Intermediate
What the pattern's own author called it. Nothing here is graded again.
Amigurumi 13 Laid out for paper No account, no download
Two-color amigurumi turtle plushie pattern
Amigurumi turtle: yellow head, dark brown and yellow shell, 7/0 hook. Head 2 rounds, shell 6 rounds.
- Skill
- Intermediate
- Time
- 4-6 hours
- Yarn weight
- Worsted
- Hook
- 6 mm
- Rounds
- 13
Worsted
What the sample was worked in. Any weight works; the size moves with it.
13
Each one is typed out whole and gets its own line.
This turtle comes together from two separate pieces: a yellow head worked over 2 rounds and a dark brown and yellow shell worked over 6 rounds. Both start from a magic ring and grow through single crochet increases before the shell shifts to a back-loop-only round to seat the color change cleanly. Before picking up a hook, have both yarn colors wound, a 7/0 hook ready, fiberfill and 6mm safety eyes on hand, plus an awl and craft adhesive for eye placement.
Common mistakes and their fixes
- Losing count during the head's uneven increase round
- Work the repeat (2 SC in one stitch, 1 SC) twice, then 2 SC in one stitch twice, as two distinct segments rather than one long pattern, and count stitches after each segment.
- Working the shell's Round 3 into both loops
- Check that only the back loop is picked up when joining yellow yarn; working into both loops erases the ridge that separates the two colors.
- Trimming the tail flush after finishing
- Weave the 5cm tail through several stitches before cutting close, since a tail cut short without weaving will work loose under stuffing pressure.
The materials list
- Worsted weight yarn in two colors (e.g., yellow and dark brown)
- 7/0 crochet hook
- Polyester fiberfill stuffing
- 6mm black safety eyes
- Yarn needle
- Scissors
- Craft adhesive
- Tweezers
- Awl (for eye placement)
Listed by the pattern's own author, in their words.
Key to this pattern, 2 short forms
Head (Yellow Yarn)
Round 1
Create a magic ring. Work 6 single crochet (SC) into the ring.
Round 2
Chain 1. Repeat (2 SC in one stitch, 1 SC) twice. Then do 2 SC in one stitch twice.
Total: 10 stitches.
Rounds 3–4
Chain 1. SC in each stitch around (10 SC).Cut the yarn, leaving a 5cm tail. Stuff the head lightly with fiberfill. Fold the head in half with the yarn tail centered (2 stitches on right, 3 on left).
Shell (Dark Brown and Yellow Yarn)
Round 1
Dark Brown Create a magic ring. Work 6 SC into the ring.
Round 2
Dark Brown Chain 1. 2 SC in each stitch around.
Total: 12 stitches.
Round 3
Yellow, Back Loop Only Join yellow yarn to back loop of first stitch. Chain 1. Repeat (2 SC in one stitch, 1 SC) 6 times.
Total: 18 stitches.
Round 4
Yellow Chain 1. SC in each stitch around (18 SC).
Round 5
Dark Brown Return to dark brown yarn. Chain 1. SC 2. For remaining stitches, alternate between skipping a stitch and working a long double crochet by picking up the skipped chain from Row 3.
Round 6
Dark Brown Chain 1. SC in each stitch around (18 SC).
Round 7
Dark Brown, Front Loop Only Chain 1. Repeat (2 SC, 2 SC in one stitch) 6 times.
Total: 24 stitches.
Cut yarn, leaving 15cm tail.
Round 8
Yellow – Feet, Tail, and Head Attachment Join yellow yarn into remaining back loops of Row 7. Use a mix of SC, slip stitches, and chains to shape the feet and tail. Insert the head between two stitches while crocheting around.
Round 9
Dark Brown Chain 1. SC around, skipping feet and tail sections. Include SC2TOG (single crochet two together) for shaping.
Total: 12 stitches.
Round 10
Dark Brown Chain 1. SC2TOG across (6 stitches). Cut yarn. Use yarn needle to close the opening by threading tail through remaining stitches and pulling tight.
Check these before you start
- The shell's Round 3 joins yellow yarn into the back loop only of the dark brown Round 2, which leaves the front loops free as a visible ridge separating the two colors.
- Keep tension tight and consistent through the increase rounds on both head and shell; single crochet amigurumi shows gaps at each increase point if stitches run loose.
- Stuff the head firmly but evenly before closing, since a 2-round head has little fabric to hide unevenness once the last stitches are cinched.
On one line
| Rounds | 13 |
|---|---|
| Parts | 2 |
| Level | Intermediate |
| Time | 4-6 hours |
| Hook | 6 mm |
| Yarn | Worsted |
Set-up
- Wind both yellow and dark brown yarn into working balls before starting the shell, since the color change happens mid-piece with no break.
- Read through the shell's 6 rounds once before beginning, so the back-loop-only round and the color join at Round 3 do not arrive as a surprise.
- Place the 6mm safety eyes against the head piece before final closure, marking their position with the awl while the opening is still wide enough to work inside.
Finishing
- Weave in the 5cm tail left at the end of the head and again at the end of the shell, running each end through several stitches to anchor it before trimming.
- Insert the 6mm safety eyes into the head at the positions marked with the awl, securing the backs firmly from inside before adding stuffing.
- Stuff the head and shell with polyester fiberfill, then close each remaining opening and join the two pieces with a yarn needle, using craft adhesive at contact points if needed for extra hold.
Construction
The head's Round 2 increases occur in a set pattern, repeat (2 SC in one stitch, 1 SC) twice followed by 2 SC in one stitch twice, which spaces the 4 added stitches unevenly across the round rather than distributing them symmetrically.
The shell's Round 3 color change is anchored by working into the back loop only, which leaves the front loop of the dark brown round exposed as a ridge and gives the join a clean, deliberate line rather than a blended blur.
Time per section
| Head | about 20-30 minutes because it is only 2 rounds with a single increase round |
|---|---|
| Shell | about 1-1.5 hours because it runs 6 rounds and includes a color join at the back loop |
| Stuffing, eyes, and assembly | about 30-45 minutes because eye placement with an awl and firm, even stuffing both take a careful 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.