Squishy crochet owl materials

Since I’ve made my owl plushy-sized, with my 10 year old in mind, I’ve used an ultra soft polyester chenille. But I know these fluffy yarns aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, and he’ll look just as good in another fiber! This is definitely a great project for using up leftovers of any variegated or speckled yarn sitting in your stash though. Even in non-natural colors, they’re a pleasing nod to an owl’s natural camouflage.

To make your own squishy owl, you’ll need:

• Yarn for the body and ears. I used ⅔ of a ball (65g/85yds) of King Cole Yummy yarn* in the shade ‘licorice’. I’m thrilled with how the pattern on the yarn translated into the pattern on the owl – it was a real “squeeee” moment!
• Small quantities of contrasting yarn in a lighter weight for the eyes, nose and whiskers. I used Scheepjes Softfun* DK in ‘canary’ for the eyes, and in ‘clay’ for the beak.
• Crochet hooks to match your yarns. If the yarn wrapper gives a range of sizes, use the smallest recommended size. It’s also a good idea to go down a hook one size if your tension is generally on the loose side – it prevents the stuffing from peeping out between your stitches later.
• Safety eyes*. If you’re using bulky or super bulky yarn, use approximately ⅝” (16mm) eyes. Use ½” (12mm) eyes for an owl made with DK or worsted yarn, and ⅜” (10mm) eyes for yarn any lighter than that.
• Safety tested toy stuffing*.
• Stitch markers to keep track of your progress. Or some scraps of yarn – surely I can’t be the only one who can never find stitch markers when I need them!
• Scissors.
• A darning needle.

How big will your squishy owl be?

This depends on the exact yarn you use, the size of your hook, and how tight you crochet. But to give you an idea:

• Super bulky yarn (around 130 yds per 100g) makes an owl about 7” tall.
• Bulky yarns make an owl about 6” tall.
• Worsted weight yarn owls will be about 5” tall.
• DK yarns make an owl about 4” tall.

I haven’t made this body shape with a jumbo yarn yet, or with anything lighter than DK. If you do, let me know what yarn you use and how big your own turns out in the comments box down below!

Pattern notes

This pattern uses standard American crochet terms. The only ones you need to know are:

• Ch chain
• Sc single crochet
• Sl st slip stitch
• Inc increase (make 2 sc in the same place)
• Dec decrease

When you get to the base, I recommend using the invisible decrease technique:

• Insert your hook through the front loop only of the next stitch, then through the front loop only of the following stitch (3 loops on hook).
• Yarn over and draw through two loops (two loops remaining on hook).
• Yarn over and draw through both remaining loops.

If you’re brand new to crochet, look at Lucy’s guide to basic techniques before you start, and check out my photos of the invisible decrease technique in this squishy crochet cat pattern.

Now let’s begin!

Squishy crochet owl pattern

Cecil’s body is worked from the top down. It starts as a circle, and finishes with a relatively flat oval base, so that he stands up unsupported. The irises, beak and wings are made separately and sewn on. And finally the talons are embroidered on.

The body

Start with either a magic circle, or by making four chains and joining them with a slip stitch to form a loop – crocheter’s choice! I tend to use a magic circle for smooth yarns, but a four chain loop for fluffy yarns like the one I’m using here. Magic circles made from fluffy yarns can be hard to tighten.

• Make a magic circle, or ch 4 and sl st to join.
• 1st round: Ch 1, sc 8 into the magic circle or 4-ch loop (8 sts)
• 2nd round: 8 inc (16 sts)
• 3rd round: *1 sc, inc* 8 times (24 sts)
• 4th round: *2 sc, inc* 8 times (32 sts)
• 5th round: *3 sc, inc* 8 times (40 sts)
• Rounds 6 – 23: Sc all the way round
• 24th round: 3 dec, sc 8, 6 dec, 8 sc, 3 dec (28 sts)
• 25th round: 3 dec, sc 2, 6 dec, 2 sc, 3 dec (16 sts) Put a stitch marker into the loop on your hook, and cut your yarn leaving a 24 inch tail.

For a shorter squishy crochet owl, start decreasing from round 21, instead of round 24. This is an especially great option if you want your owl to look more like a chick!

The irises

Make two, using one of your contrasting yarns. Any shade of yellow or orange will look the part, but you could even choose black, for a squishy crochet barn owl.

• Make a magic circle or ch 4 and sl st to join. Don’t worry about pulling the center completely closed.
• 1st round: Ch 1, sc 8 into the circle or loop (8 sts)
• 2nd round: 8 inc (16 sts)
• Sl st once into the next stitch, cut the yarn leaving a long tail for sewing, and pull the yarn tail all the way through the sl st.

The beak

Most owls’ beaks are black or yellow. I’m using a bit of artistic license and making mine in orange. Working in rows not rounds this time:

• Foundation chain: Ch 2
• 1st row: In the 2nd ch from the hook, inc (2 sts).
• 2nd row: 2 inc (4 sts).
• 3rd and 4th rows: Sc 4 (4 sts)
• Pull the yarn all the way through the final stitch – there’s no need to tie it off.

NOTE: There are no turning chains at the start of each row.

The wings

In the same yarn you used for the body, and working in rounds again:

• Make a magic circle or ch 4 and sl st to join.
• 1st round: Ch 1, sc 5 into the circle or loop (5 sts)
• 2nd round: 5 inc (10 sts)
• 3rd round: *1 sc, 1 inc* 5 times (15 sts)
• Rounds 4 – 9: Sc all the way round
• 10th round: *1 sc, 1 dec* 5 times (10 sts)
• Sl st once into the next stitch, cut the yarn leaving a long tail for sewing, and pull the yarn tail all the way through the sl st.

