Baby Shark

Free crochet tutorial for a Baby Shark by Anna Nasenok @amigyrymitoys.

Using this pattern, you can crochet a plush shark. Any plush yarn will work for this amigurumi: Himalaya Dolphin Baby, YarnArt Dolce, and others. You will also need a small amount of thread for embroidering the gills (thin yarn or embroidery floss).

The finished toy is about 30 cm tall.

Materials and Tools

• Blue or gray plush yarn (1 skein)
• White plush yarn for the belly (less than half a skein)
• 4 mm crochet hook
• Safety eyes, 8-10 mm
• Thread for embroidering the gills
• Toy stuffing
• Needle
• Scissors

Abbreviations

• MR - magic ring
• ch - chain stitch
• sl st - slip stitch
• sc - single crochet
• inc - increase
• dec - decrease
• (...) x n - repeat n times

Crochet Amigurumi Plush Shark Pattern

Body

1. 6 sc in MR
2. 6 inc (12)
3. 12 sc
4. (1 sc, 1 inc) x 6 (18)
5. (2 sc, 1 inc) x 6 (24)
6. 24 sc
7. (3 sc, 1 inc) x 6 (30)
8. (4 sc, 1 inc) x 6 (36)
9. (1 sc, 1 inc) x 7, 22 sc (43)
10-17. 43 sc (8 rounds)
18. 1 sc, (1 dec, 4 sc) x 4, 18 sc (39)
19. 39 sc
20. 1 sc, (1 dec, 3 sc) x 4, 18 sc (35)
21-22. 35 sc (2 rounds)
23. (1 dec, 3 sc) x 3, 1 dec, 18 sc (31)
24. (3 sc, 1 dec) x 6, 1 sc (25)
25. 3 sc, 3 dec, 16 sc (22)
26-27. 22 sc (2 rounds) - start stuffing the body.
28. 3 sc, 4 dec, 11 sc (18)
29. (1 sc, 1 dec) x 6 (12)
30-31. 12 sc (2 rounds)
32. 6 dec, sl st.

Top Fin

1. 4 sc in MR
2. 4 inc (8)
3. (1 sc, 1 inc) x 4
4. 12 sc
5. 2 inc, 10 sc (14)
6. 2 inc, 6 sc, 1 dec, 4 sc (13)
7. 1 sc, 2 inc, 5 sc, 2 dec, 3 sc (11)

Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing.

Belly

Work in turning rows.

1. 6 ch, starting in the second ch from the hook: 5 sc
2. 1 inc, 3 sc, 1 inc (7)
3. 1 inc, 5 sc, 1 inc (9)
4. 9 sc
5. 1 inc, 7 sc, 1 inc (11)
6. 11 sc
7. 1 inc, 9 sc, 1 inc (13)
8. 13 sc
9. 1 inc, 11 sc, 1 inc (15)
10-14. 15 sc (5 rows)
15. 1 dec, 11 sc, 1 dec (13)
16-17. 13 sc (2 rows)
18. 1 dec, 9 sc, 1 dec (11)
19-20. 11 sc (2 rows)
21. 1 dec, 7 sc, 1 dec (9)
22-25. 9 sc (4 rows)
26. 1 dec, 5 sc, 1 dec (7)
27. 7 sc
28. 1 dec, 3 sc, 1 dec (5)
29. 5 sc
30. 1 dec, 1 sc, 1 dec (3)

Crochet around the belly piece to even out the edges. Make a sl st and cut the yarn.

Try the belly against the body as you crochet it; you may need to reduce the number of rows. Sew the belly to the body on the convex side. Sew it on so that the distance from the beginning and the end of the body is roughly the same.

Side Fins (make 2)

Crochet the side fins the same way as the top fin, but at the end of the last row, work 3 offset stitches, fold the piece in half, and crochet the edges together.

1. 4 sc in MR
2. 4 inc (8)
3. (1 sc, 1 inc) x 4 (12)
4. 12 sc
5. 2 inc, 10 sc (14)
6. 2 inc, 6 sc, 1 dec, 4 sc (13)
7. 1 sc, 2 inc, 5 sc, 2 dec, 3 sc (11)

Tail (make 2)

Crochet two identical pieces. Fasten off and cut the yarn on the first piece. On the second piece, leave the yarn attached and join the two pieces together.

1. 4 sc in MR
2. 4 sc
3. (1 sc, 1 inc) x 2 (6)
4. (2 sc, 1 inc) x 2 (8)
5. (1 sc, 1 inc) x 4 (12)
6-7. 12 sc

Join the two pieces with a sl st, then crochet around. I got 26 sc. The exact number is not important: one stitch more or less will not matter. Stuff with fiberfill. Then make decreases all the way around. I got 12 sc. Work two rounds without changes, sl st, and leave a tail for sewing. Do not stuff all the way to the end, so you can slide the tail slightly onto the body.

Toy Assembly

Sew the fin to the top center, stuffing it with fiberfill first. Slide the tail onto the body, pin it in place, and sew around.

Next, sew on the side fins. Adjust the distance as you like. I sewed the beginning above the belly, 1 sc away, and placed the end at a slight angle toward the join between the body and the belly. The beginning is on round 14 from the start of the body.

Sew the eyes between rounds 9 and 10, with 14 sc between them. Adjust the placement as you like. Embroider the gills. Above the side fin, move over by 1 sc, shift slightly to the side, and make the gill 4 sc long. Use the photo as a guide. You can adjust the number, height, and placement as you wish.

Shaping the Mouth

I used YarnArt Jeans yarn. Insert the needle under the side fin, leaving a tail for tightening and tying off at the end, then hide the thread ends. Bring the needle out between rows 7 and 8 of the belly, 1 sc from the edge, forming an arc (an inverted smile, or an arch shape). Hold it with your finger, insert the needle on the other side, 1 sc from the edge of the belly, and bring the needle out under the fin where you started. Hold the smile with your finger and use your other hand to tighten both ends. Then tie a couple of knots and hide the thread ends inside the body.