Intermediate
What the pattern's own author called it. Nothing here is graded again.
Amigurumi 8 Laid out for paper No account, no download
Small crochet turtle keychain pattern with shell and head
Amigurumi turtle keychain: 4-round head, 4-round shell, 3.75mm hook, safety eyes.
- Skill
- Intermediate
- Time
- 4-6 hours
- Yarn weight
- Worsted
- Hook
- 3.75 mm
- Rounds
- 8
Worsted
What the sample was worked in. Any weight works; the size moves with it.
8
Each one is typed out whole and gets its own line.
This turtle keychain builds from two small parts worked separately, then joined: a four-round head shaped by magic ring, single crochet increases, and a front-loop decrease crown, and a four-round shell that grows from 8 to 16 stitches before finishing flat in back loops only. Shell stitches around the shell's edge form the flippers and tail once the head is attached. Before starting, have plush yarn in two colors, a 3.75mm hook, 8mm safety eyes, stitch markers, stuffing, and a keychain ring on hand.
Common mistakes and their fixes
- Losing the marked back loop
- Place the stitch marker in the back loop before starting Round 5, and check it after every few stitches, since the front-loop-only round makes it easy to drift into working both loops.
- Closing the head before stuffing enough
- Add stuffing before working the six front-loop-only decreases in Round 4. Once that round is complete, the opening is too small to add more.
- Misplacing safety eyes
- Set eyes on either side of the head during Round 3, using markers to check spacing before pressing the posts through, since eyes are permanent once secured.
The materials list
- Plush yarn in two colors (one for shell, one for head/body)
- Crochet hook (3.75mm recommended)
- 8mm safety eyes
- Stitch markers
- Stuffing
- Yarn needle
- Scissors
Optional
- Acrylic yarn and keychain ring
Listed by the pattern's own author, in their words.
Key to this pattern, 3 short forms
Head
Round 1
Magic ring, 8 single crochet (sc)
Round 2
Repeat (1 sc, 1 inc) x4 — 12 sts
Round 3
12 sc Attach safety eyes on either side of the head
Round 4
6 decreases (front loop only) Finish off with a slip stitch, cut yarn, and tuck the tail inside
Shell
Round 1
Magic ring, 8 sc
Round 2
1 inc in each stitch — 16 sts
Rounds 3–4
16 sc
Round 5
Front loops only Mark first back loop, chain 1 through front loop, then 16 sc in front loops onlyFinish off, cut yarn, and blend the last stitch using the invisible join method
Assembly, in order
Step 1Cut yarn, leave a tail
Step 2Cinch remaining hole using front loops only with a yarn needle
Step 3For tail: Come out at back, ch 4, pull through and fold
Step 4Secure with a knot and hide yarn tail inside
Check these before you start
- Use a 3.75mm hook with plush yarn to keep stitches tight enough that stuffing does not show through the fabric.
- Mark the back loop on the shell before working Round 5, since the front loops and back loops are worked separately and easy to mix up mid-round.
- Stuff the head firmly before closing Round 4's front-loop-only decreases, since access shrinks fast once those six decreases are worked.
On one line
| Rounds | 8 |
|---|---|
| Parts | 2 |
| Level | Intermediate |
| Time | 4-6 hours |
| Hook | 3.75 mm |
| Yarn | Worsted |
Set-up
- Confirm you have plush yarn in two distinct colors on hand — one is not enough, since head and shell are worked separately.
- Set aside stitch markers for the marked back loop on the shell and for placing safety eyes accurately in Round 3 of the head.
- Check that your 8mm safety eyes and keychain ring are within reach before you begin the head, since eyes go in partway through, not at the end.
Finishing
- Stuff the head firmly, then close Round 4 with the front-loop-only decreases, finish off with a slip stitch, cut yarn, and tuck the tail inside.
- Cinch the shell's remaining hole using the marked front loops with a yarn needle, then cut the yarn leaving a tail for shaping.
- Bring the tail out at the back of the shell, chain 4, pull through and fold to form the keychain loop, secure with a knot, and hide the yarn tail inside.
Construction
The shell's increases are front-loaded: all growth from 8 to 16 stitches happens by Round 2, so Rounds 3 and 4 work even and simply build height before the front-loop round begins.
Round 5 of the shell is worked in front loops only after marking the back loop, which leaves a clean ridge of back loops free for later assembly around the shell's edge, including the head, flipper, and tail attachments.
Time per section
| Head | about 20-30 minutes because it is only 4 rounds, but placing the safety eyes in Round 3 and stuffing before the Round 4 decrease slows the pace |
|---|---|
| Shell | about 30-40 minutes because it runs 5 rounds total with an increase round and a front-loop-only finishing round that needs careful loop tracking |
| Attaching head, flippers, tail, and keychain loop | about 30 minutes because each shell stitch attachment point is worked individually, and the chain-and-fold keychain loop takes a steady hand |
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.