This sweet kangaroo pattern is perfect for beginners. The pattern comes with a heart to put in the pouch, but feel free to place any sort of little trinket inside.

Interested in becoming a Featured Maker? Apply here!

Meet Sarah!

Sarah is an ambitious 16-year-old who opened her small Etsy shop in the beginning of this year. She is a passionate crocheter and plans to go to college to become an American Sign Language interpreter.

You may see her shop name as Sarah’s LISD, which is an acronym that stands for Let It Shine Designs. Inspired by Bible verse Matthew 5:16, this young designer wants her light to shine before others and have her faith reflected in everything that she creates and designs.

Through crochet, Sarah connected with her cousin Kennedy who runs a crochet shop called Our Friendly World. Discovering their mutual love of hooks and yarn, the two formerly distant cousins became the best of friends.

With encouragement from her cousin, Sarah began to design her kangaroo pattern. Kennedy helped Sarah throughout the entire design process, giving her tips and cheering her on.

In her own words, “[My cousin] told me that I was capable, and she made me feel confident enough in myself and my crochet abilities to create a pattern. I couldn’t have done it without her.” Kennedy even tested the pattern for Sarah and gifted her photos of the process (which you will see in this post!).

When she’s not crocheting, Sarah can be found on the lookout for antiques, reading cozy mysteries, watching The Andy Griffith Show, editing videos, practicing her photography, and hanging out with her family and friends.

Kiera the Kangaroo Pattern

Please note that the written pattern and images contained within this document are the sole property of Let It Shine Designs. Do not recreate or redistribute any part of this pattern. You may sell finished items made from this pattern. Please credit Let It Shine Designs as the designer, and leave a link to our shop in any item description.

If you would like to support Sarah, you can purchase an ad-free PDF on her Etsy. If you are looking for a kit, Our Friendly World has partnered with Sarah and offers a crochet kit for Kiera.

Abbreviations (US)

• Sc: single crochet
• Inc: increase
• Dec: decrease
• Hdc: half double crochet
• Dc: double crochet
• Trc: treble crochet
• Sl st: slip stitch
• Mc: magic circle (magic ring)
• St(s): stitch(es)
• Rep: repeat
• FLO: front loop only
• Sk: skip

Gauge

• For a 9-inch (23cm) tall kangaroo, the first 5 rounds should measure approximately 6 cm!

Materials

• 4mm crochet hook
• Tapestry needle
• Stitch marker
• Scissors
• Safety eyes and nose (optional)
• Stuffing
• 1 skein of worsted brown yarn
  • Completed example uses Lion Brand Basic Stitch Anti-Pilling Gold Heather Color [202-401K]
• Less than 1 skein of worsted white yarn
  • Completed example uses Metallic I Love This Yarn Ivory Color [732 Ivory]
• 1 yard of worsted red yarn
• Scrap black yarn

Instructions

Head

Stuff as you go!

• Round 1: Using brown, sc 6 into mc (6)
• Round 2: inc around (12)
• Round 3: (inc, sc) rep around (18)
• Round 4: (inc, 2 sc) rep around (24)
• Round 5: (inc, 3 sc) rep around (30)
• Round 6: (inc, 4 sc) rep around (36)
• Round 7: (inc, 5 sc) rep around (42)
• Rounds 8 – 16: sc around (42)
• If using safety eyes, place in between rounds 7 and 8, about 3 sts apart.
• If embroidering eyes, make and attach the eyes:
  • To make an eye, cut a long strand of black yarn. Loop the yarn as though you are tying a knot. Before pulling your knot tight, loop the yarn through itself one more time as though you are tying a knot twice. Pull the ends to tighten your knot. Use your tapestry needle and the two yarn ends to stitch the eyes through the front of the face.
  • The eyes should be between rounds 7 and 8, approximately 3 stitches apart. Secure each with a knot inside the head.
• Round 17: (dec, 5 sc) rep around (36)
• Round 18: (dec, 4 sc) rep around (30)
• Round 19: (dec, 3 sc) rep around (24)
• Round 20: (dec, 2 sc) rep around (18)
• Round 21: (dec, sc) rep around (12)
• Fasten off. Thread tail yarn FLO through all 12 sts, pulling tight. Weave in ends.

Body

Stuff as you go.

• Round 1: Using brown, sc 6 into mc (6)
• Round 2: inc around (12)
• Round 3: (inc, sc) rep around (18)
• Round 4: (inc, 2 sc) rep around (24)
• Round 5: (inc, 3 sc) rep around (30)
• Round 6: (inc, 4 sc) rep around (36)
• Round 7: (inc, 5 sc rep around (42)
• Rounds 8 – 14: sc around (42) (7 rounds)
• Round 15: (dec, 5 sc) rep around (36)
• Rounds 16 – 18: sc around (36) (3 rounds)
• Round 19: (dec, 4 sc) rep around (30)
• Round 20: sc around (30)
• Round 21: (dec, 3 sc) rep around (24)
• Rounds 22 – 24: sc around (24) (3 rounds)
• Round 25: (dec, 2 sc) rep around (18)
• Round 26: sc around (18)
• Round 27: (dec, sc) rep around (12)
• Round 28: sc around (12)
• Fasten off, leaving a long tail to sew the body to the head.

Ears (Make 2)

Do not stuff.

• Round 1: Using brown, sc 6 into mc (6)
• Round 2: sc around (6)
• Round 3: (inc, sc) rep around (9)
• Round 4: (inc, 2 sc) rep around (12)
• Round 5: (inc, 3 sc) rep around (15)
• Round 6: (inc, 4 sc) rep around (18)
• Rounds 7 – 11: sc around (18) (5 rounds)
• Round 12: (dec, 4 sc) rep around (15)
• Round 13: (dec, 3 sc) rep around (12)
• Rounds 14 – 15: sc around (12) (2 rounds)
• Fasten off, leaving a long tail to sew the ears to the head.
• Position the yarn tail at one side of the ear, then fold ear in half lengthwise to get the cute crease in the ear when you sew it on. Thread yarn through the opposite end to secure it.

Snout

Stuff when attaching to head.

• Round 1: Using brown, sc 6 into mc (6)
• Round 2: inc around (12)
• Round 3: (inc, sc) rep around (18)
• Rounds 4 – 6: sc around (18) (3 rounds)
• Round 7: (inc, 2 sc) rep around (24)
• Round 8: sc around (24)
• Round 9: (inc, 3 sc) rep around (30)
• Rounds 10 – 11: sc around (30) (2 rounds)
• Fasten off, leaving long tail to sew the snout to the head. Thread the tapestry needle with your black yarn. Embroider the mouth with an upside-down arrow shape so she looks like she is smiling!
• Either add safety nose in between rounds 1 and 2 of the snout, or embroider using the following instructions:
  • Working from the inside of the piece, bring the yarn up between rounds 2 and 3. Make a stitch across the first 2 rounds of the piece. Repeat this horizontal stitch about 8 times, or until you are happy with the size of the nose.

Paws (Make 4)

Stuff 2 for arms, leave 2 unstuffed for legs.

• Round 1: Using brown, sc 6 into mc (6)
• Round 2: inc around (12)
• Round 3 – 4: sc around (12) (2 rounds)
• Round 5: (dec, sc) rep around (8)
• Rounds 6 – 8: sc around (8) (3 rounds)
• Fasten off, leaving long tail to sew the paws to the haunches and body.

Tail

Stuff as you go.

• Round 1: Using brown, sc 6 into mc (6)
• Rounds 2 – 3: sc around (6) (2 rounds)
• Round 4: (inc, sc) rep around (9)
• Rounds 5 – 6: sc around (9) (2 rounds)
• Round 7: (inc, 2 sc) rep around (12)
• Rounds 8 – 9: sc around (12) (2 rounds)
• Round 10: (inc, 3 sc) rep around (15)
• Rounds 11 – 12: sc around (15) (2 rounds)
• Round 13: (inc, 4 sc) rep around (18)
• Rounds 14 – 15: sc around (18) (2 rounds)
• Round 16: (inc, 5 sc) rep around (21)
• Round 17: (inc, 6 sc) rep around (24)
• Round 18: sc around (24)
• Round 19: (inc, 7 sc) rep around (27)
• Round 20: (inc, 8 sc) rep around (30)
• Fasten off, leaving long tail to sew tail to the body.

Haunches (Make 2)

Stuff when attaching to body.

• Round 1: Using brown, sc 6 into mc (6)
• Round 2: inc around (12)
• Round 3: (inc, sc) rep around (18)
• Round 4: (inc, 2 sc rep around (24)
• Rounds 5 – 9: sc around (24) (5 rounds)
• Fasten off, leaving long tail to sew the haunches to the body.

Belly Patch

• Round 1: Using white, ch 7, sk first chain from hook, sc 6 across, ch 1, turn (6)
• Round 2: inc, 4 sc, inc, ch 1, turn (8)
• Round 3: inc, 6 sc, inc, ch 1, turn (10)
• Round 4: inc, 8 sc, inc, ch 1, turn (12)
• Round 5 – 11: sc across, ch 1, turn (12) (7 rounds)
• Round 12: dec, 8 sc, dec, ch 1, turn (10)
• Round 13: dec, 6 sc, dec, ch 1, turn (8)
• Round 14: sc across (8)
• Round 15: dec, 4 sc, dec, ch 1, turn (6)
• Round 16: sc across (6)
• Round 17: dec, 2 sc, dec, ch 1, turn (4)
• Round 18: sc across (4)
• Fasten off, weave in ends. You will need to crochet the pouch to this before sewing to the body.

Pouch

• Round 1: Using white, ch 7, sk first chain from hook, sc 6 across, ch 1, turn (6)
• Round 2: inc, 4 sc, inc, ch 1, turn (8)
• Round 3: inc, 6 sc, inc, ch 1, turn (10)
• Round 4: inc, 8 sc, inc, ch 1, turn (12)
• Round 5 – 8: sc across, ch 1, turn (12) (4 rounds)
• Round 9: sc across, do not ch, turn (12)
• Round 10: sk first st, 3 hdc in next st, *slst, 3 hdc in next st* repeat from * to * until there are 2 sts left in row, sk next st, slst in last st
• Do not fasten off. Lay the pouch on top of the belly patch, keeping the bottom round edges aligned.
• Single crochet around the bottom rounded edges, working through both pieces. 
• Continue single crocheting all around the entire edge of the belly.
• Fasten off, leaving a long yarn tail to sew the belly patch to the body.

Heart

• Round 1: Using red, make mc. Ch 3, (trc 4, dc, hdc, ch 1, dc, ch 1, hdc, dc, 4 trc, ch 3, slst, ch 1) into mc. Pull tight and weave in ends.

Put it all together

• Sew the body to the head, making sure to stuff the neck firmly to prevent the head from wobbling. If you would like a cute head tilt, you can skip the extra stuffing.
• Sew the snout to the front of the face between rounds 9 and 18.
• Sew both ears to the top of the head, about 8 stitches apart.
• Sew the belly patch and pocket to the front of the body; it should cover the majority of the front of the body.
• Sew the arms (the 2 stuffed paws) about 3 stitches back from the belly patch, and 3 stitches down from the head. The arms should be aiming forward as if she is giving you a hug!
• Sew haunches to the side of the body so the open side is against the kangaroo’s body. Position the haunches close to the bottom of the body so she will be able to stand up by herself. Sew through the back loop only.
• Sew the legs (the 2 unstuffed paws) to the bottom of the haunches, choosing where to sew based on how far you want the feet to stick out. You can also add additional securing sewing about halfway so the feet don’t fold backward.
• Sew the tail at the back of the kangaroo, centered between the haunches and even with the bottom of the animal.
• Lastly, put the heart in the pocket of your sweet kangaroo, and you are done! Great job!

