Making an Amigurumi Crochet Unicorn




As soon as I saw an adorable pattern in issue 18 of the Simply Crochet magazine for a sweet baby unicorn, that was my weekend crafting sorted! I adore fantasy creatures and I love the way that this one sits down, especially as it is going up on a display shelf in my office.

If you've been reading my blog here at CraftyMarie, you'll know that I'm still very new to crochet. In fact I only just started it this year. That's why I'm so proud of making this adorable Amigurumi crochet unicorn.

This unicorn is actually my first completed toy pattern since I've only worked on simple items up until now like granny squares, cushion covers and pincushions. So to work a whole pattern for a toy was pretty daunting.

Note: This post contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated. 

I used my favorite 4mm Clover Crochet Hook also available at amazon.co.uk and 100% cotton yarn in a natural shade (actually the same yarn I use to make our dishcloths!) because I really happen to like crocheting with it and it has a nice texture for holding a shape. If I'd wanted it for a cuddle toy rather than a display piece, I'd have opted for a really super soft natural yarn instead.

NOTE: If you don't have access to issue 18 of Simply Crochet, I have listed some similar FREE crochet unicorn patterns near the end of this article for you. Lots of notes on sewing together amigurumi.


Simply Crochet is a UK magazine but since Amigurumi tends to use just the single crochet stitch (double crochet UK term) it meant that the pattern was not hard for me to follow. It's just doing SC in a continuous round lots of times along with decreasing and increasing stitches to make the different body parts and then stitching everything together.

The Needles I Use to Sew Crochet Pieces Together

Clover Chibi with Darning NeedlesClover Darning Needle Set

This first image shows stitching on the legs to the body. This was one of the most challenging aspects of the whole project. Getting the legs pinned in the right place so the unicorn would sit nicely when done and stitching the first one on while not knocking the pins out from the other leg was a real pain.


My pins did not want to stay in and it was my least favorite part overall. This is where you really need some long pins and I was very glad of the long flower head sewing pins that I rarely use otherwise. Luckily the arms were a lot easier to sew on.



If this was crocheted in green, it would look like Yoda! By the time I get round to pinning on the ears, I'm starting to get a wee bit worried. Is it more like a unicorn or does it look more like a mini Yoda? I'm so glad I didn't choose green yarn!

The ears had me confused completely until I worked out that they needed to be folded flat where they make a rough kind of triangle shape for adding to the head.

Where I went wrong was that I kept trying to stretch the piece of crochet out to make a single flat shape as I worked it and when I cottoned on that it is meant to make a cone shape as you stitch it and then you just flatten the cone instead of stuffing as with the other pieces, it was like a real DUH moment. But then I've never made ears before so I guess I'm excused!


I don't trust myself to have the ears in a good place so at this point I just pin everything on! I choose some simple black buttons for the eyes and pin on the nose.

My husband thought it looked more like a teddy or a pig at this point so I was starting to get a bit nervy that all my hard work would be wasted if it ends up looking like something else entirely.

My photos might not be so clear since I was sitting outside enjoying the sunshine as I worked on this. I just threw everything I needed on a tray. A few bees came to investigate but that was it.

Up until this point, I pretty much stuck to the pattern as printed. I made a few changes where I substituted skipping stitches for my preference of stitching 2 together until the holes were closed on the different sections that required it. But other than that, it was a straight up copy.


This is the part where I departed from the pattern. The horn in the pattern was quite small (perhaps as it is a baby unicorn) but I wanted this part to be taller and more prominent since it's the main aspect which separates this fictional creature from just looking like a horse, or my new amigurumi toy from looking like normal teddy bear!

I also wanted to use a beautiful and soft silver gray 100% Egyptian cotton yarn that I had waiting to use. The problem with this yarn was that it was a lot thinner than the cotton I used for the body of the toy.

I ended up using a 2.5mm crochet hook and just winging it completely on the pattern - I just started with a 6 stitch circle and very gradually increased it to make a horn shape. When it was tall enough, I stopped stitching and pinned it to the head in the middle.


I also went my own way with the tail and mane for the crochet unicorn too. I chose a selection of blue and green yarns and added some ribbon and silver embroidery thread.

I'd have loved to have a fuller tail but I wanted the ends to be hidden neatly inside the natural hole made from forming the ring for the circular body. So I knotted the top tightly of several yarns and threaded them through with a lot of tugging.

In order for the toy to still be able to sit nicely, I opted for a little plait near the top before ending in a bushier tail end. I used the same colors on the mane which were hidden and sewn underneath the base of the horn. You'll see the full effect in a minute.


