This Hippo Amigurumi is so soft and huggable! Perfect for gifting to a special little one in your life, or it can sit on a shelf as a decoration too! For an extra cuddly hippo amigurumi, you can use a worsted-weight velvet/chenille type yarn for this project, but it also works up wonderfully in a regular worsted-weight yarn too.
Recently, I let each of my daughters pick an animal they wanted for a larger, extra cuddly amigurumi. My oldest chose an elephant (Elephant Amigurumi crochet pattern here) and my youngest chose a hippo! They are both super fun animals to make so I was happy to get working on their choices. My girls loved watching these two animals come together and were so excited to finally get their new stuffie!
For this pattern, the body and head will be worked up in one piece. The legs, arms, nose/snout, and ears 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 your hippo amigurumi. You will need approximately 200yd/182m in a main color and 20yd/18m in an accent color. I used Lion Brand Naptime yarn in Pale Aqua and Lilac colorways. This yarn is a super soft velvet/chenille yarn and makes a super soft and fuzzy crochet project with extra squish. This pattern also works well with a regular worsted-weight yarn too.
- 4 mm (or 3.5mm) crochet hook – The 4mm worked well for the fuzzy textured yarn I was using because I could not see the stitches if I went any smaller. If you crochet loosely, you may want to go down to a 3.5mm hook so the stitches are nice and tight, and the stuffing can’t be seen through the stitches. You can also choose your preferred hook size for amigurumi.
- Safety eyes – I used 12mm size (or you can embroider on your own eyes as an alternative)
- 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.
Finished Size:
- When finished, this hippo amigurumi measures approximately 12” tall from head to feet with the legs hanging straight. If you use a smaller crochet hook, it may turn out a little bit smaller.
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 Channel.
- Continuous Rounds – 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 will 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.
The Pattern
To make this hippo amigurumi, we will start by making all of the pieces (body/head, snout, legs, arms, ears). Then you will find instructions later in the pattern on how to join the parts together to assemble your hippo amigurumi.
Body
Stuff the body as you go. Make sure that the lower portion of the body is stuffed to your desired firmness before the opening is too narrow at the top of the body.
Round 1: In main color, magic circle, chain 1, make 6 SC into ring (6)
Round 2: 2 SC in each st around (12)
Round 3: 2 SC in first st, SC in next st, repeat around (18)
Round 4: 2 SC in first st, SC in next 2 sts, repeat around (24)
Round 5: 2 SC in first st, SC in next 3 sts, repeat around (30)
Round 6: 2 SC in first st, SC in next 4 sts, repeat around (36)
Round 7: 2 SC in first st, SC in next 5 sts, repeat around (42)
Round 8: 2 SC in first st, SC in next 6 sts, repeat around (48)
Rounds 9-20: SC in each stitch around (48)
Round 21: INV DEC, SC in next 6 sts, repeat around (42)
Round 22: SC in each stitch around (42)
Round 23: INV DEC, SC in next 5 sts, repeat around (36)
Rounds 24-25: SC in each stitch around (36)
Round 26: INV DEC, SC in next 4 sts, repeat around (30)
Rounds 27-28: SC in each stitch around (30)
Round 29: INV DEC, SC in next 3 sts, repeat around (24)
Rounds 30-31: SC in each stitch around (24)
Round 32: INV DEC, SC in next 2 sts, repeat around (18)
Rounds 33-34: SC in each stitch around (18)
This ends the body portion of the pattern. Do not fasten off. Continue to the instructions below for the rounds that will work up the head. Round count will start at 1 for working the head portion of the pattern.
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 at that point. Make sure you stuff the neck area enough to help prevent the head from wobbling. Remember to stuff firmly, but not so much that you see the stuffing through the stitches.
Round 1: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 2 sts, repeat around (24)
Round 2: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 3 sts, repeat around (30)
Round 3: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 4 sts, repeat around (36)
Round 4: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 5 sts, repeat around (42)
Round 5: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 6 sts, repeat around (48)
Round 6: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 7 sts, repeat around (54)
Rounds 7-14: SC in each stitch around (54)
*Insert safety eyes between rounds 13 and 14, about 9 stitches apart in the middle of the face.
Round 15: INV DEC, SC in next 7, repeat around (48)
Round 16: INV DEC, SC in next 6, repeat around (42)
Round 17: INV DEC, SC in next 5, repeat around (36)
Round 18: INV DEC, SC in next 4, repeat around (30)
Round 19: INV DEC, SC in next 3, repeat around (24)
Round 20: INV DEC, SC in next 2, repeat around (18)
*Make sure the head is well-stuffed before the opening gets too small.
Round 21: INV DEC, SC in next stitch, repeat around (12)
Round 22: INV DEC around (6)
Fasten off and cut yarn. Use your yarn needle to sew the top of the head closed. Weave in ends.
Snout
Round 1: In main color, chain 8, 2 SC in 2nd ch from hook, SC in next 5 sts, 4 SC in last chain. Now, working on the other side of the chain, SC in next 5 sts, 2 SC in last st (this will be in the same place as where you started) (18)
Round 2: 2 SC in first 2 sts, SC in next 5 sts, 2 sc in each of the next 4 sts, SC next 5 sts, 2 SC in each of the last 2 sts (26)
Round 3: 2 SC in first st, SC in next 11 sts, 2 sc in next 2 sts, SC next 11 sts, 2 SC in st (30)
Rounds 4-7: SC in each stitch around (30)
Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing snout onto hippo’s head.
