Glow in the Dark Kodama Pattern
NOTE: If you like the pattern, I would really appreciate if you could check out my blog post about my crochet wedding doll and vote for my video. Thank you!! http://www.amiamour.com/2012/01/crochet-wedding-doll-and-i-need-your-help/
One day I discovered something special and unexpected. I found out that Glow-in-the-dark yarn existed! I thought it would be really fun to experiment with the yarn, and so I really racked my head to find something special to make from it. I am a huge fan of Hayao Miyazaki. In Princess Mononoke, the Kodamas (tree spirits) appear looking ghostly yet cute at the same time. They tilt their heads around and pop it back into place making these rattling noises. The more I thought about it, the more excited I became about what I thought would be the perfect combo of the ami and the yarn.
I went into my studio and I began making 2 different versions of the Kodamas: a sitting one, and a standing one. The sitting one has a more round face and looks like its sitting with its knees up. The standing Kodama has a head more like an alien. The great thing about these Kodomas is that if you make the faces different, they look like different versions, so feel free to experiment with the faces!
If you don’t have Glow-in-the-dark yarn, you can still make them using any sort of yarn and it will still turn out quite spooky cute! With the Nighlights yarn (2 oz), I was able to make 3 different Kodamas, plus have a little bit of yarn leftover.
Check out the video here to see the Glow in the Dark Kodama in action:
Glow in the Dark Kodama Pattern is copyrighted under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. This pattern is for personal use only. Feel free to make this for yourself or to give as gifts to people. However any sale, reproduction, or distribution of the pattern and or dolls created from the pattern without permission is strictly prohibited.
Kodama #1 – Sitting Kodama
SKILL LEVEL: Easy
Make sure you double strand the Glow-in-the-dark Yarn!
CROCHET HOOK:
Size H (5 mm)
Size G (4 mm)YARN:
Nightlights Glow in the Dark YarnNOTIONS:
Black and White Felt
Yarn Needle
Felt Glue
Polyester FiberfillNOTE:
If using the Nighlights Glow in the Dark Yarn, don’t forget to double strand the yarn!HEAD
Round 1: 6 sc into adjustable ring.
Round 2: 2 sc in each st around – 12 sc.
Round 3: [2 sc in next st, sc in next st] around – 18 sc.
Round 4: [2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts] around – 24 sc.
Round 5-8: Sc in each st around.
Round 9: [Sc dec, sc in next 2 sts] around – 18 sc.
Round 10: [Sc dec, sc in next st] around – 12 sc.
Round 11: [Sc dec, sc in next st] around – 8 sc.
Fasten off, leaving a long tail.BODY
Round 1: 6 sc into adjustable ring.
Round 2: 2 sc in each st around – 12 sc.
Round 3: [2 sc in next st, sc in next st] around – 18 sc.
Round 4-5: Sc in each st around.
Round 6: [Sc dec, sc in next 4 sts] around – 15 sc.
Round 7: Sc in each st around.
Round 8: [Sc dec, sc in next 3 sts] around – 12 sc.
Round 9: [Sc dec, sc in next st] around – 8 sc.
Fasten off.LEG (make 2)
Round 1: 6 sc into adjustable ring.
Round 2-4: Sc in each st around.
Round 5: hdc in next 4 sts, sc in next 2 sts – 6 sts.
Round 6: Sc in each st around.
Fasten off, leaving a tail.ARM (make 2)
Note: Switch to smaller size hook – Size G (4 mm)
Round 1: 5 sc into adjustable ring.
Round 2-6: Sc in each st around.
Round 7: Sc dec in next st, sl st to fasten off – 4 sts.
Do not stuff.ASSEMBLY
Stuff the HEAD and BODY. Stuff the LEGS loosely. Do not stuff the ARMS.
Sew HEAD onto BODY. Sew LEGS into the Body 3 rows down from the top of the body. It should look as if its knees are bent and it is sitting down. Sew arms onto the side by lining it up to look like a vertical line at the side. You can sew the both hands together so they look like they’re touching or the arms can be free. See photos below. Cut 3 circles of various size from black felt for the eyes and mouth. You can also embroider French knots instead.Hands Free
Hands Together
Kodama #2 – Standing Kodama
The standing Kodma might be a little more trickier to make because you need to join 2 different body parts by using sc. I will try and get a tutorial up on it soon.
HEAD
Round 1: 6 sc into adjustable ring.
Round 2: 2 sc in each st around – 12 sc.
Round 3: [2 sc in next st, sc in next st] around – 18 sc.
Round 4: [2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts] around – 24 sc
Round 5: Sc in each st around.
Round 6: [Sc dec, sc in next 2 sts] around – 18 sc.
Round 7: Sc in each st around.
Round 8: [Sc dec, sc in next 4 sts] around – 15 sc.
Round 9-10: Sc in each st around.
Round 11: [Sc dec, sc in next 3 sts] around – 12 sc.
Round 12: [Sc dec, sc in next st] around – 8 sc.
