Making your first crochet toy can be daunting!  There’s so much to think about. Limbs to make and attach, ears and eyes. Heads that wobble too much. It’s all a bit of a worry!

But worry no more!  We have the solution. Ten super-simple and very beginner-friendly toys, right here to get you started. 

What makes these plushies so simple?

The answer is their simple design and good size. And the detailed, tutorial style instructions that accompany them.

Most of these toys have no limbs. They are constructed out of a single pouch that you can close with a drawstring when you have stuffed it. 

Despite the simplicity, the toys still look stunning. They are also a decent size. Big enough to hug and cuddle, and not too fiddly for you when working them up.

The pattern for each toy is not just a pattern. It’s a step-by-step tutorial that holds your hand every step of the way. 

We’ve included a couple of toys with limbs below, for you to attempt as your confidence grows. But again, they are beginner friendly, big enough to handle easily, and accompanied by super clear instructions.

Make each one in turn and watch your skills grow! Just tap on the photos to go through to the patterns

Let’s get you started with the first toy!

#1 Crochet Cat

We’ll begin with this gorgeous and oh so simple black cat. Designer Sarah Holloway has made this a really achievable project for a complete beginner. 

Sarah used bulky fluffy yarn with a size J (6mm) hook and her cat is seven inches tall. The cat’s flat butt means you can sit him on a shelf and he won’t wobble around!

The crochet black cat is a great starter project because there are no limbs, and no color changes! 

#2 Crochet Chick

Next up is this cute chick. It’s the same basic design but instead of ears, the only addition is some simple wings.

Again, no color changes in the body keep things nice and simple. And Sarah’s clear instructions ensure that you’ll have fun making the small beak and comb. 

#3 Crochet Duck

The crochet Mallard duck helps you to work on your color changes with nice easy straight line color changes in the body. You can go with the natural Mallard colors in the pattern or experiment with a brighter theme!

Quick tip: For amigurumi toys its often helpful to use a slightly smaller hook than the yarn wrapper recommends. Just to make sure your crochet is fairly tight.

#4 Crochet Puppy

For the cute crochet puppy toy, we mix up the colors a little. You’ll learn to make simple color changes that look natural and are surprisingly easy to achieve

Again, no limbs are required, but the puppy does have two cute little ears and an adorable little tail!

#5 Calico Cat

The calico cat is very slightly more adventurous! Now there are three colors. But it’s still fall-off-a-log simple just like the black cat above.

The black, tangerine, and white yarn captures that calico charm to perfection. And this is a toy that really stands out from the crowd

#6 Crochet Cow

Still following the same basic pattern, our delightful crochet cow has a few extra touches including some rather fetching horns!

Use a super bulky yarn to get a plush cow like this one that’s around seven inches tall. She’s super huggable and very cute.

#7 Crochet Bunny

This cuddly crochet rabbit is a great one to try next. Perfect as an easter gift or for anyone that adores rabbits, you can give her a floral crown if you want to. Or leave her as nature intended.

She looks picture perfect in pastel. But vibrant brights work well too!

#8 Crochet Frog

Who couldn’t fail to fall in love with this adorable frog. For this toy you get to have a go at some cute little arms. But don’t worry they are super simple to make.

The eyes are made in the same way as ears for the cat, and attached to the top of the head to give that unmistakable froggy look.

#9 Crochet Hippo

Ready to have a go at a toy with limbs? Of course you are! This big cuddly hippo is a great place to start. But if you’d rather tackle something smaller, skip down to the baby pig below!

This cuddly hippo is a little bit more time consuming than the patterns without limbs above, but if you’ve made a couple of those, you can definitely make this one. And the results are well worth the effort.

#10 Crochet Piglet

Last but not least, everyone loves a crochet pig. And this piglet is just too sweet to ignore.

It’s small, but not too small to handle easily, and is the perfect new amigurumi project for a novice, or speedy gift idea for a regular crocheter to put together in just a few hours.

If you’d like to see more of Lucy and Sarah’s easy to make toy designs click on the links below. There are hundreds more free patterns for you to explore.

• More gorgeous squishy, cuddly toys (no limbs, no fuss) from Sarah Holloway
• More adorable plush toy designs inspired by animals from around the world from Lucy Easton

The post Very Beginner Friendly Crochet Toys appeared first on Lucy Kate Crochet.

I absolutely love a tiny crochet project. My latest design, this miniature crochet owl, is one of my smallest yet, and I’m really pleased with how it came out.

I’ve managed to pack in a fair amount of detail despite the smaller stature, and I think it goes really well with the slightly mottled brown yarn that I chose.

What You’ll Need

• 50g Brown DK yarn
• 20g White DK yarn
• Orange scraps of DK yarn
• 3.5mm crochet hook
• 6mm safety eyes
• Toy safe stuffing

The Stitches

• mc – magic circle
• sc – single crochet
• 2sc – make two single crochets into one stitch
• sc2tog – use one single crochet to join two stitches together

Tiny Amigurumi Owl Pattern

Head and Body

Begin working in your brown 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 – 11

1sc x 24

Round 12

(1sc, sc2tog) x 8 (16)

Round 13

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

Round 14 – 22

1sc x 24

Round 23

(1sc, sc2tog) x 8 (16)

Fill with toy safe stuffing

Round 24

sc2tog x 8 then leave for sewing after the eyes are inserted.

