How to Crochet a Chicken (Easy Amigurumi Pattern, Step by Step)

1. 1

   Step 1: Start the Body with a Magic Ring

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   The chicken starts as a small flat disc. Make a magic ring in your bulky body color and work eight single crochet inside it, then pull the ring closed so there is no hole in the middle. This is round one, and it is the base the whole bird grows out of.

   Drop a scrap of contrast yarn between two stitches to act as a marker. You are crocheting in a continuous spiral with no join, so that little marker is the only thing telling you where each new round begins.

   Tip:

   Watch this step Chenille yarn hides your stitches, so a contrast-color scrap works far better as a marker than a plastic ring you will lose in the fuzz.

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   Used in this step#6 bulky chenille yarn5mm crochet hooklocking stitch markers

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2. 2

   Step 2: Work the Increase Rounds

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   Now turn that disc into a shallow bowl. Round two is an increase in every stitch, which takes you from eight up to sixteen. In the rounds that follow you space the increases out, one single crochet then an increase, then two single crochet then an increase, and so on, until you reach forty stitches around.

   Pull each stitch snug as you go. Bulky chenille wants to stay loose, and tight stitches are what keep the fabric dense so the stuffing does not peek through later.

   Tip:

   Watch this step Count your stitches at the end of every round. On fuzzy yarn it is easy to miss an increase, and one skipped stitch throws the whole count off.

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   Used in this step#6 bulky chenille yarn5mm crochet hook

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3. 3

   Step 3: Back-Loop Round and Straight Sides

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   Once you are at forty stitches, work the next round into the back loops only. Look at the top of a stitch and you will see two loops. Skip the front one and hook into the back loop for the whole round. That leaves a neat ridge that marks where the flat base ends.

   After the back-loop round, crochet five plain rounds of forty stitches straight up. No increasing, no decreasing. This is what builds the tall, rounded body your chicken sits in.

   Tip:

   Watch this step The back-loop ridge also gives the base a flatter bottom, so your finished chicken stands up on a shelf instead of rolling over.

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   Used in this step#6 bulky chenille yarn5mm crochet hook

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4. 4

   Step 4: Shape the Head, Stuff, and Close

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   Now pinch the top in. Work three single crochet then an invisible decrease all the way around, which brings you down to thirty-two stitches, then crochet one plain round at thirty-two. Those decreases are what start to form the head and tail.

   Stuff the body firmly with fiberfill, pushing it into the corners so the chicken holds its shape. Thread a long tail onto your tapestry needle and close the opening by stitching side to side across the gap. Cinch it up and you get that pointed head-and-tail hen shape.

   Tip:

   Watch this step Stop stuffing halfway through closing and check the firmness with a squeeze. It is much easier to add a little more filling now than after the seam is shut.

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   Used in this steppolyester fiberfill stuffingtapestry needleyarn scissors

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5. 5

   Step 5: Crochet the Red Comb

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   Time to top the chicken off. Insert your hook into a stitch about three rows down from the tip of the head, join the red yarn, and chain two. Turn the chicken around, then work three double crochet into the next stitch beside the chains, add one single crochet, and slip stitch to close the little comb.

   Pull the yarn tail through the slip stitch to lock it. Thread both tails onto your needle, run them through the base of the comb, tie a knot, and hide the ends inside the body.

   Tip:

   Watch this step A brighter red pops against grey or white chenille. Bulky red yarn gives the fullest comb, but a doubled strand of medium yarn works if that is what you have.

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   Used in this stepred bulky yarntapestry needle

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6. 6

   Step 6: Embroider the Beak and Eyes

   Watch this step · 11:36

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   The face brings your chicken to life. Start with the beak. Using yellow yarn on your tapestry needle, wrap the same spot just under the comb about three times, then make one turn across the wraps to give the beak a small point.

   Switch to black yarn for the eyes. Stitch a small dot on each side of the beak, going around three or four times so it reads clearly. Bury both yarn tails inside the body, and your soft little chicken is finished.

   Tip:

   Watch this step Want the simplest version? Skip the embroidered eyes and push in a pair of 6mm safety eyes before you stuff and close the body in Step 4 instead.

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   Used in this stepyellow yarn for the beakblack yarn for the eyes6mm safety eyestapestry needle

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Keep going

How to Crochet a Basket

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Tools we recommend

• Clover

  Clover Amour Crochet Hook Set (10 sizes)

  Soft, easy-grip handles that warm to the touch and a full size range in one case. The set most crocheters upgrade to and never look back.

• Lion Brand

  Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton Yarn

  Mercerized cotton with crisp stitch definition and a subtle sheen. Machine washable, and the go-to for amigurumi, bags, and dishcloths.

• Clover

  Clover Locking Stitch Markers (20-pack)

  Lock onto stitches so they never slip while you mark rounds, increases, and repeats. A dollar-store fix that actually holds.

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