Easiest Crochet Whale Free Amigurumi Pattern

My amigurumi whale pattern is my newest animal-themed free crochet pattern! It’s also the easiest beginner amigurumi project you could start with!

Read on to learn more about my design process and inspiration, or scroll to the end to get the free pattern. If you’re in a hurry and need to take this pattern offline, grab the beautifully formatted, ad-free, PDF pattern for free below.

The easiest amigurumi whale ever!

I developed this pattern for my beginner amigurumi workshop, so I made sure that this pattern is as streamlined as possible for beginners.

A whale is the ideal first project for anyone attempting amigurumi — it’s just a ball with a few extra bits, and this pattern uses a clever no-sew technique so that you don’t have to bother with making any extra pieces.

My very first amigurumi project (and crochet project, for that matter) was a whale just like this, and although it was a frustrating few hours it got me started on my yearslong obsession with amigurumi!

I’ve made this blog post and video tutorial everything that I wanted it to be when I first started. All the information is right here on the page, and I’ve got tutorial links to every step along the way and more.

If this is your very first amigurumi or crochet project, I highly recommend you watch my video tutorial below while following along with the blog post for extra help.

I show you the entire process from start to finish in my complete tutorial, and it’ll give you the best chance for success.

I hope this helps you get started on your amigurumi journey just like I did!

Tips for amigurumi beginners!

If you’ve never made amigurumi before, here are a few essential tips to get you on your way. First of all, you should read my complete amigurumi beginner’s guide, which includes tips on how to hold a hook, read a pattern, and source materials.

However, here are some quick and dirty tips for first timers as well as some solutions to common problems:

• If you’re having trouble completing each stitch when it’s time to pull the hook through, make your loops bigger by tugging on the hook as you work each yarn over.
• The beginning is the hardest part, so if your work looks terrible after the first few rounds, keep going because it gets easier.
• You can optionally flip your work inside out after round 5 or 6. Most amigurumi makers (myself included) do this, and it does not affect the way the project is made in any way. However, if you don’t flip your work inside out then your project will look different. If you’re a first timer, it’s totally okay to skip this step for your first project, just keep this in mind for the future.
• After you finish, if there are large gaps in your work or stuffing is peeking through, this is because your stitches are too loose. Of course, if this is your first try and you need looser stitches just to be able to finish your single crochet stitches, this is to be expected. Just practice with a few more projects and you’ll gradually be able to work smaller and smaller stitches to avoid this problem.
  • If your stitches are extremely tight and you’re still getting gaps, make sure that the hook you’re using is 1-2mm smaller than what’s stated on the yarn label (see my blog post on what hook to use for amigurumi!)

More blog posts for amigurumi beginners:

• Easiest Crochet Whale for Absolute Beginners!

• My Foolproof Guide to Crocheting Amigurumi for Beginners
• What’s the best stuffing for amigurumi? (+ how to stuff!)
• How to Sew Amigurumi Parts Together (easy photo tutorial!)

The Pattern

• If you want to take this pattern offline, grab the beautifully formatted, ad-free, PDF pattern from Etsy below!

Description

This super cute miniature whale is the best project for beginner crocheters eager to learn the basics of crocheting in the round in the amigurumi style. This whale is essentially made from a ball with a few easy adjustments to add fins and a tail without sewing.

Yarn

Confused about materials? For all my personal recommendations of my most-used tools, yarns, and supplies, check out my favorites in this complete guide!

• WeCrochet Brava Sport (sport)
  • (<1 skein) Sky (blue)

Notions

• Size D 3.25mm Clover Amour hook
• 6.0mm safety eyes
• fiberfill stuffing
• tapestry needle
• stitch markers

Technical Notes

1. Crochet in continuous spiral rounds, unless specified otherwise. Use a stitch marker or piece of yarn to keep track of the last stitch in each round.

2. When filling with polyester stuffing, pull apart each large chunk into many smaller chunks. This ensures an even distribution of firmness within the amigurumi.
3. To avoid large holes in the crochet fabric, increase tension until the holes cannot be seen, or choose a crochet hook a size down.
4. If you’re having trouble reading this pattern with the help of the abbreviations, check out my blog post on reading amigurumi patterns!
5. For more general help on where to find amigurumi patterns, the materials needed, and more, check out my complete beginner’s guide to amigurumi!

Final Size

2″ x 2″

WHALE (in blue. See Abbreviations.)

• Begin: Make a magic ring.

• Round 1: Work 6 single crochet stitches in MR (video tutorial here) (6 sts)
• Round 2: inc x6 (12 sts)
  • An increase stitch is two single crochet stitches worked into the same stitch. See video tutorial here for a demonstration of round 2.
• Round 3: (sc, inc) x6 (18 sts)
  • The parentheses indicate that you need to repeat all the steps in the parentheses as many times as stated. Round three states that you need to work a (single crochet, then an increase stitch), 6 times. For more help on reading parentheses, see my tutorial on reading patterns here!
• Round 4: (2 sc, inc) x6 (24 sts)
• Round 5: (3 sc, inc) x6 (30 sts)
  • Flip the amigurumi piece inside out so that the side with the “v”s is facing outward. This step is optional but preferred by most amigurumi makers. For a great tutorial on which is the right side and wrong side and why you would want to flip your work, see my blog post.
• Round 6-8 (3 rnds): sc around (30 sts)
  • The instruction “sc around” means to single crochet into every stitch all around, without working any increases or decreases.

After working round 8, get three stitch markers (or safety pins), and mark out where you would like the two fins and the tail to be. Make sure that the fins are about equal distance from the tail.

• Round 9: Sc around and work fins and tail at stitch markers
  • Fin: chain 3 off the side. Skip the first ch, and sc into the next two chains. Sc into the original stitch to anchor and continue.
  • Tail: chain 3 off the side. Skip the first ch, and sc into the next two chains. Sc into the original stitch to anchor. Repeat one more time to create both sides of the tail.
  • See my video tutorial here for visual guidance on this round (highly recommended!).

• Round 10: sc around. When you get to a fin or a tail, bend the limb backwards until it is lying against your work. Then, skip the fin/tail and work into the next available crochet stitch. Make sure to pull your yarn tight so that the hole is as small as possible (see video here).
• Round 11: (3 sc, dec) x6 (24 sts)
• Insert two 6.0mm safety eyes between rounds 8-9, with 6 stitches between them (video tutorial here).
• Round 12: (2 sc, dec) x6 (18 sts)
• Round 13: (sc, dec) x6 (12 sts)
• Using polyester fiberfill, scrap yarn, or fabric, stuff amigurumi. See my blog post here on how to stuff amigurumi the right way.
• Round 14: dec x6 (6 sts)
• Finish off your amigurumi in the round. See my video tutorial here for more help!

Your whale amigurumi is all done! I hope you enjoyed crocheting it and found the pattern helpful. I would love to see your finished project, so share a picture on Instagram with me by using the #littleworldofwhimsy and tagging me @littleworldofwhimsy.