The Feather Markings

Use your white yarn to make feather markings onto the body with the yarn needle. It looks best as a random series of small and large V shapes sewn into the body.

Eye Patches

The eye patches will be made separately using the white yarn.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of six stitches (6)

Round 2

2sc x 4 (10)

Make two eye patches, then flip one over and hide the ends. Sew them together at the points.

Place onto the head and insert safety eyes through the white piece.

Now you can sew the base of the body together with your yarn needle and brown yarn.

Beak

Use your orange yarn for the beak. Make a magic circle of five stitches, then make 1sc into each stitch and sew at the bottom center of the eye patches.

The Ears

The ears will be made using your brown yarn.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of five stitches (5)

Round 2

1sc x 5 (5)

Round 3

2sc x 3 (8)

Now flatten the ears and sew round three onto the top side of the head.

Wings

The wings will also be made in brown yarn.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of six stitches (6)

Round 2 – 3

1sc x 6

Round 4

2sc x 6 (12)

Round 5

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

Round 6

Single crochet the sides of the wings together.

Leaving the curved edge to create the top line of the wings, sew them onto the sides of the body.

The post Tiny Crochet Owl Pattern appeared first on Lucy Kate Crochet.

I absolutely love designing crochet sea creatures, and I realised recently that I’d never made a crochet jellyfish. What a travesty! I absolutely adore tactile projects, so I really leaned into the dangling tentacles, and I hope you have lots of fun hooking them all up. I think it’s a really satisfying, simple project.

What You’ll Need

I used the following to make my jellyfish:

• 50g cream worsted weight merino wool yarn
• 100g pink worsted weight merino wool yarn
• 4mm crochet hook
• Yarn needle
• Toy safe stuffing
• Stitch markers
• 12mm safety eyes

Stitches and Terms

• magic circle
• sc – single crochet
• 2sc – two single crochets in the same stitch
• sc2tog – use one single crochet to join two stitches
• ch – chain
• sk – skip
• FLO – work into the front loop only
• BLO – work into the back loop only

The Head

Begin working in your pink 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

1sc x 32

Round 6

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

Round 7 – 8

1sc x 40

Round 9

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

Round 10 – 11

1sc x 48

Round 12

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

Round 13 – 14

1sc x 56

Round 15

(1sc x 6, 2sc) x 8 (64)

Round 16 – 21

1sc x 64

Round 22

(1sc x 6, sc2tog) x 8 (56)

Round 23

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

Round 24

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

Round 25

1sc x 40

Round 26

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

Round 27

2sc x 48 (96)

Round 28

Into round 25’s BLO work 1sc x 40

Round 29

1sc x 40

Round 30

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

Round 31

2sc x 48 (96)

Round 32

1sc x 96

Round 33

Into round 29’s BLO work 1sc x 40

Round 34

1sc x 40

Round 35

FLO 2sc x 40 (80)

Round 36

1sc x 40 into BLO of round 34

Round 37

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

Round 38

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

Round 39

(1sc, sc2tog) x 8 (16)

Insert safety eyes into the front. Use the joint at the back to show you where the front is, and place the eyes approximately eight stitches apart, at round 18 level.

Fill with toy stuffing.

Round 40

sc2tog x 8 then sew closed

Four White Tentacles

Work using your white yarn

Round 1

ch91

Round 2

sk1, 1sc x 90

Using the tail end of the yarn, sew the tentacles around the underside middle of the jellyfish

Eight Pink Tentacles

Work using your pink yarn

Round 1

ch101

Round 2

sk1, 1sc x 100

Using the tail end of the yarn, sew the tentacles around the underside edge of the jellyfish

Final Details

The final eye details can be hand sewn on with the cream yarn, just making a long stitch underneath each eye to give it depth.

You might also like to give your jellyfish a little mouth for some extra character!

The post Easy Free Crochet Jellyfish Pattern appeared first on Lucy Kate Crochet.

A few months ago I made something rather different to my usual patterns, a crochet anteater. I absolutely loved how he turned out, but he isn’t your usual amigurumi animal so I wasn’t sure whether anyone else would want to make one. Well, I shared some photographs on social media, and it turned out I was wrong. So here it is, the crochet anteater pattern!

What You’ll Need

To make my anteater I used the following:

• 100g black DK yarn
• 50g brown DK yarn
• 25g white DK yarn
• 3.5mm crochet hook
• Yarn needle
• 15mm safety eyes
• Toy safe stuffing

The yarn I used was Hobbii’s Portobello yarn, which is a cotton, acrylic, wool blend. I recommend a cotton blend for this pattern for a similar finish, but you don’t need to use the same brand.

The Stitches

The pattern will include a few different stitches. If any of these are unfamiliar to you, I’ve linked to their guides below:

mc – magic circle
sc – single crochet
2sc – two single crochets into the same stitch
sc2tog – join two stitches together with one single crochet
cc – color change
ch – chain

Free Crochet Anteater Pattern

Begin using your black yarn and the 3.5mm crochet hook.

