This Mini Cow and Ox Amigurumi are so much fun to make! Lunar New Year is coming up, so I thought making a little Ox would be fitting. Later on in the pattern you’ll see him with a cute little scarf in Lunar New Year colors as well! I also couldn’t resist making a fun colored mini cow version with spots too.
As you can see in the photo, this cow and ox amigurumi look great in more neutral colors, as well as in more vivid color combinations! They are only about 5 inches tall, making them a great project to use up yarn leftovers since they only take up a small amount of yarn.
For this pattern, I used WeCrochet Brava yarn for the first time! Have you used it yet? I bought one of the rainbow packs of mini skeins and have been so excited for a project to use them for! The minis are the perfect size for making smaller amigurumi (like this cow and ox amigurumi) because you’ll get 20 small skeins of fun colors for your projects! Plus it is soft and easy to work with!
To make this Mini Cow and Ox Amigurumi, the legs, body and head will be worked up in one piece. The arms, nose, ears, and horns will be worked up separately and sewn on afterwards.
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Materials:
- Worsted weight yarn (#4 weight) – You can use any worsted-weight yarn for this project. You will need a main color, accent color, and a color for the horns. I used a Brava yarn by WeCrochet. The grey cow is made in Dove Heather and Seraphim colorways, while the purple/pink one is made in Lady Slipper and Fairy Tale. For both cows, I used White for the horns and a small piece of black yarn for the nostrils. If you want to make a Lunar New Year colored scarf like mine, I used Wine and Canary colorways.
- 3.5 mm crochet hook (or your preferred hook size for amigurumi).
- Safety eyes – I used 8mm size (or you can embroider on your own eyes as an alternative)
- Black embroidery thread (optional) for the eyelashes
- Stuffing – any fiber-based stuffing (such as PolyFil or Fiberfill).
- Yarn needle for sewing pieces together and weaving in ends. Bent yarn needles work the best for sewing amigurumi pieces together.
Stitches Used:
- Ch – chain
- Sl St – slip stitch
- SC – single crochet
- SC INC – single crochet increase – two single crochet stitches worked into one stitch. SC INC Video Tutorial HERE.
- INV DEC – invisible single crochet decrease – insert hook into front loop of next stitch, then insert your hook into the front loop of the following stitch (3 loops on hook). Yarn over and draw through 2 loops (2 loops on hook), yarn over and pull through 2 remining loops on hook. INV DEC Video Tutorial HERE
Important Notes:
- Magic Circle – Make a circle with your yarn, insert crochet hook into circle and draw up a loop. Chain one and then start making the stitches of round 1 into the ring. If you are unsure of how to make a magic circle, check out my tutorial on YouTube.
- Continuous Rounds – Most of this pattern is worked up in continuous rounds, which means that you will not be joining the last stitch of the round with the first one. Instead you’ll need to keep track of where each round started and how many stitches you have made because after each round you’ll continue right on to the stitches of the next round (with no join). It is useful to use a stitch marker (or a piece of yarn) to mark the start or end of each round.
- Color Changes – When working color changes, I like to use this method: Work the last stitch of the round as you would normally right up until the last yarn over. Then yarn over in the new color and complete the stitch. Then continue on in the new color until your next color change. Make sure you work over the yarn tails for a few stitches so they are secure. You can also weave them in later. When working in continuous rounds, the color changes might be more visible.
Legs (make 2)
*Stuff the legs as you go. Make sure that you firmly stuff the legs and body sections, but not so firmly that you can see the stuffing through the stitches.
Round 1: In accent color, magic circle, chain 1, make 6 SC into ring (6)
Round 2: 2 SC in each stitch around (12)
Rounds 3-4: SC in each stitch around (12)
Change to main color.
Rounds 5-7: SC in each stitch around (12)
Fasten off on one leg and cut yarn (leaving a tail). Follow the instructions above one more time to make the second leg. When you finish working up the second leg, do not fasten off. Stuff the legs about ¾ of the way up (leaving space at the top of the leg so that when you start working the body, the stuffing isn’t getting caught in your stitches). Move to round 1 of the body and the joining the legs instructions below.
BODY
Round 1: Joining the legs: On the second leg, chain 2, and then join the legs with a SC in the next stitch on the first leg (after where you fastened off). Continue to SC in each stitch around the first leg. When you are around to the chain stitches, SC in each of the 2 chains and then continue to SC in each of the stitches on the second leg. Lastly, SC in each of the 2 chain stitches again (this will be on the other side of the chain). You’ll have made a total of 28 SC stitches this round. This is the end of round 1 of the body and you will start round 2 from here (use a stitch marker or a piece of yarn to keep track of where your rounds start and end). See the photo below from a different pattern if you need help with joining the legs or check out the video tutorial link below!
Note – When joining the legs, if you are having trouble working the SC stitches into both sides of the chain 2, I find it helpful to keep my chain flat and insert my hook into each of the chain stitches from the bottom of the chain. This helps make sure that I am crocheting in one side of the chain in the first part of the round, and then crocheting in the other side of the chain in the last part of the round, without twisting the chain.
I made a quick video tutorial to help you with the steps below for joining legs in amigurumi projects. The only difference in the video is that there are no chain stitches between the legs, otherwise the steps will be the same. You can find the video tutorial on YouTube here. I’d love it if you subscribed to my channel while you’re there too!)
