purlJam

# Pattern: The Shadow Operator (Amigurumi Muscle Car)

**Difficulty Level:** Advanced
**Technique:** Structural Amigurumi with Tapestry Crochet (Intarsia)

## DESCRIPTION
This pattern creates a sleek, black muscle car with a high-tech red scanner bar in the front grill. To achieve the sharp angles required for a sports car, this project is constructed in two main structural parts: the **Body Basin** (chassis and sides) and the **Top Contour** (hood, roof, and trunk). This modular approach prevents the "roundness" typical of crochet toys.

## SPECIFICATIONS

**YARN WEIGHT:** Worsted (Aran)
*   **Main Colour (A):** Black (approx. 150m)
*   **Contrast Colour (B):** Light Grey (for windows, approx. 40m)
*   **Accent Colour (C):** Bright Red (small amount for scanner)
*   **Accent Colour (D):** Silver/Grey (for hubcaps)

**HOOK SIZE:** 3.5mm (or size needed to obtain tight tension so stuffing does not show).

**ADDITIONAL MATERIALS:**
*   Yarn needle
*   Polyester fibre stuffing
*   Cardboard or plastic canvas (essential for structural reinforcement of the base and roof)
*   Stitch markers

**TENSION (GAUGE):**
20 dc and 22 rows = 10 cm x 10 cm.
*Note: Exact tension is not critical, provided it is tight enough to hold stuffing firmly.*

## TERMINOLOGY & ABBREVIATIONS (UK ENGLISH)
*   **ch:** chain
*   **dc:** double crochet (US single crochet)
*   **htr:** half treble crochet (US half double crochet)
*   **ss:** slip stitch
*   **st(s):** stitch(es)
*   **inc:** increase (2 dc in one st)
*   **dec:** decrease (dc 2 together, preferably invisible decrease)
*   **BLO:** back loop only
*   **FLO:** front loop only
*   **RS/WS:** right side / wrong side
*   **[...]**: Total stitch count at end of row/round.

---

## INSTRUCTIONS

### PART 1: THE CHASSIS & SIDES (Body Basin)
*Worked in continuous spirals. This forms the bottom and the vertical walls of the car.*

**Foundation:** Using Colour A (Black), ch 31.

**Rnd 1:** Dc in 2nd ch from hook, dc in next 28 ch, 3 dc in last ch. Rotate to work along the opposite side of the chain. Dc in next 28 ch, 2 dc in the first ch (where you started).
`[29 + 3 + 28 + 2 = 62 sts]`

**Rnd 2:** Inc in first st, dc 28, inc in next 3 sts, dc 28, inc in last 2 sts.
`[2 + 28 + 6 + 28 + 4 = 68 sts]`

**Rnd 3 (Base Perimeter):** Inc in first st, dc 29, *inc, dc 1* three times, dc 28, *inc, dc 1* twice.
`[2 + 29 + 6 + 28 + 4 = 74 sts]`

**Rnd 4 (Creating the Edge):** Working in **BLO** for this round only. Dc in each st around.
`[74 sts]` *Math Check: 74 sts constant.*

**Rnd 5 (Grill Setup):** Working in both loops. Dc 30, **FLO** dc 6 (this creates the front bumper overhang), dc 38.
`[74 sts]`

**Rnd 6-9:** Dc in each st around.
`[74 sts per round]`

**Rnd 10 (Wheel Well Shaping):**
*In this round, we create gaps for the wheels.*
Dc 4, ch 4, skip 4 sts (front wheel), dc 22, ch 4, skip 4 sts (rear wheel), dc 7, ch 4, skip 4 sts (rear wheel), dc 22, ch 4, skip 4 sts (front wheel), dc 3.
`[58 dc + 16 chs = 74 sts]`

**Rnd 11:** Dc in each st and each ch around.
`[74 sts]`

**Rnd 12:** Dc in each st around. Fasten off. Leave a very long tail (approx 60cm) for assembly.
`[74 sts]`

*Action: Cut a piece of cardboard or plastic canvas to match the size of the base (inside the BLO ridge) and glue or place it inside the bottom now.*

---

### PART 2: THE TOP CONTOUR (Hood, Roof, Trunk)
*Worked in rows. This strip runs from the front grill, over the top, to the rear bumper. You will use Tapestry Crochet for the windows (carry the non-working yarn inside the stitches).*