Make two.

I’ve got to tell you, this crochet zebra is probably one of the most complicated patterns I’ve ever created. But, stay with me, it won’t be nearly so tricky for you to follow along with as it was for me to design!

I’ll explain.

My free crochet zebra pattern has a unique twist. The stripes aren’t made with color changes, aside from the muzzle, they are all crocheted strips that are hand sewn onto the toy. This technique was a bit of a departure from the amigurumi norm for me, but it enabled me to produce markings that actually look like a real zebra. I didn’t want toy zebra stripes, I wanted the twists and angles of the real gorgeous creature. And I think I got pretty close.

I’ve taken detailed photos of my design process from start to finishing touches for you to follow along with, just remember to have a bunch of pins handy as well as your usual crochet kit!

• What you’ll need
• Free crochet zebra pattern

I created this toy as a gift for a family friend, who adored my daughter’s horse and son’s donkey from my previous designs.

What I Used

• 50g Sirdar Country Classic DK* black yarn
• 100g Happy Place DK almond yarn
• 3.5mm crochet hook
• 2.5mm crochet hook
• 16mm safety eyes*
• Tapestry needle
• Toy safe stuffing*
• Stitch markers
• Pins

I’ve shared the yarns I used, but you should be able to swap out of DK weight cotton blend black and white yarns and get a very similar effect.

Techniques and Terms

• sc – single crochet
• 2sc – two single crochets into the same stitch
• sc2tog – use one single crochet to join two stitches together
• slst – slip stitch
• sk – skip the next stitch
• ch – chain
• cc – color change
• surface crochet
• BLO – back loop only

The Crochet Zebra Pattern

You are going to crochet your zebra broadly speaking in three sections. There will be crocheting the body parts, crocheting the stripes, and sewing the stripes on and toy together. I’ll walk you through each bit, and if you have any questions drop them in the comments section below.

Crochet Zebra’s Head

You are going to begin the zebra’s head with the muzzle, starting off with the black yarn and 3.5mm crochet hook.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of eight stitches (8)

Round 2

2sc x 8 (16)

Round 3

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

Round 4 – 5

1sc x 24 (24)

Round 6

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

Round 7 – 9

1sc x 32

Round 10

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

Round 11

1sc x 24

Round 12

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

Round 13 – 15

1sc x 32

cc almond

Round 16 – 17

1sc x 32

Round 18

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

Round 19 – 20

1sc x 40

Round 21

(1sc x 4, 2sc) x 8 (48)

Round 22 – 24

1sc x 48

Round 25

(1sc x 5, 2sc) x 8 (56)

Round 26 – 28

1sc x 56

Round 29

(1sc x 5, sc2tog) x 8 (48)

Round 30

1sc x 48

Round 31

(1sc x 4, sc2tog) x 8 (40)

Round 32

1sc x 40

Round 33

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

Round 34

1sc x 32

Insert your safety eyes into the face. I aim to have them about round 24, and approximately 20 stitches apart. You can tie the eyes together to draw them into the face if you’d like. I also recommend stuffing the muzzle at this point.

Round 35

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

Round 36

(1sc, sc2tog) x 8 (16)

Fill the rest of the head with toy stuffing.

Round 37

sc2tog to close, then tie off.

Adding the head stripes

Your head is going to have stripes made up of looped chains, that you’re going to sew onto the head. So you’ll make each chain length, slip stitch into the first stitch to join as a circle, place with pins and then sew them on.

You’ll need chains that are 12, 60, 40, 30 and 35 stitches in length. The chain 12 is the only one you won’t loop, it just goes straight up the head from muzzle to hairline.

Place them as shown in the pictures.

Zebra Ears

Create the ears in your almond yarn with the 3.5mm crochet hook.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of six stitches (6)

Round 2 – 3

1sc x 6

Round 4

2sc x 6 (12)

Round 5 – 7

1sc x 12

Round 8

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

Round 9 – 14

1sc x 18

Round 15

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

Round 16 – 19

1sc x 24

Round 20

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

Round 21

1sc x 30

Edging the ears

To give black definition to your ears, you are going to first fold them into shape. I do this by sewing the ear flat and joining the two bottom corners together in the center.

Now swap to your black yarn and grab your 2.5mm crochet hook. Starting at the head level, holding the ear flat as you want it, make single crochets around the circumference of the shape.

You can now sew your ears onto the top of the head, leaving a stitch wide gap at the top between them. Sew with your almond yarn, and using a tapestry needle for this finer work.

Crocheting the Body

Crochet your zebra’s body in almond yarn with the 3.5mm crochet hook.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of eight stitches (8)

Round 2

2sc x 8 (16)

Round 3

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

Round 4

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

Round 5 – 16

1sc x 32

Round 17

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

Round 18 – 19

1sc x 40

Round 20

(1sc x 4, 2sc) x 8 (48)

Round 21 – 24

1sc x 48

Round 25

(1sc x 5, 2sc) x 8 (56)

Round 26 – 42

1sc x 56

Round 43

(1sc x 5, sc2tog) x 8 (48)

Round 44

(1sc x 4, sc2tog) x 8 (40)

Round 45

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

Round 46

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

Round 47

(1sc, sc2tog) x 8 (16)

Fill with toy safe stuffing.

