Owl Filet Crochet Teether Charm Free Pattern: Cherry Red Bamboo Cotton Baby Rattle

Meet Your New Favorite Little Owl

If you have ever wanted to make something with your own hands for a baby you love, this is the perfect first project. This flat oval owl teether charm is worked in filet crochet, which sounds fancy but is really just a grid of solid blocks and little open squares that create a picture. The finished owl is about 3.5 inches wide and 4 inches tall, soft and flexible in bamboo cotton, with cherry red blocks and soft pink openwork lines that look like tiny feathers. It has two little ear tufts and a braided hanging loop, making a sweet, modern Halloween keepsake for babies 0–6 months. Because it is flat and small, you can finish it in an evening or two, and you will be amazed at what you made.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Bamboo cotton worsted weight (about 50% bamboo / 50% cotton; 125 yd / 114 m per 50 g skein). You need 1 skein Cherry Red (Color A, about 20 g used) and 1 skein Soft Pink (Color B, about 8 g used).
• Hook for the body: 3.5 mm (US E/4) crochet hook.
• Hook for the hanging loop: 3.0 mm (US D/3) crochet hook.
• Stitch marker (a small plastic clip or a scrap of contrasting yarn).
• Tapestry needle (a big blunt needle with a large eye for sewing in ends).
• Scissors.
• Optional: a tiny amount of polyester fiberfill if you want a very light 3-D puff. The teether can also stay completely flat.
• Finished size: Body approx. 3.5 in / 9 cm wide x 4 in / 10 cm tall. Hanging loop approx. 3 in / 7.5 cm. Total drop from top of loop to bottom of body approx. 7 in / 18 cm.

Abbreviations and Beginner Glossary

• ch – chain. Make a loop with the yarn, then pull the yarn through the loop on your hook. Each loop you pull through is one chain.
• dc – double crochet. Wrap the yarn over your hook, insert the hook into the stitch, pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), yarn over and pull through 2 loops, yarn over and pull through the last 2 loops.
• sc – single crochet. Insert hook into stitch, pull up a loop (2 loops on hook), yarn over and pull through both loops.
• sc2tog – single crochet two stitches together (a decrease). Insert hook into the first stitch, pull up a loop, insert hook into the next stitch, pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), yarn over and pull through all 3 loops. This turns 2 stitches into 1.
• sl st – slip stitch. Insert hook into stitch, yarn over, and pull through both the stitch and the loop on your hook at the same time.
• st / sts – stitch / stitches.
• sp – space. The little gap made by a chain.
• ch-1 sp – chain-1 space. The small hole created by one chain stitch in the row below.
• beg – beginning.
• RS – right side. The front, pretty side of your work that faces you.
• WS – wrong side. The back side of your work.
• Filet block – a group of 3 double crochets worked side by side, making a solid square in the grid.
• Open mesh – a double crochet, a chain 1, and a double crochet, which makes an open square in the grid.
• Fasten off – cut the yarn, pull the tail all the way through the last loop, and pull tight.
• Weave in ends – thread a yarn tail onto a tapestry needle and sew it back and forth through the back of the work so it disappears.

Gauge

Gauge: 5 filet blocks (each block = 3 dc + 1 ch) = 4 in / 10 cm; 8 rows = 4 in / 10 cm.

Gauge means how big your stitches come out. If your stitches are too loose, the owl will be too big; if too tight, too small. To check, make a small practice swatch: chain 20, then work 8 rows of double crochet, and measure the middle 4 inches. If you get more blocks than 5 in 4 inches, try a larger hook. If you get fewer, try a smaller hook. This matters because the finished size and the safety of the hanging loop depend on it.

Beginner Tips Before You Start

• Count every row. Filet crochet is a grid, so each row must have the same number of blocks. Count your 9 blocks at the end of every row before turning.
• Use a stitch marker in the first stitch of each row so you never lose your place at the edge.
• Do not pull the yarn too tight. Keep your chains relaxed so the open mesh squares stay open and even.
• Change colors at the last stitch of the row. Work the final double crochet of the row with the new color so the color change is neat.
• Keep your turning chain the same size. The ch 3 at the start of each row counts as your first double crochet; do not make it too tight.
• Work on a flat, well-lit table and keep the piece flat as you go so the oval does not curl.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Body (worked flat in rows, turning each row)

Row 1 (RS): With Color A, ch 38. Dc in the 4th ch from hook and in each ch across. Turn. (36 dc, counting the turning ch as the first dc)

Row 2 (WS): Ch 3 (counts as first dc), dc in next 2 dc, *ch 1, skip 1 dc, dc in next 3 dc; repeat from * across, ending with dc in last 3 dc. Turn. (9 blocks: 8 solid blocks and 1 open mesh at each edge; 36 sts)

Row 3 (RS): Ch 3, dc in next 2 dc, *dc in ch-1 sp, dc in next 3 dc; repeat from * across. Turn. (36 dc)

Row 4 (WS): Ch 3, dc in next 2 dc, *ch 1, skip 1 dc, dc in next 3 dc; repeat from * across. Turn. (36 sts)

