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# Mini Crochet Car — "Tiny Tot Motor"

A teeny-tiny beginner amigurumi car, roughly **2 cm × 2 cm × 2 cm** (¾" cube-ish). Perfect as a charm, pocket pal, or doll's toy. Worked in the round with no complicated shaping — just very tight stitches!

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## Finished Measurements
- **Length:** ~2 cm (¾")
- **Width:** ~2 cm (¾")
- **Height:** ~2 cm (¾") including wheels

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## Materials
- **Yarn:** Small amounts of worsted (aran/medium weight 4) yarn in:
  - Main Colour (MC) — your chosen car colour (e.g. red)
  - Black — for wheels
  - Tiny scrap of light blue or white — for window detail (optional)
- **Hook:** 2.5 mm (UK 12 / US B-1) — *deliberately small to tighten stitches at this scale*
- **Toy stuffing (fibre-fill)** — a small pinch
- **Yarn/tapestry needle** with small eye
- **Stitch marker** (a scrap of contrast yarn works)
- **Tweezers** (very helpful for stuffing such a small piece)
- **Scissors**

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## Tension (Gauge)
Worked very tightly: approximately **6 dc × 6 rounds = 2 cm (¾")**.
Tension is critical at this scale — if your stitches are loose, the stuffing will show through. Work as tightly as you comfortably can.

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## Abbreviations (UK terms)
- **ch** — chain
- **dc** — double crochet *(US: sc)*
- **dc2tog** — double crochet 2 stitches together (decrease)
- **inc** — 2 dc in same stitch (increase)
- **ss** — slip stitch
- **st(s)** — stitch(es)
- **MR** — magic ring
- **rnd** — round
- **MC** — main colour

*Note: This pattern uses UK crochet terminology throughout.*

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## Notes
- Work in continuous spirals (do **not** join rounds) unless told otherwise. Use a stitch marker in the first stitch of each round and move it up as you work.
- Keep stitches tight to prevent stuffing showing through.
- Use tweezers to push tiny pinches of stuffing into the body.

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## PATTERN

### 1. Car Body (make 1, in MC)

Begin with a small oval foundation:

**Foundation:** Ch 4 with MC.

**Rnd 1:** Working around the chain — 2 dc in 2nd ch from hook, 1 dc in next ch, 3 dc in last ch; rotate to work along the opposite side of the chain: 1 dc in next ch, 1 dc in same ch as starting 2 dc (do not work into the very first 2-dc base again). **[8 sts]**

*✓ Math check: 2 + 1 + 3 + 1 + 1 = 8 sts.*

**Rnd 2:** Inc, 1 dc, (inc) × 3, 1 dc, inc. **[14 sts]**

*✓ Math check: 2 + 1 + 6 + 1 + 2 = 14 sts. Increase of 6 = correct.*

**Rnd 3:** 1 dc in each st around. **[14 sts]**

**Rnd 4:** 1 dc in each st around. **[14 sts]**

At this point you should have a small flat-bottomed oval pouch about 2 cm long and 1.5 cm wide.

**Stuff lightly** with a tiny pinch of fibre-fill using tweezers — just enough to give shape without bulging.

**Rnd 5 (closing):** (dc2tog) × 7. **[7 sts]**

*✓ Math check: 14 ÷ 2 = 7 sts. Correct.*

Cut yarn leaving a 10 cm tail. Thread through remaining 7 sts with the tapestry needle, pull tight to close, and weave the tail through the body. Don't trim yet — you may want to reshape.

Gently squeeze the body into a rounded brick shape with a flatter base (this is where the wheels will sit).

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### 2. Wheels (make 4, in Black)

Each wheel is a tiny flat disc.

**Rnd 1:** 6 dc into MR. Pull ring tight. **[6 sts]**

**Rnd 2:** ss in next st to join, ch 1, do not turn.

Cut yarn leaving a 15 cm tail (for sewing on). The wheel should be about 0.7 cm across — a tiny black dot.

*✓ Math check: 6 sts forms a small flat circle at this tension. Correct.*

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## ASSEMBLY

1. **Position wheels:** Lay the body on its flat side. Place 2 wheels along each long side near the front and back ends, so the wheels stick out very slightly below the body.
2. **Sew wheels on** using their long tails — make 3–4 small stitches through the centre of each wheel, anchoring into the body. Weave the tail inside and trim.
3. **Window detail (optional):** Using a scrap of light blue or white yarn and the tapestry needle, embroider a small horizontal straight stitch (~5 mm long) across the upper front and upper back of the body to suggest windscreens. A single small stitch on each side suggests side windows.
4. **Headlights (optional):** Make 2 tiny French knots in white or yellow on the front of the car.

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## FINISHING

- Weave in all loose ends inside the body.
- Gently roll the car between your fingers to even out the shape.
- If the body feels under-stuffed after assembly, push a tiny extra wisp through any seam gap with a needle, then close the gap with a stitch in MC.

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## Tips for Success at This Tiny Scale

- **Tight tension is everything.** If you can see stuffing through your stitches, go down another hook size or pull harder.
- **Split your yarn if it's too thick.** Worsted yarn can be separated into 2 plies for an even smaller, daintier result — recommended if your first attempt looks chunky.
- **Use a lighter yarn for a true 2 cm scale.** A 4-ply (fingering) yarn with a 2 mm hook will give a more refined finish at this size. Worsted will produce a slightly chunkier ~2.5 cm car.
- **Stuff sparingly.** Over-stuffing distorts the shape; under-stuffing makes it floppy. A pinch the size of a pea is plenty.

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## Customisation Ideas
- **Taxi:** Yellow body with black checker embroidery.
- **Police car:** Black-and-white sections with a tiny red dot on top.
- **Race car:** Bright colour with a contrasting stripe down the middle (surface slip stitch).
- **Keychain:** Attach a small jump ring and split ring through the top of the body before closing Rnd 5.

Enjoy your **Tiny Tot Motor**! 🚗