Hello friends, today I want to introduce you to a cute giraffe amigurumi pattern. You can see 2 different photos of the amigurumi toy above. If you want to make the small crochet giraffe, you can visit the designer’s Instagram profile and get more detailed information about this subject because the designer shares them for free.
Big Giraffe Raiko Crochet Pattern
Unfortunately, I cannot say that making an amigurumi toy is easy because it has both detailed arm and leg designs and a lot of asymmetrical spots on the toy. These spots are not made randomly.
Designer: handmade_by_halime
Materials required:
– Yarn – I used a cotton and acrylic blend DK weight yarn; Scheepjes Soft fun. I used 1,5 skeins for the yellow color, and less than 1 skein for the brown color. For dark brown and beige I used left over yarn. In the main pictures I used the colors 2611 (yellow), 2633 Tawny (brown), 2533 Wheat (beige) and 2491 Pecan (dark brown). For the step pictures I used 2632 Tortilla (yellow), 2631 Cedar (brown), 2533 Wheat (beige) and 2491 Pecan (dark brown).
– Crochet hook 2.5 mm
– Fibrefill / toy stuffing
– Security eyes, 10 mm for Sheena Giraffe
– Security eyes, 7 mm for the kid
– Optional: 4 security joints (only for Sheena)
– Stitch markers, scissor and embroidery needle
Size:
Sheena Giraffe: Approx. 32 cm in height (standing)
Kid: Approx. 13 cm in height (sitting)
(Note! When using 2.5 mm crochet hook and the yarn Scheepjes Soft fun.)
Abbreviations
ch chain/s
slst slip stitch
sc single crochet
hdc half double crochet
dc double crochet
inc increase; crochet 2 sc in the same
stitch
dec decrease; crochet 2 sc together
st stitch(es)
rnd round(s)
[…] x X repeat instructions in brackets X times
(..) total number of stitches in the round or row
Head
Work with yellow color.
Rnd 1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
Rnd 2: [inc] x 6 (12)
Rnd 3: [1 sc, inc] x 6 (18)
Rnd 4: 1 sc, inc, [2 sc, inc] x 5, 1 sc (24)
Rnd 5: [3 sc, inc] x 6 (30)
Rnd 6: 2 sc, inc, [4 sc, inc] x 5, 2 sc (36)
Rnd 7: [5 sc, inc] x 6 (42)
Rnd 8: 3 sc, inc, [6 sc, inc] x 5, 3 sc (48)
Rnd 9-14: 48 sc – 6 rounds (48)
Now we will mark where to place the security eyes. If you planning to embroider the eyes,
you can use these marks as a direction.
Rnd 15: 3 sc, inc, 3 sc, mark next st by draw a separate yarn under the stitch: inc, [3 sc, inc] x 2, mark next st by draw a separate yarn under the stitch: 1 sc, 2 sc, inc, 3 sc, inc, 24 sc (54)
Rnd 16: 2 sc, inc, [4 sc, inc] x 5, 26 sc (60)
Rnd 17-21: 60 sc – 5 rounds (60)
Now place the security eyes where you marked with different yarn on round 15. Use 10 mm security eyes (if using 2.5 mm hook, otherwise use what fits the gauge best).
Rnd 22: 4 sc, dec, [8 sc, dec] x 5, 4 sc (54)
Rnd 23: [7 sc, dec] x 6 (48)
Rnd 24: 3 sc, dec, [6 sc, dec] x 5, 3 sc (42)
Rnd 25: [5 sc, dec] x 6 (36)
Rnd 26: 2 sc, dec, [4 sc, dec] x 5, 2 sc (30)
Rnd 27: [3 sc, dec] x 6 (24)
Rnd 28: [2 sc, dec] x 6 (18)
Fasten off, cut the yarn and weave it in. Stuff the head firmly with filling.
Muzzle
Work with beige color.
Rnd 1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
Rnd 2: [inc] x 6 (12)
Rnd 3: [1 sc, inc] x 6 (18)
Rnd 4: 2 sc, hdc-inc, 2 dc, hdc-inc, 5 sc, hdc-inc, 2 dc,
hdc-inc, 3 sc (22)
Rnd 5: 3 sc, inc, 2 sc, inc, 7 sc, inc, 2 sc, inc, 4 sc (26)
Rnd 6: 3 sc, inc, 4 sc, inc, 7 sc, inc, 4 sc, inc, 4 sc (30)
Fasten off and leave a long tail to sew to the head.
Tail
Work with yellow color.
Rnd 1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
Rnd 2-12: 6 sc – 11 rounds (6)
Fasten off and leave a long tail to sew to the body.
Add fringes at the beginning (rnd 1-2).
Read how to add fringes on page 14.
Horns
Make 2. Start with brown color.
