Make Opale, a tiny hand-crocheted fawn complete with a sweet baby carrier — a charming gift or nursery accent. The pattern uses cotton yarn and clear, photographed steps so you can follow along easily. You will shape the head, body, legs, ears and a little carrier, adding embroidered details and tiny leaves for a delicate finish. This design is small, portable, and perfect for gifting or decorating a special space.
Progress Tracker
0% Complete
— Head :
Round 1 :
nude 6 sc in mr (6)
Round 2 :
ivory 6 inc (12)
Round 3 :
(2 sc, 1 inc) x4 (16)
Round 4 :
(3 sc, 1 inc) x4 (20)
Round 5 :
(3 sc, 1 inc) x3, 2 sc beige 1 sc, 1 inc, 1 sc ivory 2 sc, 1 sc, 1 inc (25)
Round 6 :
1 sc, 1 inc, (4 sc, 1 inc) x3 beige 4 sc ivory 1 inc, 3 sc (30)
Round 7 :
(5 sc, 1 inc) x3, 3 sc beige 2 sc, 1 inc, 1 sc ivory 4 sc, 1 inc (35)
Round 8 :
2 sc, 1 inc, (6 sc, 1 inc) x3 beige 5 sc ivory 1 sc, 1 inc, 4 sc (40)
Round 9 :
3 sc, 1 inc, 14 sc, 1 inc, 5 sc, 1 inc, 3 sc beige 2 sc, 1 inc, 2 sc ivory 3 sc, 1 inc, 3 sc (45)
Round 10 :
31 sc beige 6 sc ivory 8 sc (45)
Round 11 :
12 sc beige 33 sc (45)
Rounds 12-16 :
45 sc (5 rds) (45)
Round 17 :
(7 sc, 1 dec) x5 (40)
Round 18 :
(3 sc, 1 dec, 3 sc) x5 (35)
Round 19 :
(5 sc, 1 dec) x5 (30)
Round 20 :
(3 sc, 1 dec) x6 Start stuffing firmly and continue as you crochet. (24)
Round 21 :
(1 sc, 1 dec, 1 sc) x6 (18)
Round 22 :
(1 sc, 1 dec) x6 (12)
Info :
Fasten off, leave a 20 cm-long tail and weave it with a needle through the front loops of the next 6 stitches. Pull the yarn tail to close and weave in the end.
— Left leg :
Round 3 :
(3 sc, 1 inc) x3 (15)
Round 5 :
2 sc, 4 dec, 5 sc (11)
Round 6 :
1 sc, 3 dec, 4 sc Stuff the little foot. (8)
Rounds 7-8 :
8 sc (2 rds) (8)
Info :
Crochet 1 ch. Fold the leg (with the ch on the right), then crochet the two edges together with 4 sc through both edges. Fasten off and weave in the yarn end.
— Right leg and body :
Round 3 :
(3 sc, 1 inc) x3 (15)
Round 5 :
3 dec, 7 sc, 1 dec (11)
Round 6 :
2 dec, 5 sc, 1 dec Stuff the little foot. (8)
Rounds 7-8 :
8 sc (2 rds) (8)
Info :
Crochet 1 ch and turn the right leg: the back side is facing upwards (the ch and the hook are on the right). Continue with rd 9 (insert the stitch marker into the first stitch of rd 9).
Round 9 :
- 4 sc in flo, 2 ch, - with the back of the left leg facing upwards: 4 sc in flo, - turn your work (the front side of the left leg is facing upwards): 4 sc in flo, - 2 sc on the foundation chain, - 4 sc in flo of the front side of the right leg (20)
Round 10 :
(skip the ch crocheted before rd 9) 1 inc, 2 sc, 1 inc, 2 sc in the foundation chain, (take care not to skip the next stitch), 1 inc, 2 sc, 2 inc, (2 sc, 1 inc) x3 (28)
Round 11 :
19 sc, 1 inc, 3 sc, 1 inc, 4 sc (30)
Rounds 12-17 :
30 sc (6 rds) (30)
Round 18 :
(3 sc, 1 dec) x6 (24)
Round 19 :
(1 sc, 1 dec, 1 sc) x6 (18)
Info :
End with a slst and fasten off. Leave a long tail (30 cm) to sew and stuff the body.
