Free Amigurumi Patterns for Crocheters of All Skill Levels

If you're looking for free amigurumi patterns, you've come to the right place! This blog post will provide you with everything you need to know about free amigurumi patterns, from where to find them to how to read them.

What is Amigurumi?

Amigurumi is the Japanese art of crocheting or knitting small stuffed animals and dolls. The word "amigurumi" comes from a combination of the Japanese words "ami," meaning crocheted or knitted, and "nuigurumi," meaning stuffed doll.

How to Read Amigurumi Patterns

Amigurumi patterns don’t just consist of the pattern itself. That’s because you may end up looking at the pattern’s abbreviations and saying, “What in the world is an HDC?” Most amigurumi patterns will tell you about the abbreviations used in the pattern. It’ll also tell you what yarn to use, what hook size to use, and what skill level the pattern is (because pattern creators know there are few things more frustrating than trying to start a very advanced pattern as a beginner).

With many types of crocheted objects, you just need yarn and a hook. But amigurumi is a little different. Your stuffed animal needs a face, after all. Many amigurumi patterns will tell you if you need other tools and materials, like safety eyes or felt. You’ll also most likely need a tapestry needle, which is just a fancy way of saying a blunt needle with a big hole in it. Oh, and of course, you’ll need stuffing to bring your amigurumi to life.

When you start a pattern, you’ll notice that most pattern makers break up the pattern into rounds, although some people will call them rows. The name doesn’t matter much, but what does matter is that you follow along with each round/row. Some rounds are pretty straightforward, like:

R5: sc x 30

That means that you’d do 30 single crochets in Round 5. Some patterns put the number of stitches that you should end the round with at the end of the line in parentheses. That way, you can count your stitches and be sure you have the right amount. It’s just a way pattern makers can help you out by preventing you from having to do math, and for that, we’re very grateful.

However, some rounds may look a little more confusing. Let’s break down a harder one.

R9: sc, [sc, 2 inc] x 6, sc

That means that, for Round 9, you’d do a single crochet to start. The x 6 only affects what’s in the brackets, so you’d do a single crochet followed by two increase stitches six times. Then, you do one more single crochet.

For some patterns, you’ll make many different pieces separately. Once you’re done crocheting, you’ll have two arms, two legs, a head, a torso, and (probably) some sore fingers. But you’re almost to the finish line. The pattern will finish off by telling you how to sew your pieces together and often how to embroider a cute little face. Then, voila, you’re done!

Free Amigurumi Patterns

Now that you know the basics of amigurumi, it's time to find some free patterns. Here are a few of our favorite free amigurumi patterns for beginners and intermediate crocheters:

Free Amigurumi Patterns for Beginners

One of the great things about amigurumi is that it's relatively easy to learn. If you're a beginner, start with a simple pattern. You may find it even easier to learn with a beginner crochet kit because it has all the supplies you need, but if you’d like to start with a pattern, here are some of our favorites.

Penguin Amigurumi Pattern by The Woobles

This pattern is a real peng-win! Your new little buddy can be created with simple stitches, making him a great way to learn. If you want step-by-step instructions on how to make him, check out our Pierre the Penguin crochet kit.

Chick Amigurumi Pattern by the Woobles

No reason to chicken out on this pattern. Our chick amigurumi is one of our simplest patterns and is super easy to follow. For a tutorial walking you through how to make this sweet chick, check out our Kiki the Chick crochet kit.

Red Heart Flopsy Amigurumi Pattern

This chubby bunny is sure to get a lot of love. Made with one of the most popular yarn brands for amigurumi, Red Heart, Flopsy will hop his way into your heart. This pattern is a little trickier than the previous two, so you should save Flopsy until you have a few other beginner patterns under your belt.

Free Amigurumi Patterns for Intermediate Crocheters

No longer a beginner? Congrats! It’s time to move on to intermediate patterns like these.

Norman the Sheep Amigurumi Pattern

This pattern is a bit trickier than others on the list because it has more advanced stitches, like the bobble stitch. Don’t feel bahhhh-d if you have some trouble making this pattern your first time around.

Party Octopus Amigurumi Pattern

We love an octopus who can throw a good party, and this one is a regular party animal. This party octopus is also tricky thanks to some more difficult stitches, such as the half double crochet and the half double crochet increase.

Sunny the Elephant Pattern

This elephant is a ray of sunshine. Sunny can be challenging for newcomers because you’ll have to learn how to crochet into the front and back loops only for some rounds. You’ll also have to learn to double crochet increase.

Conclusion

Whether you're a beginner or an experienced crocheter, there's a free amigurumi pattern out there for you. With so many cute and cuddly patterns to choose from, you're sure to find the perfect one for your next project.

FAQs

What is amigurumi?

Amigurumi is the Japanese craft of crocheting or knitting tiny stuffed toys like dolls and animals. The Japanese words "ami" and "nuigurumi," which both indicate stuffed dolls, were combined to form the word "amigurumi."

Is amigurumi hard?

Amigurumi is relatively easy to learn. You’ll quickly find yourself able to take on more challenging patterns once you’ve gotten the hang of different types of stitches. Other crochet projects often require many different types of stitches, but most amigurumi patterns don’t use too many challenging ones. If you’ve just picked up a crochet hook for the first time, it’s a good idea to focus on beginner projects for a while, like the Woobles found in our Easy Peasy Beginner Bundle. You’re going to really want to master those basic stitches for amigurumi.

Why is my amigurumi pointy?

When you start out as a beginner, your tension may likely be slightly off. For most people, their tension is a little loose in the beginning. As they get more comfortable in their project, that tension often tightens, which makes the looser stitches start to point upward. Now that you’re satisfied with your tension, you can start again without the looser stitches at the start.

Why does my amigurumi have holes?

There are a couple of different reasons why you may see holes in your amigurumi. One of the most common reasons is that your hook size is too big. Try going down a size and seeing if there are fewer holes. The issue may also be your tension. Try holding the yarn a little tighter. If holes were created after you stuffed your amigurumi, the problem might be that you overstuffed your new friend.

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