Georgy the Little Hippo and His Friend Gail

Free crochet pattern for Georgy the Little Hippo and his friend Gail by Tatyana Chelnokova @t.chelnokova83.

With this pattern, you can crochet plush little hippos: Georgy and Gail. Any plush yarn will work for the amigurumi: Himalaya Dolphin Baby, YarnArt Dolce, and others.

The finished toy is about 30 cm tall.

Materials and Tools

• YarnArt Dolce plush yarn
• Thread for embroidering the muzzle
• 4 mm crochet hook
• 14-16 mm safety eyes
• Eyelashes
• Toy stuffing
• Felt
• Needle for sewing pieces together
• Scissors

Abbreviations

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

Crochet Instructions for Georgy the Amigurumi Hippo and His Friend Gail

The body and legs are crocheted as one piece.

Legs

First crochet the left leg. Start with the additional color yarn:

Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR (6)
Rnd 2: inc x 6 times (12)
Rnd 3: (sc, inc) x 6 times (18)
Rnd 4: 18 sc in BLO (18)
Rnd 5: 18 sc (18)
With the main color yarn:
Rnds 6-7 (2 rnds): 18 sc (18)
Rnd 8: (4 sc, dec) x 3 times (15)
Rnds 9-10 (2 rnds): 15 sc (15)

Cut felt circles to match the diameter of the soles and insert them inside the legs.

Rnd 11: (3 sc, dec) x 3 times (12)
Rnd 12: 12 sc (12). Make a slip stitch.

Cut the yarn and hide the end inside the leg. Crochet the right leg the same way, but do not cut the yarn. Begin crocheting the body.

Body

Rnd 1: Crochet 3 chain stitches, then work 12 sc around the left leg, 3 sc along the chain, 12 sc around the right leg, and 3 sc along the chain. You should have 30 sc. Be sure to recount the stitches! Mark the beginning of Round 2.
Rnd 2: (4 sc, inc) x 6 times (36)
Rnd 3: (5 sc, inc) x 6 times (42)
Rnds 4-10 (7 rnds): 42 sc (42)
The end of Round 10 is located at the center front.
Rnd 11: 17 sc, 3 dec, 19 sc (39). The 3 decreases in Round 11 are centered; this shapes the bottom.
Rnd 12: 5 sc, dec, 11 sc, dec, 11 sc, dec, 6 sc (36)
Rnd 13: 5 sc, dec, 10 sc, dec, 10 sc, dec, 5 sc (33). The decreases in Round 13 are placed directly above the decreases from Round 12.
You can stuff the legs and part of the body.
Rnd 14: 5 sc, dec, 9 sc, dec, 9 sc, dec, 4 sc (30). The decreases in Round 14 are placed directly above the decreases from Round 13.
Rnd 15: 4 sc, dec, 8 sc, dec, 8 sc, dec, 4 sc (27). The decreases shift 1 sc to the right compared with Round 14.
Rnd 16: 4 sc, dec, 7 sc, dec, 7 sc, dec, 3 sc (24). The decreases in Round 16 are placed directly above the decreases from Round 15.
Rnd 17: 4 sc, dec, 6 sc, dec, 6 sc, dec, 2 sc (21). The decreases in Round 17 are placed directly above the decreases from Round 16.
Rnd 18: 21 sc (21)
Rnd 19: 4 sc, dec, 5 sc, dec, 5 sc, dec, 1 sc (18)
Rnd 20: 18 sc (18)
Rnd 21: slip stitch.

Leave a 30 cm yarn tail for sewing. If you lose your place somewhere, follow this crochet principle: all decreases are placed along the spine line and symmetrically at the sides of the belly. Round 18 is worked without decreases. Stuff the body.

Head

Prepare the eyes. Degrease the surfaces you are going to glue with alcohol. Glue the eyelashes to the eye edge if your eyes are trapezoid-shaped. If they are semicircular, glue them along the back edge. Crochet the head with the main color yarn.

Rnd 1: chain 4
Rnd 2: In the 2nd ch from the hook: sc; in the 3rd ch: sc; in the 4th ch: 3 sc. Continue around the other side of the chain: in the 3rd ch: sc; in the 2nd ch: sc; in the 1st ch: 3 sc (10). RECOUNT the stitches!