We would love to see your finished product! Feel free to email me at letitshinedesigns8@gmail.com. Click here to follow me on Facebook for exclusive sales and insider deals!

Thank you!

The post Kiera the Kangaroo Free Amigurumi Crochet Pattern appeared first on Little World of Whimsy.

I hope you enjoy making this beautiful character as much as I did.

Technical Notes

• This is a low-sew pattern! The legs and arms are worked as separate pieces then crocheted onto the body as it is worked up.
• No last-minute attaching! It’s best to sew on pieces as you make them.
• Stuff the body and head firmly. Stuff the ears and tail lightly to keep them proportionate.
• While I am using makeup blush, feel free to play around with embroidering your own blush!
  • If you want to use powder blush, try testing it on a separate piece of the same yarn to see how it looks.

Materials

• Less than 1 skein white yarn Lion Brand (but you may use any other brand)
• 3.5 mm crochet hook
• 11 mm safety eyes (light blue)
• Light blue embroidery thread (try to match the color of the eyes!) 
• Fiberfill stuffing 
• Stitch markers
• Yarn needle
• Sewing pins 
• Pink powder blush with a brush

Abbreviations

• MR: magic ring
• ch: chain
• sc: single crochet
• dec: decrease
• inc: increase (work two single crochets in one stitch)
• hdc: half double crochet
• x sc: work x number of single crochets
• sl st: slip stitch
• (x sts): total number of stitches for the round
• (…) x: work all steps within parentheses x number of times

The Pattern

Head

• Round 1: 6 sc into MR (6 sts)
• Round 2: (inc) x6 (12 sts)
• Round 3: (sc, inc) x6 (18 sts)
• Round 4: (inc, 2 sc) x6 (24 sts)
• Round 5: (3 sc, inc) x6 (30 sts)
• Round 6: (5 sc, inc) x5 (35 sts)
• Round 7: 3 sc, inc, (6 sc, inc) x4, 3sc (40 sts)
• Round 8: (7 sc, inc) x5 (45 sts)

• Round 9: 4sc, inc, (8sc, inc) x 4, 4sc (50 sts)
• Round 10: (9 sc, inc) x5 (55 sts)
• Round 11: 5 sc, inc, (10 sc, inc) x4, 5 sc (60 sts)
• Round 12: (11 sc, inc) x5 (65 sts)

• Round 13: 65 sc around
• Round 14: 6 sc, inc, (12 sc, inc) x4, 6 sc (70 sts)
• Round 15: 70 sc around
• Round 16: 17 sc, inc, 34 sc, inc, 17 sc (72 sts)
• Round 17 – 21 (5 rnds): 72 sc around
• Insert the eyes between rounds 17 and 18, approximately 10 or 12 sts apart.

• Round 22: (7 sc, dec) x8 (64 sts)
• Round 23: 3 sc, dec, (6 sc, dec) x7, 3 sc (56 sts)
• Round 24: (5 sc, inc) x8 (48 sts)
• Round 25: 2 sc, dec, (4 sc, dec) x7, 2 sc (40 sts) 
• Round 26: (2 sc, dec) x10 (30 sts)
• Round 27: BLO: (3 sc, dec) x6 (24 sts)
• Round 28: (dec, 2 sc) x6 (18 sts)
• Stuff the head.

• Round 29: (sc, dec) x6 (12 sts)
• Round 30: (dec) x6 (6 sts)
• Slip stitch in next st to close, then use the yarn needle to finish off.

Mouth

• Embroider the mouth slightly lower and centered between the eyes, using pins to help guide the placement.

Arms (make 2)

• Round 1: 5 sc into MR (5 sts)
• Round 2: (inc) x5 (10 sts)
• Round 3: 10 sc around
• Round 4: (3 sc, dec) x2 (8 sts)
• Round 5: 8 sc around
• Sl stitch in next st. Do not stuff. Fasten off with short tail.

Legs & Body

Starting with the first leg,

• Round 1: 5 sc into MR (5 sts)
• Round 2: (inc) x5 (10 sts)
• Round 3: 2 sc, inc, 4 sc, inc, 2 sc (12 sts)
• Sl stitch to next stitch. Fasten off with short tail.

Beginning second leg,

• Round 1: 5 sc into MR (5 sts)
• Round 2: (inc) x5 (10 sts)
• Round 3: 2 sc, inc, 4 sc, inc, 2 sc (12 sts)
• Round 4: Ch 5, join to the 1st leg, 12 sc around first leg, 5 sc over the ch, 12 sc around second leg, 5 sc over other side of chs (34 sts)
• Round 5: (inc, 3 sc) x3, 5 sc, (inc, 3 sc) x3, 5 sc (40 sts)
• Round 6: 15 sc, (hdc inc, hdc) x2, hdc inc, 11 sc, (inc, 2 sc) x3 (46 sts)
• Round 7: (inc, 2 sc) x2, 40 sc (48 sts)

• Round 8 – 9 (2 rnds): 48 sc around
• Round 10: (dec, 6 sc) x6 (42 sts)
• Round 11 – 12 (2 rnds): 42 sc around
• Round 13: (3 sc, dec) x3, 6 sc, (3 sc, dec) x3, 6 sc (36 sts)
• Round 14 – 15 (2 rnds): 36 sc around
• Round 16: 2 sc, dec, (4 sc, dec) x5, 2 sc (30 sts)
• Round 17: In this round, you will crochet the arms onto the body:
  • 5 sc on body
  • Take the first arm, pinch it in half, and crochet 4 sc across both arm and body.
  • 9 sc on body
  • Take the second arm, pinch it in half, and crochet 4 sc across both arm and body. (30 sts)
• Stuff the legs and body. Fasten off.

• Using the head’s BLO round as a guide, sew head onto body.

Ears (make 2)

• Round 1: 6 sc into MR (6 sts)
• Round 2: (inc) x6 (12 sts)
• Round 3: (sc, inc) x6 (18 sts)
• Round 4: (5 sc, inc) x3 (21 sts)
• Round 5: 21 sc around
• Round 6: (6 sc, inc) x3 (24 sts)
• Round 7 – 9 (3 rnds): 24 sc around
• Round 10: (10 sc, dec) x2 (22 sts)
• Round 11 – 13 (3 rnds): 22 sc around

• Round 14: (9 sc, dec) x2 (20 sts)
• Round 15 – 17 (3 rnds): 20 sc around
• Round 18: (8 sc, dec) x2 (18 sts)
• Round 19 – 21 (3 rnds): 18 sc around
• Round 22: (4 sc, dec) x3 (15 sts)
• Round 23 – 25 (3 rnds): 15 sc around
• Round 26: (3 sc, dec) x3 (12 sts)
• Begin lightly stuffing the ear. Not too much! We want to keep it fairly flat.
• Round 27 – 30 (3 rnds): 12 sc around
• Round 31: (dec) x6 (6 stst)

• Sl st and fasten off, leaving long tail to sew ears to head.
• Sew ears on the 4th round of the head, making sure they are symmetrical when viewed from the front.

Tail

• Round 1: 6 sc into MR (6 sts)
• Round 2: (sc, inc) x3 (9 sts)
• Round 3 – 30 (28 rnds): 9 sc around
• Sl st, fasten off, leaving long tail for sewing. Stuff lightly.
• Roll the tail as if forming a cinnamon roll, then secure it with pins. Once you are satisfied with the shape, start securing it with tiny, invisible stitches.
• After the tail is firmly rolled, sew it to the body.

• Last but not least, we apply a bit of pink blush on the cheeks below the eyes.

Enjoy your own Cinnamoroll!

The post Amigurumi Cinnamoroll Doll – Free Crochet Pattern appeared first on Little World of Whimsy.

Read on to learn more about my design process and inspiration, or scroll to the end to get the free pattern. If you’re in a hurry and need to take this pattern offline, grab the beautifully formatted, ad-free, PDF pattern from Etsy here.

A satisfying, almost no-sew pattern!

I absolutely love how this adorable donut teddy bear turned out, but I’m mostly proud that its construction is so clever and unique.

When I was developing this pattern, my goal was to make it as painless as possible. I know a lot of amigurumists out there struggle with sewing, especially on curved surfaces.

For this project, I used a variety of no-sew techniques that I’ve implemented on various other projects like working through the back loop (or front loop) only, which means that the ears and frosting pieces are worked directly onto the donut itself as you make it, not worked separately and attached at the end.

All this means that this project is incredibly satisfying to work up since you don’t have a million pieces flying around as you go, and you’ll be able to learn some clever new techniques to upgrade your skills.

This does mean that this pattern is slightly more advanced, since sewing is often the lowest common denominator to attaching pieces together. You’ll need to know (or learn very quickly) how to work in the FLO, BLO, pick up stitches, and work around protruding pieces.

All in all, I loved how this adorable munchkin of a project turned out, and I’m also very satisfied with the “dipped-in-frosting” look of the bottom. So cute!!!

Now Meet Teddy’s Cousin: Frosty Donut Polar Bear!!!

I fell in love with this charming variation of the donut pattern. Instead of using white felt, I opted for slightly larger safety eyes and a nose for my delightful polar bear creation. In my opinion, this little tweak added a delightful touch and brought out sweet qualities of this unique and lovely project.

Here is one way it can be used. Isn’t that pretty?

Tips for making this pattern!

The donut base of this pattern is very similar to my full sized donut pattern, linked below. The larger donut is a good place to get started if you’re not comfortable with making mini amigurumi. This Donut Teddy pattern is about 2″ x 2″, so the work is fairly small and you’ll need to be familiar with the process of making amigurumi to be successful.

The main reason why this project is more difficult when scaled down is because at the end, you’ll need to seam the inner edges shut to form the inside circle of the donut. This isn’t a big deal when the donut is 6″ in diameter, but it can be tricky to both seam and stuff at the same time when the donut is a lot smaller.

Apart from that, this pattern also requires familiarity with the double crochet and treble crochet, which you’ll be working into the FLO and BLO at various points to create the ears and the frosting detail. Click here for more tips on working the treble crochet into the FLO!

I’ve also made a full video tutorial below which you can follow along with if you’re a beginner!

More blog posts like this:

• Ultimate List of Free Chunky Blanket Yarn Amigurumi Patterns
• Jumbo Strawberry Free Velvet Crochet Pattern
• My Foolproof Guide to Resizing Amigurumi (no math required!)
• My Foolproof Guide to Crocheting Amigurumi for Beginners

The Pattern

• If you want to take this pattern offline, grab the beautifully formatted, ad-free, PDF pattern from Etsy here!

Description

This adorable Donut Teddy amigurumi project is simply adorable and whimsical. It uses clever no-sew techniques to form the ears and frosting, so you only have to do a minimal amount of seaming at the end. This miniature sized amigurumi is a perfect keychain or bag charm!

Yarn

Confused about materials? For all my personal recommendations of my most-used tools, yarns, and supplies, check out my favorites in this complete guide!

• Hobbii Amigo (sport)
  • (<1 skein) Dark Beige (light brown)
  • (<1 skein) Light Pink
  • (scrap) Sky Blue, Dusty Green, and Sunflower (yellow)

Notions

• Size D 3.25mm Clover Amour hook
• 4.0mm safety eyes
• black embroidery thread
• pink embroidery thread
• scrap white felt
• (optional) tacky glue or hot glue
• fiberfill stuffing
• tapestry needle
• stitch markers

Technical Notes

1. Crochet in continuous spiral rounds, unless specified otherwise. Use a stitch marker or piece of yarn to keep track of the last stitch in each round.

