“ ‘I wear the chain I forged in life,’ replied the Ghost. ‘I made it link by link, and yard by yard; I girded it on of my own free will, and of my own free will I wore it. Is its pattern strange to you? If so, don’t be afraid to ask an experienced crocheter for help.’ ”

EBENEZER SCROOGE

CHARLES DICKENS’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL, 1843

If Ebenezer Scrooge were to live through Christmas today, he’d be as grumpy as ever. The endless holiday songs on the radio, the fights over that perfect gift, the awkward gift exchanges at the office…I feel you, Mr. Scrooge. Christmas is kind of a holiday circus.

MATERIALS

• Size E and size G crochet hooks

• Worsted-weight yarn in silver gray, cream, white, deep green, and red

• 6-mm black plastic safety eyes

• Tapestry needle

• 7" length of 18-gauge aluminum, or other silver-colored wire

• Pencil

• Fiberfill

• Polypellets, optional

• ⅛"-wide gold ribbon, optional

NOTES

Use a size E crochet hook for all parts unless otherwise specified.

Work in continuous rounds unless otherwise specified.

HEAD

Round 1: Starting with silver-gray yarn, sc 5 in magic ring. {5}

Round 2: [Sc 2 in one stitch] 5 times. {10}

Round 3: [Sc 2 in one stitch] 10 times. {20}

Round 4: [Sc 3, sc 2 in next stitch] 5 times. {25}

Round 5: [Sc 4, sc 2 in next stitch] 5 times. {30}

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 silver-gray yarn, sc 19, changing to cream yarn. {14 cream + 19 silver gray = 33}

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

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

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

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

Fasten off and tuck in the end. Attach eyes between rows 8 and 9 (two rows below the hairline), approximately 6 stitches apart. Using overlapping straight stitches of silver-gray yarn and a tapestry needle, sew on two grumpy eyebrows.

MUTTONCHOPS (MAKE 2)

Using silver-gray yarn, ch 6 and crochet the following:

Row 1: Starting in the 2nd ch from the hook, sc 5 across. {5}

Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing, and use a tapestry needle to sew one muttonchop onto each side of his face.

GLASSES

Wrap a 7-inch length of 18-gauge wire around a pencil, leaving about 1½ to 2 inches unwrapped (A). This will become one lens of Scrooge’s glasses.

Place the loop over one eye. Use the pencil again to make a second loop that will align with the other eye. Bend down the ends of the wire at a 90-degree angle and insert them at eye level into his head (B).

Secure the glasses by bending the ends of wire inside the head to lie flat. Optional: Sew a few stitches to secure the ends inside the head. Shift the glasses below his eyes to make him look down in contempt. Stuff head firmly with fiberfill.

PAJAMAS

Using a size G hook and white yarn, ch 15, then sl st into the first chain to form a ring.

Round 1: Sc 15. {15}

Round 2: [Sc 2, sc 2 in next stitch] 5 times. {20}

Round 3: [Sc 1, sc 2 in next stitch] 10 times. {30}

Rounds 4–7: Sc 30. {30}

Round 8: [Sc 5, sc 2 in next stitch] 5 times. {35}

Fasten off and weave in the end.

BODY

Using white yarn, crochet a Basic Body as on here. Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing.

Stuff the body firmly with fiberfill, or fill with polypellets first and then top off with fiberfill. Place pajamas on body, lining up the stitches along the neckline; sew head, pajamas, and body together using a whipstitch.

HAT

Round 1: With white yarn, sc 3 in magic ring. {3}

Round 2: In back loops only, sc 3. {3}

Round 3: [Sc 2 in one stitch] 3 times. {6}

Round 4: [Sc 1, sc 2 in next stitch] 3 times. {9}

Round 5: Sc 9. {9}

Round 6: [Sc 2, sc 2 in next stitch] 3 times. {12}

Rounds 7–8: Sc 12. {12}

Round 9: [Sc 3, sc 2 in next stitch] 3 times. {15}

Round 10: Sc 15. {15}

Round 11: [Sc 2, sc 2 in next stitch] 5 times. {20}

Round 12: [Sc 3, sc 2 in next stitch] 5 times. {25}

Round 13: [Sc 4, sc 2 in next stitch] 5 times. {30}

Round 14: Sc 30. {30}

Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing. Sew hat onto head using only the inner ring of loops only (back loops). Fold over the tip of the hat as desired.

WREATH

Using a size G hook and deep-green yarn, ch 26, then crochet the following:

Row 1: Starting in the 2nd ch from the hook, [sc 1, ch 2, then sl st in the front two loops of the previous sc, sl st in the next ch] repeatedly down the chain.

Fasten off, leaving a short tail.

Using red yarn and a tapestry needle, sew onto the wreath a few French knots (see tutorial, opposite) as holly berries. Encircle Scrooge’s neck with the wreath and tie ends together. Weave in the ends. You may further secure the wreath with a single stitch of yarn at the back of the neck. Optional: Tie on a gold ribbon bow for extra (grumpy) cheer.

TUTORIAL: FRENCH KNOT

French knots are great for adding little dots onto your projects. They could be buttons, eyes, or in Scrooge’s case berries on a festive wreath. Here’s how to make them.

1 Pull a length of yarn or thread out of your fabric.

2 Wrap the yarn or thread around the needle 3 or 4 times.

3 Reinsert the needle close to the yarn’s original exit point, but not exactly at the same place.

4 Holding the yarn closest to the eye of the needle with one hand and the end of your needle with the other, carefully pull the needle through, but not all the way. Stop when the knot is the size you want it and then tie it off. To make larger dots, wrap the yarn or thread around the needle more than 3 or 4 times.