The Head

Round 1

Make a magic circle of eight stitches (8)

Round 2

2sc x 8 (16)

Round 3 – 8

1sc x 16

Round 9

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

Round 10 – 16

1sc x 24

Round 17

(1sc x 2, 2sc)

Round 18 – 22

1sc x 32

Round 23

(1sc x 3, 2sc) x 3, 1sc x 20 (35)

Round 24

(1sc x 4, 2sc) x 3, 1sc x 20 (38)

Round 25 – 28

1sc x 38

Round 29

(1sc x 5, 2sc) x 3, 1sc x 20 (41)

Round 30 – 36

1sc x 41

Round 37

(1sc x 5, sc2tog) x 3, 1sc x 20 (38)

Round 38

1sc x 38

Round 39

(1sc x 4, sc2tog) x 3, 1sc x 20 (35)

Round 40

(1sc x 3, sc2tog) x 3, 1sc x 20 (32)

Round 41

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

Stuff the end of the nose, add the safety eyes at round 24 level, tie them slightly together to give an indented look then finish stuffing the head.

Round 42

(1sc, sc2tog) x 8 (16)

Round 43

sc2tog x 8 (8)

Make sure you are happy with how stuffed the head is, then sew the head closed and set it to one side.

The Body

Begin working in the black 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 – 10

1sc x 24

cc to brown yarn

Round 11 – 12

1sc x 24

cc to white yarn

Round 13

1sc x 24

cc to brown yarn

Round 14

1sc x 24

Round 15

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

Round 16 – 18

1sc x 32

Round 19

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

Round 20

1sc x 40

cc to white yarn

Round 21 – 22

1sc x 40

cc to brown yarn

Round 23

1sc x 40

Round 24

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

Round 25

1sc x 48

cc to black yarn

Round 26 – 30

1sc x 48

Round 31

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

Round 32 – 41

1sc x 56

Round 42

(1sc x 6, 2sc) x 8 (64)

Round 43 – 44

1sc x 64

Round 45

(1sc x 6, sc2tog) x 8 (56)

Round 46

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

Round 47

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

Round 48

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

Round 49

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

Round 50

(1sc, sc2tog) x 8 (16)

Fill with toy safe stuffing

Round 51

sc2tog x 8 (8)

Sew closed with your yarn needle

Make Two Front Legs

Begin using your black yarn

Round 1

Make a magic circle of six stitches (6)

Round 2

2sc x 6 (12)

Round 3

1sc x 12

Round 4

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

Round 5 – 7

1sc x 18

Round 8

(1sc, sc2tog) x 6 (12)

cc to cream yarn

Round 9

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

Round 10

1sc x 18

cc to black yarn

Round 11 – 15

1sc x 18

Round 16

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

Round 17 – 18

1sc x 24

cc to brown yarn

Round 19 – 27

1sc x 24

Round 28

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

Round 29

(1sc, sc2tog) x 6 (12)

Stuff the arm

Round 30

sc2tog x 6, then sew closed with your yarn needle.

Two Back Legs

You will be using black yarn for the back legs.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of six stitches (6)

Round 2

2sc x 6 (12)

Round 3

1sc x 12

Round 4

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

Round 5

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

Round 6 – 7

1sc x 24

Round 8

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

Round 9

(1sc, sc2tog) x 6 (12)

Round 10

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

Round 11

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

Round 12 – 26

1sc x 24

Round 27

(1sc x 2, sc2tog) x 6 (16)

Round 28

(1sc, sc2tog) x 6 (12)

Stuff the leg

Round 29

sc2tog x 6 then sew closed.

The Tail

Use your brown yarn to create the tail. We’ll create a small stub, and then work loops of yarn into it.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of six stitches

Round 2 – 13

1sc x 6 (6)

Use the yarn tail to sew onto the body.

These rounds will make a long thin tail stud, which you will use to create the fluffy tail. When it’s attached to the body, take a yarn needle and sew loose loops of yarn in and out of each stitch around it, to create a long brush like tail as shown in the picture above.

Two Ears

The ears will also be made in brown yarn.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of eight stitches, but don’t close it

Turn

Round 2

Ch1, make 1sc into the same stitch, then 1sc x 6, then 2sc

Turn

Round 3

Ch1, 1sc into the same stitch, 1sc x 8, 2sc

Now sew one onto each side of the head, approximately nine stitches above the eyes.

Joining the Anteater Together

You are now ready to sew your anteater together.

Use a steel yarn needle, the black yarn and tightly attach the head to the body, tilting the nose downwards.

Then set on a flat surface, lay the back legs forward and sew them to the sides of the body.

Finally attach the front legs to the sides of the body.

The post Free Crochet Anteater Pattern appeared first on Lucy Kate Crochet.

What You’ll Need

• DK yarn
• 3mm crochet hook
• Toy stuffing
• 6mm safety eyes
• Steel yarn needle

Round 1

Make a magic circle of eight stitches (8)

Round 2

2sc x 8 (16)

Round 3

1sc x 16

Round 4

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

Round 5 – 10

1sc x 24

Round 11

(1sc, sc2tog, 1sc x 3) x 4 (20)

Round 12 – 13

1sc x 20

Round 14

(sc2tog, 1sc x 3) x 4 (20)

Add safety eyes at round 11, approximately a third of the circumference of the head apart.