2. When filling with polyester stuffing, pull apart each large chunk into many smaller chunks. This ensures an even distribution of firmness within the amigurumi. Read this post here for more tips on stuffing!
3. To avoid large holes in the crochet fabric, increase tension until the holes cannot be seen, or choose a crochet hook a size down.
4. Stuff the head and the body firmly at the openings so that the neck is stable upon completion.

2. Use sewing pins to secure parts of the amigurumi before you sew them. Click here for a photo tutorial on how to sew amigurumi.

Special Stitches

• How to embroider a nose: see this tutorial

Final Size

2″ x 2″

DONUT (in brown. See Special Stitches for Foundation Single Crochet (FSC), as well as *…* abbreviation.)

• Rnd 1: FSC 12, sl st to first st to join (12 sts)
• Rnd 2: (sc, inc) x6 (18 sts)
• Rnd 3: (2 sc, inc) x6 (24 sts)
• Rnd 4: (3 sc, inc) x6 (30 sts)
• Rnd 5: 2 sc, (4 sc, inc) x5, 2 sc, inc (36 sts)
• Rnd 6: (5 sc, inc) x6 (42 sts)
• Rnd 7: Sc around (42 sts)
• Rnd 8: 26 sc, then work the remaining 16 sc in the BLO (see fig. 1) (42 sts)
• Rnd 9: Begin by working 6 sc. Next, start working on the ear below.
• Ear: Working in the FLO, work *dc, tr* in the same st. In the next st, work *2 tr* in the same st. In the next st, work *tr, dc* in the same st.
  • Resume working through both the front and back loops. Work 7 scs. Work a second ear in the same method as before. Your work should look like fig. 2.
  • Resume working the both the front and back loops. Work 23 remaining scs. After finishing this round, there should be unworked back loops behind the two ears (see fig. 3).
• Rnd 10: Sc around. When you reach the ears, work into the back loops left unworked from the previous rnd. After working into the unworked back loops of the ears, insert the hook into both loops of the first st after the ear to continue in the rnd (see fig. 4). (42 sts)
• Insert two 4.0mm safety eyes between rnds 5-6, in the center of the ears with 5 sts between the two eyes.
• Rnd 11: (5 sc, dec) x6 (36 sts)
• Rnd 12: (4 sc, dec) x6 (30 sts)
• Rnd 13: (3 sc, dec) x6 (24 sts)
• Rnd 14: (2 sc, dec) x6 (18 sts)
• Rnd 15: (sc, dec) x6 (12 sts)
• Finish off, leaving a long tail of around 24″ (60 cm) for sewing. Using the tail, whip stitch the donut closed in the center (fig. 5). After you’ve finished whip stitching 1/3 of the donut, begin stuffing and continue stuffing as you go until completely finished. Finish off and weave in the end.

FROSTING (in pink)

• We will now work into the unworked front loops from rnd 8. With the hook pointing towards the front of the donut, attach pink yarn to the right most unworked stitch.
• In the first stitch, work hdc, dc in the same stitch. Work one tr each in the next two sts. Work dc, hdc together in the next st. Work a sc in the next st. Repeat 2 more times. Work a sl st in the remaining st. See fig. 6.
• Finish off and weave in end. Secure to the bottom of the donut by sewing or gluing. See fig. 7.
• Add sprinkles to the pink frosting by sewing with a running stitch using blue, green, and yellow yarn.

NOSE

Cut a white piece of felt into an oval 1/2″ wide and 1/4″ tall. Using black embroidery thread, embroider a triangular shaped nose (tutorial here). See fig. 8. Glue the felt nose in between the eyes, with the top edge of the nose aligning with the top of the eyes.

BLUSH

Using pink embroidery thread, embroider two small dashes to the left and right sides of the nose piece, directly under the eyes and extending one stitch outwards (fig. 9).

Your Donut Teddy amigurumi is all done! I hope you enjoyed crocheting it and found the pattern helpful. I would love to see your finished amigurumi, so share a picture on Instagram with me by using the #littleworldofwhimsy and tagging me @littleworldofwhimsy.

The post Amigurumi Donut Teddy Bear – Free Crochet Pattern (low sew!) appeared first on Little World of Whimsy.

Read on to learn more about my design process and inspiration, or scroll to the end to get the free pattern. If you’re in a hurry and need to take this pattern offline, grab the beautifully formatted, ad-free, PDF pattern from Etsy here.

The newest addition to the Chubbies family!

One of my most popular patterns of all time is Waffle the Chubby Bear (middle photo below). I can totally see why because it’s also one of my favorites. It’s simple, chubby, and super adorable!

I made a second animal in the same body shape, Bingsoo the Chubby Penguin, and I’m absolutely in love with him too!

However, it’s been a few years and although I’ve really wanted to continue adding to this series I haven’t had the time or the right inspiration.

I attempted a red panda version a couple of weeks ago and I absolutely loved how it came out. I went with a similar body design with a slightly oval muzzle, and the cutest white tipped ears.

This project is very simplistic in its design which makes it an even easier make. I used darker red yarn for the ears and arms, but you could also go with brown or black depending on the type of red panda you want to make.

Tips making this pattern!

This pattern is relatively straightforward with only a few pieces, which makes it perfect for beginners.

The only tricky step in this project is the Foundation Chain. This is a method of starting amigurumi that creates an oval shape, which can be really helpful for creating unique body shapes.

I use this method in all the animals in the Chubbies series, because I find that the oval body shape give them a really cute and adorable look.

For this red panda, I also used this technique to create a slightly more elongated muzzle. This creates a super cute facial expression!

If the foundation chain is new to you, just click the tutorial below for a photo and video tutorial.

More blog posts for amigurumi beginners:

• Easiest Crochet Whale for Absolute Beginners!

• My Foolproof Guide to Crocheting Amigurumi for Beginners
• What’s the best stuffing for amigurumi? (+ how to stuff!)
• How to Sew Amigurumi Parts Together (easy photo tutorial!)

Technical Notes

• If you want to take this pattern offline, grab the beautifully formatted, ad-free, PDF pattern from Etsy here!

Description

Adzuki the Chubby Red Panda is a spherical red panda with small limbs that balances on a round bottom. His adorable shape makes him a breeze to make and is perfect as a stress ball, desk companion, or gift to a
friend (or yourself!). This is a great project for confident beginners who want to learn a how to crochet an oval and basic color changes.

Yarn

Confused about materials? For all my personal recommendations of my most-used tools, yarns, and supplies, check out my favorites in this complete guide!

• Hobbii Fluffy Day XL (bulky)
  • (<1 skein) Spicy (brown)
  • (<1 skein) Rust (dark red)
  • (<1 skein) White

Notions

• Size G 4.00mm Clover Amour hook
• 8.0mm safety eyes
• black embroidery thread
• fiberfill stuffing
• tapestry needle
• stitch markers

Technical Notes

1. Crochet in continuous spiral rounds, unless specified otherwise. Use a stitch marker or piece of yarn to keep track of the last stitch in each round.

2. When filling with polyester stuffing, pull apart each large chunk into many smaller chunks. This ensures an even distribution of firmness within the amigurumi.
3. To avoid large holes in the crochet fabric, increase tension until the holes cannot be seen, or choose a crochet hook a size down. Check out this blog post here on how to avoid holes and stuff correctly.
4. Stuff the head and the body firmly at the openings so that the neck is stable upon completion.
5. Use sewing pins to secure parts of the amigurumi before you sew them.

Special Stitches

• How to embroider a nose: see this tutorial
• How to invisible finish off: see this tutorial

Final Size

4″ x 5″

The Pattern

BODY (in Brown)

• Begin: Chain 7.
• Round 1: Beginning in the second chain from hook, sc 12 all around the foundation chain. There will be 2 stitches in each chain stitch. For help on crocheting around a foundation chain, see here. (12 sts)
• Round 2: inc x12 (24 sts)
• Round 3: (3 sc, inc) x6 (30 sts)
• Round 4: (4 sc, inc) x6 (36 sts)
• Round 5: (5 sc, inc) x6 (42 sts)
• Round 6: (6 sc, inc) x6 (48 sts)
• Round 7-10 (4 rnds): sc all around (48 sts)
• Round 11: (7 sc, inc) x6 (54 sts)
• Insert 9.0mm safety eyes between rounds 9 and 10 with 7 stitches in between. The body is in an oval shape with two long sides and two short sides. Make sure you place the eyes on a long side of the oval.
• Round 12-19 (8 rnds): sc all around (54 sts)
• Round 20: (8 sc, inc) x6 (60 sts)
• Round 21-25 (5 rnds): sc all around (60 sts)
• Round 26: (8 sc, dec) x6 (54 sts)
• Round 27: (7 sc, dec) x6 (48 sts)
• Round 28: (4 sc, dec) x8 (40 sts)
• Round 29: (3 sc, dec) x8 (32 sts)
• Begin stuffing.
• Round 30: (2 sc, dec) x8 (24 sts)
• Round 31: (sc, dec) x8 (16 sts)
• Finish stuffing.
• Round 32: (dec) x8 (8 sts)
• Round 33: (dec) x4 (4 sts)
• Cut yarn, leaving a short tail. Using a needle, thread the yarn through all 6 stitches in the last round, and pull it tight so the opening cinches like a drawstring bag (tutorial here). Finish off (fig. 1).

EARS (in White, make two)

• Rnd 1: 4 sc in MR (4 sts)
• Switch to Dark Red (tutorial here)
• Rnd 2: (sc, inc) x2 (6 sts)
• Rnd 3: (2 sc, inc) x2 (8 sts)
• Rnd 4: (3 sc, inc) x2 (10 sts)
• Do not stuff and fold flat. Finish off, leaving a short tail for sewing (fig. 2). Make another identically. Sew the ears between the 3rd and 8th rounds from the top of the body, off to the left and right (fig. 5).

MUZZLE (in White)

• Begin: Work 5 chains (5 sts)
• Round 1: Beg from the 2nd chain from the hook, sc around the foundation chain (tutorial here) (8 sts)
• Round 2: (sc, inc) x4 (12 sts)
• Round 3: (sc, inc) x6, sl st to first st (18 sts)
• Finish off, leaving a tail for sewing. You will stuff as you go after embroidering the nose.

Embroider a triangular nose on the muzzle: Begin from the middle of the nose and
outline out a small pie slice shape extending 2 rounds using vertical stitches. Fill in the
outline and make one single horizontal stitch across the top for a cleaner look. See my
tutorial here! Then, embroider two small lines going out from the bottom of the
triangular nose. See figure 3.

Sew muzzle to head between 9th and 14th rounds from the top, with the top of the
muzzle at the same level as the top of the eyes (fig. 5). Stuff gently as you go.

SMALL FACE MARKINGS (in White, make two)

• Begin: Work 3 chains (3 sts)
• Row 1: Beg from the 2nd ch from hook, sc 2 across the chain (2 sts)
• Finish off, leaving a tail for sewing. Make another identically.

LARGE FACE MARKINGS (in White, make two)

• Begin: Work 5 chains (5 sts)
• Row 1: Beg from the 2nd ch from hook, sc 4 across the chain (4 sts)
• Finish off, leaving a tail for sewing. Make another identically.
• Sew the face markings around the eyes and muzzle as pictured in fig. 5.

ARMS (in Dark Red, make two)

• Round 1: 6 sc in MR (6 sts)
• Round 2-4 (3 rnds): sc all around (6 sts)
• Do not stuff. Fold the piece flat, and finish off, leaving a tail for sewing (fig. 6). Make another identically. Sew the arms on the body between the 15th and 17th rounds from the top (fig. 8).

