Crochet Bat Keychain With Fangs and Tiny Ears, 11 Rounds
This crochet bat keychain is a small round-bodied bat worked in 11 rounds of single crochet from a magic ring. You fold the flat disc in half, edge it with a scalloped border, then add two black eyes, a black mouth, white fangs, two tiny ears and a keyring.
Below you get the whole crochet bat keychain in 19 photo steps, from the magic ring to the keyring. After that come the usual mistakes, the hook question, the yarn question and five more free bat patterns to compare.
One note before you start: this pattern gives no hook size, no yarn and no finished size, and we don’t invent them. We give the figures the designer does state, one count of our own, and the numbers that five other designers publish for their small bats.
- What you need
- Stitches and abbreviations
- The plan at a glance
- Step by step
- Where it goes wrong
- Hook size
- How much yarn
- Five more free bat patterns
- FAQ
- Build a Keychain Set
- Sources
What You Need for This Crochet Bat Keychain
The crochet bat keychain is a leftover-yarn project: one main colour for the body, two scraps for the face and a keyring. Because the pattern names no brand, use any yarn you like and pick the hook by the advice further down.
| Item | What to use |
|---|---|
| Main yarn | One colour for the whole body. The sample is tan, and the same design also appears in dark maroon. |
| Face yarn | A little black yarn for the mouth and a little white yarn for the fangs |
| Eyes | Two small black eyes, safety eyes or beads. The eye size is not stated. |
| Hook | Not stated. See the hook section below. |
| Rounds | 11 body rounds, ending with 60 stitches |
| Marker | A stitch marker or a scrap of yarn to mark the first stitch of each round |
| Hardware | A keyring with a swivel clasp |
| Tools | Scissors and a yarn needle for the ends |
The Stitches Behind a Crochet Bat Keychain
This crochet bat keychain uses only a handful of stitches. Crochet stitches have two naming conventions, and we give both names.
| Abbreviation | Name used here | Other naming convention |
|---|---|---|
| mr | Magic ring | Magic ring |
| ch | Chain | Chain |
| sc | Single crochet | Double crochet (dc) |
| inc | Increase: 2 sc in the same stitch | 2 dc in the same stitch |
| slst | Slip stitch | Slip stitch |
| dc | Double crochet | Treble crochet (tr) |
Stitch multiple: none. The body grows by 6 stitches at each increase round, so you always count in groups of 6, and the edge is worked as a repeat of slip stitches and double crochets.
Crochet Bat Keychain: The Plan at a Glance
The body of the crochet bat keychain is one disc. The rounds never turn, so you work in a spiral.
| Round | What you do | Stitches |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic ring, 6 sc | 6 |
| 2 | 2 sc in every stitch | 12 |
| 3 | (sc, inc) 6 times | 18 |
| 4 | (2 sc, inc) 6 times | 24 |
| 5 to 8 | Sc in every stitch, 4 rounds | 24 |
| 9 | 2 sc in every stitch | 48 |
| 10 | (7 sc, inc) 6 times | 54 |
| 11 | (8 sc, inc) 6 times | 60 |
| Finish | Fold, ch 1, then the scalloped edge, face, ears and keyring | – |
Our count: the rounds add up to 318 stitches for the whole disc, from 6 + 12 + 18 + 24 + 4 x 24 + 48 + 54 + 60. Rounds 9 to 11 hold 162 of them, which is 51 percent. That is why the last three rounds of the crochet bat keychain feel so much slower than the first eight.
How to Crochet a Bat Keychain, Step by Step
Every step of the crochet bat keychain has a photo to check your work against.
Step 1: Make a magic ring and 6 single crochet
Start round 1 with a magic ring and work 6 single crochet into it. Pull the tail to close the ring. This is the centre of the body.
Step 2: Mark the first stitch
Put a stitch marker or a scrap of yarn in the first stitch. Move it up at the start of every round. Rounds 5 to 8 are four identical rounds, and a marker is the easiest way not to lose count.
Step 3: Round 2: 2 single crochet in every stitch
Work 2 sc in each of the 6 stitches. You now have 12 stitches and the circle starts to open out.
