Tiny Woodland Animal Amigurumi Patterns

My latest project is a collection of crochet patterns for nine tiny woodland animals which includes: fox, badger, squirrel, rabbit, hedgehog, mole, otter, sitting and flying owls, as well as patterns for a playmat, tree stump and hollow log. Like some of my other patterns, such as the Tiny Cats and Dogs, these make cute little animals, ranging in size from 4 cm to 10 cm (1.5" to 4") long, which are mostly crocheted 'all-in-one', with the ears, legs and tails made as you go along, and minimal sewing.

 
As I live in the UK, these are woodland animals that I'm familiar with from Britain, and I've made them in a realistic style, at least as far as I can given their size. Although they're not totally in scale, I've tried to keep them mostly in proportion with each other. They don't use much yarn, so they're good for using up scraps - I made them using acrylic yarn with a bit of wool or alpaca mixed in, to give a nice, soft effect. 

This set is perfect for animal-loving children to play with (due to the size of the animals they wouldn't be suitable for any children under three years) but you could also make them for anyone who loves any of these animals - they're easy to turn into key-chains or decorations, and a group of flying owls would make a great mobile. 

I gave the owl a little hat, and made a scarf for the squirrel, to make them into Christmas decorations.

This collection of patterns is available now in my Lucyravenscar Etsy and Ravelry shops. 

Fox 

One of my favourite animals, known in folklore for their cleverness and cunning. It's not too hard to spot an urban fox at night, but I especially love it when I see one in the countryside during the day, when their red coats show up so beautifully. I was lucky enough recently to spot one in a field through a hedge, only a few metres away, hunting by pouncing into the grass and catching (and crunching!) a vole.

For such a small creature, there was a lot of work in getting this pattern right. The changes of colour to get the white patch under the chin in just the right place, and all the increases and decreases to get the shaping of the body took many tries! Like most of the animals, the fox is crocheted from nose to tail with the ears and legs made as you go along, so the only sewing you need to do is the features and the hole at the end of the tail. 

If you want to crochet a much bigger fox, try my Bracken the Fox pattern. 

Badger 

Whilst badgers in other parts of the world are often known for their aggression, that is not the case with British badgers. Made popular in children's literature with the kindly, paternal Badger in The Wind in the Willows, they are often thought of as determined and patient.

The distinct pattern of black and white stripes on the face weren't easy to get right, especially over such a small number of stitches, but I worked it out eventually. Since badger's eyes are on the black stripe I had to sew some brown with a black dot on top to make them show up. 

For a larger, cuddly badger pattern, why not give Blackberry the Badger a go? 

Squirrel

Red squirrels are native to Britain, but the introduction of North American grey squirrels in the nineteenth century has meant that they are mostly found in the rural North of England and Scotland, and are not so easy to spot. Grey squirrels, on the other hand, are common in woods, parks and gardens, and are probably the main wild mammal that most people see regularly. Either version is wonderful to see, leaping from branch to branch, using their wonderful fluffy tails for balance.

The tail was the main design challenge in this pattern. I tried to make it as part of the body, but that just wasn't possible. Once I decided to make it separately I wondered whether to make it fluffy, or as a solid shape, but I after a couple of experiments I came up with a way of making it that I'm really happy with. 

Rabbit 

Another relatively common animal that I sometimes spot on country walks, or nibbling on road verges when I'm driving along, I fell in love with rabbits when I read Watership Down as a child.

I already have a free pattern for a little rabbit available here on my blog, but I worked on it and tweaked it to make the shaping on the head better and more realistic. The tail is made separately, I tried to make it as part of the body but that didn't work as well. 

Hedgehog 

A very endearing creature which is very popular in Britain, although their population is sadly in decline due to habitat loss. Sometimes seen snuffling around gardens at night, it's a long time since I've seen one, although I do remember saving several baby hedgehogs that fell into a drain outside our house when I was little! 

Given how small this pattern is, it was hard to work out how to make the hedgehog's prickles. Any three-dimensional stitches would be too big, and so I ended up using spike stitches in a different colour to give the effect of spines. Hedgehogs do have ears, but they're quite small, and at this scale I couldn't include them without them being out of proportion. 

Mole

A small creature that is rarely seen, though the evidence of its existance, molehills, can be found all over the place! Another animal that appears in The Wind in the Willows, moles are seen as modest and introverted, with their tiny eyes and poor eyesight, and the fact that they spend most of their lives underground.

I made my mole with dark grey yarn, as although they have black fur, it has a bit of a shine to it, making it look more grey. In real life their eyes are barely visible, but I did sew little black eyes, even if they're hard to see in the photo. Luckily it is easy to see their cute pink snouts and big, spade-like front paws. 