Round 48

sc2tog to close

Body stripes

Your body stripes will be created in the same way as the face stripes, but the placement is less fiddly. You’re going to make seven looped chains of 75.

Sew them onto the body, leaving naturally increasing white space at the center. This will be lined up with the face later on.

Zebra’s Arms

Begin your arms in black yarn, and using your 3.5mm crochet hook.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of eight stitches (8)

Round 2

2sc x 8 (16)

Round 3

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

Round 4

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

Round 5

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

Round 6

1sc x 24

Round 7

(1sc, sc2tog) x 8 (16)

Round 8

1sc x 16

cc almond

Round 9

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

Round 10 – 32

1sc x 24

Round 33

(1sc, sc2tog) x 8 (16)

Fill with toy stuffing.

Round 34

sc2tog to close

The arm stripes

Crochet your arm stripes as chains of 120 stitches for each arm. You will then need to hand sew the stripes in opposite directions on each limb.

Crochet Zebra’s Legs

Follow the arm pattern to create your legs, but you’re going to do the stripes a little differently.

Stripes for the legs

Your leg stripes are going to be sewn as two long chains, one for each arm. Ch81, sk, 1sc x 80, then sew this thicker stripe on as symmetrical spirals, rotating in opposite directions to each other.

The Tail

Work in your almond yarn with your 3.5mm crochet hook.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of eight stitches (8)

Round 2

2sc x 8 (16)

Round 3 – 15

1sc x 16

Fill with toy stuffing, and sew onto the back end of your body section.

Tail fluff

I created the furry end of the tail using a long strand of black yarn and a tapestry needle. I sewed in and out from the magic circle, working through each stitch for three rounds but leaving a long loop at each stitch.

Crocheting the Mane

You are going to sew the mane in the same way. Weaving in and out with your needle and black yarn, leaving large loops of yarn hanging from each stitch.

Zebra mane’s work directly down the back of the head, so don’t make a very wide line, just one or two loops at the level of each round will be fine.

Sewing the Amigurumi Zebra Together

Now you’ve got all your pieces, you can lay them together on the floor in front of you and have a good think about how you want your zebra to look. I have a clear idea in my head of posture, and you can just copy what I did with mine.

I like this style of toy to pose like a traditional teddy bear, with arms hanging down and legs level to allow it to sit. Try to align the shoulders with the expansion between the neck and body shapes.

For this toy, it’s important to make sure that your spirals of stripes on the arms and legs sit in a way that looks symmetrical too.

If you’re not very confident with sewing, pin around the edges of the limbs first before sewing so you don’t lose your place.

And if you have any questions about any of this, give me a shout in the comments section below.

You know that situation where you design a toy horse for your daughter, so you then have to immediately make a crochet donkey for your son? No? Just me? Well, you get a new pattern out of it, so I won’t complain!

My free crochet donkey pattern is an intermediate level design, but laid out in simple, straight forward steps. You can absolutely give it a go as an amigurumi beginner, just be prepared for a bit of a learning curve.

If you prefer your patterns in PDF form and advert free, this pattern is also available to download from our shop here:

This design will use a range of skills, including surface crochet, hand sewing, and fairly heft dollop of patience too. But don’t let that put you off, I can confirm he’s well worth the effort if my son’s reaction was anything to go by!

• What you’ll need
• Terms and techniques
• The free crochet donkey pattern

This donkey is called Sausage Roll, because that’s what my four year old has named him… I can only apologise. The eleven year old called her horse Jeremy, so hopefully that’s some consolation. Since making this pattern I’ve also turned it into an awesome zebra, which has yet to be named!

Your Equipment List

Here’s what you’ll need to crochet your own donkey pal:

• 3.5mm crochet hook
• 2.5mm crochet hook (for surface crocheting)
• 100g gray DK yarn
• 50g cream DK yarn
• 50g brown DK yarn
• 16mm safety eyes*
• Tapestry needle*
• Toy safe stuffing*
• Stitch markers

I highly recommend you use the yarn I did for this pattern, as I found it great to work with and had a super finish. It’s Hobbii’s DK cotton silk range. You’ll see on the packaging it advises a bigger hook size, but go with the 3.5mm for this pattern.

Techniques and Tips

I’ll use abbreviations in the pattern instructions, so if you come across any you don’t recognise just flick up here and check out the information and links for clarification.

• sc – single crochet
• 2sc – two single crochets into one stitch
• sc2tog – join two stitches together with one single crochet
• cc – color change
• BLO – crochet into the back loop only
• ch – chain
• turn – rotate the piece 180 degrees
• slst – slip stitch

My Free Crochet Donkey Pattern

You are going to create your crochet donkey in sections, which will be hand sewn together as you go along.

Amigurumi Donkey’s Head

We’ll start with the muzzle, working in your cream yarn with the 3.5mm crochet hook.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of eight stitches (8)

Round 2

2sc x 8 (16)

Round 3

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

Round 4 – 5

1sc x 24 (24)

Round 6

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

Round 7 – 9

1sc x 32

Round 10

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

Round 11

1sc x 24

Round 12

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

Round 13 – 15

1sc x 32

cc gray

Round 16 – 17

1sc x 32

Round 18

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

Round 19 – 20

1sc x 40

Round 21

(1sc x 4, 2sc) x 8 (48)

Round 22 – 24

1sc x 48

Round 25

(1sc x 5, 2sc) x 8 (56)

Round 26 – 28

1sc x 56

Round 29

(1sc x 5, sc2tog) x 8 (48)

Round 30

1sc x 48

Round 31

(1sc x 4, sc2tog) x 8 (40)

Round 32

1sc x 40

Round 33

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

Round 34

1sc x 32

Insert the safety eyes at round 22 level, approximately a third of the way around the head apart. If you like, you can tie the backs together with a piece of yarn to inset them slightly into the head.

