Actually Finishing Something | Nooroo Plushie

Post #220 on The Rambling Rose, so I’m doing something special to celebrate!

A few years ago, I joined the Miraculous fandom, following the adventures of Ladybug and C[h]at Noir as they fought to save Paris from the evil Hawkmoth and the people he turns into super-villains.

via Pinterest

One character I fell in love with (and wanted desperately to see rescued) was Nooroo, the little purple Kwami of the Moth/Butterfly Miraculous…which happens to be in Hawkmoth’s control.

Somebody save this precious bean!

It’s probably safe to say that half the fandom wants to adopt this adorable little guy, and give him a better life than he has with his current master. And of course I chose Nooroo as my favorite Kwami—I mean, come on; he’s PURPLE! Plus I always did have a soft spot for the underdog. But obviously I couldn’t reach through the screen and snatch him—and his Miraculous—away from Hawkmoth and bring them into the Real World, LOL.

My solution? Crochet a plushie!

I used this pattern as a base (since most of the Kwamis use the same basic model), working it up in this vibrant lavender baby/fingering-weight yarn (doubled) and a 00/3mm steel hook. I used a smaller hook for the eyes and antennae (more on that below).

[Screencap by me, for illustrative purposes only.
No copyright infringement intended.]

For the facial features and spiral designs on his head and lower wings, I studied the photo and screenshot pictured in this post for reference. As you can see, the proportions are a bit off, and the eyes are a bit higher and more slanted than on the character model (but I couldn’t reposition them because I’d glued them on prior to sewing them down). And while it doesn’t show in the picture that much, the chalk I used to position the eyes stained the yarn, which really ticked me off.
If I were to do this project again, I’d crochet some wire along the wing-edges for stability, as they are rather floppy as-is. May revamp them down the road….

For the curious, I used a worsted-weight, super-soft purple yarn for the spirals, which has a slight sheen that the camera doesn’t pick up. These were embroidered more or less freehand, using a split-stitch. The mouth is worked in a tight chain-stitch, using the same periwinkle embroidery floss as the iris of his eyes.

Initially, I tried making the eyes out of white felt and gluing a tight spiral of the shiny purple yarn for the iris. It looked awful. Embroidering the eyes onto the crochet also DID NOT WORK. So in the end I crocheted the eyes in embroidery floss and thin crochet-cotton.

Below are the patterns I developed for the wings and eyes, since I haven’t see one anywhere online.

If you want to make up your own Nooroo plushie—for yourself or that special munchkin in your life, or to sell—all I ask is that you check with the creator of the base pattern, and give me credit for the wings and eyes. Good faith and common courtesy and all that.

But enough yakking—on to the patterns!

(For crochet term abbreviations chart, click here)

~Wings~

Antenna:
(Use US size 6 hook & single strand fingering-weight yarn or #10 crochet-cotton)

Row 1: Ch 4, 3 dc in 4^th ch from hook. Ch 3, turn.

Row 2: 1 dc in next 3 dc, holding back last st of each until last; yo, draw thru all 4 lps.

Row 3: Ch 4, 2 dc in 4^th ch from hook. Ch 3, turn.

Row 4: 1 dc in next 2 dc, holding back last 2 st of each until last; yo, draw thru all 3 lps, turn, insert hook in base of Row 1 and make 1 sc, folding yarn-end down inside work.

This forms “bobble” at end of antenna, which is sewn together at sides later. For “tail” of antenna, make a double chain-st of 30 ch.

For Lower Wing, switch to #00/3mm hook and continue working with doubled yarn. NOTE: Do not work in 3-ch of previous rows.

Row 1: Ch 4, 3 dc in 4^th ch from hook, ch 3, turn.

Row 2: 1 dc in next dc (counts as 2-dc inc), 1 dc in next dc, 2 dc in last dc, ch 3, turn.

Row 3: 1 dc in next dc (counts as inc), 1 dc in next 2 dc, 2 dc in last dc, ch 2, turn.

Row 4: Dc 2 tog, 1 dc in next st, dc 2 tog, ch 2, turn.

Row 5: Dc 3 tog .

Border: Using 1 strand yarn or CC and #6 hook, ch 1 & work in sc along edges, making a sl st at base of wing/top of antenna and upper tip. Fasten off.
Make 2^nd wing.

Upper Wing:

Row 1: Ch 4, 2 dc in 4^th ch from hook, ch 3, turn.

Row 2: 1 dc in next st (counts as 2-dc inc), 1 dc in next st, 2 dc in ch-3 of previous row, ch 3, turn.

Row 3: 1 dc in next st (counts as inc), 1 dc in next 3 dc, 2 dc in ch-3 of prev row, ch 3, turn.

Row 4: Sk 1, 1 dc in ea dc across (including ch-3 of prev row), ch 3, turn.

Row 5: 1 dc in ea dc across, ch 2, turn.

Row 6: Sk 1, dc 2 tog, 1 dc in next 3 dc, dc 2 tog, ch 2, turn.

Row 7: Sk 1, dc 2 tog, 1 dc in next dc, dc 2 tog, ch 2, turn.

Row 8: [Dc 2 tog] twice.

Make a border as for Lower Wing, working 1 hdc, 1 dc, 1 hdc around opposite tip from starting point. (For second wing, turn work and work Border in opposite direction as first Wing, for a mirror image.)

~Eyes~

Left Eye:

Using #10 steel crochet hook and 3 strands embroidery floss (or #30 crochet-cotton) in Purple and White.

Rnd 1: With Purple, make a magic ring and ch 2, 5 sc in ring (counts as 6 sc), sl st in 2 ch of ch-2.

Rnd 2: Ch 2, sc in same st, 2 sc in each sc around, join with sl st.

Rnd 3: Ch 2, sc in same st, *1 sc, 2 sc* around, join.

Rnd 4: With Black, sl st in each sc around, join.

Rnd 5: With White, ch 2, *2 sc in next st, 1 sc* 6 times, ch 1, turn.

Rnd 6: Sl st in next st, 1 sc, 1 hdc, 1 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc, 2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next 4 sts, 2 sc in next st, 1 sc, 1 hdc, 1 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc, ch 2, turn.

Rnd 7: 1 dc in next st, *1 sc in next 4 sts, 2 sc in next st* twice, 1 hdc in next 3 sts, 2 hdc in next st, 1 dcin next 2 sts, 1 hdc, ch 2, turn, 1 sc in next st, sl st in next st, fasten off.

Right Eye:
Work as for Left Eye to Rnd 4. Join in White and continue thus:

Rnd 7: 1 dc in next 2 sts, 1 hdc in next 3 sts, *2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next 4 sts* twice, 1 dc in next st, ch 1, sl st in next st, pull out loop and pass ball through, pass thread under work and connect loosely to opposite corner; ch 1, 1 sc in next st, ch 2, sl st in next st, fasten off.

Glue Eyes to head in desired position (iris only). Sew outer edges to head with black thread, using a tight whip-stitch.

~*~

Overall, I’m pretty pleased with how he turned out.
I think my favorite part of this project is the eyes. It still tickles me that I had embroidery floss on hand in the perfect shade of periwinkle, and I love how they just pop and give this little guy so much character. He’s definitely a keeper, regardless of whether or not I continue watching the show (which is another kettle o’ fish altogether).

What say you, Gentle Readers? How do you like my attempt at replicating a fictional character? Fellow Miraculers—which is your favorite Kwami? I want to know!

Until next time, Gentle Readers,
God bless,

~ℛ~