TAIL (in White)

• Round 1: 6 sc in MR (6 sts)
• Switch to Dark Red.
• Round 2: (2 sc, inc) x2 (8 sts)
• Round 3: sc around (8 sts)
• Switch to White.
• Round 4: (3 sc, inc) x2 (10 sts)
• Round 5: sc around (10 sts)
• Switch to Dark Red.
• Round 6-7 (2 rnds): sc around (10 sts)
• Gently stuff. Fold the tail in half. Then, insert the hook through both sides of the round and work 5 sts across the opening to seal it closed (see fig. 7 for photo tutorial).
• Sew the tail to the back of the body, 8 rounds from the bottom of the body. To keep the tail tucked against the body and slightly raised, make an extra stitch near the base of the tail to secure it against the body.

Adzuki the Chubby Red Panda is all done! I hope you enjoyed crocheting it and found the pattern helpful. I would love to see your finished amigurumi, so share a picture on Instagram with me by using the #littleworldofwhimsy and tagging me @littleworldofwhimsy.

The post Adzuki the Chubby Red Panda Free Crochet Pattern – Red Panda Amigurumi appeared first on Little World of Whimsy.

Read on to learn more about my design process and inspiration, or scroll to the end to get the free pattern. If you’re in a hurry and need to take this pattern offline, grab the beautifully formatted, ad-free, PDF pattern from Etsy here.

A classic teddy silhouette from across the pond!

If you’ve been here for a while, you know that I just adore teddy bears! At this point it’s probably a bit of a problem but I just keep making them!

I’ve made several bears from various fluffy yarns like Faux Fur and Alpaca, but this is my first project in boucle yarn!

I purchased this yarn on a trip to London this past fall from an adorable store called Loop in the Islington neighborhood of London. I had so much fun yarn shopping with my crochet friend Clare, and I found this amazing fuzzy boucle yarn from Woolfolk (you can see it peeking out of the bag!).

Luckily, Woolfolk has tons of stockists in the US and ships to the US so you won’t have any trouble finding the exact yarn that I used. I know that boucle yarn is sometimes hard to locate these days so I was glad to see that it’s readily available!

I also have to say that this is some of the loveliest yarn that I’ve ever worked with! The boucle curls are so soft to touch and it’s a thinner boucle yarn so that the end result looks refined and classic like an old-fashioned teddy. It’s a little on the pricey side, but it’s so worth it!

If you’re on a budget or don’t want to mess around with fiddly boucle yarn, one of my testers used Lion Brand Homespun, and while it had substantially more stitch definition, it turned out to be a good substitute in terms of weight.

Boucle Yarn for Beginners

If you’re intimidated by the thought of working with fluffy yarn, rest assured, I’ve got tons of tips and tricks to help you out.

This is a good project to start with if you’ve done one or two projects in some other novelty yarn (e.g. plush yarn, velvet, or faux fur), since the yarn weight is a bit smaller and requires more counting.

The good news is, as usual with amigurumi, only single crochets are required, so you don’t have to worry about creating fancy stitches or detailed shaping at all. Only the most basic shapes are needed—a spherical head, cylinder body, and then other features made by crocheting in a round. This means that if you mess up somehow (which happened to me multiple times), it’s not as difficult to find your way back to where you should be.

Although boucle yarn takes a little getting used to, I found a few things particularly helpful for me:

Feel for stitches, don’t look for them

It’s impossible to count stitches to see where the loops are when working with fluffy yarn, so adjust to this difference by feeling for the loops with your fingers.

If you try pinching the crochet fabric near your hook, you can identify the stitches by the places where your index finger and thumb can touch. If there’s a hole, it must be created by a single crochet stitch!

Use plenty of stitch markers

This is always important when working in the round, but if you’re using boucle yarn, it can be a life saver. However, in this case, you might want to use stitch markers more often than usual to help you count stitches, in addition to keeping track of rounds.

This way, you can keep track in a more systematic way of how many stitches you’re crocheting in a round. This is not a mandatory step, but I feel that it can be helpful for those of us who are a little neurotic about counting stitches. It can be really frustrating to not know whether you’re on the right track or not!

When I was working on Maple, I had 2 stitch markers going at all times. One was my beginning of round (BOR) marker, and the other one was for the halfway point. I would take the total number of stitches in the round and divide by two to get the number of stitches I needed to work before reaching the midpoint stitch marker.

This made it easier to spread out the stitches evenly and make sure that I didn’t have any large ripples or areas with too many increases.

If you still find that it’s hard to make it to the midpoint stitch marker with the right number of stitches, you can even use four (one for each quarter round) to make it easier on yourself. I stuck to 2 because I felt that using too many could be a little fiddly, but there’s no shame in starting slow and making sure that you don’t have to frog!

I use these stitch markers because they never fall out and have ridges to keep them securely in place!

Because it’s impossible to count stitches worked in fluffy yarn, it might be helpful to place a stitch marker every five or six stitches that you work in a round.

If all else fails, guess!

For all the difficulties that fluffy yarn comes with, it also comes with this major plus. That is, since you can’t see the stitches, no one can see your mistakes!

If you end up having trouble counting exactly how many stitches there were so far, or you know you’re off by one but can’t tell where you went wrong, don’t worry.

It happened to me, and as long as you make sure you’re in the right ballpark and approximately on track with the increases, then you should be fine.

No one will be able to tell and your Maple Bear will still be the cutest ever. Yay!

Try to avoid frogging

Boucle yarn sheds very easily when frogged. Because boucle yarn generally is made up of a soft exterior strand wound around a central string, if you frog it, the friction can easily lead to a lot of shedding and stray yarn pieces (not to mention tears). The best solution to this is to try to avoid frogging, and also working in a place that can be easily cleaned.

Try the chain-2 method instead of the Magic Ring

If you haven’t heard this before, the chain 2 method is another way to start a magic ring/circle.

Some people prefer it to magic circles. I like chaining 2 for fluffy yarns, but I will use magic rings for everything else because I can pull it shut.

For the chain 2 method, you will start with a slip knot on your hook then chain 2 (as the name of it implies). From there, you will crochet into the second stitch from your hook however many times that you would normally crochet into a magic ring.

It’s as simple as that! Feel free to use this method instead of a magic circle, but be warned: it will leave a small hole that you won’t be able to tighten!

If you would like a visual, click here for a YouTube tutorial. If you would rather read a blog post, you can find a post on One Dog Woof, who breaks down magic circles and chaining 2.

More blog posts for amigurumi beginners:

• Easiest Crochet Whale for Absolute Beginners!

• My Foolproof Guide to Crocheting Amigurumi for Beginners
• What’s the best stuffing for amigurumi? (+ how to stuff!)
• How to Sew Amigurumi Parts Together (easy photo tutorial!)

Technical Notes

• If you want to take this pattern offline, grab the beautifully formatted, ad-free, PDF pattern from Etsy here!

Description

This fluffy fleece teddy bear is insanely cute and a little larger than life! If you’ve never used fleece yarn before, it can be a bit tricky but also so worth it when you finish — it looks like a real teddy bear! The cherry on top is an adorable heart that makes it perfect for gifting.

Yarn

Confused about materials? For all my personal recommendations of my most-used tools, yarns, and supplies, check out my favorites in this complete guide!

• Woolfolk Flette Bulky (bulky weight)
  • (1 skein/100 yards) FB11 (golden brown)
    • You can get this yarn online at woolfolkyarn.com/shop/flette-bulky-yarn/
• Hobbii Amigo (sport weight)
  • (1 skein) Christmas Red (red)

Notions

• Size F 3.75mm Clover Amour hook
• 8.0mm safety eyes
• black embroidery thread
• fiberfill stuffing
• tapestry needle
• sewing pins
• stitch markers

Technical Notes

1. Crochet in continuous spiral rounds, unless specified otherwise. Use a stitch marker or piece of yarn to keep track of the last stitch in each round.
2. Consider using the chain-2 method to begin your work instead of the magic ring.

2. When filling with polyester stuffing, pull apart each large chunk into many smaller chunks. This ensures an even distribution of firmness within the amigurumi.
3. To avoid large holes in the crochet fabric, increase tension until the holes cannot be seen, or choose a crochet hook a size down.
4. Stuff the head and the body firmly at the openings so that the neck is stable upon completion.
5. Use sewing pins to secure parts of the amigurumi before you sew them.

Special Stitches

• How to embroider a nose: see this tutorial

Final Size

4″ x 9″

The Pattern

HEAD (in Golden Brown)

• Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR (6 sts)
  • If you’re having trouble with the magic ring, try the chain-2 method instead (for more detail, scroll up!)
• Rnd 2: inc x6 (12 sts)
• Rnd 3: (sc, inc) x6 (18 sts)
• Rnd 4: (2 sc, inc) x6 (24 sts)
• Rnd 5: (3 sc, inc) x6 (30 sts)
• Rnd 6: (4 sc, inc) x6 (36 sts)
• Rnd 7: (5 sc, inc) x6 (42 sts)
• Rnd 8: (6 sc, inc) x6 (48 sts)
• Rnd 9-16 (9 rnds): sc around (48 sts)
• Rnd 17: (6 sc, dec) x6 (42 sts)
• Rnd 18: (5 sc, dec) x6 (36 sts)
• Rnd 19: (4 sc, dec) x6 (30 sts)
• Measuring 2.5 inches from the top of the head, place two 8.0mm safety eyes about 1.5 inches apart (fig. 1)
• Rnd 20: (3 sc, dec) x6 (24 sts)
• Rnd 21: (2 sc, dec) x6 (18 sts)
• Stuff.
• Rnd 22: (sc, dec) x6 (12 sts)
• Rnd 23: dec x6 (6 sts)
• Finish off, leaving a tail for sewing.

MUZZLE (in Golden Brown)

• Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR (6 sts)
• Rnd 2: inc x6 (12 sts)
• Rnd 3: (sc, inc) x6 (18 sts)
• Rnd 4: sc around (18 sts)
• Invisible finish off, leaving a tail for sewing. Then embroider a nose (see Special Stitches for a tutorial). See figure 2.
• Using a running stitch, sew the muzzle between the eyes, making sure that the top of the muzzle aligns with the top of the eyes (fig. 4). Lightly stuff as you go.

EARS (in Golden Brown, make two)

• Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR (6 sts)
• Rnd 2: inc x6 (12 sts)
• Rnd 3: (sc, inc) x6 (18 sts)
• Rnd 4-5 (2 rnds): sc around (18 sts)
• Finish off, leaving a tail for sewing. Do not stuff, and fold in half (see figure 3).
• Sew the ears to the top of the head, about an inch to the left and right of the center (see fig. 4).
• Your work should now look like figure 5.

LEGS (in Golden Brown, make two)

• Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR (6 sts)
• Rnd 2: inc x6 (12 sts)
• Rnd 3-10 (8 rnds): sc around (12 sts)
• Finish off, leaving a tail for sewing (this is leg 1). Place a blue st marker at the last st. Make another, but do not finish off (this is leg 2). Place an orange st marker in the last st. See fig. 6 (leg 1 on the left and leg 2 on the right).

Connect the legs (tutorial here): With your hook still connected to leg 2, pick up a stitch on leg 1 (immediately to the left of the blue st marker). See fig. 7 and 9. Next, work 12 scs all around leg 1 until you get to the blue st marker (see fig. 9). Then, pick up a stitch on leg 2 right next to the orange st marker (see fig. 10), and then work the remaining 11 stitches around leg 2. The two legs should now be connected with a total of 24 stitches around.

Continue to body.

BODY (in Golden Brown)

• Rnd 11-12 (2 rnds): sc around (24 sts)
• Rnd 13: (3 sc, inc) x6 (30 sts)
• Rnd 14-16 (3 rnds): sc around (30 sts)
• Rnd 17: (3 sc, dec) x6 (24 sts)
• Rnd 18-19 (2 rnds): sc around (24 sts)
• Finish off, leaving a long tail for sewing. Stuff. See fig. 11 for finished body. Sew the body to the head.