Fill with toy stuffing.

Round 15

1sc x 16

You are now going to begin to form you octopuses arms.

Round 16

(ch21, sk, 1sc x 20, sc in the next st, slst into the next stitch) x 8

Facial Expression

If you’d like your little octopus to have a stern expression, sew two lines of yearn above and below the safety eyes.

The post Mini Octopus Crochet Pattern appeared first on Lucy Kate Crochet.

These are my favorite crochet animal keychain patterns, and they have a range of inspiration from the ocean, to on safari, in the farm yard and to your own precious pets.

Pocket Piggy Pal

This tiny cutie is designed to fit perfectly into your pocket, making it an ideal companion for your keys. I had grand plans for it to join my own keyring, but it was snatched up by my daughter approximately nine seconds after completion! No worries, though—it’ll be a breeze to whip up another one.

Find the free pattern here.

Small Sized Seal

You might remember my larger crochet seal, but this amigurumi seal keychain is on a totally different scale—much smaller and absolutely adorable! Designed to fit perfectly on your house keys, this slippery little creature will slide into your pocket as effortlessly as a real seal glides into the water.

This pattern came together in under two hours, meaning even a beginner crocheter can whip up a whole gang of seal pals in no time

Check out the full free crochet pattern here.

Roar-some Lion Keychain

I’m absolutely thrilled to share this tiny, stripped-back crochet lion keychain design. And here’s the best part: you can make your own in the time it would take to vacuum your home – now that’s what I call a productive use of your day!

Find your tiny amigurumi lion pattern here.

Teeny-Tiny Kitty

I’m absolutely delighted with how much character I managed to pack into this teensy kitty pattern! Not only is it bursting with charm, but it’s also super quick and simple to make. Just pop on your favorite movie, and your adorable new kitten will be finished before the credits even roll!

You can find the free pattern here.

Mouse

I’ve designed a few keychain patterns recently, but my crochet mouse has been by far the most popular with everyone who’s seen it! Luckily, this little guy is super fast to make, so I’ll have a whole batch ready for friends and family in no time.

To crochet your own mouse keychain, follow this link.

Dive into Cuteness with the Axolotl

My crochet axolotl uses just a tiny bit of yarn but has such a huge personality. Plus, you can whip one up in about the same time it takes to make a meal from scratch, so I might just make a few more to stash away for last-minute gifts!

You’ll find the full axolotl instructions here.

The post Easy Crochet Animal Keychains appeared first on Lucy Kate Crochet.

Wild Rabbit Crochet Pattern – Smaller Toy For Little Crochet Collections

Shy and speedy, the charming European rabbit loves to make their homes around woodland edges. 

This free rabbit crochet pattern is beginner friendly and works up quickly, allowing you to easily create your own cute amigurumi bunny.

Red Squirrel Crochet Pattern – Sweet Small Stuffy

Red squirrels are energetic and playful inhabitants of the trees, easily identified by their bright reddish-brown fur and bushy tails. Unfortunately they are now very rare in the UK, where the grey squirrel has largely taken over their habitat. 

You can still enjoy this pretty creature though, you just need your hook and some lovely red yarn. And while the design process had its challenges, this crochet red squirrel pattern is easy for you to follow, with clear instructions suitable for crocheters of all levels.

Pine Marten Crochet Pattern – Smaller Toy

Pine martens are distinctive creatures with a cool yet cute energy, marked by their creamy chest and facial patterns. And my design was inspired by the positive news of the pine marten’s reintroduction into the wild.

This amigurumi pattern is an intermediate-level project designed to capture the Pine Marten’s unique charm, including their adorable “eyebrows.” The tutorial provides extra written information to assist even newer amigurumi makers. 

Red Fox Crochet Pattern – Full Size Stuffed Toy

The red fox, is a familiar sight in many woodland areas. I love red foxes, despite the fact that they are far too interested in our chickens. They are uniquely beautiful creatures, with their handsome characteristic coat and long bushy tail. and I hope that this toy displays something of their distinctive cool personality as well as their adorable look.

This free crochet fox pattern is suitable for beginners, offering simple instructions for techniques like hand sewing and color changes. Each step and abbreviation is clearly explained.

Owl Crochet Pattern – Squishy And Very Cuddly

The ultimate woodland predator, owls can be found in many forested areas across the world, and we often hear them calling at night around our home. 

The Cecil crochet owl pattern is another squishy and huggable friend from crochet designer Sarah Holloway. Made from super bulky chenille yarn. This simple pattern is perfect for beginners and can be adapted to different sizes by using various yarn weights.

Full Size Raccoon Crochet Plushie Pattern

We often think of Raccoons as bin raiding bandits, but their natural habitat is woodland. These clever and adaptable animals are easily recognized by their masked faces and ringed tails.

This easy crochet raccoon pattern is designed to be simple to work up with minimal sewing, making it ideal for crochet beginners. The markings are simplified for ease of crocheting.

Mouse – Quick & Easy Keychain Crochet Pattern

Last but not least a tiny pattern for you to rustle up in a single evening!  Mice are small but significant members of the woodland ecosystem, often scurrying about unnoticed.

This crochet mouse keychain pattern is a very quick project, making it a great choice for last-minute gifts.

