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This free crochet penguin pattern is my first non-mammal design!
For a long time, I stuck to designing patterns for animals/dolls that have arms and legs because I love when things are matchy-matchy (though I definitely take it too far sometimes – just ask my husband what it’s like going with me to Target 😂).
I recently did a poll in my Facebook group, Crochet with Jess Huff, to see which Christmas patterns my members would most like to see. Aside from Santa Claus, a penguin was the most popular answer.
I hesitated to break the mold that I’d stuck to for so long, but decided, “Hey, why not?”
My favorite part of designing this penguin crochet pattern was making the little toes and feet. 🥰 It was a nice change of pace after doing the same old limbs for so long.
I named this free amigurumi pattern “Peter the Penguin” after my nephew.
Thank goodness Peter’s name starts with a “P” so I could stick to my alliteration trend. 😜 When Peter was a little boy, he was obsessed with penguins. I’m pretty sure he owned at least a dozen penguin stuffed animals and plushies.
He would frequently peep and waddle around the house, pretending to be a baby penguin. It was adorable!
Fast forward several years, and Peter is now a preteen. He’s been kind enough to pass on some of his collection to my toddler, so the love of all things penguin remains alive and well among the Huffs.
My little boy was thrilled to receive his very own crocheted penguin.
He even made the penguin a little nest in the bottom drawer of his night stand, and sleeps with it every night. 🥺 I hope this pattern brings joy to the penguin lover in your life too! ❤️
Peter the Penguin
Height: 14" standing
Skill level: Intermediate-Advanced
Terms: US 🇺🇸Who’s black & white and cute all over? Peter the Penguin! He loves telling jokes to break the ice, but he’s also shy and might get cold feet.
Skill level: Intermediate-Advanced
Terms: US 🇺🇸Who’s black & white and cute all over? Peter the Penguin! He loves telling jokes to break the ice, but he’s also shy and might get cold feet.
Supplies
Yarn (acrylic, weight 4) – 165 total yards
- Black – 100 yards (I used Red Heart Super Saver – Black)
- White – 35 yards (I used Red Heart Super Saver – White)
- Yellow – 3 yards (I used Red Heart Super Saver – Saffron)
- Blue – 27 yards (I used Impeccable Yarn – Clear Blue)
Notes
Abbreviations
General Instructions
Recommended Sequence
Here are the steps to create your penguin, in order:
Crochet Video Tutorials
Making the Feet
Attaching the Feet
Attaching the Wings
Attaching the Beak
Marking Stitches for the Eyes
Indenting the Eyes
Making the Pom-Pom
Making the Hat
- ch – chain
- slst – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- inc – complete two single crochets within the same stitch
- dec – combine two stitches into one with an invisible decrease
- dc – double crochet
- tr – treble crochet
- BLO – crochet in the back loop only
- *sc x* – repeat the instructions between asterisks(*) the indicated number of times.
- (sc x) – attach a body part while completing the stitches inside parentheses as instructed by the pattern.
General Instructions
- This pattern is worked in one continuous spiral.
- Use a stitch marker to keep track of where one round ends and the next begins. I prefer to place my stitch marker in the last stitch of the round.
Recommended Sequence
Here are the steps to create your penguin, in order:
- Crochet the Feet
- Crochet the Beak
- Crochet the Wings
- Crochet the Body & Head
- Make the Pom-Pom for the Hat
- Crochet the Hat
- Crochet the Hat Trim
- Crochet the Scarf
Crochet Video Tutorials
Making the Feet
You’ll start by making 3 individual toes by crocheting rounds 1 & 2 of the feet, 3 times.
After making the first and second toes, fasten off, leaving a 5 inch tail. After making the third toe, do not fasten off.
In round 3, you’ll combine all three toes together. Crochet into the first 2 stitches of Toe 2. Crochet around all 4 stitches of Toe 1. Crochet into the remaining 2 stitches of Toe 2. Crochet around all 4 stitches of Toe 3. At the end of the round, you should have 12 stitches around.
In round 4, single crochet in each stitch around. After finishing round 4, single crochet until you reach the edge of the foot (this should be 4 additional single crochets).
Fasten off, leaving a 12 inch tail. Use the yarn tails from the toes to close up the holes between the holes, then hide the yarn tails inside the work.
The last step is to pinch the final round of the foot together and slip stitch it closed, then hide the tail inside the work.
Attaching the Feet
This video shows how to attach each foot as you crochet round 7 of the Body & Head. At this point, you should have two finished feet, ready to attach. You should also have the body crocheted to the end of round 6.
We’ll attach the feet as we crochet round 7. Align a foot on the right side of the work. In this round, we’ll be repeating a sequence of 5 single crochets and an increase, 6 times.
Attach the first foot in the next six stitches: (sc 5, inc).
Single crochet in the next stitch.
Attach the second foot in the next six stitches: (sc 4, inc, sc).
Now we’ll finish out the current sequence: sc 4, inc. Now that the feet are attached, count from the beginning of the round to make sure you maintained the sequence of 5 single crochets and an increase, 3 times.
Finish out the round by continuing the sequence of 5 single crochets and an increase, 3 more times. At the end of the round, you should have 42 stitches.
Attaching the Wings
At this point, you should have two completed wings, ready to attach. You should also have the body crocheted to the end of round 28.We’ll start attaching the first wing in the very last stitch of round 29, then finish attaching both wings as we crochet round 30.
