Lola is a cheerful hanging llama that hides your plastic grocery bags. Push bags in under her hinged head, and pull them out one at a time through the opening under her net belly.
Her main color is bubblegum pink. She has hot-pink fringe hair streaked with yellow, teal and purple, and her eyes look up and to the side. A rainbow half-circle saddle with little dangling balls sits on her shoulder. Her snout is cream and her hooves are dark brown. For a softer look, the same pattern also works in pale yellow.
This pattern uses US terms. The finished holder is about 28 in (71.1 cm) tall from the top of the ring to the hooves. The body is about 8 in (20.3 cm) wide when filled with bags.
You crochet the neck from the top down as a tube, then switch hooks and keep going into the mesh body. A shell border trims the bottom opening. The head, ears, legs, saddle and small details are made separately and sewn on.
Finished Size and Construction
- Size: about 28 in (71.1 cm) tall; the body is 24 in (61.0 cm) around at its widest
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4) cotton
- Hooks: 4.0 mm (G-6) for the solid parts, 5.0 mm (H-8) for the mesh
- Pieces: 1 neck-and-body piece, 1 head, 2 ears, 4 legs, 1 saddle, plus small details
- Layout: head on top of the neck, mesh body below it, legs around the lower body
- Neck: 8 in (20.3 cm) around and 7 in (17.8 cm) long
- Body before border: 11 in (27.9 cm) of mesh
- Border depth: 1 in (2.5 cm)
Materials
Use a smooth worsted cotton of about 85 m per 50 g. Cotton holds its shape well, while acrylic stretches more.
- Bubblegum pink: 100 g, 170 m
- Hot pink: 10 g, 17 m
- Cream: 10 g, 17 m
- Dark brown: 10 g, 17 m
- Yellow: 10 g, 17 m
- Purple: 10 g, 17 m
- Teal: 5 g, 8.5 m
- White: 5 g, 8.5 m
- Black: about 2 m, for the lashes
Tools:
– 4.0 mm and 5.0 mm hooks
– Two 12 mm safety eyes
– One 1.5 in (3.8 cm) ring
– 40 g of fiberfill
– Stitch markers and a tapestry needle
All quantities include a margin of about 20%.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- dc – double crochet
- inc – 2 sc in the same stitch
- dec – sc2tog
- MR – magic ring
- BLO – back loop only
- st(s) – stitch(es)
Loop decrease (loop-dec): Insert the hook into the next ch-5 loop and pull up a loop. Insert the hook into the following loop and pull up a loop. Yarn over and pull through all 3 loops on the hook. The ch-5 made just before it now finishes across 2 old loops.
Gauge and Checkpoints
- Solid gauge (4.0 mm hook): 18 sc and 20 rounds = 4 in (10.2 cm)
- Mesh gauge (5.0 mm hook): 4 loops and 4 rounds = 4 in (10.2 cm), lightly stretched
Make one leg first to test your gauge. It should be 5.4 in (13.7 cm) long. If it’s longer, go down 0.5 mm in hook size. If it’s shorter, go up 0.5 mm.
Checkpoints:
– Neck after 10 rounds: 2 in (5.1 cm) long and 4 in (10.2 cm) wide when flat
– Head after Rnd 8 (still flat): 3.2 in (8.1 cm) across
– Mesh after Rnd 9: 24 in (61.0 cm) around and 9 in (22.9 cm) long
– Mesh after Rnd 11: 11 in (27.9 cm) long
– Border Rnd 1: opening 8 in (20.3 cm) around
If the mesh is too big, use a 4.5 mm hook. If it’s too small, use a 5.5 mm hook. Don’t change the number of chains or loops.
Neck and Body
Neck (4.0 mm hook, pink)
Foundation: Ch 36 and sl st to the first ch to form a ring. Don’t twist the chain.
Rnd 1: Ch 1, sc in each ch. Work in a spiral from here. (36)
Rnds 2–35: Sc in each st. (36)
The neck is now 7 in (17.8 cm) long. Sl st in the next st to smooth the step at the end of the spiral. The foundation edge is the top rim.
Body mesh (5.0 mm hook)
Rnd 1: Ch 1, sc in the first st. Ch 5, skip 2, sc in the next st. Repeat from * 10 more times. Ch 5, skip 2, sl st in the first sc. (12 loops)
Start Rnds 2–11 the same way: sl st in the next 2 ch to reach the middle of the loop, ch 1, sc in the same loop.