ARMS (in Golden Brown, make two)

• Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR (6 sts)
• Rnd 2: inc x6 (12 sts)
• Rnd 3: (sc, inc) x6 (18 sts)
• Rnd 4: (sc, dec) x6 (12 sts)
• Rnd 5-10 (6 rnds): sc around (12 sts)
• Stuff lightly. Finish off, leaving a tail for sewing. Make another identically. See fig. 12 for finished arms. Sew to the left and right sides of the body. See fig. 13 for finished bear base.

SCARF (in Red)

• Begin: Chain 4 (4 sts)
• Row 1: Beginning from the second chain from the hook, work 3 sc, ch and turn (3 sts)
• Row 2: 3 hdc, ch and turn (3 sts)
• Row 3-55 (53 rows): repeat row two (3 sts) The scarf should measure around 15” long.

Work a single crochet border (fig. 14) (see tutorial here): The last stitch in row 55 is the black dot. Then, you’ll omit the last “turn” and continue working down the left side of the scarf, following the direction of the black arrow. After working scs all the way down the left side of the scarf, turn and work 3 scs across the bottom of the scarf, below row 1. Then, turn one more time and work scs all the way up the right side of the scarf, following the red arrow. You should end at the red dot. Then, finish off and weave in the ends.

Wrap the scarf around the bear.

Maple the Boucle Bear is all done! I hope you enjoyed crocheting her and found the pattern helpful. I would love to see your finished amigurumi, so share a picture on Instagram with me by using the #littleworldofwhimsy and tagging me @littleworldofwhimsy.

The post Maple the Boucle Bear Free Crochet Pattern – Fuzzy Teddy Bear Amigurumi appeared first on Little World of Whimsy.

Read on to learn more about my design process and inspiration, or scroll to the end to get the free pattern. If you’re in a hurry and need to take this pattern offline, grab the beautifully formatted, ad-free, PDF pattern from Etsy here.

The cutest low-sew lazy teddy bear with endless sweater options!

I’m in love with teddy bears, but especially low-sew teddy bears! After creating my Donut Teddy pattern, I was obsessed with the way I designed the ears to be worked in the round as part of the head. With Snuggles the Lazy Bear, I also worked the tail into the body as an adorable puff stitch.

I created this bear because I’ve been dreaming about making a cute teddy bear in a lying down posture, and this was the result! It took a while to get the perfect egg-shaped body that I wanted, but I loved how perfectly rotund it looked in the end.

I also wanted this teddy bear to be wearing a cute sweater, which I worked into the body as a series of simple color changes. (If this is new to you, scroll down for a video tutorial!)

I came up with a basic striped sweater, as well as a festive Christmas sweater variation! I love that it’s so easy to use this pattern as a blank canvas to create your own sweater. One of my testers came up with three different variations in just a few days!

The main pattern instructs you how to make the brown bear with the striped sweater, but if you want to make the Polar Bear in a Christmas Sweater variant, just follow the main pattern with a few adjustments here.

Tips for working this pattern!

This is a great pattern for advanced beginners because it’s a simple and short pattern, but the low-sew techniques you’ll learn are a great addition to your amigurumi toolbox.

One of the biggest techniques used in this pattern is changing colors, because you’ll need to do so multiple times to create either of the sweater variants. (If you dislike color changes or just don’t feel ready yet, you can always just omit the sweater and continue onwards in the main color!)

Here’s a quick video tutorial as well as a great blog post here all about changing color and my personal favorite method.

More blog posts for amigurumi beginners:

• Easiest Crochet Whale for Absolute Beginners!

• My Foolproof Guide to Crocheting Amigurumi for Beginners
• What’s the best stuffing for amigurumi? (+ how to stuff!)
• How to Sew Amigurumi Parts Together (easy photo tutorial!)

Technical Notes

• If you want to take this pattern offline, grab the beautifully formatted, ad-free, PDF pattern from Etsy here!

Description

Snuggles the Lazy Bear is a sweet low-sew amigurumi project of a teddy bear lying down. It uses clever no- sew techniques to form the ears and tail, so you only have to do a minimal amount of seaming at the end. You can customize the color change sweater to any design or color scheme you like! The Polar Bear with Christmas Sweater variation is included in this pattern for inspiration.

Yarn

Confused about materials? For all my personal recommendations of my most-used tools, yarns, and supplies, check out my favorites in this complete guide!

• Hobbii Amigo (sport)
  • (<1 skein) Dark Beige (brown)
  • (<1 skein) White
  • (<1 skein) Dusty Green (green)
  • (scrap) Sand (beige)

For Polar Bear variation, use only Hobbii Amigo White and Christmas Red.

Notions

• Size D 3.25mm Clover Amour hook
• 4.0mm safety eyes
• brown embroidery thread
• embroidery needle
• fiberfill stuffing
• tapestry needle
• stitch markers

Abbreviations

• BLO: back loop only
• ch: chain
• CC: contrast color
• dec: decrease
• hdc: half double crochet
• inc: increase (work two single crochets in one stitch)
• MC: main color
• MR: magic ring
• rnd: round
• RS: right side
• sc: single crochet
• sk: skip
• x sc: work x number of single crochets
• sl st: slip stitch
• st(s): stitch(es)
• WS: wrong side
• (x sts): total number of stitches for the round
• (…) x: work all steps within parentheses x number of times
• *x,y*: work x and y stitches between asterisks all in the same stitch

Technical Notes

1. Crochet in continuous spiral rounds, unless specified otherwise. Use a stitch marker or piece of yarn to keep track of the last stitch in each round.

2. When filling with polyester stuffing, pull apart each large chunk into many smaller chunks. This ensures an even distribution of firmness within the amigurumi.
3. To avoid large holes in the crochet fabric, increase tension until the holes cannot be seen, or choose a crochet hook a size down. For help with how to stuff or getting rid of holes, click here!
4. Use sewing pins to secure parts of the amigurumi before you sew them.

Special Stitches

• Invisible finish off: click here for tutorial.

• How to embroider a nose: see this tutorial
• How to crochet a puff stitch: click here for tutorial.

Final Size

4″ x 3″

The Pattern

BODY (in beige. See Special Stitches for … abbreviation.)

• Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR (6 sts)
• Rnd 2: inc x6 (12 sts)
• Rnd 3: (sc, inc) x6 (18 sts)
• Rnd 4: sc around (18 sts)
• Switch to brown.
• Rnd 5: (2 sc, inc) x6 (24 sts)
• Rnd 6: sc around (24 sts)
• Rnd 7: (3 sc, inc) x6 (30 sts)
• Rnd 8: (4 sc, inc) x6 (36 sts)
• Rnd 9-12 (4 rnds): sc around (36 sts)
• Rnd 13: Begin by working 4 sc. Next, start working on the ear below.
• Ear: Working in the FLO, work dc, tr in the same st. In the next st, work 2 tr in the same st. In the next st, work tr, dc in the same st.
• Resume working through both the front and back loops. Work 5 scs.
• Work a second ear in the same method as before.
• Resume working in both the front and back loops. Work 21 remaining scs. After finishing this round, there should be unworked back loops behind the two ears (see fig. 2). There should be 42 total sts in this rnd, as well as 6 unworked back loops.

• Rnd 14: Sc around.
• When you reach the ears, work into the back loops left unworked from the previous rnd. There should be 3 unworked back loops per ear.
• After working into the unworked back loops of the ears, insert the hook into both loops of the first st after the ear and work 13 more scs in the round.
• At this point you should be at the bottom of the head, opposite the ears. This is the new beginning of round (see fig. 3). (36 sts)
• Insert two 4.0mm safety eyes between rnds 5-6, with 5 sts between the two eyes (see fig. 3). Using brown embroidery thread and an embroidery needle, embroider a T shaped nose. The top of the T should be between rnds 2-3, extending 3 sts across (fig. 4). See Special Stitches for a tutorial.

• Rnd 15: (5 sc, inc) x6 (42 sts)
• (For the Polar Bear variation, skip down to “POLAR BEAR” here for rnds 16-24, then come back here to finish the body.)
• For the main pattern, switch to white.
• Rnd 16: (6 sc, inc) x6 (48 sts)
• Switch to green.
• Rnd 17: sc around (48 sts)
• Switch to white.
• Rnd 18: (7 sc, inc) x6 (54 sts)
• Switch to green.
• Rnd 19: sc around (54 sts)
• Switch to white.
• Rnd 20: sc around (54 sts)
• Switch to green.
• Rnd 21: sc around (54 sts)
• Switch to white.
• Rnd 22: sc around (54 sts)
• Switch to green.
• Rnd 23: sc around (54 sts)
• Switch to white.
• Rnd 24: sc around (54 sts)
• Switch to brown.
• Rnd 25-28 (4 rnds): sc around (54 sts)
• Rnd 29: (7 sc, dec) x6 (48 sts)
• Rnd 30: (6 sc, dec) x6 (42 sts)
• Rnd 31: (5 sc, dec) x6 (36 sts)
• Rnd 32: (4 sc, dec) x6 (30 sts)
• Rnd 33: work 15 single crochets. Work one puff stitch (see Special Stitches for a tutorial). See fig. 5. Then, work the remaining 14 single crochet stitches. (30 sts)
• Rnd 34: (3 sc, dec) x6 (24 sts)
• Rnd 35: (2 sc, dec) x6 (18 sts)
• Stuff.
• Rnd 36: (sc, dec) x6 (12 sts)
• Rnd 37: dec x6 (6 sts)
• Finish off in the round. Your work should look like fig. 6 and 7.

ARMS (in brown, make two)

• Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR (6 sts) Rnd 2: inc x6 (12 sts)
• Rnd 3: (sc, inc) x6 (18 sts)
• Rnd 4: sc around (18 sts)
• Rnd 5: (sc, dec) x6 (12 sts)
• Switch to white.
• Rnd 6: sc around (12 sts)
• Switch to green.
• Rnd 7: sc around (12 sts)
• Switch to white.
• Rnd 8: sc around (12 sts)
• Stuff lightly. Fold the arm flat and insert the hook through both sides of the opening (fig. 8). Slip stitch 6 sts across to seam the arm shut. Finish off, leaving a tail for sewing. Your arm should now look like figure 8. Make another identically.

LEGS (in brown, make two)

• Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR (6 sts)
• Rnd 2: inc x6 (12 sts)
• Rnd 3: (sc, inc) x6 (18 sts)
• Rnd 4: sc around (18 sts)
• Rnd 5: (sc, dec) x6 (12 sts)
• Rnd 6-8 (3 rnds): sc around (12 sts)
• Stuff lightly. Fold the leg flat and slip stitch 6 sts across to seam shut, in the same way as the arms. Finish off, leaving a tail for sewing. Make another identically. You should now have 2 arms and 2 legs (fig. 10).

ASSEMBLY

Sew the two arms to the body at round 16. The arms should be sewn vertically to the body, with the top of each arm about 4 stitches below the left and right ears. See figures 10 and 11 for placement.

Sew the two legs to the body between rnds 26-27. The legs should be sewn vertically to the body, with the top of each leg roughly aligned with the arm. See figures 10 and 11 for placement.

Polar Bear with Christmas Sweater Variation

To make the polar bear version of this pattern, follow the main pattern using the alterations below:

HEAD: Make head using white yarn only, do not color change for the muzzle.

BODY (continue in white, see fig. 14 for colorwork chart)

• After rnd 15, switch to red.
• Rnd 16: (6 sc, inc) x6 (48 sts)
• Switch to white.
  Rnd 17: sc around (48 sts)
• Switch to red.
  Rnd 18: (7 sc, inc) x6 (54 sts)
• Switch to white.
  