Round

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

Round

(1sc, sc2tog) x 8 (16)

Round

sc2tog to close, the tie off and hide the yarn tail within the head.

Crochet Donkey’s Ears

Your crochet donkey’s outer ears will be started in the brown yarn, and worked with your 3.5mm crochet hook.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of six stitches (6)

Round 2 -3

1sc x 6

Round 4

2sc x 6 (12)

cc gray

Round 5 – 7

1sc x 12

Round 8

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

Round 9 – 14

1sc x 18

Round 15

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

Round 16 – 19

1sc x 24

Round 20

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

Round 21

1sc x 30

Slst, and tie off, leaving a long tail of yarn which you’ll use to sew the ear into shape then onto the head a little later.

The inner ears

Use your cream yarn and 3.5mm crochet hook.

I worked around a starting chain to get this effect.

Ch9, sk, 1sc x 7, 3sc, 1sc x 7, 3sc, 1sc x 8, 3sc, 1sc x 9, 3sc, 1sc x 10, 3sc, 1sc x 11.

Sewing your crochet donkey’s ears

First you are going to construct the ear sections, then you’ll sew them onto the top of your donkey’s head.

Lay your gray section, flattened, on a desk. Place the cream section lined up with the bottom of the ear, in the center. Using a length of cream yarn and your needle, weave around the edge of the cream inner ear to attach it.

Now fold the gray sections bottom corners to meet in the middle, over the cream section, securing it firmly.

Holding the pointed end upright, now sew them to the top of your donkey’s head. The ears should sit in line with the position of the eyes.

Edging the donkey’s ears

You are now going to give definition to the ears by working a series of single crochets into the surface of the stitches around the perimeter of the ears. Use your 2.5mm crochet hook to make working into these smaller gaps a little easier.

Highlighting the Eyes

Take your cream yarn and needle, and sew four big stitches around the edges of each safety eye, giving the impression of cream eyeliner. Go around the circumference twice, and hide the tail inside the head.

Crocheting the Nostrils

Your nostrils will be sewn in the brown yarn, work across three stitches in length from around the fourth to seventh round, in straight lines. Just to give a hint of the nose.

Crochet Donkey’s Body

This section will be made entirely in gray yarn, with the 3.5mm crochet hook.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of eight stitches (8)

Round 2

2sc x 8 (16)

Round 3

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

Round 4

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

Round 5 – 16

1sc x 32

Round 17

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

Round 18 – 19

1sc x 40

Round 20

(1sc x 4, 2sc) x 8 (48)

Round 21 – 24

1sc x 48

Round 25

(1sc x 5, 2sc) x 8 (56)

Round 26 – 42

1sc x 56

Round 43

(1sc x 5, sc2tog) x 8 (48)

Round 44

(1sc x 4, sc2tog) x 8 (40)

Round 45

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

Round 46

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

Round 47

(1sc, sc2tog) x 8 (16)

Fill with toy safe stuffing.

Round 48

sc2tog to close, tie off and hide the end of the yarn within the body.

Sewing the Head to the Body

I like to position my crochet toys so that their chins are sloping downwards, but you can go with whatever you think looks best. Position the head to your satisfaction, then holding it in place with your non-dominant hand, use your dominant hand to weave in and out between the head and body securing each stitch together.

Crocheting the Patch

You are now going to crochet a cream patch for your donkey’s tummy. You’ll work back and forth around a chain.

Round 1

Ch13, sk, 1sc x 11, 3sc, 1sc x 12

Turn

Round 2

Ch1, 1sc x 12, 3sc, 1sc x 13

Turn

Round 3

Ch1, 1sc x 13, 3sc, 1sc x 14

Turn

Round 4

Ch1, 1sc x 14, 3sc, 1sc x 15

Turn

Round 5

Ch1, 1sc x 15, 3sc, 1sc x 16

Now hand sew the patch so that the flat ends sits on the floor at the same level as your donkey’s body section.

The Donkey’s Mane

Donkeys have a short, bristle brush like mane that comes from their forehead to the back of the neck. Cut a long strand of your brown yarn and thread the tapestry needle. Now sew back and forth along the line you want the hair to fall, leaving each stitch as a loose loop.

Snip along each loop and tie them together to get that full donkey hair impact.

Crocheting the Legs

Begin the legs at the hooves, using your 3.5mm crochet hook and cream yarn.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of eight stitches (8)

Round 2

2sc x 8 (16)

Round 3

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

Round 4

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

Round 5

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

Round 6

1sc x 24

Round 7

(1sc, sc2tog) x 8 (16)

Round 8

1sc x 16

cc gray

Round 9

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

Round 10 – 32

1sc x 24

Round 33

(1sc, sc2tog) x 8 (16)

Stuff up to round 26, leave the rest empty.

Round

sc2tog to close

Edging the hooves

You are now going to single surface crochet using the 2.5mm hook and brown yarn, around the back loop only section of each hoof to define it. At the end of the circle, hide the yarn tails inside the foot.

Attaching the Legs

Sew your legs on around the edge of the empty section of each limb. Arms should sit about round 16, legs should sit either side of the base of the body section.

