Crochet Turtle: A Sea Turtle Amigurumi with a Ridged Shell
A domed shell with a raised rim, a flat underside, a head, four flippers and a tiny tail. The rim comes from a front-loop round, so there's no separate shell to sew. About 3 inches; 1½ hours.
Pattern at a glance
US terms- Skill level
- Easy
- Yarn
- Worsted (#4) cotton in green (20 yd) and light green or tan (10 yd)
- Hook
- 3.5 mm (E-4)
- Time
- About 1½ hours
- Finished size
- About 3½ in (9 cm) long
You'll need
- Worsted (#4) cotton in green — about 20 yd
- Light green or tan — about 10 yd
- 3.5 mm (E-4) hook
- 6 mm safety eyes
- Fibrefill
- Tapestry needle
In this post
A crochet turtle is a dome with a rim, plus a head, four flippers and a tail. The shell is worked in one piece: increase to 24 stitches, work four straight rounds for the dome, then crochet one round in the back loops only and decrease to close the flat underside. The unused front loops make the shell's raised rim. It's about 3½ inches long.
The rest of this post is just below — free, as always.
Shell and body
- Rnds 1–4: In green, 6 sc in a magic ring; inc in each (12); (sc, inc) × 6 (18); (2 sc, inc) × 6. (24)
- Rnds 5–8: Sc in each st — the dome. (24)
- Rnd 9: Change to light green. Sc in the back loop only of each st. (24)
- Rnd 10: (2 sc, dec) × 6. (18)
- Rnd 11: (Sc, dec) × 6. Stuff lightly — keep the underside flat. (12)
- Rnd 12: Dec × 6. Close. (6)
- Rim: With green, join in a front loop left from Rnd 8 and sc in each front loop around. Sl st and fasten off. (24)
Head
- Rnds 1–2: In light green, 6 sc in a magic ring; inc in each. (12)
- Rnds 3–5: Sc in each st. Insert the eyes between Rnds 3 and 4, 4 sts apart. (12)
- Rnd 6: (2 sc, dec) × 3. Stuff, leave open and sew to the front under the rim. (9)
Flippers and tail
- Front flippers (make 2): In light green, 6 sc in a magic ring, (sc, inc) × 3 (9), then 3 rounds of 9 sc. Don't stuff; flatten and sew under the rim, angled forward.
- Back flippers (make 2): 6 sc in a ring, then 2 rounds of 6 sc. Flatten and sew at the back, angled back.
- Tail: Ch 4. Starting in the 2nd ch: sl st, sc, hdc. Sew under the back of the rim.
- Shell pattern: With light green, stitch a hexagon on top of the dome and lines out to the rim with surface slip stitch or backstitch.
Turtle family
| Size | Yarn and hook | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Keychain | DK, 2.5 mm | 2 in |
| Standard | Worsted, 3.5 mm | 3½ in |
| Plush | Chunky chenille, 5 mm | 7 in |
Build an ocean scene with the crochet jellyfish, starfish, octopus and whale.
Common questions
How do you make the rim on a crochet turtle shell?
Work one round in the back loops only where the dome ends. Later, crochet a round of single crochet into the front loops you left behind; it sticks out like a shell rim.
Is a crochet turtle good for beginners?
Yes. It uses only single crochet, increases and decreases in the round. The only new skill is working in back and front loops.
Can I make it a keychain?
Use DK yarn and a 2.5 mm hook, and stitch a keyring through the top of the shell.
Green, or a rainbow turtle? 🐢
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