Rounds 2-6: SC in each stitch around (28)
Round 7: INV DEC, SC in next 5 stitches, repeat around. (24)
Rounds 8-9: SC in each stitch around. (24)
Round 10: INV DEC, SC in next 2 stitches, repeat around. (18)
*Remember to stuff the body as you go, making sure you have added enough stuffing to the body as your work your way up to the top.
Round 11: SC in each stitch around (18)
Round 12: INV DEC, SC in next stitch, repeat around. (12)
Round 13: SC in each stitch around (12)
Make sure you have added enough stuffing to the legs/body, and then move onto the head instructions below.
HEAD
Stuff the top of body, neck area, and head as you go. If you work up about half of the head, it’s easier to push some stuffing down into the top of body and neck area.
Round 1: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next, repeat around (18)
Round 2: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 2, repeat around (24)
Round 3: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 3, repeat around (30)
Round 4: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 4, repeat around (36)
Rounds 5-12: SC in each stitch around (36)
*Insert safety eyes between rounds 10 and 11, about 7 stitches apart in the middle of the face. If you are adding eyelashes, first place the safety eyes where you would like them, but do not secure the back. Take the safety eyes out and use your yarn needle to stitch on the eyelashes first. Then place the safety eyes back in and secure the backs. See the photo below from a different one of my patterns.
Round 13: INV DEC, SC in next 4, repeat around (30)
Round 14: INV DEC, SC in next 3, repeat around (24)
Round 15: INV DEC, SC in next 2, repeat around (18)
Round 16: INV DEC, SC in next stitch, repeat around (12)
*Make sure the head is well-stuffed before the opening gets too small.
Fasten off. Weave in ends and cut yarn.
Nose
Row/Round 1: In accent color, chain 4, SC in 2nd chain from hook and in next stitch, 4 SC in next (this is the last chain). Now, working on the other side of the chain, SC in next stitch, 2 SC in last stitch at the end (this is the same stitch as where you started). Join with a sl st to first SC of the round, ch 1. (10)
Round 2: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 3, 2 SC in next 2, SC in next 3, 2 SC in last stitch at the end (the same as where you started). Join with a sl st to first SC. (14)
Fasten off. Weave in one of the yarn tails, leave the other one to sew onto the face.
Use your yarn needle and a strand of black yarn to stitch on the nostrils. Then sew the nose to the face, with the top of the nose lining up with the eyes.
ARMS (make 2)
Round 1: In accent color, magic circle, chain 1, make 6 SC into ring (6)
Round 2: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next, repeat around (9)
Round 3: SC in each stitch around (9)
Change to main color.
Rounds 4-10: SC in each stitch around (9)
Fasten off, leaving a tail to sew on to the body after. Use your yarn needle to sew the top of each arm closed. Attach the arms on the sides of the body lining up with the 2nd round from the top of the body.
EARS (make 2)
Round 1: In accent color, magic circle, chain 1, make 6 SC into ring (6)
Round 2: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 2 stitches, repeat around (8)
Rounds 3-7: SC in each stitch around (8)
Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
Fold the end of the ear in half and use your yarn needle to stitch around the top. This will give a slight curl to the ear. Then sew the ear to the head at around the 4th round from the top of the head. If you are planning to give your mini cow or ox horns, make sure you leave a little bit of room between the ears.
HORNS (make 2)
Round 1: In white, magic circle, chain 1, make 4 SC into ring (4)
Round 2: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next stitch, repeat around (6)
Rounds 3-4: SC in each stitch around 6)
Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing.
Sew the horns to the top of the head, between the ears.
SPOTS
As an option, you can add spots to your cow/ox. Make as many as you like!
Round 1: In accent color, magic circle, chain 1, make 6 SC into ring (6)
Round 2: 2 SC in each stitch around (12)
Sl st to first SC and fasten off, leaving a tail to sew onto your cow. You can sew these on wherever you like!
TAIL
If you’d like to give your cow or ox amigurumi a little tail, follow these steps:
1) Cut two strands of yarn about 6” long. (I did one in the accent color and one in the main color).
2) Place the strands together and fold them in half. Choose a place on the back of your cow for the tail. Pass your crochet hook through this stitch and use it grab the folded yarn and pull it through the stitch just enough that you have a loop pulled through.
3) Now, pass the ends of the yarn through the loop to make a knot and pull it tight.
4) Trim the tail to you desired length.
SCARF
I made my ox for Lunar New Year so I gave him a cute little scarf in the new year colors! Here’s how to make it, if you’d like to add a cozy scarf to your cow and ox amigurumi too! You can use one color or a combination of two as pictured below.
Row 1: In first color, ch 26, SC in 2nd chain from hook and in each chain across. Change to second color at the end of the last SC of the row. Ch 1, turn. (25)
Row 2: SC in each stitch across.
Fasten off. Sew scarf around your cow or ox’s neck, weave in ends.
That’s it! You’re all done! I hope you love your Mini Cow and Ox Amigurumi you have made!
If you’d like to check out my other mini amigurumi projects, I have a mini kitty amigurumi and a mini bunny amigurumi on the blog too! Check out the rest of the free crochet patterns on the blog too!
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*You may make and sell any items made from my patterns, but please link back to my blog or Loops & Love Crochet as the designer. Please do not copy this pattern or photos and share as your own, in part or in whole. Instead, link back to the Loops and Love Crochet blog (especially when selling items you make from my patterns). Thank you!