The Katamari Prince pattern has been a long time ambition of mine because I have a lot of clump spirit. The pattern is a Nerdigurumi original made in my usual array of worsted weight cotton yarn. The head and body were done with a 3.75 mm hook and the legs and arms with a 3.5 mm hook while the antenna and red ball were done with half strands of yarn and a 2.5 mm hook.
SC = Single Crochet
INVDEC = Invisible Decrease
INC = Increase (2 SC in one stitch)
Head
Start in a dark green
CH2 or Magic Ring or however you like to start
1. 6 SC (6)
2. INC x 6 (12)
3. INC then switch to your Medium Green, SC then INC X 5; SC (18)
4. 2 SC then INC; repeat around (24)
5. 4 SC then switch to Lightest Green then SC x 20 (24)
6. SC around (24)
7. SC then switch to Light Green and move your stitch marker to this new spot. Next row starts from here.
8 – 22. SC around for rows 8 through 22 (24) (stuff)
24. Switch to Lightest Green SC around (24)
25. SC around (24)
26. SC then switch to Medium Green and SC x 23 (24)
27. SC 2 then DEC; repeat around (18)
28. SC then switch to Dark Green; DEC then SC; repeat (DEC then SC) 6 times (12) (stuff)
29. DEC 6 times; you may need more or fewer DEC depending on how tight your work is, finish off and weave tail in to work.
Body
Start with Purple (works from butt up to an open ended neck)
CH2 or Magic Ring or however you like to start
1. SC 6 (6)
2. INC in each (12)
3. SC then INC; repeat around (18)
4. 2 SC then INC; repeat around (24)
5. 3 SC then INC; repeat around (30)
6. Switch to Light Green (same as the main color on the head) SC around (30)
7. 8 SC then DEC; repeat around (27)
8. SC around (27)
9. 7 SC then DEC; repeat around (24)
10 SC around (24) (stuff)
11. 6 SC then DEC; repeat around (21)
12 – 14. SC around (21)
15. 5 SC then DEC; repeat around (18) (stuff)
16. SC around (18) finish off but keep a long tail for sewing the neck to the head.
Frock Detail
To get the look of the frock, insert your hook into the fabric, right where the Light Green starts just above the purple butt. Slip your hook down under one stitch lengthwise and pop it out on the other side of the same stitch, now slip stitch. Repeat all the way around with the Light Green yarn. It should be around 24 slip stitches to get around it, like a belt of slip stitches. Keep the Light Green yarn going for the first row of single crochets.
1. SC in each slipstitch (24)
2. Switch to Dark Green; SC then INC; repeat around.
Finish off and weave in tail.
Arm (make 2)
CH2 or Magic Ring or however you like to start
Light Green yarn, same as the body and the main green on the head.
1. SC 6 (6)
2 – 14. SC 6 (6)
Finish off and keep a long tail for stitch to body
Leg (make 2)
CH2 or Magic Ring or however you like to start
Purple Yarn, same as butt.
1. SC 6 (6)
2 – 14. SC 6 (6)
Finish off and keep a long tail for stitch to body
Antenna
For this to look right you have to use either a thin crochet cotton or split a strand of worsted weight yarn and a smaller hook too. It can’t be a big sausagey wang shaped thing and look right so you have to use something at least half the thickness of the yarn you are using for the body.
Gold (half strand) yarn
CH2 or Magic Ring or however you like to start
1. SC 5 (5)
2. SC 5 (5)
3. SC then INC; repeat (7)
4. SC 7 (7)
5. Slip Stitch in each SC (7)
Finish off but keep a long tail for sewing
Antenna Ball
This also need a thin weight of yarn or crochet thread. Same deal as the antenna above.
Red (half strand) yarn
CH2 or Magic Ring or however you like to start
1. SC 5 (5)
2. INC x 5 (10)
3. SC around (10)
4. DEC x 5 (5)
Finish off and tidy up the ball by sewing in stitches where it’s loose if needed. Keep a long tail for sewing.
Do not stuff the antenna unless it looks deflated. If it looks deflated, stuff with a tiny bit of same colored yarn or consider propping it up with a wire. The antenna ball should be too tight to stuff. Do not stuff unless it’s deflated looking, or consider redoing it with a smaller hook.
Sew the ball to the Antenna using the yellow tail of the antenna. Pull the red yarn from the ball down through the antenna (hidden) and use that to secure it to the head in a way that the red thread will be tucked under the antenna (hidden). Use the yellow yarn to stitch the antenna to the head cleanly around the base of the antenna.
Stitch the head to the body using the tail at the open end of the neck. Make sure the body is stuffed firmly but not fat and bloated looking. If you look closely, the Prince is a slender fellow with a lovely frock!
Stitch the arms and legs to the body. Do not stuff the arms and legs! They should be so tight you couldn’t dream of getting anything in there anyways. I put copper electrical wire in the arms and legs of my Prince. If you want this, you can slip the wire in through the open end before stitching them on.
Cut a rectangle of felt and stitch on, or make a cream colored crochet rectangle. Stitch it on with a border that matches the color of the antenna. Stitch on grey eyes (like lines or notches), an orange triangle nose and a rectangular shaped mouth.
My embroidery skills leave a lot to be desired, so this is probably where I failed the most!