Lion

Free crochet lion pattern.

With this pattern, you can crochet a lion. Any acrylic yarn, cotton yarn, or cotton blend yarn will work for this amigurumi, along with an appropriately sized crochet hook.

Materials and Tools

• Yarn: yellow, cream, brown, and orange
• Crochet hook
• 15 mm safety eyes
• Fiberfill
• Needle for sewing the pieces together
• Scissors

Abbreviations

• MR — magic ring
• ch — chain stitch
• sl st — slip stitch
• sc — single crochet
• tr — treble crochet
• inc — increase
• dec — decrease
• BLO — back loop only
• (...) x n — repeat n times

Crochet Amigurumi Lion Pattern

Paw Pads for the Arms and Legs

Instead of attaching separate paw pads to the arms and legs, you can simply start with cream yarn for Rounds 1–3 of the arms and Rounds 1–4 of the legs, then switch to yellow yarn for the remaining rounds. I prefer making separate pads, but crocheting them directly into the pieces is definitely easier.

Shaping the Head

• Cut a piece of yarn about 35 cm long. Tie a large, secure knot at one end and thread the other end through a yarn needle.
• Insert the needle through the opening at the back of the head and stitch between the two points where you will place the eyes.
• Pull the yarn tight to create an indentation.
• Tie a knot and hide the yarn tail inside the head.

Head

With yellow yarn:

1. 6 sc in MR (6)
2. inc in each stitch (12)
3. (sc, inc) (18)
4. sc, inc, (2 sc, inc) x 5, sc (24)
5. (3 sc, inc) (30)
6. 2 sc, inc, (4 sc, inc) x 5, 2 sc (36)
7. (5 sc, inc) (42)
8. 3 sc, inc, (6 sc, inc) x 5, 3 sc (48)
9. (7 sc, inc) (54)
10. 4 sc, inc, (8 sc, inc) x 5, 4 sc (60)
11-20. sc in each stitch (60)
21. 4 sc, dec, (8 sc, dec) x 5, 4 sc (54)
22. (7 sc, dec) (48)
23. 3 sc, dec, (6 sc, dec) x 5, 3 sc (42)
24. (5 sc, dec) (36)
25. 2 sc, dec, (4 sc, dec) x 5, 2 sc (30)

Fill the head about three-quarters full. Decide on the eye placement and shape the head by stitching between the two marked points. Insert and secure the eyes.

26. (3 sc, dec) (24)

Finish stuffing. Fasten off, leaving a long yarn tail for sewing.

Muzzle

With cream yarn:

1. Start with a chain: ch 5, inc in the 2nd chain from the hook, 2 sc, 5 sc in the last chain. Working along the other side of the chain: 2 sc, 3 sc in the last chain (14)
2. inc, 4 sc, (inc) x 3, 4 sc, (inc) x 2 (20)
3. inc, 6 sc, (inc) x 2, sc, inc, 6 sc, (inc) x 2, sc (26)
4. inc, 8 sc, (inc, sc) x 2, inc, 8 sc, (inc, sc) x 2 (32)
5. inc, 10 sc, inc, 2 sc, inc, sc, inc, 10 sc, inc, 2 sc, inc, sc (38)
6-7. sc in each stitch (38)
8. sc in each stitch; crochet the last 3 stitches together (36)

Fasten off, leaving a long yarn tail for sewing. Sew the muzzle three-quarters of the way around the head, leaving a small opening for stuffing. Stuff, then finish sewing the remaining quarter closed.

Nose

With brown yarn:

1. 6 sc in MR (6)
2. (sc, inc) (9)
3. (2 sc, inc) (12)
4. (3 sc, inc) (15)
5. (4 sc, inc) (18)
Change to yellow yarn:
6-10. sc in each stitch (18)

Fasten off, leaving a long yarn tail for sewing. Fold the top opening in half and close it with sl st.

Ears (Make 2)

With yellow yarn:

1. 6 sc in MR (6)
2. inc in each stitch (12)
3. (sc, inc) (18)
4. sc, inc, (2 sc, inc) x 5, sc (24)
5. (3 sc, inc) (30)
6. sc in each stitch (30)
7. (3 sc, dec) (24)
8. sc, dec, (2 sc, dec) x 5, sc (18)
9. (sc, dec) (12)

Fasten off, leaving a long yarn tail for sewing. Fold the top opening in half and close it with sl st.

Mane

With orange yarn:

1. ch 57, turn
2. 8 tr in the 4th ch from the hook, skip 2 stitches, sl st (skip 2 stitches, 8 tr, sl st) (54)

Fasten off, leaving a long yarn tail for sewing.