Rnd 1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
Rnd 2: [inc] x 6 (12)
Rnd 3-4: 12 sc – 2 rounds (12)
Change to yellow color.
Rnd 5: [1 sc, dec] x 4 (8)
Rnd 6-8: 8 sc – 3 rounds (8)
Fasten off and leave a long tail to sew to the head.
Stuff the horn with some filling. Take the help of a small scissor or end of your hook to get the filling in.
Ears
Make 2. Do not stuff.
Work with yellow color.
Rnd 1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
Rnd 2: [2 sc, inc] x 2 (8)
Rnd 3: [3 sc, inc] x 2 (10)
Rnd 4: [4 sc, inc] x 2 (12)
Rnd 5: [5 sc, inc] x 2 (14)
Rnd 6: [6 sc, inc] x 2 (16)
Rnd 7-11: 16 sc – 5 rounds (16)
Rnd 12: [6 sc, dec] x 2 (14)
Fold the piece, and crochet 4 sc across the stitches, skip 1 st – see picture below.
Fasten off and leave a long tail to sew to the head.
(If it is easier, you can take a needle and sew across the stitches instead of crochet.)
Legs
Make 2.
Start with dark brown color
Rnd 1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
Rnd 2: [inc] x 6 (12)
Rnd 3: [1 sc, inc] x 6 (18)
Rnd 4: 1 sc, inc, [2 sc, inc] x 5, 1 sc (24)
Rnd 5-7: 24 sc – 3 rounds (24)
Now you will mark where the top of the foot is.
This will be helpful when you make the toes.
Rnd 8: 8 sc, dec, 1 sc, mark next st by draw a separate yarn under the stitch: 1 sc, 2 sc, dec, 8 sc (22) – see picture to the right.
Rnd 9: 8 sc, dec, 2 sc, dec, 8 sc (20)
Change to brown color.
Rnd 10: [3 sc, dec] x 4 (16)
Now it is time to make the toes. Follow the steps below.
Rnd 11: 16 sc (16)
Change to yellow yarn.
Rnd 12-26: 16 sc – 15 rounds (16)
Stuff the foot and leg with filling. Keep filling as you go – but don’t fill rest of the leg too much, fill it lightly and make sure it stays flat on the top.
Rnd 27: 4 sc, inc, 7 sc, inc, 3 sc (18)
Rnd 28: 4 sc, inc, 8 sc, inc, 4 sc (20)
Rnd 29-30: 20 sc – 2 rounds (20)
Rnd 31: [3 sc, dec] x 4 (16)
If you will use safety joints, insert the joint now between rnd 29 and 30.
Make sure the toes are pointing forward (the joint will be on the side)!
Take the help of the crochet hook to make a bigger hole, since they are quite wide and tricky to insert. Don’t forget to place them on opposite of each other on right and left leg.
Read more about security joints on page 18.
Rnd 32: [2 sc, dec] x 4 (12)
Rnd 33: [1 sc, dec] x 4 (8)
Rnd 34: [dec] x 4 (4)
Fasten off.
If you will have moveable legs (with either security joints or just yarn – read more on page 18) then leave a small yarn tail. Weave the yarn tail through the front loops of each stitch and pull it tight to close. Then weave in the yarn end.
If you will sew the leg to the body (not moveable), then leave a long yarn tail. Weave the yarn tail through the front loops of each stitch and pull it tight to close. Don’t cut the yarn, you will use this to sew the leg to the body.
Arms
Make 2.
Start with dark brown color
Rnd 1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
Rnd 2: [inc] x 6 (12)
Rnd 3: [1 sc, inc] x 6 (18)
Rnd 4-6: 18 sc – 3 rounds (18)
Change to brown color.
Rnd 7: 18 sc (18)
Change to yellow color.
Rnd 8: [4 sc, dec] x 3 (15)
Now make the toes, same procedure as the legs. For the arm you will insert the needle between rnd 1 and 2, and in again between rnd 5 and 6.
I recommend to have the start/end of the round in the back.
Rnd 9-10: 15 sc – 2 rounds (15)
Rnd 11: [3 sc, dec] x 3 (12)
Stuff the arm with filling. The beginning can be filled firmly, but then fill rest of the arm lightly.
Keep filling as you go, but stop filling at round 17. The top of the arm should be without filling.
Rnd 12-24: 12 sc – 13 rounds (12)
If you will use safety joints, insert the joint now between rnd 21 and 22.
Make sure the toes are pointing forward (the joint will be on the side)!
Take the help of the crochet hook to make a bigger hole, since they are quite wide and tricky to insert. Don’t forget to place them on opposite of each other on left and right arm.
Read more about security joints on page 18.
Rnd 25: [dec] x 6 (6)
Fasten off.
