“If I am the crocheter of sinners, I am the crocheter of sufferers also.”

DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON’S STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE, 1886

If weekends in Las Vegas had existed during Dr. Jekyll’s time, maybe he could have blown off some moral steam without having to transform himself into a hedonistic monster. (Or perhaps he could’ve found a nice calming hobby…like crocheting.)

MATERIALS

• 6-mm black plastic safety eyes

• Yellow acrylic paint and small paintbrush

• Styrofoam block, optional

• Black permanent marker

• Size E crochet hook

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

• Tapestry needle

• Black acrylic or fabric paint

• Fiberfill

• Polypellets, optional

• 20-mm doll joint

• Straight pins

• ½"-wide white ribbon

NOTES

Work in continuous rounds unless otherwise specified.

EYES

Paint two safety eyes yellow with acrylic paint. Optional: poke them into a Styrofoam block to hold them steady. Let dry, and then use black permanent marker to draw a dot in the center of each as a pupil.

HEAD

Round 1: Starting with brown 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 14, sc 2 in next stitch] twice, changing to cream yarn in the last stitch. {32}

Rounds 7–9: Sc 13, changing to brown yarn. Sc 3, changing to rust yarn. Sc 13, changing to brown yarn. Sc 3, changing to cream yarn. {13 cream + 3 brown + 13 rust + 3 brown = 32}

Round 10: Sc 11, dec 1, changing to brown yarn. Sc 3, changing to rust yarn. Sc 11, dec 1, changing to brown yarn. Sc 3, changing to cream yarn. {12 cream + 3 brown + 12 rust + 3 brown = 30}

Round 11: [Sc 4, dec 1] twice, changing to brown yarn in the last stitch. Sc 3, changing to rust yarn. [Sc 4, dec 1] twice, changing to brown yarn in the last stitch. Sc 3, changing to cream yarn. {10 cream + 3 brown + 10 rust + 3 brown = 26}

Round 12: [Sc 3, dec 1] twice, changing to brown yarn in the last stitch. Sc 1, dec 1, changing to rust yarn. [Sc 3, dec 1] twice, changing to brown yarn in the last stitch. Sc 1, dec 1, changing to cream yarn. {8 cream + 2 brown + 8 rust + 2 brown = 20}

Round 13: Sc 2, dec 1, sc 4, changing to brown yarn. Dec 1, changing to rust yarn. [Sc 2, dec 1] twice, changing to brown yarn in the last stitch. Dec 1. {7 cream + 1 brown + 6 rust + 1 brown = 15}

Fasten off and tuck in the end. Attach the unpainted eyes to the cream side of the face (the Jekyll side) between rows 8 and 9 (two rows below the hairline), approximately 6 stitches apart. Position the yellow eyes on the rust-colored side of the face (the Hyde side) between rows 8 and 9 (two rows below the hairline), approximately 5 stitches apart, but do not attach them yet. With a dry paintbrush, dab a small amount of black acrylic or fabric paint on the areas surrounding where the yellow eyes will be fastened, creating a sunken-eye look. Once the black paint has dried, attach the yellow eyes.

MUTTONCHOPS (MAKE 2)

Using brown yarn, ch 6, then crochet the following:

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

Fasten off and sew one onto each side of Dr. Jekyll’s face.

Firmly stuff head three-quarters full with fiberfill, leaving room for the doll joint post.

TOP HAT

Round 1: With black yarn, sc 5 in magic ring. {5}

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

Round 3: [Sc 1, sc 2 in next stitch] 5 times. {15}

Round 4: [Sc 2, sc 2 in next stitch] 5 times. {20}

Round 5: In back loops only, sc 20. {20}

Rounds 6–9: Sc 20. {20}

Round 10: In front loops only: [sc 3, sc 2 in next stitch] 5 times. {25}

Round 11: [Sc 4, sc 2 in next stitch] 5 times. {30}

Round 12: [Sc 5, sc 2 in next stitch] 5 times. {35}

Fasten off and leave a tail for sewing. Sew onto the head.

HEAD BASE/BODY CAP (MAKE 2)

Round 1: With white yarn, sc 5 in magic ring, but do not pull the ring completely closed, leaving a small hole in the center. {5}

Round 2: [Sc 3 in one stitch] 5 times. {15}

Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing. One of these will be the head base and the other will be the body cap.

BODY

Starting with gray yarn, crochet a Basic Body as on here, changing to white yarn in the last stitch of round 8. Fasten off and tuck in the end. Stuff the body firmly with fiberfill, or fill with polypellets first and then top off with fiberfill.

JACKET

Work from the bottom hem up to the collar. Do not count slip stitches in the stitch count for this portion. Use stitch markers to mark the first and last sc of each row (see here).

Using black yarn, ch 31 and crochet the following:

Row 1: Starting in the 2nd ch from the hook, sc 30 across. Ch 1 and turn. {30}

Row 2: Sc 30, ch 1, and turn. {30}

Row 3: Skip the first sc, then sc 28, sl st in last stitch, ch 1, and turn. {28}

Row 4: Skip the first sc, then sc 26, sl st in last stitch, ch 1, and turn. {26}

Row 5: Skip the first sc, then sc 24, sl st in last stitch, ch 1, and turn. {24}

Row 6: Skip the first sc, then sc 22, sl st in last stitch, ch 1, and turn. {22}

Row 7: Skip the first sc, then sc 20, sl st in last stitch, ch 1, and turn. {20}

Row 8: Skip the first sc, then sc 18, sl st in last stitch. {18}

Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing.

ASSEMBLY

Insert the post of the doll joint through the center of the body cap. Sew body cap to the body, sewing through both loops on the body cap but only the inner loops (back loops) of the body (A).

Slide the flat washer onto the post of the joint (B).

Invert the head base onto the post of the joint (C). Snap on the locking washer (D).

Sew the base of the head to the head, sewing through both loops on the head base but only through the inner loops (back loops) on the head.

Once the rotating head is in place, you can finish dressing Jekyll and Hyde. Fold down the top row (shortest row) of the jacket to create a collar/lapel, position the jacket over the body, and pin in place. Sew jacket onto the body and sew jacket closed. Then cut a short length of white ribbon and thread it around the neck. Tie in a bow and tuck in the ends to make a bow tie.

VARIATION

To make a Mr. Darcy for your Lizzie Bennet (see here), substitute this head for the one above, omitting the doll joint and using just one set of unpainted eyes. When making the body, leave a tail for sewing rather than tucking in the end, and sew the head and body together after stuffing both firmly. Make all the other pieces as for Jekyll and Hyde.

For the head:

Round 1: Starting with brown 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 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.