Start round 29 by single crocheting in the first 4 stitches. Switch to white yarn and single crochet in the next 11 stitches. Switch to black yarn and single crochet 14.
In the last stitch of the round, start attaching the first wing.
In round 30, finish attaching the first wing with 5 single crochets. Switch to white yarn and single crochet 9. Switch back to black yarn and attach the second wing with 6 single crochets.
Single crochet in the last 10 stitches to finish out the round.
Attaching the Beak
At this point, you should have a completed beak, ready to attach. You should also have the Body & Head crocheted to the end of round 38.
The beak will be attached as you crochet round 39. Single crochet 9, switch to white yarn, and single crochet 9 again.
Align the beak on the right side of the work. Attach the beak as you crochet the next 6 stitches.
Single crochet 9, switch to black, and single crochet in the 27 remaining stitches. At the end of the round, you should have 60 stitches.
Marking Stitches for the Eyes
Between rounds 41 and 42 of the Body & Head, you are going to insert 2 markers to show you where to place your safety eyes at a later step.
There should be 14 stitches between the markers as shown in the photo.
You will leave the stitch markers in place as you crochet rounds 43 – 50, so I recommend using strands of yarn to mark these stitches, ensuring they’re easy to crochet around.
Use a yarn needle to insert each strand to mark your stitches.
Indenting the Eyes
Note: This video shows a unicorn, but the technique is the same for all of my patterns.
Cut a strand of yarn approximately 18″ long. Tie a large, secure knot in one end and thread the other end through your yarn needle.
Insert your needle through the back opening of the head and sew between the two spots where you’ll be placing your safety eyes (marked with strands of yarn).
Pull your strand of yarn taut, which will create indents. Fasten off with a knot and hide your yarn tail inside the head.
Making the Pom-Pom
In this video, I’ll teach you how to make a pom-pom using a Clover Pom-Pom Maker.
Open up one side, and wrap yarn around the half-circle until it is full. Close up that side and trim off the tail.
Repeat for the other side. Take a pair of scissors and snip along the center on both sides of the pom-pom maker.
Cut an 18″ strand of yarn, find the center, and insert it down into the middle of the maker. Secure with a double knot to hold the stands of the pom-pom in place.
Make sure you keep the long tails, as they can help you attach your pom-pom to the top of your Penguin Hat.
Pop the pom-pom out of the maker, and trim it up to your liking.
Making the Hat
At this point, you should have a completed pom-pom to attach to the top of your hat.
You should also have all parts of your penguin completed, except for the hat and scarf. To add the hat, we’ll be working into the exposed front loops from round 48 of the Body & Head.
We’ll be joining rounds with a slip stitch, and chain 2 at the beginning of double crochet rounds. The chains and slip stitches are NOT included in the stitch count for each round.
To start round 1 of the hat, make a slip knot on your hook. Hold your penguin right side up. Where you begin round 1 of the hat doesn’t matter. I prefer to start centered on the back of the head.
Single crochet in each stitch around. In the back loop only, slip stitch into the first stitch to join the round.
In round 2, we’ll crochet into the back loop only. We’ll use the exposed front loops from this round to add trim on the hat at a later step.
Chain 2. In the back loop only, double crochet in the first stitch of the round.
If you’re not used to joining rounds, I recommend placing a second stitch marker in a different color at the top of your first double crochet. This will show you where to slip stitch at the end of the round.
In the back loop only, double crochet in each stitch around.
At the end of the round, slip stitch into the first double crochet to join the round. You should end with 48 stitches in the round.
For rounds 3 through 6, chain 2, double crochet in each stitch around, then slip stitch to join.
At the end of round 6, fasten off, leaving a 18” tail. Do not stuff the hat. Thread the end of the tail through a yarn needle and weave it between every stitch in the final round. Cinch the round together, then attach the pom-pom at the top.
Next we’ll add the trim to the bottom of the hat by crocheting into the exposed front loops from round 1. Chain 3, treble crochet in each stitch around, then slip stitch to join. Hide the tails inside the work.
Instructions
Feet (make 2)
At the end of Toes 1 & 2, fasten off, leaving a 5 inch tail. At the end of Toe 3, do not fasten off. Next, we'll combine all 3 toes into one large round to create the rest of the foot. 03. Crochet into the first 2 stitches of Toe 2. Crochet around all 4 stitches of Toe 1. Crochet into the remaining 2 stitches of Toe 2. Crochet around all 4 stitches of Toe 3. [12]
Beak
Wings (make 2)
Body & Head
The body and head will be crocheted together as one piece. We'll start at the bum and finish at the top of the head. We'll be attaching the feet as we crochet the next round of the body. To view a video tutorial, see "Attaching the Feet" in the Notes section of the pattern. 29. sc 4, W: sc 11, B: sc 14, Start attaching the first wing: (sc) [30] We'll be attaching the beak as we crochet the next round of the head. To view a video tutorial, see "Attaching the Beak" in the Notes section of the pattern. 39. sc 9, W: sc 9, Attach the beak: (sc 6), sc 9, B: sc 27 [60]
Hat Pom-Pom
Hat
Hat Trim
The trim will be worked into the exposed front loops from round 2 of the hat. Hold your penguin upside down and insert your hook through each exposed loop top-to-bottom. With blue yarn:
Scarf