— Arms (X2) :
Round 2 :
(1 sc, 1 inc) x3 (9)
Rounds 3-9 :
9 sc (7 rds) (9)
Info :
End with a slst and fasten off. Leave a long tail (30 cm) to sew. Do no stuff. Fold the arm and close it by sewing the two edges together. Do not cut yarn, as it will be needed to sew the arm to the body.
— Ears (X2) :
Info :
With nude, make a chain of 10 ch.
Row 1 :
Starting in the 3rd ch from the hook: 1 dc, 4 tr, 1 dc, 1 hdc, 3 sc in the last ch, on the other side of the foundation chain: 1 hdc, 1 dc, 4 tr, 1 dc
Info :
End with 1 ch and 1 slst in the same stitch. Fasten off and weave in the ends.
Info :
With beige, make a chain of 10 ch and repeat row 1 as for the first nude part (stop after the last dc). Do not fasten off. Crochet 1 ch.
Row 2 :
Place the nude and beige parts on top of each other, wrong sides together, the nude part facing upwards. Join the two parts by working 17 sc through both the nude and the beige parts.
Info :
Fasten off, leave a 20 cm-long tail and weave it with a needle through the first sc of row 2 and back through the blo of the last sc of row 2 (from the inside to the outside). Pull the yarn tail in order to fold the bottom part of the ear. Do not cut yarn as it will be needed to sew the ear to the head.
— Assembly :
Info :
Sew the body to the head: for this purpose, use pins to place the body at the right position and sew the two parts together.
Info :
Sew the arms on each side between head and body.
Info :
Sew the ears on each side of the head upon rds 15 and 16, about 15 stitches apart.
Info :
With black embroidery yarn: embroider the eyes as shown in the photos (use photos a-c as reference for placement and stitch shape).
Info :
Cut a long yarn in cream and embroider the dots on the body and on the head with French knot stitches: Bring up the yarn in the selected hole. Place the needle flat behind the yarn next to the selected hole. Wind the yarn around the needle twice. Continue the tension of the yarn to prevent it from uncoiling. Pull the needle carefully out, while maintaining the two loops in place. Tighten carefully to form the knot. Insert the needle in the same hole and bring it up to the next "dot" place.
— Baby carrier :
Info :
Use cream, pastel pink, papaya (crochet hooks 2.5 mm and 4 mm). The first part of the baby carrier (the seat) is crocheted in the round; each round closed by a slst in the first stitch of the round followed by 2 ch to start the next round (the 2 ch are not included in the total number of stitches at the end of a round).
Tips :
In order to avoid crocheting additional stitches, mark the first and the last stitch of each round with a stitch marker (not including the slst and the 2 ch). After crocheting the slst and the 2 ch, the first stitch of the row will be crocheted in the same stitch as the slst. Mark this first stitch with a stitch marker.
Info :
With cream and a 4 mm hook, make a chain of 18 ch.
Round 1 :
Starting in the 2nd ch from the hook: 3 sc in the same stitch, 15 sc, 3 sc in the last ch, on the other side of the foundation chain: 2 sc, 5 ch, skip 5, 1 sc, 5 ch, skip 5, 2 sc (photo a). Close with a slst and 2 ch. (36)
Round 2 :
1 dc, 1 dcinc, 17 dc, 1 dcinc, 3 dc, 5 dc around the foundation chain (do not insert the hook in the loop of the ch, but in the space under the ch), 1 dc, 5 dc around the foundation chain, 2 dc (photo c). Close with a slst and 2 ch. (38)
Round 3 :
1 dc, 2 dcinc, 17 dc, 2 dcinc, 16 dc. Close with a slst and 2 ch. (42)
Rounds 4-6 :
42 dc, close with a slst and 2 ch. (3 rds) (42)
Info :
Close with a slst in the first sc of rd 7, fasten off and weave in the ends (photo d).
