Valerie the crochet koala is named after the person I crocheted her for. And she just happens to be one of the single greatest humans you’ll ever meet. Quite a lot for a crocheted koala bear to live up to, really! Let’s hope my plushie does her namesake justice.
My amigurumi koala pattern is suitable for beginners. I’ve kept the instructions clear, explained abbreviations the first time they are used, and linked to some handy guides for anyone with a bit less experience.
Crochet Equipment List
I’ve noted the brands of yarn I used for you below, but this pattern will work up just fine in any aran weight yarn of similar colors. I stayed away from plain black yarn for the nose as it can give a bit of an overly separated look to these natural animal themed crochet patterns.
- 50g Knit Craft, Leader of the Pac, aran yarn in mink
- 50g Knit Craft, Leader of the Pac, aran yarn in cream
- 5g Life Aran by Stylecraft, in mixtures charcoal
- 5mm crochet hook
- Two safety eyes (ideally blue or brown rimmed)
- Toy safe stuffing
- Yarn needle
I recommend marking your stitches as you work in the round, which you can do with stitch markers or yarn scraps as you prefer.
Stitches and Abbreviations
Each time I use a stitch for the first time in this pattern, I’ll write a full description of what I’m asking you to do. You can also find some abbreviation guides here, which will help you to quickly translate as you go along if you need an additional hand.
If you’re new to crochet you’ll find detailed explanations of everything from holding your hook to making basic simple crochets here. The magic circle is a sticking point for a few people when they are learning, but I break it down into easy steps too.
Valerie The Crochet Koala’s Free Pattern
My crochet koala bear is made from separate parts, which you’ll hand sew together once they are made.
The Koala’s Head
Begin working in the mink yarn using your 5mm 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 18 (18)
Round 5
(1sc x 2, 2sc) x 6 (24)
Round 6
1sc x 24 (24)
Round 7
(1sc x 3, 2sc) x 6 (30)
Round 8
1sc x 30 (30)
Round 9
(1sc x 4, 2sc) x 6 (36)
Round 10
1sc x 36 (36)
Round 11
(1sc x 5, 2sc) x 6 (42)
Round 12
(1sc x 6, 2sc) x 6 (48)
Round 13
(1sc x 7, 2sc) x 6 (54)
Round 14
(1sc x 8, 2sc) x 6 (60)
Round 15 – 16
1sc x 60 (60)
Round 17
(1sc x 8, sc2tog) x 6 (54)
Round 18
(1sc x 7, sc2tog) x 6 (48)
Round 19
(1sc x 6, sc2tog) x 6 (42)
Place the safety eyes into the front of the head. They should be in line with each other, a few rounds up from the center of the magic circle.
Round 20
(1sc x 5, sc2tog) x 6 (36)
Round 21
(1sc x 4, sc2tog) x 6 (30)
Round 22
(1sc x 3, sc2tog) x 6 (24)
Round 23
(1sc x 2, sc2tog) x 6 (18)
Round 24
(1sc, sc2tog) x 6 (12)
Fill with toy stuffing.
Round 25
sc2tog to close.
Your Koala’s Nose
You’ll be making up the nose in your charcoal yarn, with the 5mm crochet hook.
Round 1
Make a magic circle of eight stitches (8)
Round 2
2sc x 2, 1sc x 2, 2sc x 2, 1sc x 2 (12)
Round 3
(1sc, 2sc) x 2, 1sc x 2, (1sc, 2sc) x 2, 1sc x 2 (16)
Round 4
(1sc x 2, 2sc) x 2, 1sc x 2, (1sc x 2, 2sc) x 2, 1sc x 2 (20)
Round 5
(1sc x 3, 2sc) x 2, 1sc x 2, (1sc x 3, 2sc) x 2, 1sc x 2 (24)
Crocheting the Chin
Work the chin using your cream 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
Chain 2, then put a single crochet into the next five stitches.
Crochet Koala Ears
The ears will start off in cream, then you’ll make a color change later to mink. This change will be marked as ‘cc’ in the pattern.
Round 1
Make a magic circle of eight stitches (8)
Round 2
2sc x 8 (16)
Round 3
(1sc, 2sc) x 8 (24)
cc to mink.
Round 4
1sc x 24 into the front loop only.
Round 5
(1sc x 2, 2sc) x 8 (32)
Round 6
1sc x 32 into the back loop only
Round 7
(1sc x 2, sc2tog) x 8 (24)
Round 8
(1sc, sc2tog) x 8 (16)
Round 9
sc2tog to close.
Hooking The Arms
Crochet Your Koala’s Body
Use your cream yarn to begin the koala’s body
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 3, 2sc) x 8 (40)
Round 6 – 7
1sc x 40 (40)
Round 8
(1sc x 4, 2sc) x 2, 1sc x 10, (1sc x 4, 2sc) x 2, 1sc x 10 (44)
Round 9
1sc x 44 (44)
Round 10
(1sc x 5, 2sc) x 2, 1sc x 10, (1sc x 5, 2sc) x 2, 1sc x 10 (48)
Round 11
(1sc x 6, 2sc) x 2, 1sc x 10, (1sc x 6, 2sc) x 2, 1sc x 10 (52)
cc mink
Round 12
(1sc x 7, 2sc) x 2, 1sc x 10, (1sc x 7, 2sc) x 2, 1sc x 10 (56)
Round 13 – 15
1sc x 56 (56)
Round 16
(1sc x 5, sc2tog) x 8 (48)
Round 17
1sc x 48 (48)
Round 18
(1sc x 4, sc2tog) x 8 (40)
Round 19
(1sc x 3, sc2tog) x 8 (32)
Round 20
(1sc x 2, sc2tog) x 8 (24)
Round 21
(1sc, sc2tog) x 8 (16)
Fill with toy stuffing.
Round 22
sc2tog to close.
Make your koala bear’s arms with the mink yarn to start.
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 – 7
1sc x 18 (18)
cc cream
Round 8
(1sc, sc2tog) x 6 (12)
Round 9
1sc x 12 (12)
Round 10
(1sc, 2sc) x 6 (18)
cc mink
Round 11 – 18
1sc x 18 (18)
Stuff the hands only. Use the back of the hook to push the stuffing down if necessary.
Making The Legs
Your koala’s legs will begin in the cream shade of yarn.
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 – 7
1sc x 18 (18)
Round 8
(1sc, sc2tog) x 6 (12)
cc mink
Round 9
1sc x 12 (12)
Round 10
(1sc, 2sc) x 6 (18)
Round 11 – 18
1sc x 18 (18)
Stuff the feet only.
Sewing Your Crochet Koala Together
Once you have completed all of the separate parts, lay them out in front of you on a flat surface. Start with the head.
Sew the nose using weaving stitches and black yarn to the center of the face. The chin should be sewn directly beneath it, using the cream yarn and positioned with the flat section pointed up.
Place the ears so that they sit symmetrically and line up with the top sections of the eyes. Sew approximately a third of the circumference onto the head.
Now you can attach the body to the head, I recommend weaving around twice to make sure it’s secure.
The legs and arms need placing opposite each other, and I chose to sew the hands together to give him an expressive posture to finish off.
My Crochet Koala
This was one of the highest pressure projects I’ve worked on in a while, because I made it for my friend Valerie. Not only is she awesome, but she’s also a very experienced crocheter. I couldn’t afford to get this one wrong!
I’ll let you know what she thinks, but in the meantime I hope you enjoy working through my little marsupial!
Happy Crocheting!
Lucy Kate, x
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