Naruto is one of my favorite animes of all time.  I especially love Gaara and his transformation throughout the series.  I highly recommend the series, both original and Shippuden so if you haven’t seen it yet, you should definitely give it a watch!

In honor of my favorite character, I thought a tutorial was in order.  It takes a while to complete, but if you’re a super fan like me it’s totally worth it!

 

MATERIALS:

• Light – 3 baby weight yarn in cream, red (maroon), white, black, and tope
• 1 pair of 12 mm safety eyes painted light blue-green
• Felt in maroon, brown, black, and grey. You will need less than one sheet for each.
• Embroidery floss in red and (optional) black
• Tapestry needle large enough to fit your yarn
• Toy stuffing Crochet hook compatible with your yarn
• Super glue or hot glue

TERMS:

• BLSC: Back Loop Single Crochet
• CH: Chain
• CTC: Change to cream yarn
• CTR: Change to red (maroon) yarn
• FL INC: Front Loop Increase
• FLSC: Front Loop Single Crochet
• FO: Finish off
• INC: Increase (Single Crochet 2 in 1 stitch)
• INV DEC: Invisible decrease
• MR: Magic Ring
• RNDS: Rounds
• SC: Single Crochet
• SLST: Slip stitch
• ST: Stitch

 

HEAD & BODY:

Red (maroon) yarn and cream yarn, starting with maroon yarn

1. Magic ring with 6 SC (6)

2. (INC) x 6 (12)

3. (SC 1, INC) x 6 (18)

4. (SC 2, INC) x 6 (24)

5. (SC 3, INC) x 6 (30)

6. (SC 4, INC) x 6 (36)

7. Change to cream yarn (CTC), SC 18, Change to red (CTR), SC 18 (36)

8. CTC, SC 19, CTR, SC 17 (36)

9. CTC, SC 20, CTR, SC 16 (36)

10. CTC, SC 21, CTR, SC 15 (36)

11. CTC, SC 22, CTR, SC 14 (36)

12. CTC, SC 23, CTR, SC 13 (36)

13. CTC, SC 24, CTR, SC 12 (36)

14. CTC, SC 25, CTR, SC 11 (36)

15. CTC, (SC 4, INV DEC) x 6 (30)

16. (SC 3, INV DEC) x 6 (24)

17. (SC 2, INV DEC) x 6 (18)

18. (SC 1, INV DEC) x 6 (12)

Using your black felt, cut two 1.5 or 2 cm diameter circles and create a small hole in the middle. Insert the safety eyes through the felt and attach the safety eyes with felt to the head.

Optional: sew in a mouth using the black embroidery floss. Refer to the video for more details.

Sew bottom closed by sewing through the front loop of each stitch, refer to video for additional help.

FO

HAIR:

Maroon felt

1. Cut the maroon felt into 1 cm thick strips in various lengths, they will need to wrap around the maroon portion of the head so cut them long enough to wrap around the maroon.

2. Cut out triangle portions from the bottom of the strip to about half way up to resemble a saw pattern.

3. Layer the strips onto the maroon section of the head so the triangle portions are visible and each layer of triangle portions covers part of the flat portion from the previous layer.

4. Use your super glue to attach the layers.

5. Cut two circular pieces, one slightly smaller than the other and once again cut out triangle portions to create the top layers of hair.

6. Attach the larger circle first to the top of the head and then the smaller circle on top of the larger circle.

7. You should have no large visible portions of maroon yarn when all of the hair is attached.

Refer to the part 1 video for more details. 

SCAR:

Red embroidery floss

You can use a red marker to lightly draw on the character before using the floss. Thread your floss through your needle and go over the red pen to create the scar. It doesn’t need to be perfect. Refer to the part 1 video for more details.

 

LEGS (make 2):

Black and cream yarn 

Starting with black yarn

IMPORTANT: Stuff the leg as you go

1. Magic ring with 6 SC (6)

2. INC x 6 (12)

3. (SC 1, INC) x 6 (18)

4. (SC 2, INC) x 6 (24)

5. BLSC x 24 (24)

6. SC 24 (24)

7. SC 8, 4 INV DEC, SC 8 (20)

8. SC 8, 2 INV DEC, SC 8 (18)

9. SC 8, INV DEC, SC 8 (17)

10. SC 17 (17) 11. SC 7, INV DEC, SC 8 (16)

Change to cream yarn

12. BLSC 16 (16)

13-14. (SC 16) x 2 RNDS (16)

Change to black yarn

15. (FLSC 7, FL INC) x 2 (16)

16-27. (SC 18) x 12 RNDS (18)

JOIN THE LEGS:

1. Make a slip knot on your hook.

2. Position the legs so both feet are facing forward.

3. Put your hook through the inside center of both legs and pull your yarn through.

4. SLST to join the legs together.

5. SC 18, Each leg has 18 stitches, once you get to the last ST on the first leg, move on to the second leg and SC 18 for a total of 36.