Body

With yellow yarn:

1. 6 sc in MR (6)
2. inc in each stitch (12)
3. (sc, inc) (18)
4. sc, inc, (2 sc, inc) x 5, sc (24)
5. (3 sc, inc) (30)
6. 2 sc, inc, (4 sc, inc) x 5, 2 sc (36)
7. (5 sc, inc) (42)
8. 3 sc, inc, (6 sc, inc) x 5, 3 sc (48)
9. (7 sc, inc) (54)
10. 4 sc, inc, (8 sc, inc) x 5, 4 sc (60)
11-17. sc in each stitch (60)
18. 4 sc, dec, (8 sc, dec) x 5, 4 sc (54)
19. sc in each stitch (54)
20. (7 sc, dec) (48)
21. sc in each stitch (48)
22. 3 sc, dec, (6 sc, dec) x 5, 3 sc (42)
23-24. sc in each stitch (42)
25. (5 sc, dec) (36)
26-27. sc in each stitch (36)
28. 2 sc, dec, (4 sc, dec) x 5, 2 sc (30)
29-30. sc in each stitch (30)
31. (3 sc, dec) (24)

Fasten off. Stuff firmly.

Belly

With cream yarn:

1. ch 5, inc in the 2nd chain from the hook, 2 sc, 5 sc in the last chain. Working along the other side of the chain: 2 sc, 3 sc in the last chain (14)
2. inc, 4 sc, (inc) x 3, 4 sc, (inc) x 2 (20)
3. inc, 6 sc, (inc) x 2, sc, inc, 6 sc, (inc) x 2, sc (26)
4. inc, 8 sc, (inc, sc) x 2, inc, 8 sc, (inc, sc) x 2 (32)
5. inc, 10 sc, inc, 2 sc, inc, sc, inc, 10 sc, inc, 2 sc, inc, sc (38)
6. inc, 12 sc, (inc, 2 sc) x 2, inc, 12 sc, (inc, 2 sc) x 2 (44)
7. inc, 14 sc, inc, 3 sc, inc, 2 sc, inc, 14 sc, inc, 3 sc, inc, 2 sc (50)

Fasten off, leaving a yarn tail for sewing.

Arms (Make 2)

With yellow yarn:

1. 6 sc in MR (6)
2. inc in each stitch (12)
3. (sc, inc) (18)
4. sc, inc, (2 sc, inc) x 5, sc (24)
5. BLO: sc in each stitch (24)
6-8. sc in each stitch (24)
9. 11 sc, dec, 11 sc (23)
10. sc in each stitch (23)
11. 21 sc, dec (22)
12. sc in each stitch (22)
13. 10 sc, dec, 10 sc (21)
14. sc in each stitch (21)
15. 19 sc, dec (20)
16. sc in each stitch (20)
17. 9 sc, dec, 9 sc (19)
18. sc in each stitch (19)
19. 17 sc, dec (18)
20. sc in each stitch (18)
21. 8 sc, dec, 8 sc (17)
22. sc in each stitch (17)
23. 15 sc, dec (16)
24-25. sc in each stitch (16)
26. (2 sc, dec) (12)

Fasten off, leaving a long yarn tail for sewing. Stuff firmly with fiberfill. Fold the top opening in half and close it with sl st.

Arm Pads (Make 2)

With cream yarn:

1. 6 sc in MR (6)
2. inc in each stitch (12)
3. (sc, inc) (18)

Fasten off, leaving a yarn tail for sewing.

Legs (Make 2)

With yellow yarn:

1. 6 sc in MR (6)
2. inc in each stitch (12)
3. (sc, inc) (18)
4. sc, inc, (2 sc, inc) x 5, sc (24)
5. (3 sc, inc) (30)
6. BLO: sc in each stitch (30)
7-9. sc in each stitch (30)
10. 14 sc, dec, 14 sc (29)
11. 27 sc, dec (28)
12. 13 sc, dec, 13 sc (27)
13. 25 sc, dec (26)
14. 12 sc, dec, 12 sc (25)
15. 23 sc, dec (24)
16. 11 sc, dec, 11 sc (23)
17. 21 sc, dec (22)
18. 10 sc, dec, 10 sc (21)
19. 19 sc, dec (20)
20. 9 sc, dec, 9 sc (19)
21. 17 sc, dec (18)
22. (7 sc, dec) (16)
23. (2 sc, dec) (12)

Fasten off, leaving a long yarn tail for sewing. Stuff firmly with fiberfill. Fold the top opening in half and close it with sl st.

Foot Pads (Make 2)

With cream yarn:

1. 6 sc in MR (6)
2. inc in each stitch (12)
3. (sc, inc) (18)
4. (2 sc, inc) (24)

Fasten off, leaving a long yarn tail for sewing.

Tail

Cut 12 strands of orange yarn, each approximately 15 cm long. With yellow yarn:

1. 6 sc in MR (6)
2-8. 6 sc (6)

Fasten off, leaving a long yarn tail for sewing. Fold the top opening in half and close it with sl st. Attach the cut yarn strands to the tip of the tail and trim them to your desired length.