Little Giraffe

Free crochet tutorial for Little Giraffe by Nataliya Lobzova.

With this pattern, you can crochet a cotton giraffe. For this amigurumi project, you will need any cotton blend yarn, such as ALIZE Cotton Gold. You can also choose another yarn with similar yardage. The eyes are crocheted with a different, thinner yarn, VITA cotton COCO. The nostrils are made with black rhinestones.

Materials and tools

• ALIZE Cotton Gold yarn, 55% cotton, 45% acrylic, 330 m/100 g, in yellow and brown
• VITA cotton COCO yarn, 200 m/50 g, plus a little thin white and blue yarn for the eyes
• 2 mm crochet hook (main) and 1.5 mm crochet hook (for the eyes)
• 6 mm safety eyes
• 10 mm black sew-on rhinestones
• Toy stuffing
• Stitch markers
• Pins
• Wire
• Needle for sewing the pieces together
• Scissors

Abbreviations

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

Crochet pattern for a blue-eyed amigurumi giraffe

Head

Start with brown yarn.

Rnd 1: 8 sc in MR
Rnd 2: (2 inc 3-in-1, 2 sc) x 2 = 16 sc
Rnd 3: (2 sc, 2 inc, 4 sc) x 2 = 20 sc
Rnd 4: (3 sc, 2 inc, 5 sc) x 2 = 24 sc
Rnd 5: (inc, 3 sc) x 6 = 30 sc
Rnd 6: (3 sc, inc, 1 sc) x 6 = 36 sc
Rnd 7-8: 36 sc

Make a sl st, cut the yarn, and fasten off. Continue with yellow yarn.

Rnd 9: work 36 sc as front post single crochet stitches
Rnd 10: (dec, 16 sc) x 2 = 34 sc
Rnd 11: 34 sc
Rnd 12: (8 sc, dec, 7 sc) x 2 = 32 sc
Rnd 13: 32 sc
Rnd 14: (dec, 14 sc) x 2 = 30 sc
Rnd 15-16: 30 sc
Rnd 17: (inc, 9 sc) x 3 = 33 sc
Rnd 18: (6 sc, inc, 4 sc) x 3 = 36 sc
Rnd 19-24: 36 sc
Rnd 25: (dec, 4 sc) x 6 = 30 sc
Stuff
Rnd 26: (2 sc, dec, 1 sc) x 6 = 24 sc
Rnd 27: (dec, 2 sc) x 6 = 18 sc
Rnd 28: (1 sc, dec) x 6 = 12 sc
Stuff
Rnd 29: 6 dec = 6 sc

Make a sl st, cut the yarn, thread the tail through the remaining stitches, and close the opening.

Neck

Crochet with yellow yarn.

Rnd 1: pick up 18 sc directly around the head, approximately 8 rounds back from the brown muzzle and toward the back of the head
Rnd 2-3: 18 sc
Rnd 4: inc, 17 = 19 sc
Rnd 5-6: 19 sc
Rnd 7: 10 sc, inc, 8 sc = 20 sc
Rnd 8-9: 20 sc
Rnd 10: inc, 19 = 21 sc
Rnd 11-12: 21 sc
Rnd 13: 11 sc, inc, 9 sc = 22 sc
Rnd 14-15: 22 sc
Rnd 16: inc, 21 = 23 sc
Rnd 17-18: 23 sc
Rnd 19: 12 sc, inc, 10 sc = 24 sc
Rnd 20: 24 sc

Make a sl st, cut the yarn, leaving a tail for sewing, and fasten off.

Body

Crochet with yellow yarn.

Rnd 1: 8 sc in MR
Rnd 2: (2 inc 3-in-1, 2 sc) x 2 = 16 sc
Rnd 3: (1 sc, 4 inc, 3 sc) x 2 = 24 sc
Rnd 4: (inc, 3 sc) x 6 = 30 sc
Rnd 5: (3 sc, inc, 1 sc) x 6 = 36 sc
Rnd 6: (inc, 5 sc) x 6 = 42 sc
Rnd 7: (4 sc, inc, 9 sc) x 3 = 45 sc
Rnd 8-22: 45 sc
Rnd 23: (7 sc, dec, 6 sc) x 3 = 42 sc
Rnd 24: (3 sc, dec, 2 sc) x 6 = 36 sc
Rnd 25: (dec, 4 sc) x 6 = 30 sc
Stuff
Rnd 26: (2 sc, dec, 1 sc) x 6 = 24 sc
Rnd 27: 2 sc, 4 dec, 4 sc, 4 dec, 2 sc = 16 sc

Stuff

Rnd 28: 8 dec = 8 sc

Make a sl st, cut the yarn, and close the opening.

