Abby Cadabby!

My daughter is also a big Abby fan. Or Ah-ee, since she can’t pronounce the letter B yet. When I started Abby, I figured it would be a big project, but I wasn’t prepared for how big it would be. So here’s some warning for you: Abby is a BIG project. There’s nothing really hard about Abby (except the hair is a bit tricky, and if you have a better way of getting hair on a softie, please do it that way), but there’s a lot to do. Also note that my Abby is based off of the Abby in the digital cartoons on Sesame Street, which is why her skirt is different colours.

I used the same basic pattern for Abby that I did for Elmo.

Abby Cadabby is a licensed character, owned by Sesame Workshop. As such, Abby may not be sold for profit.

I’m pretty pleased with how Abby came out. If I were to make her again, the only thing I would change would probably be the tongue on the mouth. As is, it looks kind of like a weird tooth. If I didn’t have two toddlers, one being destructopants, I would probably make the wings longer and stiffen them up with wire around the edges.

Materials:

• I used worsted weight in baby blue, teal, lavender, baby pink, fuschia, white, black, and purple.
• G-sized crochet hook. It’s not the size that’s important so I’m not including a gauge. I crochet pretty tightly, if your stitches are looser you may want to use a smaller hook. The important thing is to make sure that the stitches are tight enough to hold in the stuffing.
• I used polyfiber stuffing, but any stuffing will do.
• Scissors to cut the yarn.
• A needle with an eye big enough for yarn.
• Safety pin, optional.
• Fabric glue.
• Basting pins.

The head and body are worked in continuous rounds. Use a stitch marker to keep your place and move it up as you complete rows. I use a safety pin and just put it through the last stitch of a round.

Head and Body (starting from the top of the head, continuous rounds)
1) ch 6, join with sl st, sc in each ch (6)
2) 2 sc in each sc (12)
3) sc, 2 sc in next sc* around (18)
4) sc2, 2 sc in next sc* around (24)
5) sc3, 2 sc in next sc* around (30)
6) sc4, 2 sc in next sc* around (36)
7) sc5, 2 sc in next sc* around (42)
8) sc6, 2 sc in next sc* around (48)
9-14) sc in each sc around (48)
15) sc6, dec over 2 sc* around (42)
16) sc5, dec over 2 sc* around (36)
17) sc4, dec over 2 sc* around (30)
18) sc3, dec over 2 sc* around (24)
19) sc in each sc (24)
20) switch to blue, sc in each sc (24)
stuff the head, then stuff the body as you go
21) sc3, 2 sc in next sc* around (30)
22) sc4, 2 sc in next sc* around (36)
23) sc in each sc around (36)
24) sc5, 2 sc in next sc around (42)
25-29) sc in each sc (42)
30) sc5, dec over 2 sc* around (36)
31) sc in each sc around (36)
32) sc4, dec over 2 sc* around (30)
33) sc in each sc (30)
34) sc3, dec over 2 sc* around (24)
35) sc in each sc (24)
36) sc2, dec over 2 sc* around (18)
37) sc, dec over 2 sc* around (12)
38) dec over 2 sc around (6)
Finish off, break yarn, leaving enough of a tail to sew closed. Sew closed, weave in end

Legs (rows, make 2)
1) ch 12, join with sl st to form ring, sc in each ch, join with sl st (12)
2-15) ch 1, sc in each sc around, join with sl st (12)
16) ch 1, 2 sc in each sc around, join with sl st (24)
17-21) ch 1, sc in each sc around, join with sl st (24)
22) ch 1, *sc2, dec over 2 sc* around, join with sl st (18)
23) ch 1, *sc, 4 dc in next sc, sc* around (36)
break yarn, finish off
Sew toes closed, sew closed between rows 14-15. Stuff.

