of the beak where it meets the face. When you come back to the bottom, insert the needle back into the same spot, so that the yarn makes a complete circle around the beak.
Pull the needle out the back of the body of the cardinal and pull tight, making sure that the black stripe is lying neatly around the beak.
To secure the yarn, knot it, then bury the knotted end inside of the stuffing on the body.
Cut the yarn close to the work.
Top Feathers (Hair)
With red yarn, *ch 3, sl st in next 2 st, repeat from * 2 more times. Fasten off and sew to top of head.
Wings (Make 2)
With red yarn, make a magic ring.
R1: 4 sc into ring (4 sts). Work in rounds
R2: (sc in next st, 2sc in next st) twice (6 st).
R3: (sc in next 2 st, 2sc in next st) twice (8 st)
R4: sc around (8 st)
R5: Fold piece in half, then carefully sc across the double thickness (4 st)
R6: ch 1, (sc next 2 st together) twice. (2 st) Fasten off leaving a long strand for joining.
Sew a wing on either side of the body near neck.
Tail Feathers
With red yarn, *ch 7, sl st in next 1 st, repeat from * 2 more times (3 loops). Fasten off and sew to the lower back of bird.
Feet (Make 2)
With gold yarn, ch 3
R1: sl st in 2nd ch from hook (1st toe made), *ch 2, sl st in 2nd ch from hook. Repeat from * once (3 toes made). Then, sl st to very 1st chain in round to connect the toes back to the start. Fasten off leaving a long strand for joining.
Sew feet between rows 19 and 20 of body, or as desired.
Weave in any loose ends.
I love seeing your finished projects! If you enjoyed making this Crochet Cardinal pattern, I’d love to see yours on Instagram, be sure to tag me @crochet365knittoo. If you are on Facebook, stop over to the Crochet 365 Knit Too Facebook page or pop over to the Crochet365KnitToo Club and share a photo! I’d love to see your work!
