Grinch Amigurumi Crochet Pattern With Crocheted-In Limbs
This Grinch amigurumi crochet pattern makes a plush green Grinch with a three-point tuft on top of his head and a red-and-white striped scarf around his neck. Plush yarn gives him a soft texture, while safety eyes and embroidered eye whites, brows, nose and mouth give him his grumpy expression.
The body and head are worked as a single piece from the bottom up. The legs and tail are crocheted directly into Round 2 and the arms into Round 5, so there are no limbs to sew on later. After the last round, the top is folded flat and closed with slip stitches that also form the tuft.
Materials Abbreviations Body and Head Tuft Face and Scarf FAQ
Before your first stitch
- Read ahead to the eye note. The safety eyes go between Rounds 11 and 12, but the note appears after Round 13. Have the eyes ready before the head starts closing.
- Limbs are not counted. The totals in parentheses for Rounds 2 and 5 count only the stitches of the round itself. The chains, clusters and slip stitches that form the legs, tail and arms are not included.
- Plan your stuffing. Stuffing is on the materials list, but the pattern doesn’t say exactly when to add it. The top is closed for good in the tuft step, so make sure the body and head are filled before you get there.
- Gather the contrast colors early. The face uses white, black and dark green yarn. The scarf uses red and white.
Gather your materials
- Plush yarn: 120 m / 100 g, in green for the body
- Crochet hook: 3.75 mm
- Safety eyes: 8 mm
- Stuffing
- Yarn needle and stitch marker
- Embroidery yarn: white, black and dark green, as called for in the finishing steps
- Scarf yarn: red and white, for the two-color cord
Abbreviations (US terms)
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ch | chain |
| sc | single crochet |
| sl st | slip stitch |
| st(s) | stitch(es) |
| rnd(s) | round(s) |
| inc | increase: 2 sc in the same st |
| dec | decrease: work the next 2 sts together as 1 |
| dc | double crochet |
| cl(3) / cl(4) | 3-dc or 4-dc cluster: work 3 or 4 dc in the same st, leaving the last loop of each dc on the hook, then yarn over and pull through all loops so the stitches share one top |
Every term here uses US crochet names. If you usually work from UK patterns, the Craft Yarn Council’s crochet abbreviations list compares US and UK terminology. Round 1 starts in a magic ring; if that’s new to you, see how to crochet the magic ring step by step.
How the crocheted-in limbs work: Each leg, arm or tail is written in parentheses inside the round. You chain up from the stitch you just made, work back along the chain as directed, then slip stitch into that same base stitch and carry on with the round. For example, each leg in Round 2 is ch 3, cl(4) in the 2nd ch from the hook, sl st in the last ch, then sl st in the base st. For general help reading brackets, parentheses and repeats, see the Craft Yarn Council guide to reading crochet patterns.
Body and Head
Work with the green plush yarn, starting with a magic ring. Use your stitch marker to keep track of each round.
Rnd 1: 8 sc in a magic ring. (8)
Rnd 2: Inc 3 times, leg (ch 3, cl(4) in 2nd ch from hook, sl st in next ch, sl st in base st), inc 2 times, leg (ch 3, cl(4) in 2nd ch from hook, sl st in next ch, sl st in base st), inc 3 times, tail (ch 4, sl st in 2nd ch from hook and in each of next 2 ch, sl st in base st). (16)
Rnds 3–4: Sc in each st around, 2 rnds. (16)
Rnd 5: Dec 3 times, arm (ch 4, cl(3) in 2nd ch from hook, sl st in each of next 2 ch, sl st in base st), dec 3 times, arm (ch 4, cl(3) in 2nd ch from hook, sl st in each of next 2 ch, sl st in base st), dec 2 times. (8)
Rnd 6: Inc in each st around. (16)
Rnd 7: Sc in next 6 sts, inc 2 times, sc in next 2 sts, inc 2 times, sc in next 4 sts. (20)
Rnd 8: Sc in each st around. (20)
Rnd 9: Sc in next 7 sts, dec 5 times, sc in next 3 sts. (15)
Rnd 10: Sc in each st around. (15)
Rnd 11: [Sc in next 3 sts, dec] 3 times. (12)
Rnd 12: Sc in each st around. (12)
Rnd 13: [Sc in next 2 sts, dec] 3 times. (9)
Safety eyes: Insert the 8 mm safety eyes between Rnds 11 and 12, 3 to 4 sts apart. For fastening help, see how to safely attach safety eyes.
Before the opening shrinks: Safety eye backs are fastened from inside the piece, so check the eye position and secure the backs while you can still reach in. The pattern doesn’t set a stuffing point, so this is also a convenient moment to make sure the body and head are filled; the top will be closed in the tuft step. For an even fill, see how to stuff amigurumi without lumps.
Rnd 14: [Sc in next st, dec] 3 times. (6)
Tuft and Finishing
Line up the top: Next, work the tuft. If needed, work a shift stitch first so the opening lines up for folding.
Close and first spike: Fold the opening flat and sl st through both layers. Ch 3, sl st in 2nd ch from hook and in next ch, sl st in base st.
Second spike: Sl st through both layers in the next st, ch 3, sl st in 2nd ch from hook and in next ch, sl st in base st.
Third spike: Sl st through both layers in the next st, ch 3, sl st in 2nd ch from hook and in next ch, sl st in base st.
Finish: Fasten off and secure the yarn end.
Why three spikes fit: Round 14 ends with 6 stitches. Folded flat, they line up in 3 pairs, one pair for each slip stitch through both layers and its spike. A shift stitch is an extra stitch worked past the end of the round to move your working position; use one only if your last stitch doesn’t sit at the edge where you want to fold.
Sculpting and Embroidery
- Sculpt the eyes with your usual eye-sculpting method, shaping one eye first and then the other.
- With white yarn, embroider the whites of the eyes next to the safety eyes.
- With black yarn, embroider the mouth.
- With dark green yarn, embroider the nose and eyebrows.
Scarf
Crochet a two-color cord, alternating white and red. Any two-color crochet cord method you’re comfortable with will work. The finished Grinch wears the cord around his neck as a scarf.
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Questions about this Grinch amigurumi
Do the arms, legs and tail need to be sewn on?
No. The two legs and the tail are crocheted into Round 2, and the two arms are crocheted into Round 5, each finished with a slip stitch back into its base stitch.
Why don’t the stitch counts include the limbs?
The totals of 16 in Round 2 and 8 in Round 5 count only the stitches made by the round’s increases or decreases. The chains, clusters and slip stitches that form the limbs and tail sit outside those totals.
When should I insert the safety eyes?
Place the 8 mm safety eyes between Rounds 11 and 12, 3 to 4 stitches apart. The pattern gives this step after Round 13, so fit and secure them before you work Round 14.
How is the tuft on top of the head made?
After Round 14, fold the 6-stitch opening flat and close it with slip stitches through both layers. Each of the three spikes is ch 3, sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook and in the next ch, then sl st in the base stitch.
How do I make the striped scarf?
Crochet a two-color cord, alternating white and red, using any cord method you like. The finished Grinch wears it around his neck.
