Crochet Dragon Amigurumi Pattern

This crochet dragon amigurumi pattern makes Aster, a mini sitting dragon about 4 inches (10 cm) tall, in DK cotton with a 2.5 mm hook. She has a big round head with two cream horns, a pear-shaped body with a tall cream oval belly, small lavender wings and a tapered tail that works as a third foot, so she sits up on her own. Everything is single crochet in spirals, plus one tiny flat piece for the wings. Plan on about 55 yards of yarn in three colors and 2½ to 3 hours.

Key Takeaways

• Twelve pieces: head, body, 2 hind legs, 2 arms, 2 horns, 2 wings, a tail and an oval belly patch.
• Embroidered eyes, stitched while the head is still open, so every knot hides inside.
• She sits on three points: two hind legs and the base of her tail.
• About 55 yd of DK cotton: ~45 yd sage, ~6 yd cream, ~4 yd lavender, and a scrap of black.

Why I love this little dragon

A dragon doesn't have to be fierce. Aster is the kind of dragon you keep on a bookshelf: round, soft and a little sleepy. The sage green and lavender keep her calm, and the cream horns and belly give the face something to frame it.

She's also a good first "creature" pattern. The head and body are classic spheres, the limbs are short tubes, and the wings are five tiny rows. If you can work a magic ring, increase and decrease, you can make her in an evening.

Skill level. Advanced beginner. You need a magic ring, sc, inc and the invisible decrease in the round, a few short flat rows and some sewing. The face is simple surface embroidery, shown step by step below.

Already made my fox mini? Aster uses the same tight spiral rounds, just in a finer cotton.

What you'll need

Yarn: DK #3 cotton, such as Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK or Scheepjes Catona, in three colors:

• Sage green (main color): about 45 yd (41 m), sewing tails included.
• Cream (horns and belly): about 6 yd (5.5 m).
• Lavender (wings): about 4 yd (3.7 m).
• Black, about 1 yd, for the eyes, nostrils and mouth. A strand of black DK or 3 strands of black embroidery floss both work. A short length of white is optional, for a tiny sparkle in each eye.

I worked these amounts out from the stitch counts (about 830 sc in all, at roughly 1½ in of DK cotton per stitch) plus the sewing tails. One ball of each color is plenty.

Hook and notions

• 2.5 mm (US B/1 or C/2) hook, or whatever size gives you a tight fabric with this yarn.
• A small handful of polyester fiberfill (about ½ oz / 15 g).
• A stitch marker, a tapestry needle, pins and scissors.

Gauge and finished size

Gauge isn't critical, but tension is. Your stitches should be tight enough that the stuffing doesn't show through. As a quick check, Rnd 5 of the head (30 sc) is still a flat circle: it should be about 1¾ in (4.5 cm) across.

The stitch counts never change. Only the yarn, hook and your tension decide the size, so treat these as estimates and measure your first one:

Yarn	Hook	Approximate height
DK #3 cotton	2.5 mm	about 4 in (10 cm), this pattern
Worsted #4	3.5 mm	about 5 in (13 cm)

The head is wider than the body (30 sts against 24), which gives Aster her big-headed baby look.

Abbreviations (US crochet terms)

• MR = magic ring
• ch = chain
• sl st = slip stitch
• sc = single crochet (UK double crochet)
• inc = 2 sc in the same st
• dec = invisible decrease: insert the hook in the front loop only of the next 2 sts, yarn over, pull through both front loops, yarn over and pull through the 2 loops on the hook
• st(s) = stitch(es)
• rnd(s) = round(s)

Work in continuous spirals: don't join and don't chain at the start of a round. Put a marker in the first stitch and move it up every round. The number in brackets is the stitch count at the end of the round. In the flat rows (wings only), the turning chain doesn't count as a stitch.

The pieces at a glance

Piece	Color	Make	Starts at (MR)	Ends at
Head	Sage	1	Crown	Neck, closed
Body	Sage	1	Sitting base	Neck, open
Hind legs	Sage	2	Foot	Closed, sewn on
Arms	Sage	2	Paw	Flattened
Horns	Cream	2	Tip	Base, open
Wings	Lavender	2	Tip (flat rows)	Straight edge
Tail	Sage	1	Tip	Base, open
Belly	Cream	1	Short chain	Oval patch

The pattern — step by step

Part 1 — The head and the face

Head (sage). The magic ring is the crown of the head. The last round closes the neck, underneath.

• Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc in the ring. (6)
• Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12)
• Rnd 3: (Sc, inc) × 6. (18)
• Rnd 4: (2 sc, inc) × 6. (24)
• Rnd 5: (3 sc, inc) × 6. (30)
• Rnds 6–10: Sc in each st around, 5 rounds. (30)
• Rnd 11: (3 sc, dec) × 6. (24)

Embroider the face now, while the head is still open. Stuff the head lightly, so the fabric sits the way it will when it's finished. Pick the center front, on the opposite side from the round jog, and put a pin there on Rnd 9. Everything on the face is placed from this pin.

1. Eyes. Each eye is a small upright oval of black: 3 or 4 straight stitches side by side, each one covering Rnds 8 and 9, over 1 st width. Leave 5 sts between the two eyes, so each eye sits 2½ sts from the pin. Start and end every eye inside the head and knot the ends there.
2. Sparkle (optional). One tiny white stitch at the top of each eye, on the side toward the pin.
3. Nostrils. Two tiny black stitches on Rnd 10, 1 st on each side of the pin.
4. Mouth. A small smile on Rnd 11, 2 sts wide, centered under the nostrils.

Take the pin out and carry on.

• Rnd 12: (2 sc, dec) × 6. (18)
• Rnd 13: (Sc, dec) × 6. (12)

Stuff the head firmly, shaping it into a round ball.

• Rnd 14: Dec in each st around. (6)

Fasten off, leaving a 6-in (15 cm) tail. Thread it through the front loops of the last 6 sts, pull tight to close the neck, and hide the tail inside the head.

Part 2 — The body, legs and arms

Body (sage). The magic ring is the sitting base. The body grows up into a pear shape and ends at the neck, which stays open.

• Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc in the ring. (6)
• Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12)
• Rnd 3: (Sc, inc) × 6. (18)
• Rnd 4: (2 sc, inc) × 6. (24)
• Rnds 5–7: Sc in each st around, 3 rounds. (24)
• Rnd 8: (2 sc, dec) × 6. (18)
• Rnds 9–10: Sc in each st around, 2 rounds. (18)
• Rnd 11: (Sc, dec) × 6. (12)
• Rnd 12: Sc in each st around. (12)

Stuff the body firmly, pressing the base flat with your thumb so it sits level. Sl st in the next st and fasten off, leaving a 12-in (30 cm) tail for sewing on the head. Leave the 12-st neck open.

Hind legs (make 2, sage). Little round feet.

• Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc in the ring. (6)
• Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12)
• Rnds 3–4: Sc in each st around, 2 rounds. (12)
• Rnd 5: Dec in each st around. (6)

Stuff lightly. Fasten off, leaving an 8-in (20 cm) tail. Thread it through the front loops of the last 6 sts and pull tight to close. Keep the tail for sewing.

Arms (make 2, sage). Don't stuff them.

• Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc in the ring. (6)
• Rnds 2–5: Sc in each st around, 4 rounds. (6)
• Rnd 6: Flatten the opening and close it with 3 sc worked through both layers. (3)

Fasten off, leaving an 8-in (20 cm) tail for sewing.

Part 3 — Horns, wings, tail and belly

Horns (make 2, cream). The magic ring is the tip.

• Rnd 1: MR, 4 sc in the ring. (4)
• Rnd 2: (Sc, inc) × 2. (6)
• Rnd 3: Sc in each st around. (6)

Sl st in the next st and fasten off, leaving an 8-in (20 cm) tail. Don't stuff them: they're small enough to hold their shape.

Wings (make 2, lavender). Worked flat in rows, from the tip to the straight edge you sew on. The ch 1 at the start of each row is the turning chain and doesn't count as a stitch.

• Row 1: Ch 2. Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook. (1)
• Row 2: Ch 1, turn, inc in the st. (2)
• Row 3: Ch 1, turn, inc in each st across. (4)
• Row 4: Ch 1, turn, inc, 2 sc, inc. (6)
• Row 5: Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across. (6)

Fasten off, leaving an 8-in (20 cm) tail at the end of Row 5. That straight 6-st edge is the one you sew to the back.

Tail (sage). The magic ring is the tip. The tail widens slowly toward the base.

