“My person was hideous and my stature gigantic. What did this mean? Who was I? What was I? Whence did I come? Where did all this yarn come from?”

FRANKENSTEIN’S MONSTER

MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT SHELLEY’S FRANKENSTEIN, 1818

Frankenstein’s monster is plagued by a case of mistaken identity, always being confused with a mad scientist. But when you’re made of a hodgepodge of parts from dead bodies, we’re guessing nomenclature is the least of your problems.

MATERIALS

• Size E crochet hook

• Worsted-weight yarn in black, pear green, silver or gray, pink, light brown, and white

• 6-mm black plastic safety eyes

• Tapestry needle

• Red and gray embroidery floss and embroidery needle

• Fiberfill

• Polypellets, optional

NOTES

Work in continuous rounds unless otherwise specified.

HAIR

Using black yarn, ch 11, then crochet the following:

Row 1: Starting in the 2nd ch from the hook, sc 10 across. Ch 1 and turn. {10}

Rows 2–8: Sc 10 across, ch 1, and turn. {10}

From here, crochet in continuous rounds.

Round 1: In back loops only, sc 10 across, then sc 8 down the side, sc 10 across the foundation chain, and sc 8 up the other side. {36}

Rounds 2–3: Sc 36. {36}

Round 4: Sc 1, dc 1, ch 2, sl st in the front two loops of the previous dc, sl st in next stitch.

Hdc 1, ch 1, sl st in front two loops of previous hdc, sl st in next stitch.

Sc 4, hdc 1, ch 1, sl st in front two loops of previous hdc, sl st in next stitch.

Hdc 1, ch 1, sl st in the front two loops of the previous hdc, sl st in next stitch.

Dec 1, sc 19, dec 1.

Fasten off and weave in the end. Set aside.

HEAD

Using pear-green yarn, ch 9, then crochet the following:

Row 1: Starting in the 2nd ch from the hook, sc 8 across. Ch 1 and turn. {8}

Rows 2–6: Sc 8 across, ch 1 and turn. {8}

From here, crochet in continuous rounds.

Round 1: In back loops only, sc 8 across, then sc 6 down the side, sc 8 across the foundation chain, and sc 6 up the other side. {28}

Rounds 2–8: Sc 28. {28}

Attach eyes between rounds 6 and 7, approximately 8 stitches apart.

Round 9: In back loops only, dec 1, sc 6, dec 1, sc 4, dec 1, sc 6, dec 1, sc 4. {24}

Round 10: [Sc 2, dec 1] 6 times. {18}

Fasten off and leave a tail for sewing.

NECK BOLTS (MAKE 2)

Round 1: With silver yarn, sc 6 in magic ring. {6}

Round 2: In back loops only, sc 6. {6}

Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing. Sew a bolt to each side of the face.

BRAIN HEMISPHERES (MAKE 2)

Round 1: With pink yarn, sc 6 in magic ring. {6}

Round 2: [Sc 2, sc 2 in next stitch] twice. {8}

Round 3: [Sc 2, dec 1] twice. {6}

Fasten off. On one half, leave a tail for sewing. Tuck in the loose end.

Sew the hemispheres together at the open end. Press halves together to form an oblong shape. Using single strands of red embroidery floss and a needle, sew haphazard red lines into the crevices of the crochet stitches to make the brain nice and veiny. Add extra stitches down the midline of the two hemispheres to emphasize the division. Using pink yarn and a tapestry needle, sew the brain flat onto the center of the top of the head.

Stuff head firmly with fiberfill. Using full strands of gray embroidery floss, embroider a few stitches across the forehead.

BODY

Round 1: Starting with black yarn, sc 6 in magic ring. {6}

Round 2: [Sc 2 in one stitch] 6 times. {12}

Round 3: [Sc 1, sc 2 in next stitch] 6 times. {18}

Round 4: [Sc 2, sc 2 in next stitch] 6 times. {24}

Round 5: In back loops only, sc 24. {24}

Round 6: Sc 24, changing to light-brown yarn. {24}

Rounds 7–9: Sc 24. {24}

Round 10: Sc 11, changing to white yarn. Sc 2, changing to light-brown yarn. Sc 11. {24}

Round 11: [Sc 2, dec 1] twice, sc 1, changing to white yarn. Sc 1, dec 1, sc 2, dec 1, changing to light-brown yarn. [Sc 2, dec 1] twice. {18}

Fasten off and weave in the end. Stuff the body firmly with fiberfill, or fill with polypellets first and then top with fiberfill. Sew the head onto the body over the white stitches using a whipstitch. Place hair over brain.