The post Woodland Wonders: Charming Crochet Animals From The Forests Of The World appeared first on Lucy Kate Crochet.

This crochet whale pattern was born when I received some gorgeous blue and gray yarns in a subscription box I was reviewing. I just instantly felt they were destined to become a whale, and I quickly set to work making one.

This pattern is designed to be quick and easy to crochet, but if you’ve got any questions just pop them in the comments box at the bottom of this page.

What You’ll Need

I used the following to make my whale:

• 50g blue worsted weight merino wool yarn
• 50g cream worsted weight merino wool yarn
• 4mm crochet hook
• Yarn needle
• Pins
• Pipe cleaners
• Toy safe stuffing
• Stitch markers

The Stitches

You are going to crochet your whale in rounds, using these basic crochet stitches:

• Magic circle
• sc – single crochet
• 2sc – two single crochets in the same stitch
• sc2tog – use one single crochet to join two stitches

The Main Body and Head

Begin with your blue yarn and 4mm crochet hook.

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

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

Round 5

1sc x 24 (24)

Round 6

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

Round 7

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

Round 8 – 9

1sc x 36 (36)

Round 10

(1sc x 5, 2sc) x 6 (42)

Round 11 – 18

1sc x 42 (42)

Round 19

(1sc x 5, sc2tog) x 4, 1sc x 14 (38)

Round 20

1sc x 38 (38)

Round 21

(1sc x 4, sc2tog) x 4, 1sc x 14 (34)

Round 22

1sc x 34 (34)

Round 23

(1sc x 3, sc2tog) x 4, 1sc x 14 (30)

Round 24

1sc x 30 (30)

Insert safety eyes. Sit your crochet on a desk, with the magic circle end facing you. Count back 13 rounds, and place each eye about two stitches up from the desk.

Round 25 – 26

1sc x 30 (30)

Round 27

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

Round 28 – 29

1sc x 24 (24)

Round 30

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

Round 31

1sc x 18 (18)

Stuff your whale so far, being careful not to distort the position of the eyes or over stuff.

Round 32

(1sc, sc2tog) x 6 (12)

Round 33 – 39

1sc x 12 (12)

Insert a pipe cleaner into the whale, pushing it approximately half way through the body, leaving about a cm protruding. You’ll crochet around that as you continue.

Round 40

sc2tog x 6 (6)

Round 41 – 43

1sc x 6

Hand sew closed, and hide the yarn tail inside your whale.

The Underside

You are going to need your cream yarn and 4mm crochet hook for this section. It’ll be made in the same way as the body, but you are not going to stuff it, and flatten it when it’s complete.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of six stitches (6)

Round 2

2sc x 6 (12)

Round 3

1sc x 12 (12)

Round 4

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

Round 5

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

Round 6 – 10

1sc x 24 (24)

Round 11

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

Round 12 – 15

1sc x 18

Round 16

(1sc, sc2tog) x 6 (12)

Round 17 – 21

1sc x 12 (12)

Round 22

sc2tog x 6

Round 23 – 25

1sc x 6, then hand sew to close.

You can now flatten your whale’s underside and pin it to the position where you want it to sit.

Hold the whale’s blue body upside down, and count down an even number of stitches from each eye to position the gray piece evenly.

Sew around the perimeter of the gray section using gray yarn, tightly working in and out of each stitch to firmly secure it in place.

Tail Fins

You will be using your blue yarn again for the tail fins. Make two fins, and we’ll sew them together and onto the tail section of the body to finish them.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of eight stitches (8)

Round 2 – 5

1sc x 8 (8)

Round 6

2sc, 1sc x 3, 2sc, 1sc x 3 (10)

Round 7

1sc, 2sc, 1sc x 4, 2sc, 1sc x 3 (12)

Round 8 – 9

1sc x 12

Lay both fins on the desk in front of you, and sew the ending point of the fins together. This will enable you to sew them in place more easily.

I recommend now pinning the fins where you would like them before sewing them on. Align one each side of the tail section of the body.

Side Fins

Continue to work in your blue colored yarn for these pieces.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of eight stitches (8)

Round 2 – 3

1sc x 8 (8)

Round 4

2sc x 8 (16)

Round 5 – 7

1sc x 16 (16)

Round 8

Flatten the shape, leaving the last stitch you made at one of the corners. Now work along the edge single crocheting the two sides together. You’ll make eight stitches in total.

Line up the edge of each fin with the thinner end of the underside of the whale, and sew them on using your blue yarn.

The post Free Crochet Whale Plushie Pattern for Beginners appeared first on Lucy Kate Crochet.

What do you think of this squishy crochet mouse pattern? Just like a real mouse, it’s cute as heck, but unlike most real mice it’s cuddly too! But my own personal favorite thing is how quickly it comes together in just a few simple shapes.

I’ve made this crochet mouse plush with super bulky chenille yarn, so it’s extra soft and squashy, and big enough for my daughter to enjoy as a toy. But you could make it from lighter weight chenille yarn, and I’ve got notes to help you achieve the best results.