**Row 1 (Front Grill):** Using Colour A, ch 13. Dc in 2nd ch from hook and each ch across. Turn.
`[12 sts]`

**Row 2-10 (The Hood):** Ch 1, dc in each st across. Turn.
`[12 sts per row]`

**Row 11 (Windscreen Slope):** Ch 1, dec, switch to Colour B (Grey), dc 8, switch to Colour A, dec. Turn.
`[Start 12 - 2 dec = 10 sts]`
*Note: Keep Colour A attached, you will need it for the edges.*

**Row 12:** Using Colour A, ch 1, dc 1. Switch to B, dc 8. Switch to A, dc 1. Turn.
`[10 sts]`

**Row 13:** Using Colour A, ch 1, inc. Switch to B, dc 8. Switch to A, inc. Turn.
`[Start 10 + 2 inc = 12 sts]`

**Row 14-22 (The Roof):** Using Colour A, ch 1, dc 1. Switch to B, dc 10. Switch to A, dc 1. Turn.
`[12 sts per row]`

**Row 23 (Rear Window Slope):** Using Colour A, ch 1, dc 1, dec. Switch to B, dc 6. Switch to A, dec, dc 1. Turn.
`[Start 12 - 2 dec = 10 sts]`

**Row 24:** Using Colour A, ch 1, dc across all sts (Switching back to fully Black). Turn.
`[10 sts]`

**Row 25-29 (The Boot/Trunk):** Ch 1, dc in each st across. Turn.
`[10 sts per row]`

**Row 30 (Rear Bumper):** Ch 1, inc, dc 8, inc. Turn.
`[Start 10 + 2 inc = 12 sts]`

**Row 31:** Ch 1, dc across. Fasten off.
`[12 sts]`

---

### PART 3: WHEELS (Make 4)
**Rnd 1:** Using Colour D (Silver), make a Magic Ring, 6 dc into ring.
`[6 sts]`
**Rnd 2:** Inc in each st around.
`[12 sts]`
**Rnd 3:** Change to Colour A (Black). *Inc, dc 1* around.
`[18 sts]`
**Rnd 4:** Working in **BLO**. Dc around.
`[18 sts]`
**Rnd 5:** *Dec, dc 1* around. Stuff lightly.
`[12 sts]`
**Rnd 6:** Dec around. Fasten off, leaving tail to sew hole closed.
`[6 sts]`

---

### PART 4: THE SPOILER
**Row 1:** Using Colour A, ch 14. Dc in 2nd ch from hook and across.
`[13 sts]`
**Row 2:** Ch 1, dc across.
`[13 sts]`
**Row 3:** Ch 1, dc 1, htr 11, dc 1. Fasten off.
`[13 sts]`

---

### ASSEMBLY & FINISHING (The Technical Build)

1.  **Scanner Light (The Critical Step):**
    Before assembling the body, locate the **BLO** stitches of the Front Grill area on the **Top Contour** (Row 1).
    Using Colour C (Red), embroider a horizontal satin stitch bar across the center 6 stitches of Row 1.
    *Optional Advanced Detail:* Use a single strand of black embroidery thread to stitch a vertical line over the red every 2mm to simulate the "grid" covering the light.

2.  **Attaching Top to Bottom:**
    *   Pin the **Top Contour** to the **Body Basin**.
    *   Align Row 1 of the Top with the front center of the Basin (the FLO section).
    *   Align Row 31 of the Top with the rear center of the Basin.
    *   Using the long tail from the Body Basin, whipstitch the sides of the Top Contour to the top edge of the Body Basin walls.
    *   **CRITICAL:** As you sew the windshield area, push the "hood" section down flat and pull the "roof" section up to create a sharp angle at the base of the windscreen.
    *   **STUFFING:** Stop when you have sewn 75% of the way. Insert stuffing. Stuff the hood and trunk firmly to keep the sharp corners. Stuff the roof lightly so it doesn't dome too much. Finish sewing.

3.  **Wheel Assembly:**
    Sew the wheels into the recesses created in Rnd 10 of the Body Basin. Ensure the bottom of the wheels sits flush with the bottom of the chassis so the car sits flat.

4.  **Spoiler:**
    Sew the spoiler onto the trunk (Boot), positioning it just behind the rear window. Tack it down only at the ends so the middle "floats" slightly.

5.  **Side Windows (Surface Crochet):**
    For a cleaner look, you can surface slip stitch a border around the grey window sections using black yarn to sharpen the lines between the glass and the frame.