Free Crochet Kangaroo and Joey Pattern

This crochet kangaroo pattern is perfect for a confident beginner, who is familiar with the basic stitches and looking for a bit of a challenge.

A few years ago I crocheted a wallaby with a baby joey in her pouch. It is without a doubt one of the most popular patterns I’ve ever made, but I there were a few issues with it. Firstly, and most importantly to me, people kept calling it a kangaroo. Secondly, I made it with chenille yarn, and if I’m honest, it’s just not my favorite fiber to work with. The difficulty of closing magic circles, and the tendency to fray leave me rather frustrated.

You can see where I’m going with this?

I took the wallaby pattern, made a few adjustments. And when I say a few adjustments, I actually changed the pattern quite a lot to get the look I wanted in a very different yarn fiber. But the basis is still the same! And am now delighted to announce the arrival of my brand new crochet Kangaroo Mom and Joey pattern.

What You’ll Need

100g brown DK yarn
50g cream/brown variegated yarn
3.5mm crochet hook
3mm crochet hook
2 x 8mm safety eyes
2 x 16mm safety eyes
Toy safe stuffing
Yarn needle

I used some acrylic yarn that I had in my stash for this pattern. You’ll find a lot of amigurumi patterns recommend a cotton blend for toys, but honestly a good quality acrylic works up just as nicely and has the benefit of often being an awful lot cheaper among other things.

Stitch Guide

This pattern uses predominantly standard amigurumi stitches, but I have thrown in some surface crocheting to add details to the pattern. This is a skill that can look intimidating to newer crocheters, but I promise it’s not as hard as it sounds. You make the stitches you already know, just into the edge or top of your work instead of into the next stitch.

Here are the terms I’ll use, and links to details on how to do the techniques:

Magic circle
sc – single crochet
2sc – make two single crochets into the same stitch
sc2tog – use a single crochet to join two stitches together
slst – slip stitch

Crocheting the Head

You’re going to work this section in your brown yarn, with the 3.5mm crochet hook.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of six stitches (6)

Round 2

2sc x 6 (12)

Round 3 – 4

1sc x 12 (12)

Round 5

(1sc, 2sc) x 6 (18)

Round 6 – 8

1sc x 18 (18)

Round 9

(1sc x 2, 2sc) x 6 (24)

Round 10 -11

1sc x 24 (24)

Round 12

(1sc x 3, 2sc) x 6 (30)

Round 13

(1sc x 4, 2sc) x 6 (36)

Round 14 – 19

1sc x 36 (36)

Round 20

(1sc x 4, sc2tog) x 6 (30)

Round 21

(1sc x 3, sc2tog) x 6 (24)

Round 22

(1sc x 2, sc2tog) x 6 (18)

Insert the 16mm safety eyes at around round 12, with about 10 stitches between them. Use a string of yarn to tie the backs together, to set them further into the face.

Round 23

(1sc, sc2tog) x 6 (12)

Stuff the head, being careful to ensure filling also goes into the muzzle section.

Round 24

sc2tog x 6, then hand sew to close.

The Ears

For the ears you’ll need to make the bulk of them up in your brown yarn with the 3.5mm crochet hook, then you’ll surface crochet the edges in mixed yarn with your 3mm crochet hook.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of eight stitches.

Round 2 – 3

1sc x 8 (8)

Round 4

2sc x 4, 1sc x 4 (12)

Round 5 – 10

1sc x 12 (12)

Finishing the Ears

Cut a long tail of yarn, and attach a needle. Insert the tail into the ear, flatten it and sew the top half of the ear together to give a pointed appearance.

Now take the mixed yarn and surface crochet around the edge of the ear to define it.

Making the Body

Your kangaroo’s body will be entirely with the 3.5mm crochet hook and your brown yarn.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of eight stitches (8)

Round 2

2sc x 8 (16)

Round 3 – 7

1sc x 16 (16)

Round 8

(1sc, 2sc) x 8 (24)

Round 9 – 13

1sc x 24 (24)

Round 14

(1sc x 2, 2sc) x 8 (32)

Round 15 -16

1sc x 32 (32)

Round 17

(1sc x 3, 2sc) x 8 (40)

Round 16 – 21

1sc x 40 (40)

Round 17

(1sc x 3, 2sc) x 8 (40)

Round 18 – 23

1sc x 40 (40)

Round 24

(1sc x 3, sc2tog) x 8 (32)

Round 23

(1sc x 2, sc2tog) x 8 (24)

Round 24

(1sc, sc2tog) x 8 (16)

Fill with toy safe stuffing.

Round 25

sc2tog to close

Crocheting the Pouch

To crochet your kanagaroo’s pouch use your brown yarn and 3.5mm crochet hook, you’ll only swap to your mixed yarn to edge three sides.

Row 1

Chain 9 + 1, then turn (10)

Row 2 – 7

Sk, 1sc x 9, ch2, turn

Row 8

1sc at the base of the chain, 1sc x 8, 2sc, ch2, then turn

Row 9

1sc at the base of the chain, 1sc x 9, 2sc, ch2, then turn

Row 10 – 14

1sc x 10, ch1, turn

Row 15

Sk, 1sc x 11.

At the end of the row, tie off the brown yarn. Swap to your mixed yarn, and make a single crochet around three of the four sides.

Kanagaroo Arms

Your arms will begin in the mixed yarn, you’ll then swap to brown yarn after a few rounds.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of eight stitches.

Round 2 – 5

1sc x 8 (8)

cc brown

Round 6 – 13

1sc x 8 (8)

Loosely stuff the yarn, using the handle of yur hook to push it down the whole way.

Round 14

Flatten the arm then use single crochets to join across the arm. Attach your yarn needle and close the circle by weaving in and out of the remaining stitches.

Crochet Legs

Your kangaroo’s legs will also start with the mixed yarn, then switch to brown yarn after a few rounds.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of eight stitches.

Round 2

2sc x 8 (16)

Round 3

(1sc, 2sc) x 8 (24)

Round 4 – 6

1sc x 24 (24)

Round 7

(1sc, sc2tog) x 8 (16)

Round 8

1sc x 16 (16)

cc brown

Round 9 – 18

1sc x 16 (16)

Stuff the foot section only, leave the rest empty.

Round 19

sc2tog x 8, then sew closed with your yarn needle.

The Tail

You’re going to use your 5mm crochet hook and brown yarn to crochet your kangaroo’s tail.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of six stitches (6)

Round 2 – 3

1sc x 6 (6)

Round 4

2sc x 6 (12)

Round 5 – 6

1sc x 12 (12)

Round 7

(1sc, 2sc) x 6 (18)

Round 8 – 9

1sc x 18 (18)

Round 10

(1sc x 2, 2sc) x 6 (24)

Round 11 – 13

1sc x 24 (24)

Round 14

(1sc x 3, 2sc) x 6 (30)

Round 15

1sc x 30 (30)

Fill the tail with toy stuffing.

Sewing The Kangaroo Together

Place all the pieces in front of you, and sew in all but one loose end for each of the sections to give you a clear tail to work with for the sewing.

Begin by sewing the head onto her body. Line up the back of the head with the back of the body, and weave in and out in the brown yarn using your needle.

Now attach the ears onto the top of the head. I went back around six stitches from each eye, leaving around four stitches between the ears at the top of the head.

Attach the pouch next. Sit the body flat on a desk, and line the base of the pouch up with the surface. Sew the white edged sides onto the front of your wallaby to make her open pouch.