Crochet Otter Amigurumi Pattern

This crochet otter amigurumi pattern makes Moka, a mini sitting otter about 4 inches (10 cm) tall, in DK cotton with a 2.5 mm hook. Moka has a round head with a puffy cream muzzle, a long body, and two little arms holding a grey pebble against its tummy. It sits on two round feet and a short tail. Everything is single crochet in spirals, so it's a relaxed make once you know your magic ring. Plan on about 50 yards of yarn and 2½ to 3 hours.

Key Takeaways

• Eleven pieces: head, muzzle, 2 ears, body, 2 arms, 2 feet, a tail and a pebble.
• The pebble is sewn on twice: first to the tummy, then each hand to the pebble, so it can't come loose.
• Moka sits on three points: two feet in front and the tip of the tail behind.
• About 50 yd of DK cotton: ~42 yd brown, ~4 yd grey, ~3 yd cream, plus scraps of black and dark brown.

Why I love this little otter

Otters hold on to a favorite stone, and that's the whole idea here. Moka is a tiny otter with a pebble of its own, and that one detail makes it feel like a story. The warm brown and the cream muzzle keep it soft, and the grey pebble gives the eye somewhere to land.

It's built like a classic amigurumi: a round head, a tall body, short tubes for the limbs. The only new step is the pebble, and I'll show you how to sew it so it stays put.

Skill level. Advanced beginner. You need a magic ring, sc, inc and the invisible decrease in the round, closing a piece with sc through both layers, and some sewing. The face is simple embroidery.

Already made my fox mini? Moka is the same size, with a separate head instead of a one-piece body.

What you'll need

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

• Warm brown (main color): about 42 yd (38 m), sewing tails included.
• Grey (pebble): about 4 yd (3.7 m).
• Cream (muzzle): about 3 yd (2.7 m).
• Black, about 1 yd, for the eyes, and dark brown, about 1 yd, for the nose, mouth, whiskers and toes. Black or dark brown DK, or 3 strands of embroidery floss.

I worked these amounts out from the stitch counts (about 840 sc in all, at roughly 1½ in of DK cotton per stitch) plus the sewing tails.

Hook and notions

• 2.5 mm (US B/1 or C/2) hook, or whatever size gives you a tight fabric.
• A small handful of polyester fiberfill.
• 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 check, Rnd 4 of the head (24 sc) is still a flat circle: it should be about 1⅜ in (3.5 cm) across.

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)

These are estimates from the stitch counts, so measure your first one.

Abbreviations (US crochet terms)

• MR = magic ring
• 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. Move your marker up every round. The number in brackets is the stitch count at the end of the round.

The pieces at a glance

Piece	Color	Make	Starts at (MR)	Ends at
Head	Brown	1	Crown	Neck, closed
Muzzle	Cream	1	Tip of the snout	Open edge, sewn on
Ears	Brown	2	Top of the ear	Flattened
Body	Brown	1	Sitting base	Neck, open
Arms	Brown	2	Hand	Flattened
Feet	Brown	2	Toe	Closed, sewn on
Tail	Brown	1	Tip	Base, open
Pebble	Grey	1	One end	Closed

The pattern — step by step

Part 1 — The head and the face

Head (brown). The magic ring is the crown. 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)
• Rnds 5–9: Sc in each st around, 5 rounds. (24)
• Rnd 10: (2 sc, dec) × 6. (18)

Embroider the eyes now, while the head is still open. Stuff it lightly first. Choose the center front, opposite the round jog, and pin it on Rnd 7: the muzzle will cover Rnds 6–9 under this pin.

Each eye is a small upright oval of black: 3 straight stitches side by side, covering Rnds 5 and 6, over 1 st width. Leave 4 sts between the eyes, 2 on each side of the pin, so they sit just above the outer edges of the muzzle. Knot the ends inside the head.

• Rnd 11: (Sc, dec) × 6. (12)

Stuff the head firmly, shaping it round.

• Rnd 12: 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, and hide the tail inside.

Muzzle (cream). A small cup. The magic ring is the tip of the snout.

• Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc in the ring. (6)
• Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12)
• Rnd 3: Sc in each st around. (12)

Sl st in the next st and fasten off, leaving a 10-in (25 cm) tail. With dark brown, embroider a small triangle nose on the upper half of the muzzle, just above the magic ring, point down, with 3 or 4 horizontal stitches that get shorter. Then add a short vertical line from its point down over the ring.

Attach the muzzle. Pin it on the face with its top edge on Rnd 6 and its bottom edge on Rnd 9, centered on your pin, so the eyes sit on either side of its upper half. Press it into a wide oval, a little wider than tall, so it covers the lower face from cheek to cheek. Whipstitch it on all the way around, and push a tiny bit of stuffing in before the last stitches so it stays puffy.

