Intermediate
What the pattern's own author called it. Nothing here is graded again.
Amigurumi 39 Laid out for paper No account, no download
Crochet a toothy amigurumi shark from head to tail
Amigurumi shark with teeth: head, mouth, body and tail in rounds, 4.0 mm hook.
- Skill
- Intermediate
- Time
- 4-6 hours
- Yarn weight
- Worsted
- Hook
- 3.25 mm
- Rounds
- 39
Worsted
What the sample was worked in. Any weight works; the size moves with it.
39
Each one is typed out whole and gets its own line.
This amigurumi shark builds in seven pieces — head, mouth, teeth, body, tail, a single dorsal fin, and two pectoral (belly) fins — worked in continuous spiral rounds from a magic ring (or, since plush yarn frays easily under a traditional magic ring, a chain-2 foundation). The head takes 8 rounds and changes color partway through; the mouth opening is finished separately in 4 rounds, working first into back loops only so the front loops remain free for the teeth. The body runs 12 rounds and flows directly into the tail without fastening off. Have three colors of plush yarn, a contrasting smooth yarn for the teeth, a 4.0 mm hook, 12 mm safety eyes, and fiberfill ready before starting.
Common mistakes and their fixes
- Joining rounds with a slip stitch
- Work every round as a continuous spiral with no slip stitch and no starting chain unless stated. Keep a stitch marker at the start of each round so you do not lose track.
- Working mouth Round 1 through both loops
- Round 1 of the Mouth must go into back loops only, leaving the front loops free for the teeth. Check the loop before working the first stitch of that round.
- Fastening off at the end of the body
- Do not fasten off after Round 20 of the body — Rounds 21 and 22 of the Tail continue directly from it in the same piece.
- Pulling plush yarn tight
- Plush yarn frays under tight pulling. Keep your grip relaxed when working increases and color changes, and never yank the yarn tail when fastening off.
The materials list
- Yarn (main body): Plush/velvet yarn in 3 colors — less than half a skein of each. A medium-weight plush yarn works beautifully here.
- Yarn (teeth): Smooth lightweight yarn in white or cream (a cotton-blend fingering or sport weight works well)
- Yarn (embroidery details): Fine yarn or embroidery floss for gills and eye whites; dental floss or strong thread for cinching/tightening
Hook
- US size D-3 (3.25 mm) to G-6 (4.0 mm) — a size 4.0 mm hook was used for this pattern
Safety eyes
- 12 mm, 1 pair
Stuffing
- Polyester fiberfill
- Stitch markers / pins
- Yarn needle (blunt-tip for plush yarn)
- Tapestry needle (for teeth yarn and embroidery)
- Scissors
Listed by the pattern's own author, in their words.
Key to this pattern, 12 short forms
Head
Begin with Magic Ring (or ch 2 and work into 2nd ch from hook for plush yarn).
Round 1
MR, 5 sc into ring. Pull ring closed. (5)Step by step: 5 sc. (5).
Round 2
Inc in each st around. (10)From this round onward, work with two colors, changing color (CC) at the marked points each round.
Round 3
1` sc, CC — (inc, 1 sc) × 2, inc, CC — (1 sc, inc) × 2. (15)
Round 4
1 sc, CC — 1 sc, (inc, 2 sc) × 2, inc, CC — (2 sc, inc) × 2. (20)
Round 5
1 sc, CC — 2 sc, (inc, 3 sc) × 2, inc, CC — 8 sc. (23)The next round begins shaping the mouth opening.
Round 6
1 sc, CC — 2 sc, ch 14, skip 10 sts, starting from the 14th st of this round work 2 sc, CC — 8 sc. (23)
Round 7
1 sc, CC — 2 sc, 14 sc across the ch-14 chain, 2 sc, CC — 8 sc. (27)
Round 8
2 sc, CC — 16 sc, CC — 9 sc. (27)
Set the main body aside and work the Mouth piece next.
