The Mini Crab Amigurumi is a bright and cheerful crochet project that is a quick and a perfect way to use up colorful yarn scraps from your stash. Whether you’re adding to your amigurumi collection or just need a fun, fast make, you’ll love working up this little crab!
This mini crab amigurumi is a smaller version of our original crab amigurumi. Measuring only 4″ in width (compared to 6″ for the original), these little crabs are super quick to work up, and pretty adorable! They’re a great way to use up small amounts of yarn in any color!
If you are feeling ocean inspired, be sure to check out our whole Amigurumi Ocean Friends Collection on the blog and in our shops! Along with our regular sized and mini crab amigurumi, this collection also includes a whale, stingray, jellyfish, fish, as well as two sizes of sea turtles and seahorses!
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The Mini Crab Amigurumi crochet pattern is available for FREE on this website. If you’d like an ad-free, printable PDF version, you may purchase it for a small fee from my Etsy or Ravelry shops. Thank you so much for supporting Loops & Love Crochet!
To make this crab, you’ll start by working up the body in two pieces that will be stuffed and joined together. The legs and claws are worked up separately and sewn onto the body.
I hope you have fun working up your mini crab amigurumi!
Materials:
- Worsted Weight #4 yarn – You can use any worsted-weight yarn for this project, cotton or acrylic. You’ll need approximately 50 yards in one color. The crabs pictured above are make with WeCrochet/Knit Picks Brava in the Freesia and Marina colorways. For both crabs, a strand of pink yarn (Rouge colorway) was also used for the cheeks.
- 3.5 mm crochet hook
- Safety Eyes – 9 mm size
- Stuffing – any fiber-based stuffing
- Embroidery or crochet thread – a small amount of black for the eyelashes (optional)
- Yarn needle (for weaving in ends and attaching pieces together) – bent yarn needles work great for amigurumi projects.
- Scissors for cutting yarn
Stitches Used:
- Ch – chain
- Sl St – slip stitch
- SC – single crochet
- 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 remaining loops on hook. Here’s a video tutorial for the INV DEC.
Finished Size
- Finished crab measures approximately 4” wide, when measuring across the center from the tip of one leg, across the body, to the tip of the other leg. The body by itself measures approximately 2.5” in diameter.
Important Notes:
- Worked in rounds – This pattern is worked 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.
- 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. This video tutorial will show you the magic circle and working the first rounds of stitches.
- Sew pieces together – after the body and legs/claws are worked up, the legs/claws will be sewn to the body one-by-one with yarn and yarn needle.
The Pattern
Top of Body/Head:
Round 1: Magic circle, ch 1, make 6 SC stitches into ring (6)
Round 2: 2 SC in each stitch around (12)
Round 3: *2 SC in first stitch, SC in next st, repeat from * around (18)
Round 4: *2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 2, repeat from * around (24)
Round 5: *2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 3, repeat from * around (30)
Round 6: *2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 4, repeat from * around (36)
Rounds 7-10: SC in each stitch around (36)
Fasten off, weave in ends.
*Insert safety eyes between rounds 6 and 7 approximately 5-6 stitches apart. Next, stitch on the mouth and cheeks (optional). To form the mouth, use your black yarn or embroidery thread and yarn needle, make two stitches forming a “V” in the center of the crab’s “face, one round up from the bottom edge. To form the cheeks, using a piece of yarn in an accent color and your yarn needle, make a small horizontal stitch (about 2SC in width) below each eye towards the outside of the face.
Weave in or tie off all ends from the mouth and cheeks. These ends can be hidden inside the crab, but be sure to tie off any loose ones to make sure they’re secure.
Bottom of Body:
Round 1: Magic circle, ch 1, make 6 SC stitches into ring (6)
Round 2: 2 SC in each stitch around (12)
Round 3: *2 SC in first stitch, SC in next st, repeat from * around (18)
Round 4: *2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 2, repeat from * around (24)
Round 5: *2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 3, repeat from * around (30)
Round 6: *2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 4, repeat from * around (36)
Fasten off, weave ends.
Claws (make 2)
To form each pincher claw, make two claw pieces and then attach them together.
Claw Pieces (each claw needs 2 claw pieces)
Round 1: Magic circle, ch 1, make 6 SC stitches into ring (6)
Rounds 2-3: SC in each stitch around (6)
Fasten off, leaving a tail to weave in. This is one of the claw pieces.
Next, work up the second claw piece by following rounds 1-3 again, but do not fasten off. Continue to round 4 to join the claw pieces together.
Round 4: While holding the second claw piece (with your hook attached), join the claw pieces with a SC in the next stitch on the first claw piece (the stitch after where you fastened off). Then continue working SC stitches all the way around the claw piece. When you are around all 6 stitches of the first claw piece, continue to SC in each of the 6 stitches around the second claw piece. You will now have worked one full round around both claw pieces. (12)
Round 5: INV DEC, SC in next st, repeat around (8)
Rounds 6: INV DEC, SC in next st, repeat around (6)
Fasten off. Cut your yarn, leaving a long enough tail for sewing. Sew the top closed with your yarn needle by laying the claw flat and passing your yarn needle through both layers of stitches at the top of the claw.
Repeat instructions above to make the second claw. Set both aside for assembly later.
Legs (make 6):
Round 1: Magic circle, ch 1, make 6 SC stitches into ring (6)
Rounds 2-6: SC in each stitch around (6)
Fasten off and cut your yarn, leaving a tail for sewing. Using your yarn needle, sew the tops of the legs closed by laying each leg flat and passing your yarn needle through the tops of the stitches Repeat for all 6 legs.
Crab Amigurumi Assembly
1. Join the Top and Bottom Body Pieces
Place the top and bottom of the body pieces together and line up the stitches. Keep the “right side” of the stitches facing outwards for the bottom of the body. This is not super important because the bottom will be under the crab and not that visible.
Make a slip knot with your yarn. With the bottom of the body facing up, insert your hook through a stitch, passing through both body layers. Place the slip knot on your hook, pull it through the stitches and make a slip stitch. SC in the same stitch and in each stitch around, making sure to pass through both the top and bottom layers of the body and keep the stitches lined up.
When you are about two thirds of the way around, start adding stuffing to the body. Continue working SC stitches around and stuffing the body as you go, making sure you have added enough stuffing before the opening gets too small. Join to first SC with a slip stitch. Fasten off, cut yarn, and weave in ends.
2. Sew Legs and Claws onto the Crab
All the legs and claws are sewn onto the underside of the crab’s body towards the outer edge, just under the ridge formed from joining the body pieces together. Sewing them under the ridge helps hide any stitches from sewing the legs/claws on and allows the crab to sit flat.
Roughly line up where you’d like the legs and claws to be. Line up the claws on the front of the crab, below the eyes. Spread the legs evenly on the sides of the body. You can pin your legs and claws in place before sewing, or just line up each piece as you go.
Use your yarn needle and the yarn tail to attach each leg and claw to the body, one-by-one, sewing in and out of each stitch and passing through a stitch on the body of the crab. Try to place your stitches mostly on the underside of your crab and then make a few through the top by passing your yarn needle behind the ridge of SC stitches formed from joining the body pieces together. This keeps the stitches invisible on the front/top of the crab, but also secures each leg/claw to the edge of the body. When each claw is sewn on, weave in ends inside the body and cut yarn.
You are all finished your Mini Crab Amigurumi! Now you can have fun making more in all different colors.
If you are feeling ocean inspired, check out our other amigurumi ocean friends crochet patterns!
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