Ears (make 2, brown). Don't stuff them.

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

Fasten off, leaving an 8-in (20 cm) tail. Sew each ear on the side of the head, on Rnds 4–5, about 3 sts behind each eye, with the flat edge running from front to back.

Part 2 — The body, arms, feet, tail and pebble

Body (brown). The magic ring is the sitting base. The body grows up 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 5–10: Sc in each st around, 6 rounds. (24)
• Rnd 11: (2 sc, dec) × 6. (18)
• Rnds 12–14: Sc in each st around, 3 rounds. (18)
• Rnd 15: (Sc, dec) × 6. (12)
• Rnd 16: Sc in each st around. (12)

Stuff the body firmly, pressing the base flat 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.

Arms (make 2, brown).

• Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc in the ring. (6)
• Rnds 2–7: Sc in each st around, 6 rounds. (6)

Push a pinch of stuffing into the hand end only (Rnds 1–2).

• Rnd 8: Flatten the opening and close it with 3 sc worked through both layers. (3)

Fasten off, leaving an 8-in (20 cm) tail. With dark brown, embroider 3 short claw lines on the inside of each hand, over Rnds 1–2.

Feet (make 2, brown).

• Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc in the ring. (6)
• Rnd 2: (Sc, inc) × 3. (9)
• Rnds 3–4: Sc in each st around, 2 rounds. (9)
• Rnd 5: (Sc, dec) × 3. (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. With dark brown, embroider 3 short lines over the magic ring end of each foot for the toes.

Tail (brown). 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)
• Rnd 4: (2 sc, inc) × 2. (8)
• Rnds 5–7: Sc in each st around, 3 rounds. (8)

Stuff lightly. Sl st in the next st and fasten off, leaving a 10-in (25 cm) tail. Leave the base open.

Pebble (grey).

• 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 with a small pinch, then squeeze it slightly flat, like a smooth river stone. Fasten off, leaving a 10-in (25 cm) tail. Thread it through the front loops of the last 6 sts and pull tight to close. Keep the tail for sewing.

Part 3 — Putting Moka together

Pin everything before you sew. The body's front is the side away from its round jog. Sew each piece with its own tail, going a little way into the body 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 follows the head's Rnd 11 (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. Add a little stuffing into the neck before the last stitches.
2. Feet. Sew them to the front of the body on Rnds 2–4, about 3 sts apart, with the magic ring and its toe lines facing forward.
3. Tail. Sew the open base of the tail to the back of the body on Rnds 3–5, a little off-center, so the tip rests on the table and peeks out to one side. Moka now sits on three points.
4. Pebble. Pin it on the tummy over Rnds 9–11, centered. Sew it to the body all the way around its edge.
5. Arms. Sew the flat top of each arm to the side of the body on Rnds 12–13, just below the head. Bring both arms forward, lay each hand over the side of the pebble, and sew each hand to the pebble with a few stitches. Tug the pebble gently: it shouldn't move.
6. Finishing touches (optional). With dark brown, add a tiny smile under the nose line, or two short whiskers on each side of the muzzle.

Check before you finish: Moka should sit on both feet and the tail tip, looking straight ahead. If it leans back, move the feet one round further forward before knotting the tails.

Safety and care. The pebble is crocheted and stuffed, and it's sewn to both the body and the hands, so it's not a loose part. The face is embroidered, with no safety eyes. Even so, a handmade toy isn't a certified baby toy: sew every seam twice and check the pebble and limbs before giving Moka to a small child. Hand wash in cool water and let it air dry.

Make it yours — quick variations

Variation	Change from base pattern
Sea otter	Light grey-brown body with a cream head and muzzle.
Shell instead of a pebble	Make the pebble in blush pink and embroider 3 cream lines fanning out from one end.
Starfish	Swap the pebble for a tiny flat yellow star of 5 short chain points.
Sleepy otter	Embroider each eye as a small downward curve on Rnd 6.
Rosy cheeks	One short pink stitch just outside each eye, on Rnd 7.

Troubleshooting the three things that go wrong

The muzzle hides the eyes

It's sewn too high. Its top edge belongs on Rnd 6, level with the bottom of the eyes, not over them. Unpin it and slide it down one round.

Moka tips backward

Check that the tail tip touches the table, and move the feet one round further forward. Pressing the base flat again helps too.

The arms don't reach the pebble

The pebble is sewn too low. It sits on Rnds 9–11, just below the narrowing of the body. If your arms are still short, sew their tops half a round lower.