Today is World Bee Day, let’s celebrate by making a chonky bee and learn a little bit about what we can do to help our lovely bee’s!
Here’s what worldbeeday.org tells us we can do as individuals to help!
“Every individual can contribute to the preservation of bees and other pollinators:
- Plant nectar-bearing flowers for decorative purposes on balconies, terraces, and gardens.
- Buy honey and other hive products from your nearest local beekeeper.
- Raise awareness among children and adolescents on the importance of bees and express your support for beekeepers.
- Set up a pollinator farm on your balcony, terrace, or garden; you can either make it yourself or buy at any home furnishings store.
- Preserve old meadows – which feature a more diverse array of flowers – and sow nectar-bearing plants.
- Cut grass on meadows only after the nectar-bearing plants have finished blooming.
- Offer suitable farming locations for the temporary or permanent settlement of bees so that they have suitable pasture; as a consequence, they will pollinate our plants, which will thereby bear more fruit.
- Use pesticides that do not harm bees, and spray them in windless weather, either early in the morning or late at night, when bees withdraw from blossoms.
- Mulch blooming plants in orchards and vineyards before spraying them with pesticides so that they do not attract bees after being sprayed.”
Now let’s make our bee!
(Scroll to the bottom if you would prefer to follow a video!)
Materials:
Colour A: Sirdar Happy Chenille – Sparkler
Colour B: Sirdar Happy Chenille – Ink Spot
Colour C: Sirdar Happy Chenille – Snowflake
Colour D: Sirdar Happy Cotton – Puff
Safety eyes: 6mm
Hook size: 2.5mm
Body:
1. Using colour A, work 6 sc in magic ring (6)
2. Inc in each st (12)
3. [1 sc, 1 inc] x6 (18)
4. [2 sc, 1 inc] x6 (24)
5. Sc in each st
Change to colour B
6-7. Sc in each st
Add the safety eyes between row 3 and 4.
Change to colour A
8-9. Sc in each st
Change to colour B
10-11. Sc in each st
Change to colour A
12. Sc in each st
13. [2sc, inv.dec] x6 (18)
14. [1sc, inv.dec] x6 (12)
15. [Inv.dec] x6 (6)
Fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing the last stitches together.
Wings (make 2):
1. Using colour C, work 6 sc in magic ring (6)
2. Inc in each st (12)
Fasten off leaving a long tail for attaching the wings to the body.
Attach the wings to row 8 and 9 of the body with 2 sts in between.
Face:
Using a tail of colour B, stitch a V shaped mouth just below row 1 of the body.
Using a tail of colour D, make a couple of sts below the eyes in row 5 to add the cheeks.
Ta-da! Your bee is done! 🥳
CatCrochets 