Welcome to the whimsical world of the “Butterfly Garden” Baby Cow. This project is designed to immerse you in the vibrant beauty of nature. The star of this pattern is an adorable Highland cow calf, characterized by its golden yellowish-brown fur and that signature shaggy fringe covering its eyes. This little one is ready for a day of exploration in the meadow.

She is dressed in a cheerful outfit featuring a bright coral orange dress that captures the warmth of the sun. Layered over this is a beige bib apron, intricately embroidered with wildflowers and plants. Her look is completed with stylish wedge sandals and a practical light green bucket hat to shield her from the midday rays. To catch the wonders of the garden, she carries a long-handled butterfly net, and a few colorful woolen butterflies flutter magically around her head. A glass jar filled with tiny crocheted greenery completes this nature-loving scene.

Please note: I strive for accuracy in every pattern, but occasional errors can happen. Thank you for understanding and for enjoying my designs.

Abbreviations (US Terms)

• MR – Magic Ring
• ch – Chain
• sc – Single Crochet
• hdc – Half Double Crochet
• dc – Double Crochet
• tr – Treble Crochet
• inc – Increase (2 sc in one stitch)
• dec – Decrease (sc 2 stitches together)
• sl st – Slip Stitch
• BLO – Back Loop Only
• FLO – Front Loop Only
• st(s) – Stitch(es)
• rnd – Round
• […] – Total stitch count at the end of the round

Materials Needed

• Yarn: DK or Sport weight yarn in the following colors:
  • Golden Yellow/Mustard (Cow body and hair)
  • Beige (Snout, Apron, Soles of shoes)
  • Coral Orange (Dress)
  • Light Green (Hat)
  • White (Net mesh)
  • Dark Brown (Horns, Net handle, Shoe straps)
  • Scrap yarn in Pink, Blue, Yellow, Green (Embroidery and Butterflies)
• Hook: 2.5mm or 2.75mm crochet hook (adjust for tight tension)
• Safety Eyes: 10mm Black Safety Eyes
• Wire: Thin craft wire (for the butterfly fluttering effect and net rim)
• Stuffing: Polyester fiberfill
• Tools: Yarn needle, embroidery needle, scissors, stitch markers
• Jar: Small glass jar (optional prop) or crochet a small cylinder

Pattern Instructions

Head (Golden Yellow Yarn)

Work in a continuous spiral.

• Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR [6]
• Rnd 2: inc in each st around [12]
• Rnd 3: (sc 1, inc) x 6 [18]
• Rnd 4: (sc 2, inc) x 6 [24]
• Rnd 5: (sc 3, inc) x 6 [30]
• Rnd 6: (sc 4, inc) x 6 [36]
• Rnd 7: (sc 5, inc) x 6 [42]
• Rnd 8: (sc 6, inc) x 6 [48]
• Rnd 9: (sc 7, inc) x 6 [54]
• Rnds 10-20: sc in each st around [54]
• Rnd 21: (sc 7, dec) x 6 [48]
• Rnd 22: (sc 6, dec) x 6 [42]
• Insert safety eyes between Rnds 16-17, spaced about 9 sts apart. Note: The hair will cover them partially later.
• Rnd 23: (sc 5, dec) x 6 [36]
• Rnd 24: (sc 4, dec) x 6 [30]
• Rnd 25: (sc 3, dec) x 6 [24]
• Stuff the head firmly.
• Rnd 26: (sc 2, dec) x 6 [18]
• Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

The Highland Hair (Golden Yellow Yarn)

The signature look of the Highland cow is the fringe. We will attach yarn strands to the forehead.

• Cut approximately 30 strands of yellow yarn, each about 4 inches long.
• Using your hook, attach these strands using the latch-hook method (fold yarn in half, pull loop through stitch, pull ends through loop) to the forehead area, starting from the crown (Rnd 4) down to just above the snout area (Rnd 14).
• Place strands densely between the ears and down the center of the face.
• Once attached, comb the yarn down over the eyes and trim neatly so it looks shaggy but the snout is visible.

Snout (Beige Yarn)

• Rnd 1: Ch 6. Start in 2nd ch from hook. sc 4, 3 sc in last ch. Turn to work other side. sc 3, inc [12]
• Rnd 2: inc, sc 3, inc x 3, sc 3, inc x 2 [18]
• Rnd 3: sc 1, inc, sc 3, (sc 1, inc) x 3, sc 3, (sc 1, inc) x 2 [24]
• Rnds 4-6: sc in each st around [24]
• Fasten off. Stuff lightly and sew to the face below the eyes. Embroider two nostrils with dark brown yarn.

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Horns (Dark Brown Yarn) – Make 2

• Rnd 1: 4 sc in MR [4]
• Rnd 2: (sc 1, inc) x 2 [6]
• Rnd 3: sc in each st around [6]
• Rnd 4: (sc 2, inc) x 2 [8]
• Rnds 5-7: sc in each st around [8]
• Rnd 8: (sc 3, inc) x 2 [10]
• Fasten off. Sew to the sides of the head, curving slightly upwards.

Legs (Make 2) and Body

Start with Golden Yellow yarn for the legs.

• Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR [6]
• Rnd 2: inc in each st around [12]
• Rnd 3: (sc 1, inc) x 6 [18]
• Rnds 4-10: sc in each st around [18]
• Fasten off first leg. Make second leg, do not fasten off. Ch 3, join to first leg.
• Rnd 11: sc 18 (leg 1), sc 3 (chain), sc 18 (leg 2), sc 3 (chain) [42]
• Rnds 12-18: sc in each st around [42]
• Rnd 19: (sc 5, dec) x 6 [36]
• Rnds 20-24: sc in each st around [36]
• Rnd 25: (sc 4, dec) x 6 [30]
• Rnds 26-28: sc in each st around [30]
• Rnd 29: (sc 3, dec) x 6 [24]
• Rnd 30: (sc 2, dec) x 6 [18]
• Stuff body firmly. Sew head to body.

Arms (Make 2)

• Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR [6]
• Rnd 2: (sc 1, inc) x 3 [9]
• Rnds 3-14: sc in each st around [9]
• Stuff lightly. Pinch opening closed and sc across. Sew to shoulders.

Coral Orange Dress

Worked from the neck down.

• Row 1: Ch 25. sc in 2nd ch and across [24]. Turn.
• Row 2: (sc 2, inc) x 8 [32]. Turn.
• Row 3: sc 5, ch 6, skip 6 (armhole), sc 10, ch 6, skip 6 (armhole), sc 5 [32]. Turn.
• Row 4: sc across all sts and chains [32]. Turn.
• Row 5: (sc 3, inc) x 8 [40]. Join to first st to work in rounds.
• Rnd 6: Ch 2, dc in each st around [40].
• Rnd 7: (dc 4, inc) around [48].
• Rnds 8-12: dc in each st around [48].
• Fasten off. Weave in ends. Put dress on cow.

Beige Embroidered Apron

Worked flat.

• Waist: Ch 25. sc in 2nd ch and across [24]. Turn.
• Apron Skirt:
  • Rows 1-8: sc in each st across [24].
  • Fasten off.
• Bib: Join yarn at the 8th st of the waist chain. sc 8 across. Turn. Work 6 rows of sc. Fasten off.
• Straps: Ch 15, attach to top corners of bib. Cross them at the back and sew to the waist corners.
• Embroidery: Using green, red, yellow, and blue embroidery floss/yarn, stitch small stems and flowers onto the apron skirt. Use French knots for flower centers and straight stitches for stems.

Wedge Sandals

• Sole (Beige): Ch 7. Oval construction (sc around chain). Work 3 rounds of oval increasing. Work 2 rounds of sc without increasing to build the “wedge” height.
• Straps (Dark Brown): Attach yarn to front side. Ch 8, attach to other side (toe strap). Attach to heel, ch 10, wrap around ankle and secure.

Light Green Bucket Hat

• Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR [6]
• Rnd 2: inc in each st around [12]
• Rnd 3: (sc 1, inc) x 6 [18]
• Rnd 4: (sc 2, inc) x 6 [24]
• Rnd 5: (sc 3, inc) x 6 [30]
• Rnd 6: (sc 4, inc) x 6 [36]
• Rnd 7: (sc 5, inc) x 6 [42]
• Rnds 8-11: sc in each st around [42] (Hat sides)
• Rnd 12 (Brim): Work in FLO. (sc 2, inc) x 14 [56]
• Rnd 13: (sc 3, inc) around [70]
• Rnd 14: sc around [70]. Fasten off.

Butterfly Net

• Handle: With Dark Brown, 5 sc in MR. Work continuous rounds for 12cm. Stuff firmly (or insert a chopstick/wire).
• Rim: Cut a piece of wire approx 15cm long. Bend into a circle. Crochet around the wire with White yarn (sc tightly around wire) or make a crochet tube and insert wire. Attach to handle.
• Mesh Net: With White yarn, attach to rim. *Ch 4, skip 1 st, sl st in next* around.
  • Rnd 2: *Ch 4, sl st in next ch-4 loop* around.
  • Repeat Rnd 2 for 4-5 rounds, decreasing the chain length to ch 3, then ch 2 to close the bottom.

Miniature Butterflies

Make 2-3 in different bright colors.

• Rnd 1: In a Magic Ring: (Ch 3, 2 dc, ch 3, sl st) x 2 (Upper wings), (Ch 2, 2 hdc, ch 2, sl st) x 2 (Lower wings).
• Tighten ring. Leave long tails.
• Mounting: Take a piece of thin craft wire (approx 20cm). Wrap one end around the center of the butterfly. Coil the wire gently to make it “springy”. Insert the other end of the wire into the cow’s back or hat so the butterflies look like they are flying around her head.

Assembly

1. Dress the cow in the orange dress and beige apron.
2. Place the bucket hat on top of the shaggy hair. You may need to pin it in place.
3. Put on the wedge sandals.
4. Place the butterfly net in one hand (sew in place).
5. Arrange the wired butterflies to flutter around the head/hat.
6. Jar: If using a small glass jar, crochet tiny green chains (leaves) and place them inside.

Your Butterfly Garden Baby Cow is now ready to explore! This project is a celebration of texture and color, perfect for spring.