Crochet the Tail

Your donkey’s short tail section will be worked in gray yarn with the 3.5mm crochet hook.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of six stitches (6)

Round 2

2sc x 8 (16)

Round 3 – 15

1sc x 16

Slst and tie off, leave a long tail for sewing. Fill to the top, then place against your donkey at the back, and sew it tightly in place.

The tail fur

Sew your donkey a lovely fluffy tail end using your needle and brown yarn. This time begin your loops of yarn at the center of the tail’s magic circle, then work around each stitch until you are about a third of the way down the tail. Tie off and hide the loose end inside the gray section.

*The products linked in this pattern were carefully selected by Lucy Kate Crochet. If you decide to purchase using the links provided, we may earn a small commission on that sale. This is at no extra cost to you.

Your Kit List

• 3.5mm crochet hook
• 100g brown DK yarn
• 50g cream DK yarn
• 16mm safety eyes*
• 2mm crochet hook (optional)
• Tapestry needle*
• Toy safe stuffing*

I used hobbii’s friends cotton silk yarn for this pattern, but any DK weight yarn will work just fine. Make sure to check the recommended hook size on the packaging if you use a different brand, and you’ll usually need to size down at least .5mm from that to get nice tight stitches.

You’ll want to have the smaller size yarn needle to pull the loose ends of the mane into the body to hide them, or to leave a long train at the end of your yarn to attach the needle and do the same.

Techniques

• sc – single crochet
• 2sc – two single crochets into one stitch
• sc2tog – join two stitches together with one single crochet
• cc – color change
• BLO – crochet into the back loop only
• ch – chain
• slst – slip stitch

Challenges

This crocheted cart horse is definitely beginner friendly, but it is not my quickest project. I found the body and head work up fairly fast, but the hair is made of a series of long, looped chains and they took a little time for me to work up in the bulk numbers I needed to get the look just right. That said, there is something very relaxing about a repeating pattern, so if you are anything like me, that bit of extra time will fly past nicely.

The Free Crochet Horse Pattern

You’re going to construct your crochet cart horse in sections, and sew them together as you go along.

The head

Begin in your cream yarn, using your 3.5mm crochet hook.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of eight stitches (8)

Round 2

2sc x 8 (16)

Round 3

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

Round 4 – 5

1sc x 24

Round 6

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

Round 7 – 9

1sc x 32

Round 10

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

cc brown

Round 11

1sc x 24

Round 12

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

Round 13 – 18

1sc x 32

Round 19

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

Round 20 – 22

1sc x 40

Round 23

(1sc x 4, 2sc) x 8 (48)

Round 24 – 26

1sc x 48

Round 27

(1sc x 5, 2sc) x 8 (56)

Round 28 – 30

1sc x 56

Round 31

(1sc x 5, sc2tog) x 8 (48)

Round 32

1sc x 48

Round 33

(1sc x 4, sc2tog) x 8 (40)

Round 34

1sc x 40

Round 35

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

Stuff your head so far.

Round 36

1sc x 32

Insert safety eyes, place them approximately at the level of round 30 and about a third of the circumference of the head apart. To give definition to the cheeks, I use a strand of yarn to tie the backs of the safety eyes together more tightly than they would naturally sit.

Round 37

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

Finish filling with toy stuffing.

Round 38

(1sc, sc2tog) x 8 (16)

Round 39

sc2tog to close, and hide the yarn tail within the head.

The outer ears

Your crochet horse’s outer ears will be in brown yarn, worked with your 3.5mm crochet hook.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of six stitches (6)

Round 2 -3

1sc x 6

Round 4

2sc x 6 (12)

Round 5 – 9

1sc x 12

Round 10

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

Round 11 – 14

1sc x 18

Round 15

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

Round 16 – 17

1sc x 24

Round 18

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

Round 19

1sc x 30

Slst, and tie off, leaving a long tail of yarn which you’ll use to sew the ear into shape then onto the head a little later.

The inner ear panel

Use your cream yarn and 3.5mm crochet hook.

I worked back and forth around a starting chain to get this effect.

Ch 8, 1sc x 6, 3sc, 1sc x 6

Turn

Ch1, 1sc x 6, 3sc, 1sc x 7, slst.

Sewing your crochet horse’s ears

First you are going to construct the ear sections, then you’ll sew them onto the top of your horse’s head.

Lay your brown section, flattened, on a desk. Place the cream section lined up with the bottom of the ear, in the center. Using a length of cream yarn and your needle, weave around the edge of the cream inner ear to attach it.

Now fold the brown sections bottom corners to meet in the middle, over the cream section, securing it firmly.

Holding the pointed end upright, now sew them to the top of your horse’s head. The ears should sit in line with the position of the eyes.

Your horse’s body

This section will be made entirely in brown yarn, with the 3.5mm crochet hook.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of eight stitches (8)

Round 2

2sc x 8 (16)

Round 3

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

Round 4

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

Round 5 – 16

1sc x 32

Round 17

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

Round 18 – 19

1sc x 40

Round 20

(1sc x 4, 2sc) x 8 (48)

Round 21 – 24

1sc x 48

Round 25

(1sc x 5, 2sc) x 8 (56)

Round 26 – 42

1sc x 56

Round 43

(1sc x 5, sc2tog) x 8 (48)

Round 44

(1sc x 4, sc2tog) x 8 (40)

Round 45

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

Round 46

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

Round 47

(1sc, sc2tog) x 8 (16)

Fill with toy safe stuffing.

Round 48

sc2tog to close, tie off and hide the end of the yarn within the body.