Mouth
The mouth is crocheted into the loops left by the mouth opening. Work Round 1 into the back loops only of those stitches — the front loops will be used later for the teeth. You may begin at any point around the opening.
Round 1
(BLO): 26 sc into back loops only around the mouth opening. (26)From Round 2 onward, work through both loops as normal.
Round 2
(3 sc, dec) × 5, 1 sc. (21)
Round 3
(2 sc, dec) × 5, 1 sc. (16)
Round 4
(1 sc, dec) × 5, 1 sc. (11)Fasten off, leaving a 6-inch (15 cm) yarn tail for sewing the mouth closed.
Teeth
Teeth are worked into the front loops only of the mouth opening stitches — the loops left unused from Mouth Round 1. Insert your hook from the mouth side.
Work slip stitches around the opening between teeth. There are 3 sl sts between each tooth. Do not place teeth at the corners of the mouth.
Each tooth is worked as follows:
Sl st into front loop, ch 3, sc into 2nd ch from hook, hdc into next ch, then sc into the same front loop where the sl st was made. Work 3 sl sts to travel to the position of the next tooth, then repeat.
Body
Continue working from where you left off on the Head (after Rnd 8).
Round 9
3 sc, CC — 5 sc, inc, 3 sc, inc, 4 sc, CC — 6 sc, inc, 3 sc. (30)
Insert safety eyes between Rounds 5 and 6 of the Head now, if you haven’t already. Begin adding fiberfill gradually, positioning stuffing around the mouth. Hold the mouth inward with your fingers as you work so it stays recessed and doesn’t bulge outward.
Round 10
4 sc, CC — 15 sc, CC — 11 sc. (30)
Round 11
5 sc, CC — 13 sc, CC — 12 sc. (30)
Round 12
6 sc, CC — 12 sc, CC — 12 sc. (30)
Round 13
6 sc, CC — 2 sc, dec, 3 sc, dec, 3 sc, CC — 12 sc. (28)
Round 14
6 sc, CC — 4 sc, dec, 4 sc, CC — 8 sc, dec, 2 sc. (26)
Round 15
6 sc, CC — 3 sc, dec × 2, 3 sc, CC — 7 sc, dec, 1 sc. (23)
Round 16
6 sc, CC — 8 sc, CC — 9 sc. (23)
Round 17
2 sc, dec, 2 sc, CC — (dec, 2 sc) × 2, CC — (2 sc, dec) × 2, 1 sc. (18)
Round 18
1 sc, dec, 2 sc, CC — dec × 3, CC — (1 sc, dec) × 2, 1 sc. (12)
Round 19
4 sc, CC — 4 sc, CC — 4 sc. (12)
Round 20
2 sc, dec, CC — 2 sc, dec, CC — 2 sc, dec. (9)Finish stuffing the body now. Do not stuff the tail.
Tail
Do not fasten off after Rnd 20. Continue directly from the body.
Round 21
(1 sc, inc) × 4, 1 sc. (13)
Round 22
(inc, 2 sc) × 4, inc. (18)Divide the tail into two halves of 9 sts each. Work to the midpoint of the tail, then cross to the opposite side, working 1 sc to join into a round, creating the first tail fin loop. (9)
First Tail Fin:
Round 1
7 sc, dec. (8)
Round 2
Dec, 4 sc, dec. (6)
Round 3
Dec, 4 sc. (5)Fasten off and pull the remaining sts closed.
Second Tail Fin: Rejoin yarn near the connecting bridge and work the second fin following the same Rnds 1–3 above.
Dorsal Fin (Top Fin — make 1)
Round 1
MR, 5 sc. Pull ring closed. (5)
Round 2
(1 sc, inc) × 2, 1 sc. (7)
Round 3
(1 sc, inc) × 3, 1 sc. (10)
Round 4
(1 sc, inc) × 5. (15)
Round 5
4 sc, dec, 6 sc, inc, 2 sc. (15)Sl st to close. Fasten off, leaving approximately 8 – 12 inches of yarn tail for sewing.