Materials

To make a mouse just like mine, you’ll need:

• Super bulky chenille yarns in light brown and pale pink. I’ve used Cygnet’s Jellybaby yarn in teddy bear, and Hobbii’s Toucan yarn in light pink. You could swap out the light brown yarn for pale gray or even white if you prefer.
• A small quantity of black yarn. I’ve used super bulky chenille again, but you could use almost any black yarn from your stash and double it up if necessary.
• A J-10 (6mm) crochet hook.
• Stitch markers. Or scraps of yarn in a contrasting color.
• ⅝ inch (16mm) safety eyes.
• A darning needle.
• Hi-loft, toy safe stuffing.

To make a smaller mouse, match a lighter weight chenille yarn with a crochet hook one size smaller than the yarn wrapper recommends. Using a small hook produces tight fabric which you can stuff firmly later with out little gaps opening up between the stitches. For the finest yarns, you’ll also need to use smaller safety eyes. Here’s (roughly!) how tall your mouse will turn out using different yarn weights, and what size eyes to use:

Yarn weight	Squishy height (not including the ears)	Safety eye size
DK	4 inches (10cm)	⅜ inch (9mm)
Aran/worsted	5 inches (13cm)	⅜ inch (9mm)
Bulky	6 inches (15cm)	⅝ inch (16mm)
Super Bulky	7 inches (18cm)	⅝ inch (16mm)

Pattern notes

I’ve written this pattern in standard American crochet terms. It uses almost entirely single crochet, with just a small number of longer stitches in the tail. The stitches and their abbreviations I’ve used are:

Ch chain stitch
Sl st slip stitch
Sc single crochet
Sc blo single crochet in the back loop only
Hdc half double crochet
Dc double crochet
Inc increase (make 2 single crochets in the same space)
Dec decrease

For your decreases, use the invisible decrease method:

• Insert your hook into the front loop only of the next two stitches (fig. 1).
• Yarn over and pull through a loop. There are now two loops on the hook.
• Yarn over again, and draw through both loops (fig. 2).

Squishy crochet mouse pattern

This mouse is mostly body. Or giant head, depending on how you look at it! So let’s start there.

Body

Start your mouse’s body with either a magic circle, or by making 4 chain stitches and joining them in a circle with a slip stitch. Either method will work, but I find with fluffy chenilles the 4-ch loop is easier to tighten without snapping the yarn.

• 1st round: Ch 1, sc 8 into the magic circle or 4-ch loop, catching the yarn tail under the stitches as you go (8 sts). Gently pull the yarn tail to tighten the hole.
• 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.

Adding the eyes

Spread the body out flat in front of you. Since the decreases at the bottom of the body are bunched up, it will only lie flat with the decreases at the sides, giving you a distinct front and back.

Insert the safety eyes through the front of the body, about 7 or 8 stitches apart between rows 11 and 12. Obviously the aim is to get them as evenly positioned either side of the center line as possible, but it doesn’t matter if one eye is a stitch out, if it makes the spacing between them more appealing.

When you’re confident with the position of the eyes, press the backs on firmly.

Closing the body

Before you close the body, stuff it firmly with toy safe stuffing. Then put the last stitch from round 25 onto your hook and make one more round:

• 26th round: 8 dec, sl st (8 sts)

Poke in a little more stuffing if it will fix, then thread the remaining yarn tail onto a darning needle and sew the remaining hole closed. It’s not too important how you sew it closed exactly, but for the neatest result, you can’t beat using mattress stitch through the front loops only. The first picture below shows where the stitches go. Then pinch the beginning of the seam firmly with one hand, and pull the yarn tail firmly in the other direction with the other. The join should zip right up!

Adding the face

Here’s where we’re at so far:

To make a cute little button nose, grab your black yarn and start with a either a magic circle or a 3-ch loop (that’s not a typo – 3 chains, not 4!). Into the loop, sc 3, and sl st. Cut the yarn leaving a 12” tail and pull the tail right through the slip stitch.

Position the top of the nose about level with the center of the eyes, and sew it in place. Use the remaining yarn tail to embroider a mouth, then poke what’s left of it inside the body.

Finally, use some of your pink yarn to give your mouse long, translucent-looking whiskers (or skip to the end of the pattern to see how they’d look in white!). I started mine by pushing the darning needle into the back of the body, and right through to the front, at a spot just next to the nose. Then I made three whiskers on either side of the nose, and after the last whisker I pushed the needle right through to the back of the body again – coming out at the same place I went in earlier. Then I knotted the yarn tails together, trimmed them short, and poked the knot inside the body. The stuffing will keep it anchored in place.

The ears

With your pink yarn, make a magic circle or 4-chain loop.

• 1st round: Ch 1, then catching the yarn tail under your stitches, sc 8 into the magic circle or 4-ch loop (8 sts). Gently pull the yarn tail to tighten the center of the ear.
• 2nd round: 8 inc (16 sts)
• 3rd round: *1 sc, inc* 8 times (24 sts)

In the first stitch of round 4, change color back to brown:

Insert the hook into the next stitch and draw through a loop of pink yarn.
Pick up the brown yarn and put it over the hook from back to front, then pull a loop of the brown yarn through both pink loops. Cut the pink yarn leaving a 3” tail, and continue with the brown yarn.