• Rnd 19: sc around (54 sts)
• Switch to red.
  
• Rnd 20-22 (3 rnds): sc around (54 sts)
• Switch to white.
  
• Rnd 23: sc around (54 sts)
  
• Switch to red.
  
• Rnd 24: sc around (54 sts)
  
• Switch to white. Continue with the remainder of the pattern.
• After finishing the body, use white yarn to embroider 6 point stars (you can follow this embroidery tutorial). The stars should be about 2 stitches wide with 3 stitches between each star.

ARMS (in white)

• Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR (6 sts)
• Rnd 2: inc x6 (12 sts)
• Rnd 3: (sc, inc) x6 (18 sts)
• Rnd 4: sc around (18 sts)
• Rnd 5: (sc, dec) x6 (12 sts)
• Switch to red.
• Rnd 6-8 (3 rnds): sc around
• Stuff lightly. Fold the arm flat and slip stitch 6 sts across to seam the arms shut.

LEGS: Make legs using white yarn.

See fig. 15 for finished project.

The post Snuggles the Lazy Bear – Crochet Bear – Free Amigurumi Pattern appeared first on Little World of Whimsy.

Read on to learn more about my design process and inspiration, or scroll to the end to get the free pattern. If you’re in a hurry and need to take this pattern offline, grab the beautifully formatted, ad-free, PDF pattern from Etsy here.

An adorable girl doll with a teddy bear outfit!

Dolls are one of my favorite types of projects to make, and this project was no exception! My previous project, Kitsune the Fox Doll, is one of my most popular patterns. I love her cute chibi proportions and the super sweet suspender skirt.

Julie the Bear Girl (also pictured below) is very similar to Kitsune the Fox Girl, but she’s slightly taller, using my 6″ doll base. I gave her slightly longer hair, and her hat is new and improved with FPDC/BPDC ribbing!

I really enjoyed adding a new installment to my “series” of adorable mini dolls wearing animal outfits, and I’m hoping that I’ll be able to make more soon!

It’s been about three years since I published Kitsune, and it’s so interesting to see how my style has changed (and yet remained so similar!) over that time.

Tips for making your first doll!

If you’ve never made a doll before, it can feel a little intimidating! Often, making humans can be tougher because we have an instinctive eye for what a person is supposed to look like, so it can be easier to accidentally make your project look a little off.

One of the tricky parts can be connecting the legs. The reason this is a stumbling block for beginners is because most dolls use this exact technique to connect two legs together, but it’s not usually technique that you come across unless you’ve tried making a doll with this construction before.

If you’re working on the pattern below and feel like the connecting legs portion is tripping you up, check out my blog post below which has a full photo and video tutorial to help you out. Just click below! If this is your first time, it’s a good idea to review this technique first so you know what you’re getting yourself into.

If you want some more help with the doll base, I have an entire video tutorial that goes through the exact doll base I use in this pattern.

The only differences are that in Julie the Bear Girl, I switch to white at round 12 to create the white shirt effect and work round 16 in the BLO to make it easy to attach the skirt later. Apart from that, the doll base I use in this pattern is exactly the same as in the video below.

If you’re feeling unconfident about creating the doll base, just follow along with the video tutorial below and keep an eye on the written pattern at the same time so you can get some visual help with how the doll base is supposed to fit together.

I hope these resources help!

Technical Notes

• If you want to take this pattern offline, grab the beautifully formatted, ad-free, PDF pattern from Etsy here!

Description

Julie the Bear Girl is a charming amigurumi doll with a simple outfit. The skirt is worked directly onto the body and the shirt is made with a color change — no need to crochet any extra pieces! Learn a simple way to crochet realistic hair and finish it off with a super adorable teddy bear hat.

Yarn

Confused about materials? For all my personal recommendations of my most-used tools, yarns, and supplies, check out my favorites in this complete guide!

• WeCrochet Brava Sport (sport)
  • (<1 skein) Dark Beige (light brown)
  • (<1 skein) Cream (fair skin color or any color skin color yarn. Check out this post for the best skin tone yarns!)
  • (<1 skein) White
  • (<1 skein) Chocolate (dark brown)

Notions

• Size D 3.25mm Clover Amour hook
• 6.0mm safety eyes
• fiberfill stuffing
• tapestry needle
• stitch markers
• pink embroidery thread
• blocking materials (for straight hair)
• (optional) hot glue gun
• two 7/8″ brown buttons
• brown embroidery thread for sewing buttons

Technical Notes

1. Crochet in continuous spiral rounds, unless specified otherwise. Use a stitch marker or piece of yarn to keep track of the last stitch in each round.

2. When filling with polyester stuffing, pull apart each large chunk into many smaller chunks. This ensures an even distribution of firmness within the amigurumi.
3. To avoid large holes in the crochet fabric, increase tension until the holes cannot be seen, or choose a crochet hook a size down.
4. Stuff the head and the body firmly at the openings so that the neck is stable upon completion.
5. Use sewing pins to secure parts of the amigurumi before you sew them. For extra sewing tips, see my post here!

Special Stitches

• Invisible finish off: tutorial here
• FPDC BPDC Border (tutorial here)
  • Work a double crochet stitch by inserting the hook around the post of the previous row either from the front (FPDC) or back (bpdc)
• Foundation Single Crochet (FSC): tutorial here

Final Size

6″ x 2″

The Pattern

LEGS (in Cream. This pattern is almost identical to my doll base tutorial except for the color change in rnd 12 of the body.)

• Round 1: 6 sc in MR (6 sts)
• Round 2: (2 sc, inc) x2 (8 sts)
• Round 3-11 (9 rnds): sc all around (8 sts)
• Stuff firmly, using the back of a crochet hook or chopstick to push the stuffing down. Finish off (this is leg 1) and then create a second leg identically, but do not finish off the second leg (this is leg 2).

Connect the legs (full tutorial): With your hook still connected to leg 2, pick up and work a stitch anywhere on leg 1, then work the remaining 8 single crochets all around leg 1. Then, pick up and work a stitch on leg 2 right next to the last stitch from round 11, and then work the remaining 7 stitches around leg 2. The two legs should now be connected with a total of 16 stitches around.

BODY (switch to White)

• Round 12-15 (8 rnds): sc all around (16 sts)
• Round 16: in the BLO, sc all around (16 sts)
• Round 17-20 (4 rnds): sc all around (16 sts)
• Round 20: (6 sc, dec) x2 (14 sts)
• Round 21: sc all around (14 sts)
• Round 22: (5 sc, dec) x2 (12 sts)
• Stuff firmly. Finish off, leaving a long (~12 inches) tail for sewing (see fig. 1 below).

HEAD (in Cream)

• Round 1: 6 sc in MR (6 sts)
• Round 2: inc x6 (12 sts)
• Round 3: (sc, inc) x6 (18 sts)
• Round 4: (2 sc, inc) x6 (24 sts)
• Round 5: (3 sc, inc) x6 (30 sts)
• Round 6: (4 sc, inc) x6 (36 sts)
• Round 7: (5 sc, inc) x6 (42 sts)
• Round 8-16 (9 rnds): sc all around (42 sts)
• Place 6.0 mm safety eyes between rounds 13 and 14, 8 stitches apart.
• Round 17: (5 sc, dec) x6 (36 sts)
• Round 18: (4 sc, dec) x6 (30 sts)
• Round 19: (3 sc, dec) x6 (24 sts)
• Round 20: (2 sc, dec) x6 (18 sts)
• Stuff.
• Round 21: (sc, dec) x6 (12 sts)
• Round 22: dec x6 (6 sts)
• Finish off and weave in end. Using the tail from the body, sew the head and body together.
• Nose (tutorial here): Using Cream, embroider three horizontal stitches directly between the eyes to form the nose (2 sts long).

ARMS (in Cream)

• Round 1: 6 sc in MR (6 sts)
• Round 2: (2 sc, inc) x2 (8 sts)
• Round 3: sc all around (8 sts)
• Round 4: (2 sc, dec) x2 (6 sts)
• Round 5-9 (5 rnds): sc all around (6 sts)
• Do not stuff. Finish off, leaving a short tail. Fold flat and then sew to the left and right sides of the seam between the head and body.

HAIR (in Dark Brown)

• Begin: With Dark Brown, make a magic ring.
• Round 1: 6 sc in MR (6 sts)
• Round 2: inc x6 (12 sts)
• Round 3: (sc, inc) x6 (18 sts)
• Round 4: (2 sc, inc) x6 (24 sts)
• We have now created a circle which will form the center of the hair piece. We will now create 20 hair strands (S) branching off from rnd 4 of the center, leaving the last 4 sts in rnd 4 unworked.

• S1: Ch 21 off the side of rnd 4. Sc in the 2nd ch from hook and sc across. Sl st into the next st in rnd 4. (20 sts)
• S2-20: Repeat S1, creating hair strands all around rnd 4, until there are 4 sts left which will remain unworked.
• FO, leaving a tail for sewing. Lay the hair piece flat and steam block so that each hair strand is straight and does not curl (see fig. 2).
• Place the blocked hair piece on the head with the WS up and with the unworked sts from rnd 4 facing the front of the head. Pin down the hair to your liking and secure by sewing or with hot glue (see fig. 3). Weave in ends.

SKIRT (in Light Brown)

• Hold the doll base with the head pointing towards you, face down (fig. 4).
• Round 1: Insert the hook into the unworked front loops from rnd 16 of the body with hook pointed towards legs and attach yarn. Chain 1 to secure. Then, pick up hdcs all around the body. (16 sts)
• Round 2: hdc inc x16 (32 sts)
• Round 3: (hdc, hdc inc) x16 (48 sts)
• Round 4-5: hdc around (48 sts)
• Invisible finish off, weave in end (fig. 5).

SUSPENDER STRAPS (in Light Brown)

Pick two points on rnd 16 on the left and right sides of the front of the doll. Insert hook into rnd 16 of the body, where the skirt is attached to the body (see fig. 6). Chain 1 to secure.

Work 8 FSC (see Special Stitches) to form the suspender, then sew to the back of the doll on rnd 16 where the skirt meets the body (fig. 7).

Repeat with the second suspender strap, then sew on two dark brown buttons to the front of the dress. See fig. 8.

HAT (in Light Brown. See Special Stitches for FPDC and BPDC.)

• Round 1: 6 hdc in MR (6 sts)
• Round 2: hdc inc x6 (12 sts)
• Round 3: (hdc, hdc inc) x6 (18 sts)
• Round 4: (2 hdc, hdc inc) x6 (24 sts)
• Round 5: (3 hdc, hdc inc) x6 (30 sts)
• Round 6: (4 hdc, hdc inc) x6 (36 sts)
• Round 7-8 (2 rnds): hdc around (36 sts)
• Round 9 (see photo tutorial below): (FPDC, BPDC) x18 (36 sts)
• Round 10: (FPDC, BPDC) x18 (36 sts)
• Invisible finish off (see Special Stitches) and weave in end (fig. 9).

FPDC, BPDC Tutorial:

Julie the Bear Girl is all done! I hope you enjoyed crocheting her and found the pattern helpful. I would love to see your finished amigurumi, so share a picture on Instagram with me by using the #littleworldofwhimsy and tagging me @littleworldofwhimsy.

The post Julie the Bear Girl Free Crochet Doll Pattern appeared first on Little World of Whimsy.

Read on to learn more about my design process and inspiration, or scroll to the end to get the free pattern. If you’re in a hurry and need to take this pattern offline, grab the beautifully formatted, ad-free, PDF pattern from Etsy here.

