If you have never made an amigurumi, make this one. It is 8 cm long, it uses two stitches, and it is finished in an evening — which means you get to the satisfying part before you have time to get frustrated.
The full pattern is below.
What you need
- DK weight yarn, 25% cotton / 75% acrylic — yellow 100 g, black 100 g
- 4 mm crochet hook
- Safety eyes (or black yarn to embroider them — see the note below)
- Polyester fibrefill
- Stitch marker, yarn needle
Finished size: 8 cm long, 4 cm wide.
If it is for a baby or toddler, embroider the eyes with black yarn instead of using safety eyes. Safety eyes are secure, but they are not childproof, and embroidering takes five minutes and removes the question.
A note on terms: this pattern is written in US crochet terms. If you are used to UK terms, our US to UK conversion chart will save you a lot of confusion.
Abbreviations
- R — round st — stitch
- mr — magic ring
- sc — single crochet
- hdc — half double crochet dc — double crochet
- sl st — slip stitch
- inc — increase (2 sc in the same stitch)
- dec — decrease (2 stitches worked together)
- T — total stitch count
- Y — yellow yarn BL — black yarn
The body
Worked in a continuous spiral. Do not join the rounds — put a stitch marker in the first stitch of each round and move it up as you go, or you will lose your place. This is not optional advice; a spiral has no visible start.
- R1: with yellow, magic ring, 6 sc into the ring. T = 6
- R2: inc in each st. T = 12
- R3: (sc, inc) repeat. T = 18
- R4: (2 sc, inc) repeat. T = 24
- R5–7: sc in each st. T = 24
-
R8–9: change to black, sc in each st. T = 24
Add the safety eyes now, and embroider the face with a yarn needle. Once the next few rounds are on, you will not be able to reach inside. - R10–11: change back to yellow, sc in each st. T = 24
- R12: change to black, sc in each st. T = 24
- R13: (2 sc, dec) repeat. T = 18
-
R14: (sc, dec) repeat. T = 12
Stuff firmly now, before the opening gets too small. - R15: dec in each st. Thread the tail through the remaining stitches with a needle, pull tight to close, and weave the end in.
The wings
Make two, in white or a pale yarn.
- R1: 10 sc.
- R2: sc (inc, inc), hdc (inc, inc), dc (inc, inc), hdc inc, sc (inc, inc, inc), sl st.
The taller stitches in the middle are what give the wing its curved, pointed shape. Sew both wings to the centre of the bee’s back with a yarn needle.
Two things worth knowing
- Go down a hook size if you can see the stuffing. The ball band suggests a hook that makes a nice drapey fabric, which is the opposite of what a toy needs. If white fibrefill is showing through your stitches, the answer is almost never more careful stuffing — it is a smaller hook. More on that here.
- Change colour on the last pull-through. When you finish the stitch before a colour change, pull the new colour through the final two loops. The join disappears instead of leaving a bump.
Prefer a printable copy?
The whole pattern is on this page, free, and always will be. If you would rather have a tidy PDF to print or keep on your phone — with the step photos alongside the instructions — you can download it here. It is free too. No account, no waiting.
Ready for something with limbs to sew on? The sleepy striped cat is the natural next step, and our amigurumi tips for beginners covers the things that make toys look shop-bought. All the free patterns are here.