• 4th round: *2 sc, inc* 8 times (32 sts)
• Pause and tie the pink and brown yarn ends together, then trim them to about an inch long.
• 5th round: Sc blo all the way round (32 sts)
• 6th round: *2 sc, dec* 8 times (24 sts)
• 7th round: *1 sc, dec* 8 times (16 sts)
• 8th round: 8 dec, sl st (8 sts)

Cut the yarn leaving a 8” yarn tail, and sew the remaining hole closed using the mattress stitch technique above. Repeat the whole process to make a second ear.

Then, using a doubled-up length of brown yarn, sew the ears onto the top of the head. If you have some knitting needles, skewers, or chopsticks to hand, they’re really useful for holding the ears in position while you sew. Just insert them through the top of the ear and right down into the body. I use two for each ear, so the ear can’t spin around.

Tail time

My mouse’s finishing touch is his tail.

1. Using the pink yarn, make a slip knot with a 12” tail for joining to the body later.
2. Ch 18
3. Sk 1, sl st, sc, hdc, dc 14.
4. Cut the yarn leaving an 8” tail. Put the yarn tail onto a darning needle, then thread it through the last loop on your hook, to stop the stitches unravelling.
5. Fold the tail in half lengthways, with the backs of the stitches facing outwards. Whip stitch each of the chain stitches from step 2 to the top of their corresponding stitch in step 3, to make a long tube which tapers to a point at the end.
6. Thread any remaining yarn tail down inside the tail to hide it, then use the yarn tail from step 1 to attach the tail to the body.

Squishy crochet mouse complete

And here it is!

A day or so after finishing my mouse, I decided to see how he’d look with white whiskers instead. I think either works, and my camera really isn’t capturing much difference at all! I do slightly prefer the contrast of the white in real life, but if you don’t already have white and you don’t want to buy a whole ball just for this project, the pink totally works, and the pared back color palette is pretty effective in it’s own way. Here’s pink on the left, and white on the right (you’ll kind of have to take my word for it!)

Whatever fur color and whisker color you chose, and whatever size you make it in, I hope you have lots of fun with this pattern. And don’t forget to make him a cute puppy or adorable frog pal now too!

Happy crocheting!

The post Squishy Crochet Mouse Pattern appeared first on Lucy Kate Crochet.

Hello and welcome to my squishy crochet frog pattern. Well I suppose since he’s dry and bumpy rather than smooth and shiny he’s really a squishy crochet toad pattern. But then again he has a goofy smile and no back legs, so maybe it’s not the time for getting hung up on accuracy!

This simple amigurumi project is fast, and lots of fun to make. I’ll take you through the steps with the help of lots of photos, so even if you’re new to crochet you’ll be cuddling your own frog in no time!

Materials

To make your own cuddly frog, you’ll need:

• Super bulky chenille yarn for the body, eyes, arms, and tummy patch. I used King Cole Yummy yarn in green, and Cygnet Jellybaby yarn in teddy, which is a pale brown. The eyes and tummy patch would also look fantastic in yellow or lighter green. I only chose brown because I already had it in my stash and I was impatient to starting developing the pattern without having to go to the store first!
• A small quantity of black yarn for the mouth. I used bulky chenille again, but almost any black yarn would work.
• Size J (6mm) crochet hook
• Stitch markers or scraps of yarn
• ⅝” (16mm) safety eyes
• 2oz (55g) toy safe stuffing
• Darning needle

You could also make this pattern using lighter weight chenille yarn, with an appropriately sized hook and smaller safety eyes for pupils. My frog is about 7″ tall, but with bulky yarn he’d be 6″ tall, worsted yarn he’d be 5″ tall, and DK yarn he’d be 4″ tall. I haven’t had a chance to test whether the eyes and arms would be as effective in non-chenille yarns yet – let me know in the comments if you try it!

Squishy crochet frog pattern

I’ve written this pattern in standard U.S. crochet terms. The stitches and their abbreviations you’ll need to know are:

Ch chain
Sl st slip stitch
Sc single crochet
Inc increase (make 2 single crochets in the same space)
Hdc half double crochet
Hdc-inc half double crochet increase (make 2 half double crochets in the same space)
Dc double crochet
Dec decrease (see below)

Decreasing in amigurumi

For your decreases, I recommend using the invisible decrease method, because it does exactly what it says in the name! If you haven’t tried it before, it goes like this:

1. Insert the hook through the front loops only of the next two stitches (below left).
2. Draw through a loop of yarn (two loops remaining on the hook).
3. Yarn over the hook and draw through both loops (below right).

Decrease complete!

The body

Using your green yarn:

Ch 4 and sl st into the furthest stitch 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 – 20: Sc all the way round
21st round: 3 dec, sc 8, 6 dec, 8 sc, 3 dec (28 sts)
22nd round: 3 dec, sc 2, 6 dec, 2 sc, 3 dec (16 sts)

Stuff the body firmly with toy safe stuffing.

23rd round: 8 dec, sl st (8 sts)

Cut the yarn leaving a 8” tail. Poke in a bit more stuffing if it will fit, then sew the remain stitches closed using mattress stitch.

If you haven’t used mattress stitch before, it’s really handy for closing the body and eyes of your frog neatly. Each stitch goes through the front loops only of round 23, following the order in the first picture below. Make the stiches loosely at first (second picture) then pull them tight one at a time, or hold the start firmly and pull the yarn tail in the opposite direction (third picture).