Otter 

A beautiful creature that's known for its playful attitude, sadly it isn't easy to see in the UK. Found along waterways, their populations are only just starting to recover after years of pollution. Various species are found all over the world, from giant South American otters to sea otters, but they always spend most of their time in the water. 

This is quite a simple shape, the most complicated part of the deisgn was getting the pale colour on the neck in the right place. You could always change the colours to make other similar animals, such as weasels, stoats, pine martens or ferrets. 

Sitting and Flying Owls 

I love owls, they're beautiful and unique-looking birds that are found all over the world. They feature strongly in myths and literature, with their large eyes, round faces and silent flight making them seem mysterious and wise, although sometimes they just look very cute! 

I mostly based these patterns on the short-eared owl, but many owls have similar colours, and you could always change the colours to match a particular species of owl. The sitting owl, made all-in-one, has a detailed speckled chest, a short tail at the back, and little feet. I tried a few different techniques to make the chest, but eventually I was happy with the way it looked. I was very keen to make a flying owl, they look so impressive in flight with their wings stretched out wide. The wings are made separately, and I rather like the way that crochet stitches automatically give the look of feathers.

I also have a pattern available for a larger owl in a sweater, the Flappy Owl. 

Playmat 

A simple circle of grass with a tree stump in the middle, it makes a great place to play with the animals. You can also make a hollow log for the creatures to hide in, and the mat has a drawstring around the edge so you can use it to carry the toys around. You could also just make the tree stump and use it as a little display for one of the animals.

Free Animal Amigurumi

A few months ago I designed a set of six animal patterns for LoveCrochet. This is a site that started off selling yarn but now also sells patterns (you'll find most of mine on there), and has now started selling their own brands of yarn. One of those is Paintbox, which comes in a really good range of colours. I used the Simply DK for these animals, which is an acrylic yarn perfect for amigurumi, but they also have acrylic yarn in aran and chunky weights, and cotton DK yarn.

I designed the animals to be (hopefully) cute and cuddly, and fairly simple for anyone new to making amigurumi. They include Zachary the Frog, Alfie the Duckling, Amelie the Mouse, Jamie the Kitten, Sam the Puppy and Tilly the Piglet. They're all free for you to download at LoveCrochet, just click on the name to go straight to the pattern.

Cuddly Dragon Amigurumi Pattern

I really do love dragons, and I love to make crochet patterns for them. One of my very first patterns was my Fierce Little Dragon and then I made a larger Dragonet  initially inspired by my love of the dragons and fire lizards of Pern. With my latest pattern I've tried to make dragons that are cuddly rather than fierce or majestic.

 

 

Cuddly they might be, but they still have horns, claws and spikes down their backs, along with a pair of cute little wings. They're fun to make in any colour you like - I found yarns with a bit of a mix of colours, like James C Brett Marble, gave a really nice effect.

The pattern is available on Etsy, Ravelry and Loveknitting - if you make one I'd love to see it!

Little Monkey Amigurumi

For my latest amigurumi pattern I've designed a pair of cute little monkeys, a boy in a top and trousers, and a girl in a dress with puffed sleeves.

They are about 13 cm/5" tall, which I think makes them the perfect size to carry around and play with. They're made with the legs worked continuously from the body, and they stand up on their own, so you can have them standing on your shelf or desk if you want.

I've made them in a selection of different colours for the fur and the clothes to show the sort of variations you can choose, but of course, you can pick any colours you like to make them.

I'm intending to make a range of different animals using the same basic pattern, in different styles of clothes, so if you have any ideas about what you'd like to see, do let me know in the comments.

Little Kissing Mice - free amigurumi pattern

Here’s a pattern to make a pair of sweet little mice that just love to kiss, perfect to make for Valentine's Day. They are made all in one, with no separate parts to sew on, so they are quick and easy to crochet. Make them in any colours you like, you can make them totally in a natural fur colour if you want, or choose any colour for their bodies. They will sit upright on their own, but they like snuggling up to each other even more.

 

Abbreviations:

ch = chain

st = stitch or stitches

ss = slipstitch

sc = single crochet (US), double crochet (UK)

dc = double crochet (US), treble crochet (UK)

tog = together

sc2tog = decrease by working two sc together

FLO = work in front loop only

FO = fasten off

Approximate size: 5cm/2" long without tail.

General instructions:

Work in rounds unless otherwise stated and do not join rounds unless told to. Use a stitch marker to mark the start of a round - a small piece of different coloured yarn placed under the stitch at the start of the round will do. To start a round, you can use the magic ring method, but I prefer to ch 2, and work the appropriate number of sc into 1^st ch. If you work the sc over the tail of yarn as well you can use that to pull the hole tight.