Skirt (4 blue, 4 teal, 2 lavender)
1) ch 6, sc in 2nd ch from hook to end (5)
2-12) ch 1, turn, sc in each sc (5)
13) ch 1, turn, dec over 2 sc, sc, dec over 2 sc (3)
14) ch 1, turn, dec over 2 sc, sc (2)
15) ch 1, turn, dec over 2 sc (1)
break yarn, finish off

Arms (rows, make 2)
1) ch 8, join with sl st to form ring, sc in each ch, join with sl st (8)
2-13) ch 1, sc in each sc around, join with sl st (8)
14) ch 1, 2 sc in each sc around, join with sl st (16)
15) ch 1, sc in each sc around, join with sl st (16)
16) ch 1, *sc and 2 dc in next sc, 2 dc and sc in next sc* around, join with sl st (48)
break yarn, finish off
sew fingers closed, sew closed between rows 12-13

Pupils (make 2)
1) ch 2, sc in 2nd ch from hook
ch 1, join light blue, sl st with light blue around outside of sc
break, yarn finish off

Eyes (make 2)
1) ch 5, sc in 2nd ch from hook to end (4)
2-3) ch 1, turn, sc in each sc (4)
4) ch 1, turn, *dec over 2 sc* twice (2)
5) ch 1, turn, dec over 2 sc (1)
break yarn, finish off

Eyelashes (make 1 on each eye)
1) join black to side of row 1 of eye, sc evenly up to top of row 5
break yarn, finish off

Nose
1) ch 2, sc 6 in 2nd ch from hook, join with sl st (6)
2) ch 1, sc in each sc around, join with sl st (6)
break yarn, finish off

Mouth (row)
1) ch 7, sc in each sc from second ch to end (6)
2) turn, sl st into 2nd sc, ch 1, *dec over 2 sc* twice, sl st into last sc (2 sl st and 2 sc)
break yarn, finish off. Embroider on tongue before attaching to head

Ears (make 2)
1) ch 3, 2 sc in 2nd ch from hook, 5 sc in last ch, 3 sc in bottom loop of 2nd ch from hook, join with sl st (10)
break yarn, finish off

Pigtail Holders (make 2)
Band
1) ch 12, join with sl st to form ring, ch 1, sc in each ch around, join with sl st (12)
2) ch 1, sc in each sc around, join with sl st (12)
break yarn, finish off
Flower
1) ch 6, join with sl st, sc 10 in a ring, join with sl st (10)
2) ch 1, *sl st and dc in next ch, dc and sl st in next ch* around, join with sl st (20)
break yarn, finish off

Big Wing (make 2)
1) ch 6, skip first 3 ch (counts as first dc), dc in next 3 ch (4)
2-5) ch 3, turn, dc in each dc (4)
6) ch 2, dc in next dc, dc dec over 2 dc (2)
Break yarn, finish off

Small Wing (make 2)
1) ch 5, skip first 3 ch (counts as first dc), dc in next 2 dc (3)
2-4) ch 3, turn, dc in each dc (3)
5) ch 2, dc dec over 2 dc (1)
break yarn, finish off

Freckles
Make French knots with purple.

Hair
Cut lengths of yarn 15 inches long. Tie a knot through top of head. Run down to side of head, behind ears, loop through a stitch on side of head. Repeat on other side. Cover head with yarn for hair. Loop back up to top and tie both sides together for the first few rows to form the bangs. For the rest of hair, loop back up and glue on with fabric glue to right behind row where bangs start. Trim long ends.

Pigtails (make 2)
Make pompom with purple and fuschia.

Assembly
Sew legs to bottom of body. Baste skirt to body. Refer to the diagram for the order that the skirt pieces will go in. You’ll have just a little bit of overlap on each skirt piece.

Sew on skirt. Sew arms to sides of body. Embroider tongue on mouth, sew mouth to bottom of face. Sew on nose. Sew pupils to eyes, sew eyes to face. I sewed on the whites with white yarn and the eyelashes with black yarn. Sew on ears. Add freckles. Sew wings to back, big wings on top. Sew flower to pigtail holder band. Glue to hair with fabric glue, flower facing forward. Glue one pompom in each pigtail holder band.