Color Turtles

My wife saw pictures of these cute crochted turtles being used as a memory game for small children and wanted me to make similar ones for our 2-year-old. Since I couldn't find an existing pattern for them, I created my own.

As the concept of the turtles is to function as a memory game, it is crucial for them to be as similar as possible. You may need to acknowledge that your initial attempt could serve primarily for learning, as with practice, subsequent creations will become more consistent. Additionally, ensure that you only lightly stuff them so they are not too round but still rest nicely on the table and can be easily flipped over during gameplay

Finished size of a turtle is about 7cm and a 2-year-old can grab it nicely.

Materials

• 3,5 mm crochet hook
• Cyan, gray and different colored yarns for the bellies.
• Fiber fill
• Needle for sewing

Turtle Color Belly

Start with the colored belly yarn.

To achieve a seamless transition from the colored belly spot to the body color, we employ a seamless/invisible color change method. Many tutorials for this technique are available online. Essentially, the color change round is executed by creating a loop with the previous color and pulling through with the new one. So in round 3, both colors are used. This can be a bit hard to learn, but after the 12th turtle you'll be an expert!

The legs and tail of the turtles are crafted using popcorn stitches.

To execute an invisible decrease in the head, ensure that you make the decrease using only the front loops. Dec3 denotes decreasing three stitches together at once.

After fastening off, pull the yarn through the front loops of the final stitches and close the hole.

Turtle Shell

Use cyan yarn.

Fasten off and leave a long tail for sewing.

Finishing the turtle

Position the shell on top of the belly and sew them together by working through the back loops of both the shell and belly. Note that the back loops of the belly become the front loops when it's turned upside down.

Before closing it completely, lightly stuff the turtle.

Create another turtle using the same belly color, and then continue making as many pairs as desired. :)