Yarning with Mad Martha about…New Adventures for Grug (+ a free Grug crochet pattern!)

I’m very pleased to be with you today to chat about some new release books featuring everyone’s favourite bipedal Burrawang tree – Grug!  If you are not familiar with Grug, I am assuming it is because you live outside of Australia, because Grug is an Aussie icon of some 36 years standing, and today, thanks to Simon & Schuster (Grug’s publisher since 2009) I can present to you Grug Gets Lost and Grug Meets a Dinosaur.

If this weren’t exciting enough, I have also knocked together a free crochet pattern so that YOU can make your VERY OWN GRUG! (Provided you know how to crochet, of course).

For those still scratching their heads, Grug is a peaceful, industrious little bush creature who gained sentience when the top of a Burrawang tree fell to the ground.  Here is a Burrawang tree:

And here is Grug:

And here’s the little Grug that you could make for yourself, posing with his two latest adventures:

In Grug Gets Lost, poor old Grug is returning home with his shopping basket when he detours around a fallen log blocking the path and ends up in a part of the bush he’s never been before.  Grug becomes a bit nervous as the dark shadows play tricks on his eyes and he ends up spending the night alone in the bush.  Come morning though, our grassy hero navigates his way safely back to his cosy burrow to unpack his shopping.

This book quickly became the older mini-fleshling’s favourite read of the moment, which was a surprise to we shelf-dwellers.  We have tried to enamour him of Grug before and it never worked, but for some reason this particular adventure has turned him into a die-hard Grug fan!  Grug Gets Lost actually manages to pack an emotional roller coaster into just a few pages but this is tempered by Grug’s calm, assured attitude to life.  As always, our hero takes things as they come and we, as readers, are reassured that things will likely turn out well in the end.

In Grug Meets a Dinosaur, Grug is on his way for a swim in the creek when he stumbles upon a creature resembling a dinosaur, sitting on a rock.  After a comedy of errors in which Grug and “dinosaur” engage in an ungainly two-step of chase and escape, Cara, Grug’s python friend, points out that the dinosaur is, in fact, a goanna and we are again reassured – mostly through Cara’s laconic acknowledgement of the fact – that nothing was ever amiss.

This one also warranted a few re-readings, but the mini-fleshling was most impressed with the list of Grug back-titles on offer inside the back cover of the book.  Having the opportunity to re-engage with Grug as a grown-up and seeing a whole new generations’ enjoyment of this unique character has been great fun.  While all around us the world seems to be going mad, at least we have Grug – steadfast, reassuring, low-tech Grug (although he does have his own website!) – to turn back to.

And the small size of the books makes them perfect as stocking fillers, don’t you think?

A meeting of the minds

Now, if you aren’t a yarny type, you can probably finish reading here, but for all those desperate to know how to make their own Grug plushie, read on for the free pattern created by me – Mad Martha!

Amigurumi Grug – Free Crochet Pattern

You will need:

Yarn – I used cheap acrylic from my stash – in yellow and brown.  One skein of each colour will be plenty.

Smaller amounts of yarn in peach or pink (for facial features) and black (for eyes and mouth)

Yarn needle

4.5mm crochet hook (or the right size to suit the yarn you are using)

A small amount of stuffing

*This pattern is written in American crochet terms because that’s how I learned first.  I haven’t written too many patterns, so this one might have a few mistakes. Sorry in advance*

Body – worked from the bottom up

1. Starting with brown yarn, make a magic ring.  Ch 3 and work 11 dc into the magic ring.  Join with a sl st to the top of the ch 3. (12)
2. Ch 3, dc in the same stitch.  1 dc in the next st.  *2dc in the next st, 1 dc in next st* around.  Join with a sl st to the top of the ch 3. (18)
3. Ch 3, dc in the same st.  *2dc in each stitch* around. Join with a sl st (36)
4. Ch 3, dc in the same st.  1 dc in the next st. *2dc in the next st, 1 dc in the next st* around. Join with sl st. (54)
5. Ch 3, dc in the same st.  *2dc in next st, 1 dc in next 2 st* around.  Join with sl st (72)
6. From now on, work in spirals (don’t join the rounds).  Sc around (72)
7. Sc around (72)
8. Change to yellow yarn.  Sc around (72)
9. Sc around (72)
10. *Sc2tog, sc in the next 2 st* 18 times (54)
11. sc around (54)
12. Change to brown yarn. Sc around (54)
13. *Sc2tog, sc in next 2 stitches* 14 times (42)
14. Sc around (42)
15. Change to yellow yarn. Sc around (42)
16. *Sc2tog, sc in the next 2 st* 10 times (30)
17. Sc around (30)
18. Change to brown yarn. *Sc2tog, sc in the next 2 st* 7 times (21)
19. Sc around (21)
20. Sc around (21)
21. Turn inside out and stuff.  Change to yellow yarn. *Sc2tog, sc in the next 2 st* 6 times (18)
22. *Sc2tog, sc in the next st* 6 times (12)
23. Sc2tog around (6)
24. Using yarn needle, thread long tail in a running stitch through the final round of stitches and pull to close.  FO.