Place a marker at the beginning of the round. If you got through this step, everything else will go smoothly. Continue crocheting in a spiral.

Rnd 3: (2 sc, 3 inc) x 2 times (16)
Rnd 4: (3 sc, inc, sc, inc, sc, inc) x 2 times (22)
Rnd 5: (4 sc, inc, 2 sc, inc, 2 sc, inc) x 2 times (28)
Rnd 6: (5 sc, inc, 3 sc, inc, 3 sc, inc) x 2 times (34)
Rnd 7: 17 sc, PC, 3 sc, PC, 12 sc (34). PC means popcorn stitch.

A) Work 3 double crochets into 1 stitch. This creates a small fan.
B) Remove the hook from the loop and insert it into the space before the first double crochet.
C) Catch the first loop.
D) Pull it through the space before the first double crochet.

Rnds 8-10 (3 rnds): 34 sc (34)
Rnd 11: 7 sc, dec, 6 sc, dec, 7 sc, dec, 6 sc, dec (30)
Rnd 12: (3 sc, dec) x 6 times (24)
Rnd 13: in FLO: 9 sc, inc, sc, inc, sc, inc, 2 sc, inc, sc, inc, sc, inc, 3 sc (30)
Rnd 14: 10 sc, inc, 2 sc, inc, 2 sc, inc, 3 sc, inc, 2 sc, inc, 2 sc, inc, 3 sc (36)
Rnd 15: (5 sc, inc) x 6 times (42)
Rnd 16: (6 sc, inc) x 6 times (48)
Rnds 17-24 (8 rnds): 48 sc (48). Insert the eyes between Rounds 14 and 15, symmetrically to the nostrils (the PC stitches), 3 sc away from the eye edges.
Rnd 25: (dec, 6 sc) x 6 times (42)
Rnd 26: (dec, 5 sc) x 6 times (36)
Rnd 27: (dec, 4 sc) x 6 times (30)
Rnd 28: (dec, 3 sc) x 6 times (24). Stuff the head firmly.
Rnd 29: (dec, 2 sc) x 6 times (18)
Rnd 30: (dec, sc) x 6 times (12)
Rnd 31: dec x 6 times (6)

Pull the opening closed. Leave a 15 cm yarn tail. Place the head against the body and note the part of the head that will be hidden inside the body. Hide the yarn tail inside the head and bring it out at that same spot on the head, which will be hidden inside the body.

Ears (Make 2)

Use the main or additional color yarn (your choice of taste and color...):

Ear option 1 (for the blue hippo):
Rnd 1: 6 sts in MR (6)
Rnd 2: (sc, inc) x 3 times (9)
Rnds 3-5 (3 rnds): 9 sc (9)
Rnd 6: Fold in half and join with 4 sc.

Ear option 2 (for the pink hippo):
Rnd 1: 6 sts in MR (6)
Rnd 2: (sc, inc) x 3 times (9)
Rnd 3: (2 sc, inc) x 3 times (12)
Rnd 4: 12 sc (12)
Rnd 5: (2 sc, dec) x 3 times (9)
Rnd 6: Fold in half and join with 4 sc.

Leave long tails for sewing. Sew the ears to Round 22 of the head.

Arms (Make 2)

With the additional color yarn:

Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR (6)
Rnd 2: inc x 6 times (12)
Rnd 3: 12 sc in BLO (12)
Rnd 4: 12 sc (12)
With the main color yarn:
Rnds 5-6 (2 rnds): 12 sc (12)
Rnd 7: (dec, 2 sc) x 3 times (9)
Rnds 8-16 (9 rnds): 9 sc (9)
Rnd 17: fold in half and join with 4 sc.

Sew to Round 19 of the body before stuffing the head.

Toy Assembly

I sew the pieces of my toys together with Iris-style cotton yarn.

• Sew on the ears. Sew the ears to Rounds 22-23 of the head.
• Sew on the arms. Sew the arms to Round 19 of the body. Secure the remaining yarn tails and hide them inside the body.
• Sew the head to the body.