Sewing the horse’s head to the body

I like to position my crochet toys so that their chins are sloping downwards, but you can go with whatever you think looks best. Position the head to your satisfaction, then holding it in place with your non-dominant hand, use your dominant hand to weave in and out between the head and body securing each stitch together.

Crocheting the mane

Your horse’s mane is going to be made up of chains, using the cream yarn.

Ch21, slst into 1st loop

*ch21, slst into 2nd loop of that chain
*repeat for as long as you want your horse’s mane to reach down the back!

Attach the chains with your yarn needle, sewing them directly onto the location you’d like them to sit. Remember horse’s manes run in a line down the neck, not spread out.

Amigurumi horse legs

Begin the legs at the hooves, using your 3.5mm crochet hook and cream yarn.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of eight stitches (8)

Round 2

2sc x 8 (16)

Round 3

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

Round 4

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

Round 5

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

Round 6

1sc x 24

Round 7

(1sc, sc2tog) x 8 (16)

Round 8

1sc x 16

cc brown

Round 9

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

Round 10 – 32

1sc x 24

Round 33

(1sc, sc2tog) x 8 (16)

Stuff up to round 26, leave the rest empty.

Round

sc2tog to close

Attaching the legs

Sew your legs on around the edge of the empty section of each limb. Arms should sit about round 16, legs should sit either side of the base of the body section.

Crocheting the hoof feathering

To give the effect of feathering around your amigurumi horse’s hooves, create a series of looped chains in the same manner that you did for the mane. However, for this section you’ll need loops that are eight chains long, with a one chain gap between, and each leg will need 9 chain loops to fit around the foot.

Use a tapestry needle to sew the chain loops around each hoof as though they were tiny bracelets!

Crochet the horse’s tail

Your horse’s short tail section will be worked in brown yarn with the 3.5mm crochet hook.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of six stitches (6)

Round 2

2sc x 8 (16)

Round 3 – 15

1sc x 16

Slst and tie off, leave a long tail for sewing. Fill to the top, then place against your horse at the back, and sew it tightly in place.

The tail fur

Your horse’s tail is going to be made in the same way as the mane and hoof hair, using long looped chains in cream yarn. I sewed these onto the tail stub winding around in the same style as the rounds were crocheted. Vary the chain loop lengths between 20 and 30 stitches each.

*The products linked in this pattern were carefully selected by Lucy Kate Crochet. If you decide to purchase using the links provided, we may earn a small commission on that sale. This is at no extra cost to you.

Crochet Guinea Pigs

The most numerous pet in my home, and therefore the natural starting point for this list of my crochet pet patterns, is the gorgeous guinea pig. This cute little piggie is very quick and easy to crochet, the perfect pet pattern for beginners.

You’ll need a 4.5mm crochet hook, and aran weight yarn in pale cream and light brown colors. Grab a couple of safety eyes, some toy stuffing and a yarn needle to finish off.

Find my amigurumi guinea pig pattern here.

My Rabbit

I also have a fair number of rabbits inhabiting massive enclosures in my backyard, so they had to make the second spot. My bunny crochet pattern is clearly laid out, so even a brand new amigurumi artist will be able to make your own pet.

Make sure you’ve got a 4mm crochet hook, yarn needle, some aran yarn in brown and pink, along with white DK yarn for the tail. A slicker brush to get the tail super fluffy will help too.

My free crochet bunny pattern is here.

Amigurumi Sugar Glider

Sugar gliders might not make everyone’s top ten when it comes to pets, but they are rapidly growing in popularity. Mostly I’d imagine because they are impossibly adorable, which I hope is reflected in my pattern.

You’ll need some mottled gray, pink, black and white DK yarn along with your 3.75mm crochet hook.

Check out my sugar glider here.

The Tabby Cat

My ginger kitty pattern is based on my Mum’s cool cat Billy, with the signature tabby cat M on his forehead. But you can change the colors if you want to make my cat design look more like your own kitten.

You’ll need some DK orange and brown yarn, with a dash of pink for the nose. I used a 4mm crochet hook for this one, and pipe cleaners to give the tail an upright angle.

Find the full crochet cat pattern here.

Crochet Tarantula Pattern

Invertebrates make amazing pets. Not only are they often low maintenance, but they come in a huge variety of species, like the tarantula! Crocheting a toy tarantula might also help your spider-suspicious friends to learn to love these eight legged buddies.

You’ll need a flecked black yarn, worked with a 4mm crochet hook, and pipe cleaners to give the legs those arachnid angles.

Crochet your own spider here.

Crocheting Your Own Scorpion

A scorpion might not be top of everyone’s pet list, but ours has been a real hit. Although he’s admittedly not kid-friendly, what with the venom, he is nearly as sweet as the version I crocheted.

To make your own you’ll need DK black yar and a 4mm hook, along with a decent handful of pipe cleaners from the craft box.

Click here for the scorpion pattern.

Turtles and Tortoises

Reptile’s are amazing pets, and making your own turtle or tortoise in this cute plushie style is great fun. Both these designs use chunky chenille yarn and a 5.5mm crochet hook. The shells are made with a variegated yarn, to give them that cool pattern with no color changes needed.

Find the crochet turtle design here and the tortoise pattern here.

My Amigurumi Day Gecko Pattern

One of my favorite study buddies is my Madagascar giant day gecko, Sisu, recreated here with a bright green yarn and a little hand sewing.

You’ll need green and red DK yarn, a 3.5mm crochet hook and some 8mm safety eyes.

Find her full free pattern here.

Ranch Pets!