A super simple, super sweet seal pattern!

I created this adorable seal pattern because I absolutely love simple and sleek (yet still cute!) crochet patterns.

This is a great second or third project for anyone who has mastered the basic ball-shaped amigurumi and wants to try their hand and making something with limbs and a more detailed face.

The body is started by working around a foundation chain to create an oval. You’ll build on the oval to create the oblong body, and then finish it off as usual.

The two tail flippers are created and crocheted together (I have a photo tutorial for this!) in a clever way to connect them, and then attached to the back of the body. Add the two arm flippers and you’re done!

The nose and mouth are embroidered onto a felt circle — I have a video tutorial for embroidering the nose and the rest of the mouth is done using a simple backstitch. If this is your first time creating a nose piece like this don’t worry, it’s pretty forgiving and you can give it a few shots!

I love finding the perfect balance between detailed enough to be cute, but not too complex. I think I hit it with this pattern and I hope you think so too!

Tips for working with plush yarn!

If you’ve never worked with plush chenille yarn before, here are a few tips to get you going on your way. Generally, chenille yarn isn’t too big a step up from regular cotton or acrylic yarn, so it’s a good first “novelty” yarn for novices to try.

• Chenille yarn sheds very easily when frogged. Because velvet/chenille yarn generally is made up of a lot of tiny bristles stuck onto a central string, if you frog it, the friction can easily lead to a lot of shedding and stray yarn pieces. The best solution to this is to try to avoid frogging, and also working in a place that can be easily cleaned.
• Working the magic ring can be really tricky when using plush yarn. The best way to avoid breaking the yarn is to make the magic ring extremely small at first — about the size of a dime — and before you’re done working the first round, continuously tug on the tail to decrease the size of the magic ring. This will ensure that the magic ring is as small as possible so that you don’t have to pull as hard later and risk breaking the yarn. If the yarn sheds significantly so that there’s no more fluff on the center string, I would recommend restarting completely since it’s likely that it will break later on.
• If your chenille crochet fabric is too loose and you can see the stuffing poking through, size down your crochet hook so that it’s tighter. If it’s too tight and the crochet stitches are warping or too stiff, size up your crochet hook to get that perfect balance. For more tips on how to work with chenille, check out my post here!

More blog posts like this:

• Ultimate List of Free Chunky Blanket Yarn Amigurumi Patterns
• Jumbo Strawberry Free Velvet Crochet Pattern
• My Foolproof Guide to Resizing Amigurumi (no math required!)
• My Foolproof Guide to Crocheting Amigurumi for Beginners

The Pattern

• If you want to take this pattern offline, grab the beautifully formatted, ad-free, PDF pattern from Etsy here!

Description

This sweet and simple Chubby Seal is so fluffy and adorable! She works up really quickly with plush yarn, but can also be made with any substitute yarn. This project is amazing as a sweet gift or for anyone who loves animals!

Yarn

Confused about materials? For all my personal recommendations of my most-used tools, yarns, and supplies, check out my favorites in this complete guide!

• Baby Snuggle by Hobbii (super bulky)
  • (<1 skein) Soft Pink
• Brava Sport by WeCrochet (sport)
  • (<1 skein) Blush (pink)

Notions

• Size F 3.75mm Clover Amour hook
• Size D 3.25mm Clover Amour hook
• 6.0mm safety eyes
• black embroidery thread
• embroidery needle
• White felt (at least 1″ x 1″)
• Tacky glue or hot glue
• tapestry needle
• fiberfill stuffing
• stitch markers

Technical Notes

1. Crochet in continuous rounds, unless specified otherwise. Use a stitch marker or piece of yarn to keep track of the last stitch in each round.
2. Plush yarn breaks very easily, especially when making the MR. To minimize breakage, make the MR as small as possible and tug the ring closed as you work stitches into it.
3. Minimize frogging of chenille yarn as much as possible to prevent shedding.
4. It is difficult to see stitches with plush yarn. Consider using a stitch marker to keep track of the halfway point of each round.
5. This pattern is optimal for super bulky chenille yarn. If you use acrylic or cotton yarn, the proportions of the finished project may vary.

Final Size

4.5″ x 4″

BODY (in pink super bulky yarn and larger hook.)

• Begin: Chain 6 (6 sts)
• Rnd 1: Beginning from the second chain from the hook, sc 10 around the foundation chain (10 sts)
• Rnd 2: inc x10 (20 sts)
• Rnd 3: inc x2, work 8 sts, inc x2, work 8 sts (24 sts)
• Rnd 4: (3 sc, inc) x6 (30 sts)
• Insert two 6.0mm safety eyes between rounds 2 and 3 (see fig. 2).
• Rnd 5-6 (2 rnds): sc around (30 sts)
• Rnd 7: (4 sc, inc) x6 (36 sts)
• Rnd 8-9 (2 rnds): sc around (36 sts)
• Rnd 10: (4 sc, dec) x6 (30 sts)
• Rnd 11: sc around (30 sts)
• Rnd 12: (3 sc, dec) x6 (24 sts)
• Rnd 13: sc around (24 sts)
• Rnd 14: (2 sc, dec) x6 (18 sts)
• Rnd 15: sc around (18 sts)
• Stuff.
• Rnd 16: (sc, dec) x6 (12 sts)
• Rnd 17: dec x6 (6 sts)
• Finish off and weave in the end.

NOSE

• Cut an oval out of white felt 7/8″ long and 5/8″ tall. To create an oval of this size, measure and draw out a 7/8″ line going horizontally and then draw a 5/8″ line intersecting at the middle. This will provide the points for the top, bottom, left and right. Draw in the rest of the oval, and then cut it out. (Or, you can freehand the whole thing!)
• Draw a triangular nose in the center of the oval, as well as two wide “U” shapes (see fig. 3).
• Using black embroidery thread, embroider the triangle nose (video tutorial here), and then use a backstitch (video tutorial here) to embroider over the “U” shape.
• Glue the nose between the eyes, with the top of the oval aligning with the top of the eyes (fig. 4).

TAIL FLIPPERS (in pink super bulky yarn and larger hook, make 2)

• Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR (6 sts)
• Rnd 2: (2 sc, inc) x2 (8 sts)
• Rnd 3: sc around (8 sts)
• Rnd 4: (2 sc, dec) x2 (6 sts)
• Rnd 5: sc around (6 sts)
• After finishing the first flipper, invisible finish off and weave in the end. Make the second flipper, but do not finish off.
• Connect the two flippers (follow the photo tutorial below): With your hook still connected to the second flipper (B), pick up a stitch on the first flipper (A). Work 6 scs all around, then work the first stitch in the round back on flipper B. Work the remaining 5 stitches all around flipper B for a total of 12 stitches all around.
• Invisible finish off, leaving a tail for sewing (tutorial here). Sew the flippers to the back of the body (fig. 5).

How to connect tail flippers:

ARM FLIPPERS (in pink super bulky yarn and larger hook, make 2)

• Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR (6 sts)
• Rnd 2: (2 sc, inc) x2 (8 sts)
• Rnd 3-4 (2 rnds): sc around (8 sts)
• Finish off, leaving a tail for sewing. Make another identically. Sew to the body, between rounds 8-10 (counting from the front of the body). See fig. 5.

BLUSH (in pink sport weight yarn, with smaller hook. Make 2.)

• Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR, sl st to first st in round (6 sts) Finish off, leaving a tail for sewing. Make another identically.
• Sew to the left and right sides of the face, at round 3-4 (counting from the front of the body). See fig. 6.

Your Chubby Seal amigurumi is all done! I hope you enjoyed crocheting it and found the pattern helpful. I would love to see your finished amigurumi, so share a picture on Instagram with me by using the #littleworldofwhimsy and tagging me @littleworldofwhimsy.

The post Amigurumi Seal – Plush Crochet Seal – Free Pattern appeared first on Little World of Whimsy.

Read on to learn more about my design process and inspiration, or scroll to the end to get the free pattern. If you’re in a hurry and need to take this pattern offline, grab the beautifully formatted, ad-free, PDF pattern from Etsy here.

The easiest (no-sew!!) crochet narwhal ever

I don’t mind sewing when making amigurumi as much as some people do, but sometimes it’s nice to have one less thing to worry about.

I created this chubby narwhal pattern as a sized-down version of my Jumbo Narwhal (made with jumbo velvet yarn) with a few edits to clean it up.

Instead of using jumbo velvet yarn like Sweet Snuggles, it uses a super bulky yarn like Hobbii Baby Snuggle (or any other substitute chenille yarn) to get its smaller but still adorably squishy size.

There’s a clever no-sew technique to create the fins and tail, and I’ll show you how to attach the horn onto the top of the body using just a crochet hook in my video tutorial.

Speaking of which — there’s a complete video tutorial for this project! I’ve been working on building my YouTube channel lately and it makes me so happy when people find me from over there. Making videos takes a lot of time but I know it really helps beginners out.

Tips for working with plush yarn!

If you’ve never worked with plush chenille yarn before, here are a few tips to get you going on your way. Generally, chenille yarn isn’t too big a step up from regular cotton or acrylic yarn, so it’s a good first “novelty” yarn for novices to try. For more tips on working with chenille yarn, read my blog post here!

• Chenille yarn sheds very easily when frogged. Because velvet/chenille yarn generally is made up of a lot of tiny bristles stuck onto a central string, if you frog it, the friction can easily lead to a lot of shedding and stray yarn pieces. The best solution to this is to try to avoid frogging, and also working in a place that can be easily cleaned.
• Working the magic ring can be really tricky when using plush yarn. The best way to avoid breaking the yarn is to make the magic ring extremely small at first — about the size of a dime — and before you’re done working the first round, continuously tug on the tail to decrease the size of the magic ring. This will ensure that the magic ring is as small as possible so that you don’t have to pull as hard later and risk breaking the yarn. If the yarn sheds significantly so that there’s no more fluff on the center string, I would recommend restarting completely since it’s likely that it will break later on.
• If your chenille crochet fabric is too loose and you can see the stuffing poking through, size down your crochet hook so that it’s tighter. If it’s too tight and the crochet stitches are warping or too stiff, size up your crochet hook to get that perfect balance.

More blog posts like this:

• Ultimate List of Free Chunky Blanket Yarn Amigurumi Patterns
• Jumbo Strawberry Free Velvet Crochet Pattern
• My Foolproof Guide to Resizing Amigurumi (no math required!)
• My Foolproof Guide to Crocheting Amigurumi for Beginners

The Pattern

• If you want to take this pattern offline, grab the beautifully formatted, ad-free, PDF pattern from Etsy here!

Description

This cute and cuddly narwhal pattern is a breeze to work up and is super cute! It’s a no-sew pattern, so it’s great for working in chenille yarn. You can make this pattern with jumbo velvet yarn for a giant narwhal or you can downsize it with super bulky yarn like I used here. This pattern is accessible to beginners because it just uses simple stitches!

Yarn

Confused about materials? For all my personal recommendations of my most-used tools, yarns, and supplies, check out my favorites in this complete guide!

• Hobbii Baby Snuggle (super bulky)
  • (<1 skein) Blue
  • (<1 skein) White

Notions

• Size F 3.75mm Clover Amour hook
• 6.0mm safety eyes
• scissors
• fiberfill stuffing
• stitch markers

Abbreviations

• BLO: back loop only
• ch: chain
• CC: contrast color
• dec: decrease
• hdc: half double crochet
• inc: increase (work two single crochets in one stitch)
• MC: main color
• MR: magic ring
• rnd: round
• RS: right side
• sc: single crochet
• sk: skip
• x sc: work x number of single crochets
• sl st: slip stitch
• st(s): stitch(es)
• WS: wrong side
• (x sts): total number of stitches for the round
• (…) x: work all steps within parentheses x number of times

Technical Notes

1. Crochet in continuous spiral rounds, unless specified otherwise. Use a stitch marker or piece of yarn to keep track of the last stitch in each round.