When changing from one colour of yarn to another work the stitch before the change until there are two loops left on the hook. Then use the new colour for the final yarn over hook and pull through.

Stuff as you go along.

Work through both loops of stitches unless otherwise indicated.

You will need:

Small amounts of yarn in a natural colour for the head and tail, and any colour for the body, double knitting or worsted weight.

Small amounts of black yarn to embroider eyes.

Small amount of stuffing.

3.5mm (E) hook.

Tapestry needle.

Start with natural colour yarn.

Round 1: Ch 2, work 4 sc into 1^st ch - 4 st.
Round 2: [2 sc in next st, sc in next st] 2 times - 6 st.

Round 3: [2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 st] 2 times - 8 st.

Round 4: [2 sc in next st, sc in next 3 st] 2 times - 10 st.

Round 5: Sc in each st around – 10 st.

Round 6: [2 sc in next st, sc in next 4 st] 2 times - 12 st.

Round 7: Sc in next 6 st, [ear, in FLO of next st: ss, ch 2, 5 dc, ch 2, ss], sc in next 3 st, [ear as before], sc in next st – 12 st (counting each ear as one st).

Round 8: Sc in each st around, working into the back loop behind each ear – 12 st.

Change to yarn for body.

Round 9: [2 sc in next st, sc in next st] 3 times, sc in next 6 st – 15 st.

Round 10: [2 sc in next st, sc in next 4 st] 3 times – 18 st.

Round 11: Sc in each st around – 18 st.

Round 12: [2 sc in next st, sc in next 5 st] 3 times – 21 st.

Round 13 - 15: (3 rounds) Sc in each st around – 21 st.

Round 16: [Sc2tog, sc in next 5 st] 2 times, sc2tog, sc in next 2 st, change to natural colour yarn, [tail: ss in next st, ch 20, miss ch next to hook, ss 19, ss back into original st and change back to body colour yarn], sc in next 2 st – 18 st.

Round 17: Sc2tog 2 times, sc in next 6 st, sc2tog 4 times – 12 st.

Round 18: Sc2tog 6 times – 6 st.

FO, leaving a length of yarn. Finish stuffing and use black yarn to sew eyes. Sew up bottom of mouse neatly.

Bracken the Fox

I love foxes. I don't know what it is, maybe it's their beautiful colouring or something about the confident way they hold themselves, but I'm always really excited when I spot one on a walk. I've had two, possibly young ones, practically run into me as they chased each other across my path, but usually when I see them they just sit nonchalantly a little distance away (usually behind a fence) and stare at me.

I've been meaning to crochet a fox for ages, to be honest I don't know what delayed me, just lots of other ideas that I wanted to try out, but I've finally done it. Meet Bracken the Fox, named after the ferns that turn a lovely russet colour in the autumn. I've made him in two versions, with and without a sweater, and he's about 30cm (12") tall.

I've made a lot of my amigurumi in the past using totally acrylic yarn, but I decided to use yarns with wool and alpaca in to make Bracken, to give him a nicer texture. I mostly used Stylecraft Alpaca, and their newer Alpaca Tweed for the sweater, which is lovely and soft.

The pattern is now available in my Etsy shop and on Ravelry.

Mini Pets - Snails, Bugs and Frogs amigurumi patterns

My latest pattern, or rather set of patterns, to make tiny amigurumi snails, beetles, spiders and frogs, is now available in my Etsy shop and Ravelry. The creatures, which are quick to make with minimal sewing, also come with the details to make a toadstool play mat and hollow log.

As a child I loved and was fascinated by all types of animals, and was keen to have all sorts of pets, that weren't always practical. I did keep snails for a short while, and repeated the experience with my children. They make great temporary pets, you just find some in your garden and put them in a plastic pet box with some soil and greenery keep them damp and fed, and then return them to the garden after a few weeks.

However, not everyone wants various creepy crawlies in their house, and so for a more cuddly alternative I designed these creatures, so that the little animal lover in your house can play with them any time they want. You can make snails, two different shapes of beetle, including a ladybird (ladybug), spiders with various patterns on their backs, and tiny baby frogs. Their sizes range from 1.5" to 2.5" long.

 

 

You can keep them in a jar or matchbox, but you can also make them a grassy mat for them to play on, with a toadstool in the middle, and a hollow log to climb in. It has a drawstring around the edge so you can turn it into a bag and keep everything safe.

Of course, you can do all sorts of things with these creatures. It's easy to turn them into key chains, or put small magnets inside as you crochet them to make them into fridge magnets. The beetles would make unusual brooches, the spiders are great for Halloween accessories, and you could make the frogs in sets of different colours and use them as game pieces. You can make them as party favours, or stocking fillers, or make lots for a school or church fair. Whatever you do, I hope you'll have fun with them!