Plague Doctor (free pattern)

 

In the last months I saw him on social media regularly: the Plague Doctor, often accompanied by the words 'Wash Your Hands'. I doubt that plague doctors ever said that, because in their time running water wasn't available for everyone. Besides: people didn't know about bacteria and viruses back in the days, so washing your hands wasn't common use. 

People knew you could get sick by having contact with another sick person, though. The plague doctor wore a leather gown, a mask with glass sight holes and a beak that was stuffed with flowers and herbs to hide the stench of reeking wounds, all to protect him from contamination by sick people.The long stick was for poking people to see if they had the plague and if they were still alive.
In a way his gear looks like what we are still wearing nowadays when we have contact with people that are infected by dangerous contagious diseases. In my hospital we wear protecting gowns, special masks and goggles and gloves while having contact with patients having contagious diseases. Fortunately the gear is much lighter now and instead of a beak we wear a mask. In case of unbearable stench we have peppermint oil to drip on the inside of the mask. 

The plague doctor's task was to separate sick people from healthy people to prevent spreading of the plague, much like governments all over the world are now asking people to stay home in case of corona contamination. For centuries this is the way people have dealt with epidemics of infectious diseases.

Must have been quite scary back then; not only the fear of sickness, but even more the visit of the plague doctor. Looks like he's coming straight out of a horror movie. I've added him to my Halloween decoration.

 

 

Pattern for Plague Doctor

 

Yarn: Scheepjes Catona in various colors (dark grey, brown and black)

Hook: 3mm

Beak (in brown):

1: magic ring

2: 3 sc

3: 2sc in every stitch (6)

4: sc in every stitch (6)

5: increase in every second stitch (9)

6: sc in every stitch (9)

7: increase in every third stitch (12)

8: sc in every stitch (12)

9: increase in every fourth stitch (15

10 sc in every stitch (15)

11: increase in first, fourth and eight stitch (18)

12: increase in first, fifth and nineth stitch (21)

13-14: sc in every stitch (21)

15: increase in every third stitch (28)

16: increase in every fourth stitch (35)

17: increase in every fifth stitch (42)

18: increase in 22th, 26th, 30th, 34th, 38th and 42nd stitch (48)

18-25: sc in every stitch

26: decrease by crocheting every 7th and 8th stitch together (42)

27: deecrease by crocheting every 6th and 7th stitch together(36)

28: decrease by crocheting every 5th and 6th stitch together (30)

29: decrease by crocheting every 4th and 5th stitch together (24)

30: decrease by crocheting every 3rd and 4th stitch together (18)

Stuff the head and the beak until firm

31: decrease by crocheting every 2nd and 3rd stitch together (12)

Fasten off and close the little gap with the loose end of the yarn 

Cap (dark grey): 

1: magic ring

2: 6 sc in the ring

3: increase in every sttich (12)

3: increase in every 2nd stitch (18)

4: increase in every 3rd stitch (24) 

5: increase in every 4th stitch (30)

6: increase in every 5th stitch (36)

7: increase in every 6th stitch (42)

8: increase in every 7th stitch (48)

9-18: sc in every stitch (48)

19: decrease by crocheting every 7th and 8th stitch together (42)

Fasten off

 

Goggles (black and brown) (make two)

1: magic ring in black

2: 6sc in ring

3: single crochet in every stitch (6)

Change color to brown

4: increase in every stitch (12) 

Fasten off

 

Hat (black)

1: magic ring

2: 6sc in ring (6)

3: increase in every stitch (12) 

4: increase in every 2nd stitch (18)

5: increase in every 3rd stitch (24)

6: increase in every 4th stitch (30)

7: increase in every 5th stitch (36)

8: increase in every 6th stitch (42)

8: increase in every 7th stitch (48)

9: sc in every stitch, but only the back loops (48)

10-12: sc in every stitch (48)

13: decrease by crocheting every 7th and 8th stitch (42)

14: sc in every stitch, but only the front loops (42)

15: increase in every 7th stitch (48)

16: increase in every 8th stitch (54)

17: increase in every 9th stitch (60)

Fasten off

Body (grey)

This part isn't visible, it's just to hold up the figure

1: magic ring

2: 6 sc in ring

3: increase in every stitch (12)

4: increase in every 2nd stitch (18)

5: increase in every 3rd stitch (24)

6: increase in every 4th stitch (30)

7: sc in every stitch, but only the back loops (30)

8-37: sc in every stitch (30)

38: decrease by crocheting the 4th and 5th stitch together, only the back loops (24)

39: decrease by crocheting the 3rd and 4th stitch together (18)

Fill the body with dry rice, so it will be heavy enough to stand up

40: decrease by crocheting the 2nd and 3rd stitch together (12)

Fasten off and close the little gap with the loose end of yarn

 

 

Gown (dark grey)

Attach the yarn for the gown to one of the little loops made in round 38 of the body

1: sc in every little loop (30) 

2: increase in every 5th stitch (36)

3-5: sc in every stitch (36)

6: increase in every 6th stitch (42)

7-9: sc in every stitch (42)

10: increase in every 7th stitch (48)

11-14; sc in every stitch (48)

15: increase in every 8th stitch (54)

16-22: sc in every stitch (54)

23: increase in every 9th stitch (60)

24-30 (or until gown is as long as the body): sc in every stitch (60)

 

Arms (brown and dark grey) (make two)

1: magic ring in brown

2: 6sc in ring

3: increase in every 2nd stitch (9)

4: increase in every 3rd stitch (12)

5-6: sc in every stitch (12)

7: 1sc, 1popcornstitch, 10sc (12)

8-9: sc in every stitch (12)

Change color to dark grey

10: sc in every stitch

11: sc in every stitch, only the back loops (12)

12-20: sc in every stitch (12)

Keep the arm with the hand site from you and attach yarn to one of the loops from row 11 to make the sleeves

1: increase in every 2nd stitch (18)

2: increase in every 3d stitch (24)

3-4: sc in every stitch (24)

Cape (black)

The cape is crocheted with hdc's instead of sc's!

1: chain of 30 stitches; make a circle by closing the chain with a sl st

2: hdc in every stitch (30)

3: increase in 5th stitch (36)

4: increase in every 6th stitch (42)

5: increase in every 7th stitch (48)

6: hdc in every stitch (48)

 

 

Assemble the plague doctor. Use a long wooden skewer as the plague doctor's stick.  

There you go!

 

~*~

 

Nina Tiger is featured by Annemaries Haakblog, Creative Jewish Mom and My Bijou Life this week!