Step 4: Round 3: (sc, inc) 6 times
Work 1 sc, then an increase, and repeat 6 times. The round comes to 18 stitches.
Step 5: Round 4: (2 sc, inc) 6 times
Work 2 sc, then an increase, and repeat 6 times, for 24 stitches. Keep the fabric tight so the disc stays flat.
Step 6: Rounds 5 to 8: single crochet in every stitch
Work 1 sc in each of the 24 stitches for 4 rounds, with no increases. The disc stops widening and starts to bowl a little.
Step 7: Round 9: 2 single crochet in every stitch
Work 2 sc in each stitch, which doubles 24 to 48. This is the biggest jump in the pattern, so count the round when you finish it.
Step 8: Round 10: (7 sc, inc) 6 times
Work 7 sc, then an increase, and repeat 6 times. Each repeat uses 8 stitches and makes 9, so the round ends at 54 stitches.
Step 9: Round 11: (8 sc, inc) 6 times
Work 8 sc, then an increase, and repeat 6 times. Each repeat uses 9 stitches and makes 10, so the round ends at 60 stitches.
Step 10: Check the flat disc
Lay the disc of your crochet bat keychain flat. It should sit without ruffling. Count round 11: 6 groups of 10 stitches makes 60. If it ruffles, one of the increase rounds has an extra stitch.
Step 11: Fold it and chain 1
Fold the disc in half and chain 1 to begin the edge. The scalloped border you work next gives the bat its wings.
Step 12: Work the scalloped edge: slst 4, 2 dc in the same stitch
Work 4 slip stitches, then 2 double crochet in the same stitch. Repeat that group 4 times in all. The double crochets make the first points of the wing scallops.
Step 13: Add the eyes
Place the two black eyes as shown in the photo, level with each other and centred on the front. Set them before you finish the edge, in the same order as the pattern.
Step 14: Stitch the mouth in black yarn
Between and slightly below the eyes, stitch a small smile in black yarn. Keep it short: a long mouth makes the face look wide.
Step 15: Add the white fangs
With white yarn, stitch two small straight stitches just under the corners of the mouth. These are the fangs that make it a bat and not a ghost.
Step 16: Finish the edge
Carry on around with the remaining stitches: 4 slst, an increase in double crochet (2 dc in the same stitch), and a slst, repeated to the end. The scallops now run down both wings.
Step 17: Make the ears
The pattern’s own shorthand for the ears is: ch 3 on the 4th or 5th row, skip the ch, slst, sc, and slst on the 3rd rows. It reads as a tiny pointed spike: chain 3, skip the first chain, slip stitch into the next chain, single crochet into the last, then slip stitch back into the edge. Make one, compare it with the photo, and pull it out if it looks wrong.
Step 18: Fasten off and weave in the ends
Cut the yarn and pull the tail through. Weave the tails into the back with a yarn needle and snip them close, so nothing tickles the face.
Step 19: Attach the keyring
Clip the swivel clasp or split ring onto the top of the head, through a stitch or a small yarn loop. Pull gently to test that it holds. Your crochet bat keychain is done.
Where a Crochet Bat Keychain Usually Goes Wrong
Three mistakes cause most trouble with a crochet bat keychain, and each shows up long before the end.
- Losing count in rounds 5 to 8. Four rounds in a row have 24 identical stitches and no increases, so it is easy to work 3 or 5. Use the marker from step 2 and count the rounds on the side of the disc.
- A wrong stitch count after the big rounds. The disc should read 48, then 54, then 60. If a round is off by even one stitch, the disc ruffles or cups, and the fold in step 11 will not lie flat.
- Eyes that are too close to the edge. Set the eyes and mouth before the last of the scallops, level and centred as in step 13. If an eye sits crooked, re-set it straight away, because it is hard to move after the edge is closed.
A safety note: eyes on a keychain are a choking risk for very small children. For a gift to a toddler, embroider the eyes in black yarn instead of using safety eyes or beads.