2. When filling with polyester stuffing, pull apart each large chunk into many smaller chunks. This ensures an even distribution of firmness within the amigurumi.
3. To avoid large holes in the crochet fabric, increase tension until the holes cannot be seen, or choose a crochet hook a size down.
4. Try to avoid frogging velvet yarn since it sheds easily, and close the magic ring in the beginning as soon as possible, gently but firmly. Attempting to close it later on may result in breaking the yarn.
5. Use sewing pins to secure parts of the amigurumi before you sew them.

Color Coding

For this pattern, the MC is blue, and CC1 is white.

Final Size

4″ x 4″

BODY (in MC)

• Round 1: 8 sc in MR (8 sts)
• Round 2: inc x8 (16 sts)
• Round 3: (sc, inc) x8 (24 sts)
• Round 4: (2 sc, inc) x8 (32 sts)
• Round 5: (3 sc, inc) x8 (40 sts)
• Round 6-7 (2 rnds): sc around (40 sts)
• Round 8: (7 sc, inc) x5 (45 sts)
• Round 9-12 (4 rnds): sc around (45 sts)
• Round 13: (3 sc, dec) x2.
• Create first flipper (tutorial here): chain 4 off the side of the narwhal, and beginning from the second chain from the hook, sc, 2 hdc, then work 1 hdc in the most recently worked st on rnd 13 to anchor the st (fig. 1 and 2). The flipper does not take up a whole stitch, and merely occupies the space between the last decrease and the beginning of the first single crochet in the next step. Continue working in the round: (3 sc, dec) x3.
• Create the tail: chain 4 off the side of the narwhal, and beginning from the second chain from the hook, 3 sc back. Work 1 more sc in the most recently worked st to anchor. Then, chain 4 off the side, and sc 3 back, work one more sc to anchor, then continue working on the round (See fig. 3 and 4).
• Continue working in the round: (3 sc, dec) x3.
• Create second flipper identically to the first one: chain 4 off the side of the narwhal, and beginning from the second chain from the hook, sc, 2 hdc, then work 1 hdc in the most recently worked st on rnd 13 to anchor the st (fig. 1 and 2).
• Continue working in the round: 3 sc, dec. (36 sts total in round 13)

• Insert 6.0mm safety eyes between rounds 12 and 13, 11 stitches apart.
• Round 14: (2 sc, dec) x4, switch to CC1, (2 sc, dec) x5 (27 sts)
• Round 15: (sc, dec) x9 (18 sts)
• Stuff.
• Round 16: dec x9 (9 sts)
• Round 17: dec x4, sc (5 sts)
• Finish off, leaving a tail. Bury the tail either by using a crochet hook (see tutorial here) or by using a tapestry needle.

HORN (in CC1)

• Round 1: 4 sc in MR (4 sts)
• Round 2: (sc, inc) x2 (6 sts)
• Round 3: (2 sc, inc) x2 (8 sts)
• Round 4: sc around (8 sts)
• Gently stuff. Finish off, leaving a tail. Using a crochet hook, attach the horn to the to the whale between rounds 3-5 (counting from the top), directly between the eyes (tutorial here).

Your Chubby Narwhal amigurumi is all done! I hope you enjoyed crocheting it and found the pattern helpful. I would love to see your finished amigurumi, so share a picture on Instagram with me by using the #littleworldofwhimsy and tagging me @littleworldofwhimsy.

The post No-sew Narwhal Free Crochet Pattern – Easy Plush Amigurumi Narwhal appeared first on Little World of Whimsy.

Read on to learn more about my design process and inspiration, or scroll to the end to get the free pattern. If you’re in a hurry and need to take this pattern offline, grab the beautifully formatted, ad-free, PDF pattern from Etsy here.

The cutest mini munchkin!

I’m absolutely obsessed with mini animals (as you can see by my Starfish, Toasty Teddy, and Strawbeary patterns) so when I wanted to make a tiny panda, this was the result!

It was tough to get all the limbs positioned correctly on the small, munchkin sized body, (as well as the mini heart), but once I got everything in place it was so worth it!

I love adding little items for my amigurumi to hold on to, and this little heart was just what my mini panda needed.

This pattern is a little more advanced because there’s a lot of sewing and small pieces. Also, the tiny heart can be a little fiddly if you’ve never made a heart with this technique before. If you’ve never made a crochet heart I recommend starting with this basic heart pattern or my Mini Heart Cactus pattern.

After making either of those this tiny heart will be a piece of cake!

Tips for making this pattern!

This Mini Panda pattern is a good third or fourth project to make after you’ve gotten your amigurumi bearings about you. If you’re a complete beginner, I always recommend my Easiest Amigurumi Whale as the best first project for anyone new to crocheting.

This project has some smaller pieces and sewing, so if you’re eager to practice some more advanced techniques, this is a great place to be!

I have a great tutorial all about how to sew amigurumi pieces together – it’s a method that you can apply to most amigurumi pieces you encounter, so it’s definitely well worth a read.

There’s also a tiny bit of embroidery on this pattern for the nose. It’s pretty straightforward, but in case you’re new to embroidery and want an in depth tutorial, I would recommend this tutorial on how to embroider easy faces on amigurumi. The last tutorial on the article about embroidering blush is identical to the process that I used to embroidery this “-” shaped nose.

And that’s all folks! Scroll down for the written pattern and be sure to refer back up if you get stuck somewhere

More blog posts for amigurumi beginners:

• Easiest Crochet Whale for Absolute Beginners!

• My Foolproof Guide to Crocheting Amigurumi for Beginners
• What’s the best stuffing for amigurumi? (+ how to stuff!)
• How to Sew Amigurumi Parts Together (easy photo tutorial!)

The Pattern

• If you want to take this pattern offline, grab the beautifully formatted, ad-free, PDF pattern from Etsy here!

Description

This mini panda pattern is an adorable munchkin sized panda holding a miniature heart. This is the perfect project to make as a gift for a special someone or as a self-love gift!

Yarn

Confused about materials? For all my personal recommendations of my most-used tools, yarns, and supplies, check out my favorites in this complete guide!

• Hobbii Amigo (sport weight)
• (<1 skein) Delicate Rose
  • light pink
• (<1 skein) White
• (<1 skein) Wisteria
  • light purple

Notions

• Size D 3.25mm Clover Amour hook
• 4.0mm safety eyes
• brown embroidery thread
• fiberfill stuffing
• tapestry needle
• stitch markers

Technical Notes

1. Crochet in continuous spiral rounds, unless specified otherwise. Use a stitch marker or piece of yarn to keep track of the last stitch in each round.

2. When filling with polyester stuffing, pull apart each large chunk into many smaller chunks. This ensures an even distribution of firmness within the amigurumi.
3. To avoid large holes in the crochet fabric, increase tension until the holes cannot be seen, or choose a crochet hook a size down.
4. Stuff the head and the body firmly at the openings so that the neck is stable upon completion.
5. Use sewing pins to secure parts of the amigurumi before you sew them. This is especially important on this mini panda since it is so little, so if you’d like more tips on sewing, check out this article here!

Color Coding

In this pattern, the MC is white, CC1 is purple, and CC2 is pink.

Final Size

2″ x 1.5″

BODY (in MC)

• Round 1: 6 sc in MR (6 sts)
• Round 2: inc x6 (12 sts)
• Round 3: (sc, inc) x6 (18 sts)
• Round 4: (2 sc, inc) x6 (24 sts)
• Round 5: (3 sc, inc) x6 (30 sts)
• Round 6: 2 sc, (4 sc, inc) x5, 2 sc, inc (36 sts)
• Round 7: (5 sc, inc) x6 (42 sts)
• Round 8-19 (12 rnds): sc around (42 sts)
• Round 20: (5 sc, dec) x6 (36 sts)
• Round 21: (4 sc, dec) x6 (30 sts)
• Round 22: (3 sc, dec) x6 (24 sts)
• Round 23: (2 sc, dec) x6 (18 sts) Stuff.
• Round 24: (sc, dec) x6 (12 sts)
• Round 25: dec x6 (6 sts)
• Finish off and weave in end (fig. 1).

FACE MARKINGS (in CC1, make two)

• Begin: chain 5
• Round 1: beginning from second chain from the hook, work 3 single crochets.
• Work 3 hdcs in the last chain, then turn work one sc into each of the next two stitches. Work 2 hdcs into the last chain, and slst to the first single crochet in the round. Invisible finish off (see Special Stitches). (10 sts)
• See fig. 2 for a crochet chart and this tutorial for working around a foundation chain.
• Make two (fig. 3).

MUZZLE (in MC)

• Round 1: 6 sc in MR (6 sts)
• Round 2: inc x6 (12 sts)
• Round 3: (sc, inc) x6 (18 sts)
• Round 4: sc around (18 sts)
• Finish off, leaving a tail for sewing. Using brown embroidery thread, embroider a short line across the middle (fig. 4). Shape the muzzle into a triangular shape and sew it between rnds 8-13 (counting from top) of the head, stuffing lightly as you go.
• Pin the two face marking pieces to the left and right as shown, and then sew them down (between rnds 7-13, counting from the top). Insert 4.0mm safety eyes into the middle of the face markings and glue them down (fig. 8).

EARS (in CC1, make two)

• Round 1: 6 sc in MR (6 sts)
• Round 2: inc x6 (12 sts)
• Round 3: sc around (12 sts)
• Do not stuff. Invisible finish off (video tutorial here), leaving a tail for sewing. Make another identically (fig. 5). Sew them to the top of the head between rnds 4-8 (counting from top).

ARMS (in CC1, make two)

• Round 1: 6 sc in MR (6 sts)
• Round 2-4 (3 rnds): sc around (6 sts)
• Stuff lightly. Finish off, leaving a tail for sewing. Make another identically (fig. 6). Sew them to the left and right sides of the body between rnds 13-15 (fig. 8).

LEGS (in CC1, make two)

• Round 1: 6 sc in MR (6 sts)
• Round 2: (sc, inc) x3 (9 sts)
• Stuff lightly. Invisible finish off, leaving a tail for sewing (fig. 7). Sew them to the body between rnds 17-20.

TOP HALVES OF HEART (in CC2, make two)

Round 1: 6 sc in MR (6 sts)
Round 2: (sc, inc) x3 (9 sts)
Round 3: sc around (9 sts)
Finish off, and make another identically but do not finish off.

Connect the halves (video tutorial here): Place them together with the opening facing up (fig. 9). Using one of the tails, seam together two stitches from each half, as shown at the red line. After seaming them together, sc around all the other stitches, skipping the ones that you seamed together. (14 sts)

Continue to bottom half.

BOTTOM HALF OF HEART (in CC2)

Round 5: (5 sc, dec) x2 (12 sts) Begin stuffing
Round 6: (4 sc, dec) x2 (10 sts) Round 7: (3 sc, dec) x2 (8 sts) Finish stuffing.
Round 8: dec x4 (4 sts)
Finish off and bury the tail in the back so that the bottom of the heart is seamless (fig. 10). Using the tail, sew it to the body of the panda between the arms.

Your Mini Panda amigurumi is all done! I hope you enjoyed crocheting it and found the pattern helpful. I would love to see your finished amigurumi, so share a picture on Instagram with me by using the #littleworldofwhimsy and tagging me @littleworldofwhimsy.

The post Mini Panda – Amigurumi Small Panda – Free Crochet Pattern appeared first on Little World of Whimsy.