Fasten off, leaving a long tail.LEGS and BODY
Round 1: 4 sc into adjustable ring.
Round 2: 2 sc in each st around – 8 sc.
Round 3-7: Sc in each st around.
Fasten off.You have created LEG A. Repeat Rounds 1-7 to create LEG B, but do not fasten off. Join LEGS A and B by joining across 2 sts of both LEG A and LEG B with sc. (Another option: You may create the 2 legs first and then sew them together across 2 sts) You should now have 12 sts around when the legs are combined. We will now work on the body.
Round 8: [2 sc in the next st, sc in next 3 sts] around – 15 sc.
Round 9-14: Sc in each st around.
Round 15: [Sc dec, sc in next 3 sts] around – 12 sc.
Round 16: [Sc dec, sc in next st] around – 8 sc.
Fasten off.ARMS (make 2
Note: Switch to smaller size hook – Size G (4 mm)
Round 1: 6 sc into adjustable ring.
Round 2-6: Sc in each st around.
Round 7: [Sc dec, sc in next st] around – 4 sc.
Fasten off, leaving a tail. Do not stuff.ASSEMBLY
Stuff everything except for the ARMS. Sew HEAD onto BODY. Sew ARMS onto Body near neck. Cut 3 circles of various size from black felt for the eyes and mouth. You can also embroider French knots instead.
Kodama - Tree Spirits
so for the kodama’s body and head, we use the H hook??
Yes, that is correct.
thanks!:) i wasnt sure at first but now thanks a bunch!!:) i looove ur other amigurumis too! *squeals* maybe you should sell them at another animecon youre going to:D
Thanks! I will be at Anime LA this year with my amigurumis ^^ It’ll be my fourth year!
wow
you know im asian too:) well, vietnamese but i wanted to go to another animecon to sell my amis but they wouldnt tell me how to register for me to get my own panel at one. sooo i gave up. but i do hope to see more of ur creations:) i wanted to buy a pattern for one of your amis but im not allowed to use my parents credit card on here:/
Very nice!
I love Princess mononoke, and amigurumi’s, therefore why not put them together! 
I have one question though, do you make the head with the H hook, and the rest of the body with the G hook?
I make everything with the H hook and the legs and arms are made with the G hook. I do this because when the rounds have small amount of stitches, I find it easier to use a smaller hook.
Could you knit this also?
Unfortunately I’m not a very good knitter and have no idea how to create knit patterns, so I can’t help you there. I’d just look up chick knitting patterns online or you should learn to crochet, it’s fun! And Eggy is a perfect basic crochet pattern to start off with =D
Hi Sharon!
So I did what you said and picked up the needle again… The sitting kodama was my first project back into crochet and it came out surprisingly well!
) I’ll send you a picture through e-mail when I get a chance. Thanks for the inspiration and once again, it was a pleasure meeting you at PMX 2010!
Blessings,
Winnie – the staffer whose brother bought her the gray Totoro hat
Wyni, it’s so good to hear from you! Yes, do send me the photo. I’d love to see it. I was thinking of starting a fan gallery for projects made from my patterns too. Glad you picked the needlearts back up again. Amigurumis are especially addicting because they’re fast and fun.
Adorable — thank you for posting. I think I might skip the glow-in-dark yarn though and put rattles inside… ; )
Hi! I saw your video and loved your creations. I’m much of a knitter and know some crochet, but its so cut that I’m working on knitting it. I see the glow-in-the-dark one in your video. I like when there hands are together. thank u for showing these on youtube! they’re cute and creative. I also like when there eyes are closed, too. How do u make the eyes and mouth? Thanks!
nevermind… i see how to do the eyes and mouth. How do u french knot?
I don’t usually do a french know. I just like to use felt and glue it on. There’s many ways to do the eyes. Hope you figured it out!
hi, thanks so much for sharing the pattern. can you also share the pattern for no face? heheh… i’m a big fan of miyazaki too..especially his film My Neighbor Totoro.. i love your pictures
Hi,
I just started crocheting and was wondering about the abbreviations. I know what sc is but wat is dec? Please let me know so ’cause I really want to try crocheting a kodama as my first project.
Thanks,
Yyesha
(^_^)v
Hi Yyesha, dec means decrease. Another way that people say it is sc2tog (single crochet 2 together). I think there’s lots of tutorials online for a sc dec (single crochet decrease) so I hope that helps out! Best of luck to you!
Yeah!! I did it! Sharon, I added a mow-hawk on my kodama, I want to send you a picture of my in progress mow-hawk kodama. Where should I send it? Email me if you can. (^_^)v
I can’t even begin to explain to you how excited i was when i found out your videos on YouTube!
A lovely good-looking amigurumi, and it’s a Kodama, and it’s glowing in the dark!
Seriously, when i find the right yarn, i’m gonna knit all day long until i get a whole forest of Kodama….
Thanks again for sharing,
a dream comes true thanks to you!