Rnd 2: [Ch 5, sc in next loop, ch 5, sc in same loop, ch 5, sc in next loop] 5 times. Ch 5, sc in next loop, ch 5, sc in same loop, ch 5, sl st in first sc. (18 loops)
Rnd 3: [Ch 5, sc in next loop, ch 5, sc in same loop, (ch 5, sc in next loop) twice] 5 times. Ch 5, sc in next loop, ch 5, sc in same loop, ch 5, sc in next loop, ch 5, sl st in first sc. (24 loops)
Rnds 4–9: (Ch 5, sc in next loop) 23 times, ch 5, sl st in first sc. (24 loops)
Mark the first sc of Rnd 9. This is the center back.
Rnd 10: [Ch 5, loop-dec, (ch 5, sc in next loop) twice] 5 times. Ch 5, loop-dec, ch 5, sc in next loop, ch 5, sl st in first sc. (18 loops)
Rnd 11: [Ch 5, loop-dec, ch 5, sc in next loop] 5 times. Ch 5, loop-dec, ch 5, sl st in first sc. (12 loops)
Head and Face
Head (4.0 mm hook, pink)
Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR. (6)
Rnds 2–8: Work (n sc, inc) 6 times, where n starts at 0 in Rnd 2 and goes up by 1 each round. Rnd 2: 12, Rnd 3: 18, Rnd 4: 24, Rnd 5: 30, Rnd 6: 36, Rnd 7: 42, Rnd 8: 48.
Rnds 9–17: Sc in each st. (48)
Rnds 18–21: Work (n sc, dec) 6 times, where n goes from 6 down to 3. Rnd 18: 42, Rnd 19: 36, Rnd 20: 30, Rnd 21: 24.
Push the safety eyes through the eye whites and fix them between Rnds 11 and 12, with their centers 4 sts apart. Stuff the head firmly.
Rnd 22: (2 sc, dec) 6 times. (18)
Rnd 23: (Sc, dec) 6 times. (12)
Rnd 24: Dec 6 times. (6) Close the hole.
Once stuffed, the head is about 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wide and 4 in (10.2 cm) tall.
Eye whites (make 2, white): Work 6 sc in MR. Next rnd: inc in each st, sl st to join. (12) Each one is 0.8 in (2.0 cm) across. Place the safety eye above and to one side of center so Lola looks up and sideways.
Snout (cream): Work 6 sc in MR. Next rnd: inc in each st. (12) Next rnd: (sc, inc) 6 times. (18) Work 2 more rounds of sc. (18) The snout is 1.2 in (3.0 cm) across. Stuff it lightly and sew it over Rnds 13–18. Embroider nostrils and a U-shaped smile in dark brown, and add 3 black lashes above each eye.
Ears (make 2)
Outer ear (pink): Work 4 sc in MR. Then work (n sc, inc) twice per round, with n going from 1 to 5, for rounds of 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14. Work 3 more rounds of sc. (14)
Inner ear (cream): Work like the outer ear through the 10-stitch round, then work 2 more rounds of sc. (10)
Flatten both parts without stuffing and sew the inner ear onto the outer ear. Each ear is 1.8 in (4.6 cm) tall.
Hair: Cut 4 in (10.2 cm) strands: 32 hot pink, 12 yellow, 8 teal and 8 purple. Latch-hook 2 strands per knot (30 knots) across Rnds 3–8 between the ears. Trim the bangs so they fall just over the eyes.
Face ornaments (make 2)
- Teal cap: Work 6 sc in MR. Next rnd: (sc, inc) 3 times. (9) Work 1 more round of sc. (9)
- Tassel: Fold ten 3 in (7.6 cm) yellow strands into a 1.5 in (3.8 cm) tassel and tie it under the cap.
- To finish: Add a purple mini ball above each cap. Hang each ornament from a short pink braid sewn beside the face at Rnd 12.
Legs, Saddle and Details
Legs (make 4)
Rnd 1 (brown): 6 sc in MR. (6)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st. (12)
Rnd 3: Sc in BLO of each st. (12)
Rnds 4–5: Sc in each st. (12)
Rnd 6 (pink): (4 sc, dec) twice. (10)
Rnds 7–27: Sc in each st. (10)
Stuff the hoof firmly and the leg lightly. Flatten the top to 5 sts across. Each leg is 5.4 in (13.7 cm) long.
Saddle (worked flat; ch 1 and turn at the start of each row)
Row 1 (purple): 3 sc in MR. (3)
Row 2: Inc in each st. (6)
Row 3: (Sc, inc) 3 times. (9)
Row 4: (2 sc, inc) 3 times. (12)
Row 5 (teal): (3 sc, inc) 3 times. (15)
Row 6: (4 sc, inc) 3 times. (18)
Row 7 (hot pink): (5 sc, inc) 3 times. (21)
Row 8 (yellow): (6 sc, inc) 3 times. (24)
Row 9: (7 sc, inc) 3 times. (27)
The finished saddle is a half circle 3.6 in (9.1 cm) across.
