Literary Yarns

“It has long been an axiom of mine that the little stitches are infinitely the most important.”

Sherlock Holmes was brilliant almost to a fault, with an eye for detail that helped him crack cases no one else could solve. If we all had a mind like his, we wouldn’t be losing our keys all the time.

MATERIALS

• Size E and size G crochet hooks

• Worsted-weight yarn in brown, cream, taupe, black, and white

• 6-mm black plastic safety eyes

• Stitch markers

• Tapestry needle

• Small amount of black lightweight (#3) yarn or embroidery floss

• Fiberfill

• Polypellets, optional

Round 6: [Sc 9, sc 2 in next stitch] 3 times, changing to cream yarn in the last stitch. {33}

Rounds 7–9: Sc 14, changing to brown yarn, sc 19, changing to cream yarn. {14 cream + 19 brown = 33}

Round 10: Sc 9, dec 1, sc 3, changing to brown yarn. Sc 6, dec 1, sc 9, dec 1, changing to cream yarn. {13 cream + 17 brown = 30}

Round 11: [Sc 4, dec 1] twice, sc 1, changing to brown yarn. Sc 3, dec 1, [sc 4, dec 1] twice, changing to cream yarn in the last stitch. {11 cream + 14 brown = 25}

Round 12: [Sc 3, dec 1] twice, sc 1, changing to brown yarn. Sc 2, dec 1, [sc 3, dec 1] twice, changing to cream yarn in the last stitch. {9 cream + 11 brown = 20}

Round 13: [Sc 2, dec 1] twice, sc 1, changing to brown yarn. Sc 1, dec 1, [sc 2, dec 1] twice. {7 cream + 8 brown = 15}

Fasten off and tuck in the end. Attach eyes between rows 8 and 9 (two rows below the hairline), approximately 6 stitches apart. Stuff head firmly with fiberfill.

The following will start the front brim of the hat. Do not count the slip stitches in your stitch count. Use stitch markers to mark the first and last sc of each row from this point on. (The technique used for both brims of the hat is the same as that for jackets; see here.)

Row 9: In the front loops only, sc 15. Then sl st in next stitch, ch 1, and turn. {15}

Row 10: Skip over the first sc, then sc 2, hdc 2, [hdc 2 in one stitch] 5 times, hdc 2, sc 2, sl st in next stitch, ch 1, and turn. {18}

Row 11: Sc in the sl st from the previous row, then sc 18 across, sc in the last sl st in the previous row. {20}

Do not count slip stitches in your stitch count. Use stitch markers to mark the first and last sc of each row.

Using taupe yarn, starting 5 stitches away from the end of the front brim, crochet the following into the edge of the hat:

Row 1: In the front loops only sc 10 across, then sl st, ch ,1 and turn. {10}

Row 2: Sc 3, then [hdc 2 in one stitch] 4 times, sc 3. Sl st, ch 1, and turn. {14}

Row 6: Sc 5 up one edge of the ear flap, then sc 3 in one stitch when you reach the point of the flap. Sc 5 back down the other side.

Sew flaps onto the edge of the hat in the gaps between the front and back brims, and weave in the ends. Bring the two tips of the flaps together at the top of the hat, then thread a short length of black lightweight yarn through them and tie it a bow. Trim excess. Position the hat onto Sherlock’s head and sew on with taupe yarn.

Starting with black yarn, crochet a Basic Body as on here, changing to white yarn in the last stitch of Round 8. Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing. Stuff the body firmly with fiberfill, or fill with polypellets first and then top off with fiberfill. Sew to the head using a whipstitch.

Do not count slip stitches in your stitch count. Use stitch markers to mark the first and last sc of each row for rows 2–4 to help with this. (See opposite.)

Row 4: In front loops only, skip the first sc, sc 20, sl st, ch 1, and turn. {20}

Row 5: Sc 2 in the first sc, sc 3, sc 2 in next stitch, sc 10, sc 2 in next stitch, sc 3, sc 2 in next stitch. Ch 1 and turn. {24}

Row 6: Sc 2 in one stitch, sc 5, sc 2 in next stitch, sc 10, sc 2 in next stitch, sc 5, sc 2 in next stitch. Ch 1 and turn. {28}

Rows 8–10: Sc 30 across. Ch 1 and turn at the ends of rows 8–9. At the end of row 10, fasten off and weave in the end. {30}

Fold coat at the line of stitches in the front loops to create the Inverness cape over his coat and, using a length of taupe yarn and a tapestry needle, sew the midpoint of the coat collar to the back of his neck with a few stitches. Thread a short length of black lightweight yarn or embroidery floss between the two points where the coat meets, at Sherlock’s neck. Pull the two ends through evenly and tie a bow. Trim excess.

TUTORIAL: JACKET VISUAL GUIDE

Some of the characters in this book wear jackets, and part of their instructions look like this:

Row 3: Skip the first sc, sc 28, sl st in last stitch, ch1, and turn. {28}

This visual guide explains it all. We’ll start at the end of the row, where the directions say “sl st in the last stitch, ch 1, and turn.” Here is the last single crochet stitch in the row, indicated by a pink stitch marker.

Insert the hook into the next stitch, yarn over, and pull up a slip stitch.

Then ch 1, and turn your work around.

Now let’s move on to the beginning of the next row, where the directions say “Skip the first sc, then sc __.” When you’ve turned the work around, the last single crochet stitch you made is now the first one in the row. Skip past the first single crochet stitch (do not count the chain or slip stitches), and insert the hook under the next stitch to make the first single crochet stitch in the new row (C). This is where the stitch marker comes in handy to show where to skip over.

Move the stitch marker onto the new first single crochet stitch of the row and continue to crochet across as normal (D).