Belly patch

Using your brown, yellow or lighter green yarn:

Ch 4 and sl st into the furthest stitch 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: Sl st, sc, hdc-inc, hdc, inc, sc 2, inc 2, sc 2, inc, hdc, hdc-inc, sc, sl st (22 sts)
4th round: Sl st 3, inc, hdc-inc 2, *sc, inc* 5 times, sc, hdc-inc 2, inc, sl st 2 (33 sts)

Cut the yarn leaving a long tail (about 18”) for sewing. Pull the yarn tail right through the last slip stitch.

Now grab the body again. Since the decreases at the base are bunched up at the sides, the front and back of the body should be distinctly flattened (there’s no difference between them – you choose which is which!) Position the belly patch in the center of the front of the front of the body, lining the bottom edge up with about round 19 or 20 on the body. Sew it in place using the yarn tail – for the neatest result pick up two stitches at a time from the edge of the belly patch, through the back loops only (as in the photo below).

Making the eyes

Starting with your contrast color yarn (brown, yellow or green):

Ch 4 and sl st into the furthest stitch to join.
1st round: Ch, 8 sc into the 4-ch loop (8 sts)
2nd round: 8 inc (16 sts)

In the next round, change color to green during the first single crochet:

• Insert yarn into the next stitch and draw through a loop of brown yarn.
• Loop the green yarn over you hook from back to front, and draw it through both brown loops on the hook.
• Cut the brown yarn leaving a short tail, and knot the green and brown yarn tails together tightly.

Joining the eyes to the body

Position the eyes on top of the head so the gap between them at the narrowest point is between half an inch and an inch. There’s going to be an obvious place on the front of the eyes where the yarn color changes to green. It doesn’t matter where this goes, as long as it’s at the same position on both eyes – you can see I’ve positioned it at roughly 2 o’clock.

An optional but handy way to hold them in place while you sew is by pushing two double-ended knitting needles, mattress needles, or metal chopsticks through the top of the eye and down into the body (using two stops the eye spinning). You could even use two handle-less crochet hooks, but be very careful how you remove them!

Sew around the perimeter where the eye meets the body using more green yarn, and hide the yarn ends inside the body.

Making the arms

Making fiddly tubular limbs is my least favorite part of amigurumi, which is why my squishy designs don’t usually have them! But these cute little forearms are made slightly differently – and they’re very fast to whip up!

Foundation chain: Using your green yarn, ch 8.
1st row: Sk 2, dc 6.
2nd row: Fold the row of stitches into a tube lengthways. Starting with the dc nearest the hook, insert the hook through the unused loop of the foundation chain at the bottom of the stitch and through the top loops of the dc. Yarn over and pull through all three loops to make a slip stitch. Sl st 5 more times along the rest of the row to close the sides of the tube. How tight you make these stitches will determine how much the arms curve – for straight arms, tug through a little yarn after each slip stitch.
To make the fingers: *Ch 3, skip the 1st chain from hook, single crochet once into each of the two remaining chains, sl st into the end of the arm (exactly where isn’t important)* three times. Cut the yarn leaving a 12” tail, and thread the yarn tail up through the arm and out of the shoulder for sewing to the body later. Weave in the tail from the beginning of the foundation chain.

The second arm

Only if the first arm you made is curved, make the second arm like this (otherwise repeat the steps above for a second straight arm):

Foundation chain: Using your green yarn, make a slip knot with a 24” yarn tail, then using the yarn on the skein-side of the knot, ch 8.
1st row: Sk 2, dc 6.
2nd row: Fold the row of stitches into a tube lengthways. Starting with the dc nearest the hook, insert the hook through the unused loop of the foundation chain at the bottom of the stitch and through the top loops of the dc. Yarn over and pull through all three loops to make a slip stitch. Sl st 5 more times along the rest of the row, aiming for the same tightness as before, so achieve a matching curve. Cut the yarn, leaving a short tail for weaving in later.
To make the fingers: Using the yarn 24” yarn tail from step 1, *ch 3, skip the 1st chain from hook, single crochet once into each of the two remaining chains, sl st into the end of the arm (exactly where isn’t important)* three times. Thread the yarn tail up through the arm and out of the shoulder for sewing to the body later. Weave in the tail from the end of step 3.

Join the arms to the body using the yarn tails, a couple of rounds up the body from the top of the belly, and about in line with the outside edge of the eyes.

Embroider the mouth

Finally, thread about 18″ of black yarn onto a darning needle – I’ve used 36″ and doubled it up for extra impact. Push the needle through between two stiches on the back of the body, through to the front. Pull the yarn through until there’s tail about 3″ sticking out from the back of the body. Embroider the mouth using back stitch and the grid in the body stiches as a guide. At the end of the the final stitch, push the needle out through the same place as the yarn tail on the back of the body. Tie the two tails together, trim the excess yarn, and poke the knot inside the body to hide it.

Done!

Your amphibian amigurumi is complete! I hope you enjoyed making it and you’re completely charmed by the results. For some more unusual animal projects, check out Lucy’s gecko, manatee and puffer fish patterns!

The post Squishy Crochet Frog Pattern appeared first on Lucy Kate Crochet.