I’ve crocheted up quite the pair with my llama and alpaca. Based loosely on the same shapes, the individual creations came through with extending certain sections and of course adding those gorgeous alpaca curls.
Both these patterns use the same aran weight WI speckled tweed yarn, and a 4.5mm crochet hook.

Check out the alpaca here and the llama here.

Goat

My husband’s dream pet is a goat. Sadly, despite the animal friendly home we live in, there just isn’t space. But a man can dream!

Make the goat fan in your life this realistic goat pal with DK yarn in cream and gray shades, along with a 3.75mm crochet hook.

Find the full free goat pattern here.

Sheep

It’s been a while since I crocheted one of my parents’ sheep, but she’s still a personal favorite in my pet collection. The woolly locks are made by single crocheting into chains, and attached onto the body and head with a yarn needle.

You’ll want to use a cotton based worsted weight yarn in white and off-white tones, with a 4mm crochet hook.

Check out my scruffy sheep pattern here.

Crocheting Your Pet Poodle

Last but not least, we have the dogs! This crocheted poodle was a gift to my daughter when she was tiny, and it is still one of her firm favorites from my designs.

To crochet your own wavy haired puppy pal you’ll need 200g of cotton DK yarn in cream color, and a 3.7mm crochet hook. Grab a dash of brown yarn for the nose, and a tapestry needle.

Find the poodle pattern here.

Cockapoo

Inspired by the poodle pattern, but created several years down the line, is my Cockapoo. A gift for my doodle dog owning pal.

To create your own you’ll need some extra fine merino wool in a DK weight, and a 4mm crochet hook.

Check it out here.

Pekingese

This Pekingese was a fun challenge, because of the breeds distinctive face shape and flowing fur. But I am very happy with the result, and hopefully you Pekingese fans will love it too.

You’ll need brown and yellow DK yarn, a 4mm crochet hook, a decent pair of scissors and some patience for hand sewing!

Find the full free Pekingese dog pattern here.

My Free Crochet Piglet Pattern

You’ll work the head and body as one piece, then sew the ears, tail and legs on afterwards.

The Head and Body

Work with your 3.5mm crochet hook and dark pink yarn.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of six stitches (6)

Round 2

2sc x 6 (12)

Round 3

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

Round 4

BLO 1sc x 18

cc light pink

Round 5 – 6

1sc x 18

Round 7

(1sc x 2, 2sc) x 3, 1sc x 9 (21)

Round 8

(1sc x 3, 2sc) x 3, 1sc x 9 (24)

Round 9

(1sc x 4, 2sc) x 3, 1sc x 9 (27)

Round 10

(1sc x 5, 2sc) x 3, 1sc x 9 (30)

Round 11

(1sc x 6, 2sc) x 3, 1sc x 9 (33)

Round 12

(1sc x 7, 2sc) x 3, 1sc x 9 (36)

Round 13 – 16

1sc x 36

Round 17

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

Round 18

1sc x 30

Round 19

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

Round 20

1sc x 24

Round 21

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

Round 22

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

Insert the safety eyes, and tie the backs together to indent them into the head slightly. Stuff your piglet so far.

Round 23 – 40

1sc x 36

Round 41

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

Round 42

1sc x 30

Round 43

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

Round 44

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

Fill with toy stuffing

Round 45

(1sc, sc2tog) x 6 (12)

Round 46

sc2tog x 6, then hand sew to close.

Four Legs

Begin in your dark link yarn with your 3.5mm crochet hook.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of eight stitches (8)

Round 2

2sc x 8 (16)

Round 3

BLO 1sc x 16 (16)

Round 4

1sc x 16

cc light pink

Round 5 – 8

1sc x 16

FIll each leg with toy stuffing, and then sew the open end onto the underside of your piglet. Position them at each end of the body, they should sit flush next to each other in pairs. .

Two Ears

Your piglet’s crochet ears will be made in the light pink yarn only.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of five stitches (5)

Round 2 – 3

1sc x 5

Round 4

2sc x 5 (10)

Round 5 – 7

1sc x 10

Round 8

(1sc, 2sc) x 5 (15)

Round 9

1sc x 15

Do not stuff your piglet’s ears, instead flatten them and sew onto the top of the head.

Crocheting Your Piglet’s Tail

Ch20, sk, then 1sc into every remaining stitch.

Tie off leaving a long tail, attach your yarn needle and sew the tail into the center of the closing point of your crochet piglet’s body.

Finishing Details

I am so totally excited to introduce you to my new free crochet crocodile pattern. This pattern is fairly quick to hook up, uses mostly basic stitches and I’be added plenty of detail for the more intermediate skills to allow anyone from crochet beginners to advanced experts to make their own cute amigurumi crocodilian.

• Equipment details.
• Pattern techniques and tips.
• My free crochet crocodile pattern.

I’ve also recently turned this pattern into a dragon, too!

What You’ll Need To Crochet Your Crocodile

• 50g light green DK yarn
• 25g dark green DK yarn
• Scraps of white DK yarn
• 3.5mm crochet hook
• 3mm crochet hook
• Toy safe stuffing*
• 6mm safety eyes*
• Tapestry/yarn needle*
• Stitch markers
• 4 pipe cleaners (optional)

The yarns I used were Knit Craft’s Everyday DK and The Women’s Institute’s Premium Acrylic. They are UK based brands so might be hard to source elsewhere, but any green acrylic DK yarns should work up very similarly.