— Straps (pastel pink) :
Info :
Place the first part with the front side facing upwards (the front side is where the dc stitches of row 2 have been crocheted around the foundation chains). Four small straps will be crocheted on the seat (2 on each side) and joined to form a long closed strap. The small straps have a width of 3 stitches, labeled as "1","2" and "3" on the photos.
Info :
Mark the 4 stitches named "1" corresponding to the first stitch of each small strap: start with the right hand side of the seat: identify the 3 sc situated on the right folded edge and place a stitch marker on the previous and the next stitch (the two stitches named "1" on photo a), continue with the left hand side of the seat: identify the 3 sc situated on the left folded edge. Place a stitch marker 3 stitches apart from them, both on the front and on the back edge of the carrier seat. Four stitches have been marked and correspond to the first stitch of each strap.
Start back right strap Row 1 :
The front side of the baby carrier is facing upwards, make a slip knot and remove the hook from the loop, insert the hook into the stitch where the stitch marker was, insert the loop of the slip knot onto the hook and pull the loop through the stitch, make 2 ch (the 2nd one will be the first stitch of row 1), crochet 2 sc (3) - 1 ch and turn.
Row 2 :
3 sc, 4 ch, turn (3)
Rows 3-5 :
3 sc, 1 ch, turn (3 rows) (3)
Rows 6-9 :
Repeat rows 2-5 (4 rows) (3)
Rows 10-12 :
Repeat rows 2-4 (3 rows) (3)
Info :
Fasten off and weave in the ends (photo i).
Info :
Continue with the front right strap and crochet rows 1 to 12 just as for the back right strap. Continue by joining the two right straps together:
Row 13 :
3 sc through both straps (photo j) 1 ch, turn (3)
Row 14-69 :
Repeat rows 2-5 until 17 little picots are obtained on the right strap (56 rows). Fasten off and weave in the ends.
Info :
Continue with the back left strap: crochet as for the back right strap (rows 1-12), then front left strap likewise. Join the two left straps together row 13 with 3 sc through both straps and repeat rows 2-5 until 18 little picots are obtained on the left strap (56 rows). Fasten off and leave a 20 cm-long tail. Sew the last rows of the left and right straps together and weave in the ends.
— Leaves (papaya) :
Big leaf (X1) :
Make a chain of 8 ch.
Row 1 :
Starting in the 3rd ch from the hook: 1 dc, 2 tr, 1 dc, 1 hdc, 3 sc in the last ch, on the other side of the foundation chain: 1 hdc, 1 dc, 2 tr, 1 dc
Info :
End with 2 ch and 1 slst in the same stitch. Fasten off and leave a 20 cm-long tail to sew.
Small leaf (X2) :
Make a chain of 6 ch.
Row 1 :
Starting in the 2nd ch from the hook: 1 hdc, 2 dc, 1 hdc, 3 sc in the last ch, on the other side of the foundation chain: 1 hdc, 2 dc, 1 hdc
Info :
End with 1 ch and 1 slst in the same stitch. Fasten off and leave a 20 cm-long tail to sew.
Assembly :
Sew the 3 leaves on the front side of the baby carrier between rds 6 and 7. The big leaf is centered and the two small leaves are sewn on each side of the big leaf, 2 stitches apart.
Info :
Opale the little fawn and its baby carrier are done. Thank you for crocheting this little fawn.
Opale, the little fawn, is a tiny handmade treasure that brings a soft, loving touch to any nursery or gift box. Crochet this sweet companion and give a handmade hug that will be treasured for years. Thank you for choosing this pattern — happy stitching and enjoy every tiny stitch! 🧶🧵