• Rnd 1: MR, 4 sc in the ring. (4)
• Rnd 2: Sc in each st around. (4)
• Rnd 3: (Sc, inc) × 2. (6)
• Rnd 4: Sc in each st around. (6)
• Rnd 5: (2 sc, inc) × 2. (8)
• Rnd 6: Sc in each st around. (8)
• Rnd 7: (3 sc, inc) × 2. (10)
• Rnd 8: Sc in each st around. (10)

Sl st in the next st and fasten off, leaving a 10-in (25 cm) tail. Stuff only the wide end, near the opening, so the tip stays soft and tapered.

Belly (cream). An oval, worked around both sides of a short chain. It cups very slightly, which helps it hug the round tummy.

• Rnd 1: Ch 4. Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook, sc in the next ch, 3 sc in the last ch. Turn to work along the other side of the chain: sc in the next ch, 2 sc in the first ch (the one that already holds your first sc). (8)
• Rnd 2: Inc, sc, inc × 3, sc, inc × 2. (14)
• Rnd 3: (Sc, inc, 2 sc, inc, 2 sc) × 2. (18)

Sl st in the next st (it doesn't count as a stitch) and fasten off, leaving a 10-in (25 cm) tail.

Part 4 — Putting Aster together

Pin everything before you sew. Sit the body on the table and choose its front: the side away from the round jog. Sew each piece with its own tail, going a little way into the body or head with each stitch, then knot the tail and pull the end inside.

1. Head on body. Set the head on the open neck, with the neck centered on the head's closing point and the face looking straight ahead. The seam runs along the head's Rnd 13 (12 sts), which matches the 12 sts of the neck one for one. Sew all the way around with the body's 12-in tail, then go around a second time. Push a little stuffing into the neck before the last few stitches.
2. Belly. Pin the cream oval on the front of the body, long side up and down, from Rnd 3 at the bottom to Rnd 10 at the top, just under the neck. Whipstitch it on all the way around.
3. Hind legs. Sew one on each side of the belly, low on Rnds 3–6, with the magic ring facing forward like a little round foot sole. They're the two front points she sits on.
4. Arms. Sew the flat top of each arm to the side of the body on Rnd 10, just under the head, so the arms hang down beside the belly.
5. Horns. Pin them on top of the head on Rnds 3–5, one on each side of the magic ring, about 6 sts apart. Check from the front that they're the same height, then whipstitch around each base.
6. Wings. Pin the straight Row 5 edge of each wing upright on the back, slanting slightly, between Rnds 7 and 11 of the body. Leave 3 sts between the two wings at the top, and angle their outer edges out to the sides, so each wing peeks out behind an arm when you look at her from the front. Sew along the straight edge only, so the lower edge of each wing stays free.
7. Tail. Sew the open base of the tail to the lower back, centered on Rnds 3–5, with the tip resting on the table and curving out to one side. This is her third point of contact.

Check before you finish: Aster should sit on her two hind legs and the base of her tail without rolling. If the head pulls her backward, move the hind legs one round further forward before you knot the tails.

Safety and care. Aster has no safety eyes or hard parts, which is why I embroider the face. Even so, a handmade toy isn't a certified baby toy: sew every seam twice and check the horns, wings and tail for looseness before giving her to a small child. To clean her, hand wash in cool water, squeeze gently in a towel and let her air dry.

Make it yours — quick variations

Variation	Change from base pattern
Ember dragon	Rust orange for the sage parts, golden yellow horns and wings.
Blush dragon	Dusty pink body, cream horns, mint wings.
Sleepy face	Embroider each eye as a small downward curve, 3 sts wide, on Rnd 9.
Spiny back	Before sewing the wings, sew a row of 3 tiny cream French knots down the middle of the back.
Rosy cheeks	One short pink stitch on Rnd 10, 1 st outside each eye.

Troubleshooting the three things that go wrong

Aster tips over backward

The head is heavier than the body. Press the base flat again, add a little stuffing to the base of the tail so it props her up, and move the hind legs one round further forward.

The eyes look uneven

Count the 5 sts between them again from your center pin, and make both ovals with the same number of straight stitches. If one sits higher, unpick it now: on a 2-round eye, half a round shows.

The horns lean in or out

They're sewn too close to the magic ring, or at an angle. Pin them on Rnds 3–5, about 6 sts apart, and look at the head from the front before you sew.