Introduction

For a while, wanted to create my own version of the famous amigurumi turtle. I feel like you see them everywhere these days and there are a lot of patterns out there. For most, they are very cute, but I still wanted to improve on the design.

What Needs to Be Sewed

• Fins
• Head

Materials for the Amigurumi Turtle

• 4.5 mm hook
• Stitch markers
• 6 weight chenille yarn (in this pattern I use 2 colors of Sweet Snuggles Lite by Loops & Threads)
  • For the shell : between 40 g and 50 g
  • For the head, body and body parts: between 145 g and 155 g
• Safety eyes 14 mm
• Polyfill

Pattern notes

This pattern is worked in rounds, so it is important to mark the last stitch of each round with a stitch marker.

If no number is provided in front of a stitch, do one.

The pattern is using US terminology.

Terminology

Steps for the Amigurumi Turtle

Front fin (make 2)

R1 : In a magic ring, do 7 sc. (7)

R2 : 7 inc. (14)

R3 : (sc, inc) x 7. (21)

R4 : (2 sc, inc) x 7. (28)

R5 : (3 sc, inc) x 7. (35)

R6 : (4 sc, inc) x 7. (42)

R7 : (5 sc, inc) x 7. (49)

Now we need to close it. To do so, first make an increase in the next stitch, this will give us a total of 50 sts and most importantly, an even number of sts.

Next, fold in half and make sc across, taking 2 sts at a time. For a more detailed explanation on how to do this, please look at the annex.

For one of the legs, pass the yarn through the other side.

Back fin (make 2)

R1 : In a magic ring, do 7 sc. (7)

R2 : 7 inc. (14)

R3 : (sc, inc) x 7. (21)

R4 : (2 sc, inc) x 7. (28)

R5 : (3 sc, inc) x 7. (35)

Now we need to close it. To do so, first make an increase in the next stitch, this will give us a total of 36 sts and again, an even number of sts.

Next, do exactly like the front legs : fold in half and sc across.

For one of the legs, pass the yarn through the other side.

Here are all the legs done:

Shell and Body of the Turtle

Start with the shell colour

R1 : In a magic ring do 6 sc. (6)

R2 : 6 inc. (12)

R3 : (sc, inc) x 6. (18)

R4 : (2 sc, inc) x 6. (24)

R5 : (3 sc, inc) x 6. (30)

R6 : (4 sc, inc) x 6. (36)

R7 : (5 sc, inc) x 6. (42)

R8 : (6sc, inc) x 6. (48)

R9-R12 : 48 sc. (48)

Put a stitch marker in the back loop of the first stitch of R12.

R13 : In FLO, 48 sc.

Change the colour to the body colour.

R14 : In the back loops of R12, 48 sc. (48)

R15 :5 sc, ch 2, sk 2, 12 sc, ch 2, sk 2, 2 sc, 2 BO tog, 2 sc, ch 2, sk 2, 12 sc, ch 2, sk 2, 5 sc. (48)

For R16, some stitches will be the chains from R15. When I do sc into them, I go through the back loop of the chain and if a decrease happens to include a chain, I go through the front loop of the chain, like a normal invisible decrease.

This is how the tail should look after R15 :

R16 : (6 sc, dec) x 6. (42)

R17 : (5 sc, dec) x 6. (36)

R18 : (4 sc, dec) x 6. (30)

It is now time to attach the legs. You can attach them as you like using the chain spaces we created in R15, but if you want a detailed explanation on how I do it, there is one in the annex ! Here are the legs all attached :

R19 : (3 sc, dec) x 6. (24)

R20 : (2 sc, dec) x 6. (3618

R21 : (sc, dec) x 6. (12)

Stuff the body.

R22 : (sc, dec) x 6. (12)

Sew shut.

Head of the Turtle

R1 : In a magic ring do 6 sc. (6)

R2 : 6 inc. (12)

R3 : (sc, inc) x 6. (18)

R4 : (2 sc, inc) x 6. (24)

R5 : (3 sc, inc) x 6. (30)

R6 : (4 sc, inc) x 6. (36)

R7 : (5 sc, inc) x 6. (42)

R8-R14 : 42 sc. (42)

R15 : (5 sc, inc) x 6. (36)

R16 : (4 sc, inc) x 6. (30)

R17 : (3 sc, inc) x 6. (24)

R18 : (2 sc, inc) x 6. (18)

Finished with a sl st in the next stitch.

Add the eyes between R8 and R9, 13 sts apart.

Stuff the head and sew it to the body.

Final Word

This pattern was a lot of fun to design and try out, I hope you had fun making this amigurumi turtle and are pleased with the result!

Thanks for checking out my pattern, don’t hesitate to reach out and show me some pictures of your creations on Instagram (@filmignoncrochet)!

Annex

Closing the legs of the Amigurumi Turtle

What I mean by doing sc across is to through two stitches but treat them as one. So put the hook through two stitches, YO pull through the two stitches, there should be two loops on the hook, YO pull through two.

The trickiest part is the first one. You need to take the first and last stitch of the round you just finished. This may involve some complex maneuver, but you can do it!

The gallery of images below should help you visualize these instructions. The last part is where we pull the tail through the other side of the leg. It is needed only for one of the front legs and one of the back legs.

Attaching the legs of the Amigurumi Turtle

Here’s my preferred way of doing it. I like to have a lot of the leg hanging, but you can adjust it if you’d like.

Take one leg oriented how you want it and put the yarn through the ch 2 space. Until there are 4 sts in and you can see 2 rounds. Like in these images:

Now, put the yarn through the inside part to position it on the left nearest the bottom and secure it by going through four sts, the two ch and the stitches before and after the ch.

I like to go from left to right and the right to left for some extra security.

These images should help see in which stitches to go!

Here it is all done :

2 BO tog

1. Make a bobble stitch into the next stitch, but do not do the last part where you pull through the 6 stitches on the hook.
   
   
2. Next start another bobble stitch in the next stitch.
   
   
3. After this other bobble, you should have 11 loops on your hook. YO and pull through all of them.
   
4. Chain 1 to secure (this chain counts as a stitch).
5. Finish your row like normal and pop out the 2 BO tog at the end.

I provided here some step by step instructions for this technique :

YO, put hook through the first st, YO pull though 1, YO pull through 2 (2 loops on hook).

Repeat until you have 6 loops on your hook.

YO, put hook through the second st, YO pull though 1, YO pull through 2 (7 loops on hook)

Repeat until you have 11 loops on your hook.

YO, pull through all the loops.

Ch1 (counts as a stitch).

There will not be a lot of space on the hook near the end, but it should be feasible. If it is not working with your hook, decrease the number of times you do “YO, put hook through the same st, YO pull though 1, YO pull through 2”. If you do, make sure you still do the same amount in both sts.