Legs, make 4

Start with brown yarn.

Rnd 1: 8 sc in MR
Rnd 2: 8 inc = 16 sc
Rnd 3: (inc, 3 sc) x 4 = 20 sc
Rnd 4: 20 sc

Make a sl st, cut the yarn, and fasten off. Continue with yellow yarn.

Rnd 5: work 20 sc as front post single crochet stitches
Rnd 6: (dec, 8 sc) x 2 = 18 sc
Rnd 7-12: 18 sc

Now work extra rows along the sides. Since the legs are straight, it does not matter where you place them. Pull the loop of the main yarn a little longer so you do not lose it.

Somewhere on the opposite side of the leg, join a second strand of yarn from another ball. Starting in the stitch after the join, work 1 sc, sl st, cut the yarn, but do not fasten off; simply pull out the tail.

From the first joining point, count back one more stitch. Join yarn from the second ball again in the next stitch, work 5 sc, sl st, and pull out the yarn tail again. Return to the held main yarn.

Rnd 13: 18 sc

Make a sl st, cut the yarn, leaving a tail for sewing, and fasten off. Tie the beginning tails of the secondary yarn together inside the leg, and tie the ending tails together as well.

Stuff and sew on the legs. When sewing, pull the higher side section slightly farther up onto the body, otherwise the leg will form an unattractive bump. Do not sew all the way around at once; when only a small opening remains, stuff more firmly, then finish sewing.

Stuff the neck and sew it on about 7 rounds back from the body's starting ring, stretching it slightly in all directions. Add a little more stuffing before you finish sewing.

Tail

Crochet with brown yarn.

Rnd 1: work 6 sc with elongated loops into MR
Rnd 2: 2 sc, dec, 2 sc = 5 sc
Rnd 3-6: 5 sc

Make a sl st, cut the yarn, leaving a tail for sewing, and fasten off. Stuff the tail and sew it to the top of the rump.

Eyes, make 2

Use thin yarn and a small crochet hook.

Eye white (white):

Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR
Rnd 2: 6 inc = 12 sc
Rnd 3: (inc, 1 sc) x 6 = 18 sc

Make a sl st, cut the yarn, leaving a tail for sewing, and fasten off. Sew the eyes on 6 rounds back from the brown muzzle, with 2 stitches between them.

Iris (blue)

Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR
Rnd 2: 6 inc = 12 sc

Make a sl st, cut the yarn, leaving a tail for sewing, and fasten off.

Sew each iris onto the eye white at a slight inward angle.

Place the rhinestone pupils at the same inward angle. Sew each one on with two doubled strands of sewing thread; that is enough. With every stitch, pull the thread firmly but carefully so the rhinestone lies snugly against the surface.

Sew on the bead nostrils.

Horns, make 2

Crochet with brown yarn.

Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR
Rnd 2: 6 sc
Rnd 3: (dec, 1 sc) x 2 = 4 sc
Rnd 4-5: 4 sc

Make a sl st, cut the yarn, leaving a tail for sewing, and fasten off. If possible, stuff the horns and sew them to the top of the head, about 4 rounds above the eyes, with 3-4 stitches between them.

Ears, make 2

Crochet with yellow yarn.

Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR
Rnd 2: 6 inc = 12 sc
Rnd 3-4: 12 sc
Rnd 5: (dec, 4 sc) x 2 = 10 sc
Rnd 6: 10 sc
Rnd 7: (2 sc, dec, 1 sc) x 2 = 8 sc
Rnd 8: 8 sc
Rnd 9: (dec, 2 sc) x 2 = 6 sc

Make a sl st, cut the yarn, leaving a tail for sewing, and fasten off. Do not stuff the ears. Sew them on under the horns, about 6 rounds below them.

Spots

Crochet with brown yarn. Split the strand lengthwise in half and use a small crochet hook.

Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR
Rnd 2: 6 inc = 12 sc
Rnd 3: (inc, 1 sc) x 6 = 18 sc
Rnd 4: (2 sc, inc) x 6 = 24 sc

Make a sl st, cut the yarn, leaving a tail for sewing, and fasten off. Sew the spots on in any arrangement you like, crocheting as many as needed.

Your crocheted little giraffe is ready! Please credit the author on social media: Nataliya Lobzova.