How to Make Shelby: Free Pattern for a Crochet Turtle

My nephew has been asking me for MONTHS to make him a crochet turtle. This is the same nephew who asked for all the pokemon, so I just put it out of my mind while I worked on other things. A couple of weeks ago, I gave in and made him a cute little crochet amigurumi and shared some pictures on Instagram. So many people requested a pattern for Shelby the crochet turtle, so here it is!

This little guy is really easy to make. He’s mostly just circles so it’s a great pattern for beginners. I used a magic loop to start all of my pieces because the starting circle is much neater than using a chain. There will be no gap at the starting point and the finish is cleaner.

This is part of my Beach Buddies Collection along with a couple of other patterns. Over the course of the month, I’ll be releasing 7 patterns for free on the blog here. You can check back every time I post a new pattern, OR you can grab the bundle of all the patterns at once, as premium ad-free PDF files, plus a bonus pattern! The pattern bundle is on sale below for $14, which is 70% off what it would be to get each other patterns separately. Click the image or the button below to check it out!

The full free pattern is written out below. For those who’d prefer to print the pattern and take it with you for on-the-go and to markup as you go, you can buy the inexpensive printable PDF from my Etsy and Ravelry shops. The PDF is formatted without ads or comments, so it’s easy to read.

Materials:

• #4 worsted weight yarn – I used Yarn Bee Soft Secret in Mushroom and Green
• 3.25mm crochet hook / D hook*
• Tapestry needle
• Stitch markers
• Polyfil stuffing – I have a GIANT box of this
• 5mm safety eyes

Abbreviations:

• ch – chain
• SC – single crochet
• DC – double crochet
• HDC – half double crochet
• sl – slip stitch

Pattern Notes:

• Skill level: Beginner
• Sizing: 7 inches long
• Gauge: 6S x 5R

 

Useful Amigurumi Tips

• All patterns are in English and written in standard USA terms
• inc – increase by working 2 stitches into the same space
• dec – decrease across 2 stitches using an invisible decrease
• Keep stitches tight to prevent holes for stuffing to show through. If there are holes, go down a hook size.
• All pieces are worked in continuous rounds unless otherwise stated. Use stitch markers to mark the first stitch of each round.
• Safety eyes are used in these patterns, but feel free to stitch on eyes instead for children under 3 years old.
• If you have any questions, email me at [email protected]

Shelby The Crochet Turtle: Free Crochet Amigurumi Pattern

Shell:

Round 1: With brown yarn, create a magic loop and work 6 SC into the loop. Mark the first space with a stitch marker (6 stitches).

Round 2: Work 2 SC into each space (12).

Round 3: *SC 1, and increase in the next* all the way around (18).

Round 4: *SC 2, and increase in the next* all the way around (24).

Round 5: *SC 3, and increase in the next* all the way around (30).

Round 6: *SC 4, and increase in the next* all the way around (36).

Round 7: *SC 5, and increase in the next* all the way around (42).

Rounds 8-12: SC around for 5 rounds, and then bind off leaving a long tail.

Like most crochet amigurumi patterns, this looks better with tight stitches so you can’t see the stuffing inside. Keep your tension tight, but if you can still see the stuffing, move down a hook size.

Belly:

Round 1: With cream yarn, work 6 SC into a magic loop and mark the first space with a stitch marker (6 stitches).

Round 2: Work 2 SC into each space (12).

Round 3: *SC 1, and increase in the next* all the way around (18).

Round 4: *SC 2, and increase in the next* all the way around (24).

Round 5: *SC 3, and increase in the next* all the way around (30).

Round 6: *SC 4, and increase in the next* all the way around (36).

Round 7: *SC 5, and increase in the next* all the way around (42).

Round 8: *SC 6, and increase in the next* all the way around (54). And then bind off.

Head:

Round 1: With green yarn, work 6 SC into a magic loop and mark the first space with a stitch marker (6 stitches).

Round 2: Work 2 SC into each space (12).

Round 3: *SC 1, and increase in the next* all the way around (18).

Round 4: *SC 2, and increase in the next* all the way around (24).

Now, you can decide where to place the safety eyes. Just poke them through and see if you like the placement. Add some stuffing in BEFORE you secure the backs so you can see how it will move once the head is filled. If you’re happy with it, remove the stuffing and secure the backs.

Round 5-8: SC around for 4 rounds.

Round 9: *SC 2, and decrease over the next two* all the way around (18).

Round 10: *SC 1, and decrease* all the way around (12).

Round 11-18: SC around for 8 rounds. Then bind off. Add a little bit of stuffing to the head and neck.

Front Flippers (make 2):

Round 1: Use green yarn to make a magic loop and work 6 SC into it.

Round 2: Work 2 SC into each space (12).

Round 3: *SC 1, and increase in the next* all the way around (18).

Round 4: *SC 2, and increase in the next* all the way around (24).

Round 5: *SC 3, and increase in the next* all the way around (30).

Round 6: *SC 4, and increase in the next* all the way around (36).

Round 7: SC around for 1 round. Then, fold the circle in half and SC the edge closed. BO and leave a little bit of tail yarn.

Back Flippers (make 2):

Round 1: Use light green yarn and a 3.50mm hook to make a magic loop and work 6 SC into it.

Round 2: Work 2 SC into each space (12).

Round 3: *SC 1, and increase in the next* all the way around (18).

Round 4: *SC 2, and increase in the next* all the way around (24).

Round 5: SC around for 1 round. Then, fold the circle in half and SC the edge closed. BO and leave a little bit of tail yarn.

Assembling the crochet turtle

You’re all done with the parts of your crochet amigurumi turtle but now it’s time to put it all together. The easiest way I found to do this is to place the head at any point on the edge of the shell and use a tapestry needle and some green yarn to sew it into place. You just need a few stitches to hold it there.

Then, place your flippers along the edge of the shell. You can use stitch markers or pins to hold them in place as you work. Use a tapestry needle and green yarn to sew them into place as well.

Now, add the stuffing to the shell to round it out. Place the belly over the shell, like a lid over the stuffing, and use the tail yarn from the shell and slip stitch all the way around the crochet amigurumi turtle. This attaches the belly to the shell and creates that “lip” at the edge of the shell. Use black thread and embroider on a smile to finish. Finally, just weave in all the loose ends and trim the excess yarn.

You’re done with your crochet turtle!

I really love how Shelby turned out and I think he’s just about the cutest thing ever. This crochet amigurumi turtle works up pretty quickly. I make him in about an hour before my nephew came over that day. He loved it and he’s been running around with it ever since. I think he renamed him though, ha!

Shelby is part of a collection of beach and seaside-themed patterns, so check out the 6 other patterns below. Like this pattern, you can get the others as free patterns on the blog, or visit the shop to grab the bundle of all 7 PDF Beach Buddies patterns.

Beach Buddies Collections

• Jenni the Jellyfish
• Melly the Mermaid
• Axel the Axolotl
• Percival the Pirate
• Shelby the Turtle
• Gulliver the Seagull
• and Danny the Diver

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