Pectoral Fins — Belly Fins (make 2)
Round 1
MR, 5 sc. Pull ring closed. (5)
Round 2
5 sc. (5)
Round 3
(1 sc, inc) × 2, 1 sc. (7)
Round 4
(1 sc, inc) × 3, 1 sc. (10)
Round 5
10 sc, sl st to close. (10)Fasten off, leaving approximately 12 inches of yarn tail for sewing.
Assembly, in order
Step 1Close the mouth: Using the yarn tail from the Mouth piece, sew the opening closed with a whipstitch, tucking the mouth neatly inside the head.
Step 2Attach safety eyes: If not already placed, insert 12 mm safety eyes between Rounds 5 and 6 on either side of the head and secure the washers firmly on the inside.
Step 3Embroider eye whites: Using fine white yarn or embroidery floss, stitch small white highlights near each eye.
Step 4Embroider gills: Using fine yarn or embroidery floss, embroider gill lines along the boundary between the dark and light color areas, positioned between the mouth, eyes, and pectoral fins.
Step 5Attach the dorsal fin: Sew the dorsal fin to the top center of the body using the long yarn tail and a yarn needle. Use pins to position it before committing to the seam.
Step 6Attach the pectoral fins: Sew one fin to each side of the belly area, symmetrically placed. Use the yarn tails and a whipstitch or mattress stitch for a clean join.
Step 7Weave in all ends securely using a tapestry needle, burying the tails inside the body.
Check these before you start
- The pattern was worked on a 4.0 mm hook, with a range from D-3 (3.25 mm) to G-6 (4.0 mm) depending on how tightly you crochet.
- Every round is worked in continuous spiral — do not slip stitch to join or chain up at the start of a round unless told to. Place a marker at the start of each round to keep your place.
- Gauge is not critical for this shark, but tension should stay tight enough throughout that stuffing never shows between stitches.
- This pattern is written in US crochet terminology.
On one line
| Rounds | 39 |
|---|---|
| Parts | 7 |
| Level | Intermediate |
| Time | 4-6 hours |
| Hook | 3.25 mm |
| Yarn | Worsted |
Set-up
- Check yarn amounts before winding: each of the three plush colors needs less than half a skein, and the teeth need only a small amount of smooth lightweight yarn.
- Have stitch markers ready and set aside — the head changes color at marked points from Round 2 onward, so you will need to track those positions each round.
- Read the Mouth section before you begin the Head; Round 1 there works into back loops only, and knowing this in advance keeps the front loops correctly reserved for the teeth.
- Work a quick test round in the plush yarn to check tension — stitches need to sit tight enough that fiberfill will not peek through.
Finishing
- Stuff the head and body firmly as you go, adding fiberfill before the final rounds close each piece in.
- Whipstitch the mouth opening closed using its own yarn tail, tucking the mouth neatly inside the head.
- Insert and secure the 12 mm safety eyes between Rounds 5 and 6 of the head, then embroider the eye whites and gills with fine yarn or floss.
Construction
The head doubles its stitch count from Round 1 (5 sc) to Round 2 (10), and from Round 2 onward two colors are worked together with color changes at marked points — shaping and color pattern happen in the same rounds.
The tail is never fastened off from the body; Rounds 21–22 continue straight on, then the stitches are divided into two halves of 9 and worked to a midpoint before crossing and rejoining, which builds the first tail fin loop from one continuous piece rather than a seam.
Time per section
| Mouth and teeth | about 30 minutes because the back-loop foundation round and tapestry-needle teeth work slow the pace |
|---|---|
| Body and tail | about 60–75 minutes because 12 body rounds flow straight into 5 tail rounds with fin shaping at the end |
Photographs of this one
Every one was taken by whoever published the pattern, in the order the source listed them.
Common questions
These answers came from whoever first published the pattern, kept word for word.