Now he's complete, I think he's adorable. You can't see it very well here but I also added a single large Swarovski bicone crystal bead on the top of the horn which is held in place with a tiny gray seed bead and stitched in with silver embroidery thread.

This little detail really catches the light as I enjoy looking at this little darling in my home office.

I'm not sure that I will make many toys since although I now have the confidence to try other patterns and make my own too, I really dislike all the sewing and stitching together of parts.

The actual crocheting and the finishing off with details is what I love best. I've imagined some Amigurumi designs I'd like to design and make instead so stay tuned to see those as they develop! I hope you've enjoyed reading my craftymarie article today, thanks for your visit. See more articles underneath to visit too.

Free Unicorn Crochet Patterns to Enjoy


Because this example I made was from a magazine issue (Issue #18 of Simply Crochet Magazine) I cannot give out the pattern because it's not mine to share. However, I found a couple of sweet free patterns online.

1) L'il Baby Unicorn is a cute free pattern on LittleYarnFriends blog

2) Hermione the Unicorn is a free Ravelry PDF pattern to download. You need to be a Ravelry member which is free to join.

3) Rainbow Cuddles Crochet Unicorn Pattern

4) Twinkle Toes Crochet Unicorn Pattern

5) Sleeping Unicorn Pony Crochet Pattern


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Comments

  1. That is so adorable!

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  2. Marie Williams Johnstone7 May 2014, 08:53:00

    Thank you, Joanne. It was so much fun to make and now I can enjoy looking at him :)

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  3. Aw he's adorable! I've been eyeing up that pattern too, might see if I can make it in acrylic though, I'm not a fan of working with cotton particularly :-S

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  4. Marie Williams Johnstone8 May 2014, 11:25:00

    Yes, I loved him as soon as I saw the pattern :) Acrylic should also work great. I used acrylic yarn to crochet a doll for my daughter and it is softer and cuddlier. The only issue I had was that I should have worked tighter stitches with the acrylic since it has more 'give' than the cotton. He was fun to make apart from all the sewing!

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  5. Have you tried safety eyes? I love this little guy, but you may get more sales for babies with safety eyes.

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  6. Marie Williams Johnstone10 May 2014, 13:08:00

    Thank you. Yes I totally agree, safety eyes or even embroidered eyes are better choices for selling or gifting. But this little fella is my display buddy (too cute to part with) so I opted for buttons. I'm far too slow at crochet to sell any finished pieces :)

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  7. I am making this too! I wonder if you can help me? I am just completing the body and the last row of stitches in the instructions is round 9 (14 stitches), and then you are supposed to fasten off. Is that right? The hole seems rather big, and there's no mention of stuffing, so I'm thinking there may be some text missing.

    Thanks for you help, and I love your finished unicorn! My son thought the pic in the mag looked like a pig, so I may copy your idea of a larger horn.

    Kate x

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  8. Marie Williams Johnstone16 May 2014, 21:33:00

    Absolutely - I can help there. I also thought the hole was too big so I just carried on stuffing and decreasing by doing the 2tog until I got to the point where I could not decrease any more and then fastened off.

    Yes I was worried it looked a bit like a pig too but I think that larger horn definitely helps. Thanks very much for the lovely comments too :)

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  9. Thanks so much for your fast reply :)

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  10. Marie Williams Johnstone17 May 2014, 19:47:00

    Very welcome - hope you enjoy your finished crochet unicorn :)

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  11. Marie,

    My granddaughter wants me to make this for her, but I need a pattern.....I don't see step by step instructions on here.......I need to know how many stitches for the head, body, legs, etc. I am used to following a pattern with row by row instructions.......any help??????????????????????????????

    Thanks,
    Judy

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  12. Marie Williams Johnstone25 Jul 2014, 20:22:00

    Hi Judy, thanks for your comment. I can't share that exact unicorn crochet pattern since it was from a magazine issue - #18 Simply Crochet Magazine.

    However, I have found a few free and cute unicorn patterns online which I have now added in near the bottom of this article - look for the section titled: A Couple of Free Unicorn Crochet Patterns

    So I hope that is helpful to you and to anyone else wanting to make a cute unicorn.

    Many thanks, Marie

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  13. You did a great job Marie. Its so cute!

    ReplyDelete

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CraftyMarie is a craft themed website by Marie Williams Johnstone. I love to craft in the winter and garden in the summer. I make handmade cards, papercrafts, crochet and seasonal crafts. I enjoy many of the more traditional crafts and hobbies including sewing, embroidery and working with felt and fabric. Thanks for leaving me a comment. Comments do not show up until I approve them. Marie

Articles are accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.