Using some of the accent color yarn and your needle, stitch on the nostrils on each end of the snout. I lined mine up with where the first and last stitch of my starting chain is, right in the front/middle of the snout.
Add some stuffing to the snout. This will help keep the shape. Line up the snout in the center of the hippo amigurumi’s face, right below the eyes. Pass your yarn needle up and down through each stitch around the outside of the snout, passing through a stitch on the face each time. When you’ve worked your way around the whole snout, weave in ends and cut yarn.
Ears (make 2)
Round 1: In accent color, magic circle, chain 1, make 6 SC into ring (6)
Round 2: 2 SC in each st around (12)
Round 3: 2 SC in first st, SC in next st , repeat around (18)
Fasten off. You can weave in the yarn tail now, or crochet over it in the next step to secure it. This circle will be the inner ear part. Next, using the main color, repeat rounds 1-3. Do not fasten off on the second circle.
Next, place the first circle in the accent color on top of the second circle in the main color and line up the stitches. Pass your hook through the last stitch where you left off on the top circle and grab the loop of yarn from the circle on the bottom. Pull the loop through to the front. Chain 1 and follow rounds 4 and 5 below, making sure to work through both layers of stitches. (See photos below).
Next, add some shape to the ears by pinching a fold in the top of each ear and using your yarn needle and yarn tail to sew the fold together, creating more of a teardrop shaped ear. See the photos below.
Round 4: 2 SC in first st, SC in next 2 sts , repeat around (24)
Round 5: SC in each stitch around (24)
Fasten off. Leave a long tail to sew the ear onto the head of your hippo amigurumi. Repeat rounds 1-5 again for the second ear.
Next, add some shape to the ears by pinching a fold in the top of each ear and using your yarn needle and yarn tail to sew the fold together, creating more of a teardrop shaped ear. See the photos below.
Line up each ear on the hippo’s head. The point of the teardrop shape on the ear should line up in about the 4th or 5th round from the top of the head. The accent color in the ear should be facing the front. Using your yarn needle, sew in and out of the stitches making the folded part at the top of the ear passing up and down through a stitch on the head with each stitch. When ears are secure, weave in ends and cut yarn.
Arms (make 2)
*Stuff the arms as you go. Firmly stuff the bottom of the arms, but gently stuff the rest of the way up. The more you stuff the arms, the farther the arms will sit from the body when you sew them on.
Round 1: In accent color, magic circle, chain 1, make 6 SC into ring (6)
Round 2: 2 SC in each st around (12)
Round 3: 2 SC in first st, SC in next st, repeat around (18)
Change to main color.
Rounds 4-7: SC in each stitch around (18)
Round 8: INV DEC, SC in next stitch, repeat around (12)
Rounds 9-20: SC in each stitch around (12)
Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Use your yarn needle to sew the top of each arm closed.
Line up the arms on the body at around the second round below the head, leaving a small gap between the arms and head as a neck space. Sew in and out of each stitch at the top of each arm and passing through a stitch on the body. When the arms are secure, weave in ends and cut yarn tails. If you would like the arms to curve towards the front of the body, you can sew them on at a bit of an angle too.
Legs (make 2)
*Stuff the legs as you go. Firmly stuff the foot and lower leg, then gently stuff the rest of the way up the leg.
Round 1: In accent color, magic circle, chain 1, make 6 SC into ring (6)
Round 2: 2 SC in each st around (12)
Round 3: 2 SC in first st, SC in next st, repeat around (18)
Round 4: 2 SC in first st, SC in next 2 sts, repeat around (24)
Change to main color.
Rounds 5-9: SC in each stitch around (24)
Round 10: SC in first 8 sts, INV DEC four times (in the next 8 sts), SC in last 8 sts (20)
Round 11: SC in first 6 sts, INV DEC four times (in the next 8 sts), SC in last 6 sts (16)
Round 12: SC in first 6 sts, INV DEC two times (in the next 4 sts), SC in last 6 sts (14)
Rounds 13-22: SC in each stitch around (14)
Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Make sure you are finished stuffing the legs before you sew the tops closed. To sew the top of each leg closed, turn the leg so the front of the foot is facing you. Flatten the top of the leg so the stitches are on lined up on top of each other. Use your yarn needle to sew back and forth through the stitches closing the top of the leg.
Line up where you want the legs to be on the body. I lined them up more towards the front of the body so that the hippo can sit without falling over. Note that depending on where the legs are, your hippo might need to lean against something to sit. Attach the legs to the body by sewing through each stitch at the top of each leg and passing through a stitch on the body. When you are finished, the legs should be able to hang straight or fold up for sitting. Weave in ends and cut yarn.
That’s it! You’re all done making your Hippo Amigurumi! I hope you loved working up this pattern and how your hippo turned out!
If you liked making this hippo amigurumi, be sure to check out the elephant amigurumi pattern on the blog too!
For more amigurumi projects, check out the many other amigurumi patterns you can find on the blog right HERE!
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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!
Alexandra
Tuesday 23rd of March 2021
Adorable!