If you don’t have any stitch markers then scraps of a different colored yarn can work well for the same job, but you will need something to keep your place for this crocodile pattern.

Pattern Techniques and Tips

Here are the abbreviations you’ll find for the main stitches in the pattern, and what they mean:

• sc – single crochet
• 2sc – two single crochets into the same stitch
• sc2tog – join two stitches together with one single crochet
• slst – slip stitch
• ch – chain

You’ll see a few strings of instructions like this one:

1sc, 2sc, 1sc x 5, 2sc, 1sc x 4 (14)

This means make 1 single crochet in the first stitch, two in the next stitch, then one single crochet in the next five stitches, then two in the following stitch, then finally one single crochet in the last four stitches. Hope that’s helpful!

Techniques you’ll need to use to create your own amigurumi crocodile include the following terms, which I’ve linked to guides for them if you’re unfamiliar:

• Magic circle
• Surface crochet

My New Free Crochet Crocodile Pattern

You’re going to crochet your croc in a few separate sections, which you’ll need to hand sew together as we go. However, the main bulk of the toy is crocheted in one long piece.

Your Crocodile’s Head, Body and Tail

Work this section with your 3.5mm crochet hook and light green DK yarn.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of six stitches (6)

Round 2

2sc x 6 (12)

Round 3

1sc, 2sc, 1sc x 5, 2sc, 1sc x 4 (14)

Round 4

1sc x 2, 2sc, 1sc x 6, 2sc, 1sc x 4 (16)

Round 5 – 10

1sc x 16 (16)

Round 11

1sc x 8, ((1sc, 2sc) x 4) (20)

Round 12 – 15

1sc x 20 (20)

It’s time to add your safety eyes. Insert them around round 11, into the eye ridge section. Sit them around six stitches apart.

Round 16

1sc x 8 ((1sc, sc2tog) x 4) (16)

Stuff the toy so far.

Round 17

sc2tog x 8 (8)

Round 18

2sc x 8 (16)

Round 19 – 23

1sc x 16 (16)

Round 24

(1sc, 2sc) x 2, 1sc x 12 (18)

Round 25

(2sc, 1sc) x 3, 1sc x 12 (21)

Stuff the toy so far.

Round 26 – 34

1sc x 21 (21)

Round 35

(sc2tog, 1sc) x 3, 1sc x 12 (18)

Round 36

sc2tog, 1sc x 5, sc2tog x 2, 1sc x 5, sc2tog (14)

Stuff the toy so far.

Round 37 – 45

1sc x 14 (14)

Round 46

1sc, sc2tog, 1sc x 8, sc2tog, 1sc (12)

Round 47

1sc, sc2tog, 1sc x 6, sc2tog, 1sc (10)

Round 48 – 52

1sc x 10 (10)

Stuff the toy so far.

Round 53

Sc2tog, 1sc x 3, sc2tog, 1sc x 3 (8)

Round 54 – 55

1sc x 8 (8)

Finish stuffing your crocodile’s body.

Round 56

sc2tog x 6, then hand sew to close.

Crocheting the Croc’s Lower Jaw

Work the lower jaw in the 3.5mm crochet hook and light green DK yarn too.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of six stitches (6)

Round 2

2sc x 6 (12)

Round 3 – 10

1sc x 12 (12)

Round 11

1sc x 6 then stop, turn, and ch 1.

Round 12

1sc x 5

Slst into the next stitch, tie off with a long tail of yarn.

Sew the Jaw onto the Body

Using the same color yarn, attach your needle and weave in and out across two sections. Attach the longer slab section onto round 16 directly below the eyes. Then sew the open area of the inside of the mouth a few rounds up.

Crochet Crocodile’s Eye Ridges

You’re going to make the crocodile’s defined eyes using your darker shade of yarn.

Create a magic circle of six stitches, tighten but do not close the circle.

Sew the ridge above each safety eyes, from around round 11 to round 13.

The Teeth and Nostrils

To create the teeth, you’ll just need a scrap of white yarn and a tapestry needle. Work around the edge of the bottom jaw’s opening, sewing twice over one stitch about every other stitch.

For the nostrils, attach your dark green yarn and work back and forth over a three stitch deep space. I’d start at round two and go back towards each eye at about round four.

Surface Crocheting The Crocodile’s Scales

To create the ridged scales along the back of your amigurumi crocodile, use a 3mm crochet hook and your dark green DK yarn.

Each stitch is a single crochet, begun at the back of the neck, working in widening slopes along the body then coming back together by the tip of the tail. You’ll find this tutorial helpful if it’s not a technique you’ve much experience with.

Crocheting the Front Legs

Use your 3.5mm crochet hook and light green DK yarn.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of eight stitches (8)

Round 2 – 8

1sc x 8 (8)

Slst, tie off with a long tail.

You can either stuff the legs with toy stuffing, or bend a pipe cleaner to shape and use that to fill the leg and bend it into a more crocodilian shape!

Your Crochet Crocodile’s Back Legs

Continue working with your 3.5mm crochet hook and light green DK yarn.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of eight stitches (8)

Round 2 – 12

1sc x 8 (8)

Again, you have the option to fill either with a pipe cleaner or just to use toy stuffing.

Sewing the Legs

Use your needle and the light green yarn to sew the legs onto your croc. Put them facing outward rather than sitting underneath the toy for that maximum crocodile look.

I attached my front legs around round 21 and the back legs at round 30.

Once they’re attached, use your yarn needle and dark green yarn to make little stitches on each foot to represent the toes. I make three through the magic circle that are about a stitch or two deep.