Black-Billed Magpie Coaster

Now for the second in the Birds of Alberta coaster series: the Black-Billed Magpie! My absolute favourite bird, you can spot these colourful fellows in pretty much every urban area. They belong to the family as crows and ravens, and share the same intelligence and playfulness.

I think that Albertans are kind of dismissive of magpies, probably because of just how common they are. It isn't until someone unfamiliar with magpies sees them that you realize just how interesting they are. I used to work at a birdwalk during my high-school summers (which is where I developed a love for birds) and remember one family from Ontario who'd visited and kept trying to describe these amazing black and white birds to us, hoping that we could identify them. It took me a very long time to realize that they were talking about magpies, a bird that was pretty unremarkable to us. I've come to appreciate them a lot more, obviously! The pica in my username is the genus of magpies, after all.

You can buy a PDF copy of this pattern in a little ebook here on Ravelry! The book contains eight patterns: four coasters (including this one) and four amigurumi keychains. It's the exact same pattern as you'll see here, but I bundled them up for $5 CAD to provide an easier-to-print PDF or for if you wanted to show me some support.

Here's some quick guff on the ways you can use my pattern:

• do not redistribute the pattern - just link to this page
• your results are free for personal use - but I ask that you don't sell your finished product. just hand them out as gifts, ok? your friends will love you for it

With that out of the way, on to the pattern!

Materials

• Size H (5 mm) Crochet Hook
• Worsted Weight Yarn
  • I used Red Heart Super Saver in:
    • Black
    • Soft White
    • Country Blue
• Yarn Needle

Abbreviations

• ch – chain
• sc – single crochet
• dc – double crochet
• inc – two single crochet in same stitch
• sc2tog – single crochet two together
• ss – slip stitch
• cc – colour change

Techniques

I have a useful guide on all the different techniques I use when I make amigurumi. Obviously, you should stick with whatever techniques you are comfortable with when making amigurumi, but I still recommend checking it out if you wanna get a result as close to mine as possible!

This pattern is worked in a spiral. Therefore, there are no joins at the end of rounds, except for at the very end.

Body/Coaster

Starting in blue (Red Heart Super Saver Country Blue). I recommend using a bobbin method (or two ends of a skein) for the two white parts so you don’t have to worry about carrying the white over.

Rnd 1: in magic circle, sc 1, cc to black, sc 3, cc to white, sc 2. cc to blue on last sc. (6 sc)
Rnd 2: inc, cc to white, inc in each of next 2 sts, cc to black, inc, cc to white, inc in each of next 2 sts. cc to blue on last sc. (12 sc)
Rnd 3: sc, inc, cc to white, (sc, inc) twice, cc to black, (sc, inc), cc to white, (sc, inc) twice. cc to blue on last sc. (18 sc)
Rnd 4: sc 2, inc, cc to white, (sc 2, inc) twice, cc to black, (sc 2, inc), cc to white, (sc 2, inc) twice. cc to blue on last sc. (24 sc)
Rnd 5: sc 3, inc, cc to white, sc 3, inc, sc 2, cc to black, sc, inc, sc 3, inc, cc to white, (sc 3, inc) twice. cc to blue on last sc. (30 sc)
Rnd 6: sc 4, inc, cc to white, sc 4, cc to black, inc, (sc 4, inc) twice, cc to white, (sc 4, inc) twice. cc to blue on last sc. (36 sc)
Rnd 7: sc 5, inc, cc to white and drop blue, sc 2, cc to black and drop white, sc 3, inc, (sc 5, inc) twice, cc to white and drop black, (sc 5, inc) twice. ss to first.(42 sc)

Fasten off and weave in ends.

Here’s a stitch diagram that might help you visualize the colour changes in the body.

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Head

Mark the 5^th st into the black from the white underbelly. Then mark the 8^th st from the white wing patch. This will be the 8 st long stretch over which we’ll work the head.

Row 1: join black yarn such that you will be working in the same direction as the last round (into the point closest to the wing patch). sc in the same stitch. Then sc in the next 7 stitches. (7 sc)

Row 2: ch 1, turn. sc2tog, sc 4, sc2tog. (6 sc)
Row 3: ch 1, turn. sc 6. (5 sc)
Row 4: ch 1, turn. sc2tog three times. (3 sc)

Fasten off and hide the tail.

Beak

Attack black yarn into the middle sc of the top of the head. ch 2, dc. Fasten off, leaving enough of a tail to sew the gap between the ch and dc closed. Then hide the tail into the head.

Now you’ve got a completed head and beak!

Tail

Mark the second blue stitch and the second white stitch. Watch out for the ss – it looks an awful lot like a stitch, but don’t count it.

Attach blue yarn to the marked blue stitch.

Row 1: sc in the same joined stitch. sc 3. (4 sc)
Row 2-4 (x3): ch 1, turn. sc 4. (4 sc)
Row 5: ch 1, turn. sc2tog twice. (2 sc)
Row 6-8 (x3): ch 1, turn. sc 2. (2 sc)
Row 9: ch 1, turn. sc2tog. (1 sc)

Fasten off and hide the tail.

And you're done!

I hope you enjoyed making your little magpie coaster! If you'd like to keep your magpie company with some other birds, take a look at more bird-themed coasters here!