Rows 5–6: Repeat Rows 3–4 once more. (36 sts)

Row 7 (RS): Change to Color B. Ch 3, dc in next 2 dc, *ch 1, skip 1 dc, dc in next 3 dc; repeat from * across. Turn. (Pink openwork feather line; 36 sts)

Row 8 (WS): With B, ch 3, dc in next 2 dc, *dc in ch-1 sp, dc in next 3 dc; repeat from * across. Turn. (36 sts)

Row 9 (RS): Change to A. Ch 3, dc in next 2 dc, *ch 1, skip 1 dc, dc in next 3 dc; repeat from * across. Turn. (36 sts)

Row 10 (WS): With A, ch 3, dc in next 2 dc, *dc in ch-1 sp, dc in next 3 dc; repeat from * across. Turn. (36 sts)

Row 11 (RS): Change to B. Ch 3, dc in next 2 dc, *ch 1, skip 1 dc, dc in next 3 dc; repeat from * across. Turn. (36 sts)

Row 12 (WS): With B, ch 3, dc in next 2 dc, *dc in ch-1 sp, dc in next 3 dc; repeat from * across. Turn. (36 sts)

Row 13 (RS): Change to A. Ch 3, dc in next 2 dc, *ch 1, skip 1 dc, dc in next 3 dc; repeat from * across. Turn. (36 sts)

Row 14 (WS): With A, ch 3, dc in next 2 dc, *dc in ch-1 sp, dc in next 3 dc; repeat from * across. Turn. (36 sts)

Row 15 (RS): With A, ch 3, dc in next 2 dc, *ch 1, skip 1 dc, dc in next 3 dc; repeat from * across. Turn. (36 sts)

Row 16 (WS): With A, ch 3, dc in next 2 dc, *dc in ch-1 sp, dc in next 3 dc; repeat from * across. Do not turn. Fasten off A, leaving a 6 in / 15 cm tail. (36 sts)

Oval Edging (worked around the entire perimeter in Color A)

Round 1: With RS facing and A, join yarn with a sl st at the bottom-right corner of the body. Ch 1, work sc evenly around the entire perimeter: 1 sc in each row-end along the sides (16 sc per side), 1 sc in each dc along the top and bottom edges (36 sc each), and 3 sc in each corner. Join with sl st to first sc. (approx. 104 sc)

Round 2: Ch 1, sc in each sc around, working 3 sc in each corner. Join with sl st. Fasten off A. Weave in ends. (approx. 104 sc)

Ear Tufts (make 2, with Color A)

Tuft 1 (top-left): Join A with a sl st at the top-left corner of the body, 3 sts in from the edge. Ch 1, sc in same st, sc in next 2 sts, turn. Ch 1, sc2tog over next 2 sts, sc in last st, turn. Ch 1, sc2tog. Fasten off, leaving a 4 in / 10 cm tail; use the tail to tack the tuft tip to the body so it stands upright. (1 st at the tip)

Tuft 2 (top-right): Work as Tuft 1, mirroring the placement at the top-right corner, 3 sts in from the edge. (1 st at the tip)

Hanging Loop (braided crochet cord, with A and B held together)

With the 3.0 mm hook and one strand each of A and B held together, ch 40. Sl st in the 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. Fasten off, leaving a 4 in / 10 cm tail. The cord measures approx. 3 in / 7.5 cm when gently stretched. (39 sl sts)

Assembly and Finishing

Sewing the loop: Fold the cord in half to form a loop. Place both ends at the top center of the owl body between the ear tufts. Thread a tail onto the tapestry needle and sew through the cord ends 3–4 times, going through the body each time, for baby-safe security. Knot on the wrong side and weave the tail in.

Tacking the tufts: Use each tuft tail to sew the tip of the tuft down to the body so it stands up neatly. Sew through 2–3 times and weave in the tail.

Weaving in ends: Turn the piece to the wrong side. Thread each tail onto the tapestry needle and sew it back and forth through the back of several stitches, then trim close. Do not leave any loose tails.

Optional light puff: With a tapestry needle and A, run a gathering thread around the outer edge on the wrong side. Stuff a very small amount of fiberfill into the center and draw up gently. Do not overstuff; the teether should stay flat and flexible.

Blocking: Lightly wet the piece with water, pin it to shape on a towel or blocking mat, and let it dry completely. This makes the oval even and the openwork squares crisp.

Safety check: Tug firmly on the loop and both ear tufts. The loop must be securely sewn and the tufts firmly tacked. Inspect before each use.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Color changes: Swap Soft Pink for soft gray, mint, or lavender for a different look. Keep the main body a strong solid color so the openwork feather lines show up.
• Size adjustments: To make the owl bigger, add 4 chains to the starting chain for each extra block, and add 2 rows for each extra block of height. To make it smaller, remove blocks the same way.
• Yarn substitution: Any worsted-weight cotton or cotton blend works. Avoid fuzzy or hairy yarns, which can shed and are not ideal for babies.
• Flat or puffed: Leave the teether completely flat for the lightest charm, or add the optional tiny puff for a soft 3-D feel.