Little Big Planet is a great game that lets creativity drive a unique gameplay experience where anyone can make their own levels, their own content and give items they have crafted as prizes. The main character, much like many aspects of the game itself, is in many ways a blank canvas that can be decorated and manipulated in countless ways, yet even in his plainest most basic form, Sackboy is perfection. A floppy little cutie, clearly knitted, and yet screaming to be recreated in crochet, he is, the reason I pursued learning how to make amigurumi… I wanted a sackboy of my very own.
I’ve made him before, but this pattern is a refined version, a bit smaller than the previous, a bit more accurate to the character, and significantly less cretinous. The shaping is achieved with stitches increasing and decreasing versus strategic stuffing and sewing. I’ve tried a jointed version but couldn’t get the limbs to sit right (hanging limply downward), so his are stitched in place. Like in the videogame, you can make him any color, change his eyes, clothes, adorn him with accessories and tailor him however your imagination motivates you.
SC = Single Crochet
SL ST = Slip Stitch
INVDEC = Invisible Decrease
INC = Increase (2 SC in one stitch)
Sackboy was done using a 3.5mm crochet hook and worsted weight cotton yarn working really tightly. This pattern must be done going through both loops except for the first round after the slip stitch flat top of the head and flat bottoms of the feet, which is done in the front loop only. He should be stuffed firmly to fill out the shape.
Head (For an explanation of rounds 5 and 6, have a look at the videos at the bottom of the page)
CH2 or Magic Ring or however you like to start
1. 6 SC in 2nd CH from hook or in Magic Ring (6)
2. INC in each ST (12)
3. INC six times; SC then INC 3 times (21)
4. SC then INC; repeat around (31)
5. SL ST around (31)
6. CH1 then hook through front loop of the first SC stitch of row 4 (under the SL ST you just did) and SC in each front loop all the way around (31) (this creates the fabric straight down away from the flat top without a real rounding or spherical shape)
7. SC around (using both loops again) (31)
8-9. Repeat row 7 (31)
10. SC 11, insert loop through button shank to add the first eye; SC x 2 then INVDEC then SC x 3; insert next button eye then SC x 12 (30) (both loops that hold a button count as a skipped stitch that gets picked up next round and are included in the stitch count)
11. SC x 14 then INVDEC then SC x 14 (29)
12. SC x 4 then INC; repeat around (34)
13. SC around (34)
14. SC x 14 then INC then SC x 2 then INC then SC x 2 then INC then SC 13 (37)
15. SC around (37)
16. SC around (37)
17. SC then INVDEC; repeat around (25)
18. SC then INVDEC; repeat around (17)
19. SC then INVDEC; repeat around (12)
20. INVDEC x 6 (6)
Finish Off and weave in tail
Body
CH2 or Magic Ring or however you like to start
1. 6 SC in 2nd CH from hook or in Magic Ring (6)
2. INC in each ST (12)
3. SC then INC; repeat around (18)
4. SC around (18)
5-6. SC around (18)
7. SC x 5 then INC; repeat around (21)
8. SC around (21)
9-10. SC around (21) (stuff)
11. SC then INVDEC; repeat around (14)
12. SC then INVDEC; repeat around (10)
13. SC around (10)
Finish off and keep a long tail for sewing neck to head.
Arm (make 2)
CH2 or Magic Ring or however you like to start
1. 6 SC in 2nd CH from hook or in Magic Ring (6)
2. SC around (6)
3. SC then INC; repeat around (9)
4. SC x 2 then INC; repeat around (12)
5. SC around (12)
6-9. SC around (12)
10. SC x 3 then INC; repeat around (15)
11. SC around (15)
12. SC around (15)
SL ST then Finish off and keep a long tail for stitch fingers in
Finger/Thumb (make 10)
CH 4
1. SC 3 (1 SC in each CH starting at the second CH from your hook) to make a “strip” of 3 SC (3)
Finish off and tie both ends of cut yarn in a knot. Trim and arrange in open end of arm, stitching the “fingers” to the inside of the open end and the thumb to the outside. Stuff arm and stitch open end closed sewing through fingers to secure them.
Leg (make 2)
CH2 or Magic Ring or however you like to start
1. 6 SC in 2nd CH from hook or in Magic Ring (6)
2. INC in each ST (12)
3. INC x 6 then STOP (12)
4. SL ST around (18)
5. CH1 then hook through front loop of the first SC stitch of row 3 (under the SL ST you just did) and SC in each front loop all the way around (18) (this creates the fabric straight up from the flat bottom of the foot without a real rounding or spherical shape)
6. (back to working in both loops as per normal) SC x 7 then INVDEC; repeat (16)
7. SC x 6 then INVDEC; repeat (14) (stuff)
8. SC x 5 then INVDEC; repeat (12)
9. SC around (12)
10. SC around (12)
11. SC x 4 then INVDEC; repeat (10)
12. SC around (10)
13. INVDEC x 4 then SC x 2 (6)
Finish off and keep a long tail for stitching legs to body.
Zipper Pull
CH 10
1. SL ST 4 beginning in the 2nd CH from hook, then SC 3 in same CH, then SC, SC 3 in same CH and SL ST to end of CH. Join with other end.
CH 6, pull CH through top of zipper and attach to Sackboy under chin. Stitch zipper pattern on body.