Mini balls (make 7: 3 yellow, 4 purple): Work 6 sc in MR. Next rnd: inc in each st. (12) Work 1 round of sc. (12) Dec 6 times (6), fill with yarn ends and close. Each ball is 0.6 in (1.5 cm). Sew 5 balls evenly along the saddle’s curved edge, alternating colors and starting with yellow. The other 2 purple balls go on the face ornaments.
Hanging ring (pink): Sc around the ring until it’s covered, about 36 sc. For the stem, work 6 sc in MR, then 3 more rounds of 6 sc. The stem is 0.8 in (2.0 cm) long.
Make All Pieces
- Pink: neck and body ×1, head ×1, outer ears ×2
- Cream: snout ×1, inner ears ×2
- Brown and pink: legs ×4
- Purple, teal, hot pink and yellow: saddle ×1
- Yellow and purple: mini balls ×7
- White: eye whites ×2
- Teal and yellow: ornaments ×2
Layout, front view:
[ring]
[ear][HEAD][ear]
[NECK]
[ MESH BODY ][saddle]
[leg] [leg] [leg] [leg]
[border]
Joining and Assembly
Whipstitch every seam with pink.
- Hinge: Sew the back half of head Rnd 21 to the back 18 sts of the neck rim. Use doubled yarn and go over the seam twice. Leave the front loose so the head lifts like a lid.
- Ring: Sew the stem to the top of the head and the ring to the stem. Then run the yarn down through the head to the hinge and back up, twice, so the weight hangs from the hinge.
- Ears: Sew one on each side of the hair, across Rnds 6–8.
- Legs: In Rnd 9 of the mesh, call the marked center-back loop loop 1. Sew the legs at loops 4, 10, 16 and 22, stitching through the sc anchor and the chains on each side of it.
- Saddle: Sew it to the front right of the body over Rnds 2–6, with the straight edge toward the neck. Catch each mesh crossing along its edge.
Keep the sewing tension firm but flat, with no puckers. Hang the holder and check that it measures 28 in (71.1 cm) overall.
Border
Work the border around the bottom opening with the 4.0 mm hook and pink, at the solid gauge of 18 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm). The opening is round with no corners. Laid flat, it has 2 sides of 18 sts each.
Rnd 1 (conversion): Sl st into the middle of a loop and ch 1. Work 3 sc in each loop: 12 loops × 3 = 36 sc. Join. (36, or 18 per side)
Rnd 2: Sc in each st, join. (36, or 18 per side)
Rnd 3 (shells): Ch 1, sc in the first st, skip 1, 5 dc in the next st, skip 1. Sc in the next st, skip 1, 5 dc in the next st, skip 1. Repeat from * 7 more times. Sl st to the first sc. (9 shells, 54 sts; 4.5 shells per side)
Why the math works: Each shell repeat uses 4 sts, and 36 ÷ 4 = 9 with nothing left over. At gauge, 36 sc measures 8 in (20.3 cm) around, the same as the neck. That’s snug enough to hold the bags in and loose enough to let one out at a time.
Final Blocking
- Lightly spray the mesh and the border with water.
- Fill the body with crumpled bags until it measures 24 in (61.0 cm) around.
- Ease the diamonds into even shapes with your fingers.
- Pin the shells flat so they fan out.
- Steam the saddle from 1 in (2.5 cm) above without pressing.
- Let everything dry completely, then remove the filling.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Neck has 36 sts and is 7 in (17.8 cm) long
- Mesh rounds count 12, 18, 24 (×7), 18 and 12 loops
- Border has 36 sc, then 9 shells
- Hinge is sewn over 18 sts and holds firmly
- Legs are at loops 4, 10, 16 and 22
- Saddle has 27 sts in its last row and 5 balls
- Eyes are locked in place and lashes are secure
Troubleshooting
- Mesh twists: Start every round with 2 sl sts into the middle of the loop.
- Wrong loop count: Count the sc anchors, not the chains.
- Neck flops over: Go down 0.5 mm in hook size, or slip a 6 in (15.2 cm) sleeve cut from a plastic bottle inside the neck.
- Head pops open: Add a chain loop at the chin and a button on the neck to fasten it.
- Saddle cups: Block it again, or add 1 extra inc in Row 9.
- Bags drop out: Work Border Rnd 2 more tightly.
Care
Hand wash in cool water and dry flat, shaping the mesh while it’s damp. Don’t tumble dry.
Final Notes
The measurements build on each other. A 36-stitch neck, 8 in (20.3 cm) around, opens into 12 mesh loops. Those grow to 24 loops, 24 in (61.0 cm) around, then shrink back to 12. Three sc per loop gives 36 stitches again, which make 9 even shells. If your neck and mesh checkpoints match, the rest will fall into place.
Happy crocheting!