If you will have moveable arms (with either security joints or just yarn – read more on page 18) then leave a small yarn tail. Weave the yarn tail through the front loops of each stitch and pull it tight to close. Then weave in the yarn end.
If you will attach the arm on the body (not moveable), then leave a long yarn tail. Weave the yarn tail through the front loops of each stitch and pull it tight to close. Don’t cut the yarn, you will use this to sew the arm to the body.
Body
Work with yellow color.
Rnd 1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
Rnd 2: [inc] x 6 (12)
Rnd 3: [1 sc, inc] x 6 (18)
Rnd 4: 1 sc, inc, [2 sc, inc] x 5, 1 sc (24)
Rnd 5: [3 sc, inc] x 6 (30)
Rnd 6: 2 sc, inc, [4 sc, inc] x 5, 2 sc (36)
Rnd 7: [5 sc, inc] x 6 (42)
Rnd 8: 42 sc (42)
Rnd 9: 3 sc, inc, [6 sc, inc] x 5, 3 sc (48)
Rnd 10-15: 48 sc – 6 rounds (48)
Rnd 16: 3 sc, dec, [6 sc, dec] x 5, 3 sc (42)
If you will use safety joints, insert the legs with joints now between rnd 9 and 10. Take the help of the crochet hook to make a bigger hole, since the joints are quite wide.
Rnd 17-19: 42 sc – 3 rounds (42)
Rnd 20: [5 sc, dec] x 6 (36)
Rnd 21-23: 36 sc – 3 rounds (36)
Rnd 24: 2 sc, dec, [4 sc, dec] x 5, 2 sc (30)
If you will use safety joints, insert the arms with joints now between rnd 21 and 22.
Align the arms with the legs (should be straight above).
Stuff the body with filling.
Keep filling as you go.
Rnd 25-31: 30 sc – 7 rounds (30)
Fasten off and leave a long yarn tail to sew to the head.
Assembly
Start by sew the muzzle to the head. Place the muzzle as picture below – the top of the muzzle should be aligned with the bottom of the eyes. Align and center it correctly with help of the eyes. Before you close the muzzle, don’t forget to add some filling. Use a small scissor to get the filling in.
Make the face adjustment to give the eyes more depth – follow the steps on page 20. See picture below; middle picture is before and third picture is after.
Embroider white yarn around the eyes like the picture above.
Tip! On my youtube channel you can find a video where I do face adjustment and white area on the eyes on an elephant. Follow the same steps for the giraffe.
Embroider the eye lashes like the pictures below.
You can use the bottom of the head to tie up all the yarn tails. The last round will not be visible when you sew the body to the head.
Sew the horns between round 5 and 6 on the head.
Then sew the ears just below the horns. There should be 2 rows inbetween.
Now sew the head to the body.
If you want to make moveable arms and legs with yarn (see steps on page 18) then place the legs between round 7 and 12, but before you start, attach the legs with pins and place the giraffe on a table. If it looks fine, continue and follow the steps on page 18.
Tip! On my youtube channel you can find videos how to do moveable legs with yarn.
Do the same thing with the arms. Place the arms approx. between round 19 and 24, but first with pins to check if it looks fine and then do same steps as you did on the the legs.
If you don’t want moveable legs and arms, just sew them as usual after you placed them on the rounds mentioned above.
Finally, sew the tail between round 8 and 9 of the body, centered at the back between the legs.
Now you will attach the hair.
Hair
Tip! On my youtube channel you can find a video that shows how to attach the hair to the lion. Use the same concept for the giraffe.
Cut a long carton board that is 3 cm in height – see picture below. If you made the giraffe with thicker yarn and bigger hook, you might consider to make the strands little bit longer.
Test out one or two first if you are unsure. The attached strand should be as long as the horn.
Wrap the yarn around the carton board – not too tight – and cut out many strands.
Use brown yarn. You will start on round 4 in the front and work between the horns.
Fold the strand at the middle. Insert the hook between the stitches. Pick up the folded strands, and pull through a loop. Now insert the hook into the loop and pick up the yarn tails and pull them through the loop. Grab the tails with your fingers and pull it tight.
The name of this knot is “Larks head knot”.
Before you continue knot rest of the hair, mark where to place them with pins. It should start between the horns and the go downwards smaller and smaller, to the body, just below the neck.
When you are done with the hair, take a scissor and trim evenly throughout the whole mane.
Cut the strands that sticks out.
Take a needle or small fork and comb the hair to split the threads in the yarn. This will make
the hair look much nicer and more fully.
Now you will do the final step and add spots to your giraffe.
Spots
Tip! On my youtube channel there is a video that shows how to cross-stitch spots to your giraffe.
Spot Patterns
This is just some examples of spots you can use.
Feel free to mix them up as you wish or use your own pattern.
That’s it!