Refer to the part 2 video for additional details.

BODY (continuing from where you joined the legs together):

1. (SC 36) x 4 RNDS (36)

2. (SC 16, INV DEC) x 2 (34)

3. SC 34 (34)

4. (SC 15, INV DEC) x 2 (32)

5. SC 32 (32)

6. (SC 14, INV DEC) x 2 (30)

7. SC 30 (30)

8. (SC 13, INV DEC) x 2 (28)

9. SC 28 (28)

10. (SC 12, INV DEC) x 2 (26)

11. SC 26 (26)

12. (SC 11, INV DEC) x 2 (24)

13. SC 24 (24)

14. (SC 10, INV DEC) x 2 (22)

15. SC 22 (22)

16. (SC 9, INV DEC) x 2 (20)

17. SC 20 (20)

18. (SC 8, INV DEC) x 2 (18)

19. SC 18 (18)

20. (SC 7, INV DEC) x 2 (16)

21. SC 16 (16)

22. (SC 6, INV DEC) x 2 (14)

23. SC 14 (14)

24. (SC 5, INV DEC) x 2 12)

Change to cream yarn

25-26. (SC 12) x 2 RNDS (12)

FO

 

ARMS (make 2):

Cream and black yarn

Starting with cream yarn

IMPORTANT: Stuff the arm as you go

1. Magic ring with 6 SC (6)

2. INC x 6 (12)

3-8. (SC 12) x 6 RNDS (12)

9. (SC 4, INV DEC) x 2 (10)

10-15. (SC 10) x 6 RNDS (10)

16. (SC 3, INV DEC) x 2 (8)

17-19. (SC 8) x 3 RNDS (8)

Change to black yarn

20-22. (SC 8) x 3 RNDS (8)

23. (SC 2, INV DEC) x 2 (6)

24-29. (SC 6) x 6 RNDS (6)

FO

Sew the arms onto the body where the black and cream colors (of the body) meet.

Refer to the part 2 video for more details

SASHES (make 1 in white and 1 in maroon):

1. CH 131, turn

2. SC 130, CH 1, turn

3. SC 130, CH 1, turn

4. SC 130, CH 1, turn

5. SLST 130

FO

Wrap the white sash over his shoulder starting in back and wrapping towards the front, then wrap it across his body and around his hip, back to front. Secure it in place using either super glue or sewing it into place with white yarn.

Refer to the part 3 video for additional details.

ADDITIONAL CLOTHING:

1. Using your brown felt, cut a 1 cm thick L shape. This L should be long enough to wrap from his shoulder down to his hip. The corner of the L will be on his hip and the other end of the L will wrap up the back side. This piece will make the leather band he uses to attach his gourd to his body.

2. Cut three thin strips of brown felt which will be used to make the straps.

3. Once all of the pieces are measured to fit his body, cut them and secure them in place with super glue.

4. Cut a small 1 cm by .75 cm rectangle of gray felt and use a black marker or pen to draw on the sand village insignia.

5. Attach the gray rectangle to the front to the brown felt.

Refer to the part 3 video for more details

 

SEW ON THE HEAD:

1. Position the head on the body so it is facing forward, pin it in place.

2. Using cream yarn sew the head in place by loosely sewing 1 stitch in the front , left side, back and right side, then go back around sewing more tightly to secure the head in place.

Refer to the part 3 video for more details.

 

GOURD:

Tope yarn

1. Magic ring with 6 SC (6)

2. (INC) x 6 (12)

3. (SC 1, INC) x 6 (18)

4. (SC 2, INC) x 6 (24)

5. (SC 3, INC) x 6 (30)

6. (SC 4, INC) x 6 (36)

7-14. (SC 36) x 8 RNDS (36)

15. (SC 4, INV DEC) x 6 (30)

16. (SC 3, INV DEC) x 6 (24)

17. (SC 2, INV DEC) x 6 (18)

18-21. (SC 18) x 4 RNDS (18)

22. (SC 2, INC) x 6 (24)

23. (SC 3, INC) x 6 (30)

24-30. (SC 30) x 7 RNDS (30)

31. (SC 4, INV DEC) x 6 (30)

32. (SC 3, INV DEC) x 6 (24)

33. (SC 2, INV DEC) x 6 (18)

34. (SC 1, INV DEC) x 6 (12)

35. INV DEC x 6 (6)

36. (SC 1, INC) x 3 (9)

Roll a small piece of the brown felt and place it in the final round to form the cork. Take your black or red embroidery floss and embroider on the symbols on the gourd. Refer to the part 3 video for additional details. Wrap the red sash around the middle of the gourd and attach the gourd to the body, refer to the part 3 video for additional details.

 

ASSEMBLY:

Sew all of the pieces together as shown in the picture.  Refer to the video for more details