●○○○ Skill Level 1 - beginner

DARUMA Dolls have been around for several hundred years. The tubby talisman is modeled after the founder of Zen Buddhism Bodhidharma (Dharma). Legend has it that the monk once meditated for 9 years without moving and thus lost his legs - for this reason the Daruma is designed without legs.

A Daruma is a very popular talisman in Japan. He is made to help you fulfill a wish or achieve a goal. For the start, your Daruma is blind with only white spots in place of the eyes. While focussing on your wish, you paint one of the eyes (your crochet Daruma gets a first safety eye).

When the wish has been fulfilled, the Daruma gets his second eye. After that, the talisman is burned within the fist few days of a new year. Then you get yourself a new Daruma and set a new goal, or express a new wish.

Traditionally Daruma dolls are red - based on the color of the monk's robe. But now up to seven other colors have become established. Each color stands for a different kind of wish:

Red general happiness, good luck
Black protection from evil
Yellow joy, or security and protection
White harmony, or promotion of a talent and progress
Purple health and longevity
Pink love, marriage
Green beauty
Gold wealth and prosperity

Using the recommended yarn and crochet hook your Daruma will turn out a height of approx. 7 cm (3 inch). Using a heavier or lighter yarn weight and another hook size, the Daruma will turn out bigger or smaller. If you use a different yarn weight, please make sure to adjust the size of the eyes!

Crochet Hook size 3.5 mm

Yarn size 4 (medium), worsted weight,
e.g. Scheepjes Cahlista, or Schachenmayr Catania Grande
Contrast Color (white, or powder pink) for the face
Main Color (red, or color of choice) for the body

Thin yarn or thread – black, red, gold.
A pair of black Safety Eyes, Ø 7 mm.
Soft Stuffing (polyfiber fill)
Optionally: Beads – black, orange, Ø 3 mm.
Yarn Needle, Stitch Marker, Scissors.

ch = chain stitch
dec = decrease (crochet together 2 sts with 1 sc)
inc = increase (2 sc into the same stitch)
rnd(s) = round(s)
sc = single crochet stitch
slst = slip stitch
st(s) = stitches
[…] ...x = repeat instructions in brackets as a sequence as often as written after the closing bracket, example: [sc 2, inc] 5x
°…° = work the instructions between °...° all into same stitch or spot
(…) = total number of stitches after row or rnd

Make a magic loop from main color (red).

01. sc 7 into the ring (7)
02. [inc] 7x (14)
03. [sc 1, inc] 7x (21)
04. sc 1, inc, [sc 2, inc] 6x, sc 1 (28)
05.-12. (8 rnds) sc 28
13. sc 1, dec, [sc 2, dec] 6x, sc 1 (21)
14. sc 21
15. [dec, sc 1] 7x, stuff the body well. (14)
16. [dec] 7x (7)

Stuff body a little bit more. Then, close the remaining stitches through front loops.

Make a foundation chain of 5 ch from contrast color (white). Starting in the 2nd ch from hook, crochet along the chain:

01. °sc 3°, sc 2, sc 3 in last ch, rotate and crochet along the other side of the chain, sc 2 (10)
02. [inc] 3x, sc 2, [inc] 3x, sc 2 (16)
03. [inc, sc 1] 3x, sc 2, [sc 1, inc] 4x (23)
04. sc 3, slst 1, leave the remaining sts unworked.

Cut the yarn with a very long rest to sew the face onto the body later. Close the rnd invisibly.

Attach the safety eyes onto the face plate. Cut off the shank of the safety eyes behind the washer to make it shorter. Then, sew the face onto the body.

Using golden metallic thread or yarn, embroider 3 (or more) vertical stipes below the face and 3 lines horizontally on the left and on the right side.

With black yarn embroider facial expressions, such as eye brows, mouth, beard, cheeks. You can also use litte black beads for the eye brows and orange beads, or red yarn for the cheeks.