A Bug For A Bug

The Etsy forums are popping today, as they were yesterday, with complaints about the epic search bug that has had our traffic depressingly low. Views and sales are down for many shops that usually sell very well on weekends.

The jokes abound as well, of course. What have they done with the bug? Have they killed it, or are they conducting scientific experiments?

To cheer some of you up, I'm going to give you a bug of my own - a free bug crochet pattern, that is! I have never shared my patterns for free, so this the first time that a Moss Mountain pattern is being offered. I hope that you like him. He's a sleepy bed bug, created out of frustration at having seen a neat knit version of it once upon a time.

Bed Bug Pattern 

Use an F or 4mm hook and DK or light worsted yarn to achieve a small bedbug around 3 inches long.

For the popcorn stitch:
Work 6hdc in the same stitch, drop loop from hook, insert hook from front to back in the top of the first sc of group and pull dropped loop through stitch. Then chain 1 (this will give you the stitch you need to crochet into on the next round).

Bedbug
Head and body are worked all in one piece.

Chain 2
Rnd 1: 4sc in 2nd ch from hook. (4)
Rnd 2: 2sc in each st around. (8)
Rnd 3: [2sc in first st, 1sc in next st} 4 times. (12)
Rnd 4: [2sc in first st, 1sc in next 2sts} 4 times. (16)
Rnd 5: Sc in each st around. (16)
Rnd 6: Sc in each st around. (16)
Rnd 7: [dec, sc in next 2 sts] 4 times. (12)
Rnd 8: [dec, sc in next st] 4 times. (8)
Stuff head now
Rnd 9: Sc in each st around. (8)
Rnd 10: 2sc in each st around. (16)
Rnd 11: 2sc, 6hdc popcorn st in next st, 1sc in each of next 5sts, 6hdc popcorn st in next st, 1 sc in each of next 7 sts.  (16)
Rnd 12: [2sc in first st, 1 sc in next] 8 times. (24)
Rnd 13: Sc in each st around. (24)

Rnd 14: 4sc, 6hdc popcorn st in next st, 1sc in each of next 8 sts, 6hdc popcorn st in next st, 1 sc in each
of next 10sts. (24)
Rnd 15: Sc in each st around. (24)
Rnd 16: [dec, 1 sc in each of next 2st] 6 times. (18)
Rnd 17: 4sc, 6hdc popcorn st in next st, 1sc in each of next 6 sts, 6hdc popcorn st in next st, 1 sc in each
of next 6 sts. (18)
Rnd 18: [dec, sc in next st] 6 times. (12)
Rnd 19: Sc in each st around. (12)
Stuff body now.
Rnd 20: Dec in each st around. (6)
Fasten off

Hat
Chain 2
Rnd 1: 4sc in 2nd ch from hook. (4)
Rnd 2: 1sc in each st around. (4)
Rnd 3: 1sc in each st around. (4)
Rnd 4: [2sc in first st, 1sc in next st] twice. (6)
Rnd 5: 1sc in each st around. (6)
Rnd 6: [2sc in first st, 1sc in next 2 sts] twice. (8)
Rnd 7: 1sc in each st around. (8)
Rnd 8: 1sc in each st around. (8)
Rnd 9: 1sc in each st around. (8)
Rnd 10: [2sc in first st, 1sc in next 3sts] twice. (10)
Rnd 11: 1sc in each st around. (10)
Rnd 12: 1sc in each st around. (10)
Rnd 13: [2sc in first st, 1sc in next 4sts] twice. (12)
Rnd 14: 1sc in each st around. (12)
Rnd 15: 1sc in each st around. (12)
Rnd 16: 1hdc in each st around. (12)
Slip stitch and fasten off. Sew to head and catch the top of the hat in desired position.

Copyright 2016, Moss Mountain Patterns.
Do not sell, copy, or redistribute this pattern (aside from linking to this blog post.) You may sell your finished items! But please do not sell on Etsy, and please credit me as designer, and provide a link to my Etsy shop wherever you sell online.

Check out my Etsy shop for more cute crochet patterns:
Moss Mountain on Etsy