Chubby Hippo Free Amigurumi Pattern

If you’ve been following Little Crochet Farm, you know how much I enjoy designing chubby animals, and today I’m excited to share the Chubby Hippo Amigurumi with you. This plump and cheerful little hippo is quick to make, beginner-friendly, and such a fun addition to any amigurumi collection, and to make the process even smoother, this pattern includes a full step-by-step video tutorial to guide you through every part with confidence. Grab your yarn and hook, and let’s bring this adorable hippo to life.

Meet More Chubby Animals to Crochet

If you’re enjoying the Chubby Animals Collection, don’t miss out on the other fun patterns already available! Along with this Chubby Hippo, you can crochet the Chubby Lion, Chubby Bunny, Chubby Frog Prince, Chubby Unicorn, and Chubby Tiger. They’re all quick to make, fun to gift, and full of personality!

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Crochet Chubby Hippo Free Pattern

Materials:

• 2mm crochet hook 
• For this chubby Hippo I chose two shades of gray. Light worsted wool (DK).
• Black thread for embroidering the eyes. 
• Stuffing material
• Scissors
• Sewing needle.
• Or, you can use safety eyes! The position is at the end of this post.

Finish size:

The finished Chubby Hippo amigurumi measures approximately 3″ (8 cm) tall. However, the final size may vary depending on your stitch tension and the materials used.

Gauge

Gauge is not crucial for this pattern, so feel free to use a hook size that matches your chosen yarn. I always recommend using a slightly smaller hook to keep the stitches tight and prevent the stuffing from showing through. If needed, adjust your hook size for a neater finish.

However, if you’d like to know the gauge for my chosen yarn and materials, here it is:
With sport-weight yarn and a 2mm crochet hook, the gauge for 5 rounds (increasing to 30 stitches) measures approximately 1.6″ (4.5 cm).

Terms and abbreviations (US terms):

Slip stitch (sl): insert the hook into the stitch and pull up a loop, now, pull it through the loop on your needle.

Single crochet (sc): insert the hook into the stitch, and pull up a loop yarn over the needle, you will have two loops on the hook, yarn over the needle, and pull it through the two loops.

Double Crochet (dc): yarn over the needle, insert the hook into the stitch, pull up a loop, yarn over the needle, pull through the first two loops of your needle, yarn over the needle, inside all loops on the needle.

Increase (inc): make two single crochet inside the same stitch.

Decrease (dec): Insert the hook into the front loop only of the next two stitches, yarn under, and pull through, you will have two loops on the hook. Yarn under and pull through both loops on the hook.

Especial Stitches

Bobble stitch (BO): Yarn over, insert your hook into the stitch and pull up a loop. Yarn over and pull through two loops (like starting a double crochet). Repeat this process five times in the same stitch, so you will have 6 loops on your hook. Yarn over and pull through all 6 loops. Gently tug the stitch to pop the bobble outward.

Pattern Instructions

Chubby Hippo Amigurumi Video Tutorial Part 1

Body

With gray yarn start,

1 rnd  6sc in a magic ring

2 rnd  6inc Total 12sts

3 rnd  (1sc, 1inc) repeat 6 times Total 18sts

4 rnd  (2sc, 1inc) repeat 6 times Total 24sts

5 rnd  (3sc, 1inc) repeat 6 times Total 30sts

6 rnd  (4sc, 1inc) repeat 6 times Total 36sts

7 rnd  (5sc, 1inc) repeat 6 times Total 42sts

8-15 rnd  42sc

16 rnd  (5sc, 1dec) repeat 6 times Total 36sts

17 rnd  (4sc, 1dec) repeat 6 times Total 30sts

18 rnd  (3sc, 1dec) repeat 6 times Total 24sts

19 rnd  (2sc, 1dec) repeat 6 times Total 18sts

• Stop here for stuffing the head

20 rnd  (1sc, 1dec) repeat 6 times Total 12sts

• Cut the yarn and fasten off. Weave the tail through the front loops of all 12 stitches and pull tight to close the circle. Hide the remaining tail inside the toy.

Ears

Start with dark gray

1 rnd  6sc in a magic ring

2 rnd  6inc Total 12sts

• Change to light gray

3 rnd  (1sc, 1inc) repeat 6 times Total 18sts

• Cut the yarn, fasten off and leave a tail for sewing.
• Make another one following the same instructions.

Chubby Hippo Amigurumi Video Tutorial Part 2

Nose

With light gray yarn chain 7. Skip the first chain and start,

1 rnd  (5sc, 4sc in the last chain, 4sc, 3sc in the last chain)   Total 16sc

2 rnd  (1inc, 5sc, 1inc, 1sc) repeat 2 times Total 20sts

3 rnd  (1inc, 6sc, 1inc, 2sc) repeat 2 times Total 24sts

4 rnd  1sc, 1inc, 7sc, 1inc, 3sc, 1inc, 7sc, 1inc, 2sc Total 28sts

5-7 rnd    28sc

8 rnd  1sc, 1dec, 7sc, 1dec, 3sc, 1dec, 7sc, 1dec, 2sc Total 24sts

• Cut the yarn, fasten off and leave a tail for sewing.

LEGS

With dark gray yarn start,

1 rnd  6sc in a magic ring

2 rnd  6inc Total 12sts

3 rnd  12bpsc

• Change to light gray color,

4-6 rnd  12sc

• Cut the yarn, fasten off and leave a tail for sewing.
• Make four in total.

ASSEMBLY

1. Sew the ears between rounds 5 and 6.
2. Embroider the eyes in round 6, leaving 6 stitches between each other. 
3. Start sewing the mouth between rounds 8 and 9, and finish between rounds 14 and 15.
4. For the nose lines, embroider two lines in the 4th round of the mouth, leaving 4 stitches between them.
5. Finish by embroidering the mouth between rounds 1 and 2 of the detail!
6. Sew the paws under the chubby body, taking the last round as a guide to be in the middle of all four legs.
7. TAIL: Insert the light gray color yarn in the central part of the back chubby body and chain 5. Make 4 single crochet, cut the yarn and fasten off.

Congratulations!!!

Your Chubby Hippo amigurumi is ready!

I hope you enjoy this pattern, and if you have any questions or comments in general, leave them in the comment box below.

See you next time!

Love,

Ana