Hook Size for a Crochet Bat Keychain
This pattern does not state a hook size, so we looked at five free small bat patterns. Their hooks run from 1.75 mm to 4 mm. The Craft Yarn Council crochet range is 2.25 to 3.5 mm for weight 1 yarn, 3.5 to 4.5 mm for weight 2 and 4.5 to 5.5 mm for weight 3.
Four of the five print a yarn weight, and all four use a hook below the range for that weight: 2 mm for weight 2, 2.5 mm for weight 2, 1.75 mm for weight 1 and 2.75 mm for weight 3. That is deliberate, not a mistake. A small amigurumi wants a dense, tight fabric so it holds its shape. For your crochet bat keychain, start a size or two below what the yarn label suggests and work a test disc of 3 or 4 rounds. If you can see light through the stitches, go down another size.
How Much Yarn a Crochet Bat Keychain Takes
Nobody publishes it. This pattern gives no yardage, and none of the five bat patterns we checked print one either, so we won’t estimate it. What we can tell you is that the crochet bat keychain has 318 stitches in the disc plus the edge, so it is a project for one small ball or leftovers. Weigh your ball before and after if you want your own figure.
How big will it be?
No finished size is given for this pattern, and the hook decides it. For scale, the five patterns we checked come out at 3.4 x 1.4 in (9 x 4 cm), about 3 in (8 cm), 2.75 in (7 cm) long, about 2.75 x 2.4 in (7 x 6 cm), and 3.5 in (9 cm) wide. The last is a flat appliqué. A bat with an 11-round disc and a hook a size below the label lands in that same palm-sized range.
Five More Free Bat Patterns
Each of these is free on the designer’s own site. Compare their hooks and sizes with yours before you start.
| Pattern | Hook | Yarn | Finished size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crochet Bat Keychain, Little Crochet Farm | 2 mm (2.5 mm for wings) | Sport-weight cotton | 3.4 x 1.4 in (9 x 4 cm) |
| Mikey the Bat, DIY Fluffies | 2.5 mm | Sport-weight cotton | 3 in (8 cm) |
| Little Bat, Eu Quero Croche | 1.75 mm | Super fine cotton | 2.75 in (7 cm) long |
| Small Bat Pattern, Rusty Crochet | 4 mm | Any yarn, 6 mm eyes | 7 x 6 cm |
| Bat Appliqué, GoldenLucyCrafts | 2.75 mm | Weight 3, flat appliqué | 3.5 in (9 cm) wide |
Want more for the same shelf? Our pumpkin granny square is a quick motif to make next, and the free crochet spider pattern makes a good partner for your crochet bat keychain.
Crochet Bat Keychain FAQ
Is this crochet bat keychain good for beginners?
Yes. It uses only single crochet, increases, slip stitches and a few double crochets. The hardest parts are counting rounds 5 to 8 and the ear shorthand.
Do I need stuffing?
No stuffing step is part of this crochet bat keychain pattern. The disc is folded in half and edged, which gives a flat bat that suits a keychain.
What size hook should I use?
The pattern does not say. Five other small bat patterns use 1.75 to 4 mm, and four of them go below the yarn label range, so pick a hook a size or two smaller than the label and test a small disc.
How many stitches does the body have?
The last round has 60 stitches. All 11 rounds together have 318.
Can I make it in a different colour?
Yes. The same design also appears in dark maroon. Keep the mouth black and the fangs white so the face still shows.
Is it safe to give to a child?
Not with safety eyes or beads on a keychain. For toddlers, embroider the eyes in black yarn.
Build a Keychain Set
Pair the bat with an owl or the snowy owl for a full keychain set. For more small makes, browse our accessories and every free pattern on the site.
Sources
- Little Crochet Farm, Crochet Bat Free Pattern Keychain
- DIY Fluffies, Mikey the Bat
- Eu Quero Croche, Little Bat
- Rusty Crochet, Small Bat Pattern
- GoldenLucyCrafts, Crochet Bat Appliqué
- Craft Yarn Council, yarn weight system
Pattern credit: the bat keychain design comes from the crochet channel Loops With Love By Drolma.