Hair

Using short lengths of yellow yarn, insert crochet hook into stitches at the top of Grug’s head, YO and pull up a loop.  YO both strands and pull through in a sl st to fasten.

Nose – using pink or peach yarn, working in spiral

1. Make a magic ring and sc 6 into the ring

2. 2sc in each st around (12)

3. *2sc, sc in the next st* 6 times  (18)

4. *2sc, sc in the next 2st* 6 times (24)

5 – 6. sc around (24)

7. 2sc, sc in the next 2st* 6 times (30)

8. sc around (30)

9. *Sc2tog, sc in the next 3 st* 6 times (24)

10. sc around (24)

11. *Sc2tog, sc in next 2 st* 6 times (18)

12. *Sc2tog, sc in next st* 6 times (12)

Turn inside out.

13-15. sc around (12)

16. Sc2tog 6 times (6)

17. sc around (6)

Flatten your work and sc across the top opening to close.  FO, leaving a long tail for attaching to body.

Eyes – make 2 in pink or peach yarn (working in rounds)

1. Ch 6, sc in second chain from the hook and in the next 3 ch.  3sc in the final chain.  Continuing to work in the remaining loops on the other side of the chain, sc in next 3 ch loops.  2sc in final chain loop.  Join with a sl st to the first sc. (12)

2. Ch 1, 2sc in the same st as the join.  Sc in the next 3 sc.  2 sc in the next sc.  Sc in the next sc. 2 sc in the next sc.  Sc in the next 4 sc.  2sc in the last sc.  Join with a sl st to the first sc. (16)  FO, leaving a long tail for attaching to the body.

Mouth – using peach or pink yarn, working in rounds

1. Ch 5. Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook.  Sc in the next 2 ch.  3 sc in final chain.  Continuing in the remaining ch loops on the opposite side of the ch, sc in the next 2 ch loops.  2sc in the final ch.  Join with a sl st to the first sc. (10) FO leaving a long tail for attaching to the body.

Legs – make two using pink/peach and brown yarn, working in spirals

1. Beginning with pink/peach yarn, make a magic ring and sc 6 into the ring.

2. 2 sc in each st around (12)

3. *2sc, sc in the next st* 6 times (18)

4. *sc in the next 2 st, 2sc in the next st* 6 times (24)

Change to brown yarn

5. *Sc2tog, sc in the next 2 st* 6 times (18)

6 – 7.  Sc around (18)

8. *Sc2tog, sc in the next st* 6 times (12)

9-10.  Sc around (12)

Turn inside out, FO, stuff and attach to body.  Embroider toes using French knots.

Arms – make 2 using pink/peach and brown yarn, working in spirals

1. Beginning with pink/peach yarn, make a magic ring and crochet 6 sc into the ring. (6)

2. 2 sc in each st around (12)

3. *2sc, sc in the next st* 6 times (18)

Change to brown yarn

4.*Sc2tog, sc in the next st* 6 times (12)

5. Sc around (12)

Turn inside out, FO, stuff and attach to body.  Embroider fingers using straight stitch in brown yarn.

Assembly

Using the pictures as a guide, sew nose, eye patches and mouth patch to the body.  Embroider pupils and mouth using black yarn.  Add texture by using straight stitches, placed all over Grug’s body in brown yarn.

Done!  Now you have your very own Grug cuddle buddy.  Again, as this is one of my first patterns, there are more than likely going to be mistakes.  Sorry about that.  Feel free to point them out if you find them.

Cheerio, my dears,

Mad Martha