38 rounds · filed under dense · 4 of them
Amigurumi · added 7 Oct 2026
Single crochet penguin amigurumi with a rounded, stuffable body
Single crochet builds a dense, firm fabric that holds stuffing — this penguin amigurumi stacks a round head and body on short limbs.
- Skill
- Intermediate
- Time
- 4-6 hours
- Yarn
- Worsted
- Rounds
- 38
About this pattern
Single crochet is the only stitch at work here, and it shows in the hand: tight, dense, almost no gaps between loops. That closeness is what keeps stuffing from peeking through later, and it's why each round pulls snug against the one below it instead of sitting loose. Pick it up mid-round and the fabric already feels like it wants to hold a shape, firm rather than floppy, with a slight ridge where each round closes with a slip stitch.
The head and body rise as one continuous curve over 25 rounds, so there's no seam to join partway up — the shape simply widens, holds, then narrows again under your hands. Once stuffed, set the piece upright and check that it balances on its own base before adding the arms, legs, and cap; a body that tips means it needs a touch more fill at the bottom round.
The swatch in numbers
- Rounds
- 38
- Parts
- 4
- Level
- Intermediate
- Time
- 4-6 hours
- Yarn
- Worsted
The yarn and the hook
- Yarn ( In Your Desired Color )
- Hook
Stitches, spelled out
R round; mr magic ringDense; sc single crochetDense; inc increase (2 sc in the next stitch); dec decrease (join the next 2 stitches into 1); W 3 sc in the next stitch (3 sc in the next stitch); slst slip stitch; st stitch; ch chain; FO fasten off / finish off; [ ] number of stitches you should have at the end of the round/row; ( ) x 6 repeat whatever is between the brackets the number of times stated.
Tension and hand-feel
After the first increase round on the Head and Body (the 6-inc round), lay it flat and check that it cups into a shallow dome rather than a flat disc or a tight cone.
If it lies too flat, the hook is too large for the yarn and stitches are loose; if it cones sharply, go up a hook size so the increases have room to spread.
Head and Body
Arms (Make 2)
Legs (Make 2)
Cap
How the texture is built
- the Head and Body, every increase in rounds 2 through 5 is spaced one plain stitch further apart each round (inc alone, then 1sc+inc, then inc+1sc+1sc, then 3sc+inc), which spreads the extra stitches evenly so the curve rounds out gradually instead of forming a point.
If you swap the yarn
| Cotton, worsted weight | Produces a firmer, slightly stiffer fabric with less stretch across the increase rounds, so the Head and Body hold their curve well but need a touch more effort easing the hook through each stitch; stuffing stays put with little give. |
|---|---|
| Acrylic, DK weight | Finished pieces come out noticeably smaller than the original gauge unless the hook size drops half a step; the fabric stays light and the limbs on Arms and Legs feel slimmer. |
| Wool-blend, worsted weight | Adds loft and a softer surface to the Head and Body, but the fabric has more drape and can stretch slightly under the weight of stuffing, so pack fill a little firmer than usual to keep the shape round. |
Colorways
- Soft tonal Use a pale gray for the entire Head and Body, a warm cream for the Cap, and a deeper charcoal for both Arms and both Legs, so the limbs read as a shade darker than the rounded body.
Washing and blocking
Hand wash in cool water only when needed; the dense single crochet fabric holds water longer than it looks like it would, so press rather than wring to get moisture out.
Lay flat to dry on a towel, turning the Head and Body occasionally so stuffing dries evenly and doesn't shift to one side while damp.
Store away from direct sun and reshape the Cap and limbs by hand while still slightly damp if they've been pressed flat in storage, since the firm fabric holds whatever shape it's set in.
When it does not look right
- The Head and Body cups or cones instead
- The increases in rounds 2 through 5 are landing too close together or too far apart; recount the inc pattern in each round so the spacing matches exactly, since even one skipped increase throws off the curve.
- The Arms or Legs flare out instead of staying straight-sided
- An increase round is being repeated into the plain rounds (5-7 on Arms, 5-6 on Legs) by mistake; check that those later rounds hold a flat stitch count with no inc stitches.
- The ridge from the BLO rounds on the Legs is barely visible
- Only the back loop should be worked on those rounds; if both loops get picked up out of habit, the front-loop ridge disappears, so slow down and locate the back loop specifically before each stitch.
Close-ups
Questions people ask
Why does the Head and Body use one continuous piece instead of a separate head and body joined later?
Working all 25 rounds in one piece avoids a seam at the neck, so the stuffed shape flows from head to body without a weak point. It also means the fabric's firmness is consistent all the way down, since every round uses the same single crochet stitch count logic.
Do the Arms and Legs need to match each other in stuffing firmness?
Yes — both are worked to the same round counts and stitch totals, so uneven stuffing between the pair shows immediately once they're attached. Pack both at the same firmness so the finished piece sits level rather than leaning.
What does the slip stitch at the end of each round actually do to the fabric?
It joins the round into a closed circle rather than leaving it to spiral, which keeps the stitch count exact at every round and makes a small visible seam line up the back of each part. That join is also where it's easiest to count rounds back later if the piece needs checking against the pattern.
Can the Cap be made larger to fit over more of the head?
The Cap's 6 rounds are shaped to sit on top rather than wrap down, so extending it changes the proportion against the Head and Body significantly. Test fit it against the finished head before adding extra rounds, since the dense single crochet fabric won't stretch much to compensate.
New patterns, as they are filed
One short email when a batch lands, with the feel of each.