Crochet Mama Kangaroo and Joey Toy Tutorial

The Crochet Mama Kangaroo and Joey Toy is an adorable and charming handmade creation that will surely bring joy to any child's playtime. With their soft yarn fur and intricate details, this duo is not only a delightful addition to a toy collection but also a wonderful companion for imaginative adventures.

Materials

• Crochet Hook size 3.5
• Yarn needle
• Medium worsted weight yarn in:
• brown (1 skein)
• off-white (1 skein)
• light brown
• black
• white
• grey
• purple
• Fiber Fill stuffing
• Needle and thread
• 1 pipe cleaner – optional to create a pacifier – consider safety if you are gifting this to a child under 3

Abbreviations

• Rd – round
• hk – hook
• sl st – slip stitch
• sc – single crochet
• dc – double crochet
• ch – chain
• ea – each
• st – stitch

Mama Kangaroo

Starting with the head and continuing through the body, work in rounds:

1. Rd 1: ch 2, 8 sc in 2nd ch from hk (8)
2. Rd 2: 2sc around (16)
3. Rd 3: (2sc, sc) around (24)
4. Rd 4: (2sc, sc in 2) around (32)
5. Rd 5: (2sc, sc in 3) around (40)
6. Rd 6-15: sc around (40)
7. Rd 16: (sc2tog, sc in 3) around (32)
8. Rd 17-18: sc around (32)
9. Rd 19: (sc2tog, sc in 2) around (24)
10. Rd 20: sc around (24)
11. — note – you may wish to stop here and add the facial details or continue through to make the body and add them on later!
12. Rd 21: (sc2tog, sc) around (16)
13. Rd 22: sc around (16)
14. Rd 23: (2sc, sc) around (24)
15. –note- you will be switching colours here between brown and off-white to create the stomach – I used jacquard crochet, but tapestry is also fine!

Rd 24-30: brown: sc in 8; off-white: sc in 8; brown: sc in 8 (24)

Rd 31: (2sc, sc in 2) around – complete using brown for 10 st; off-white for 12; brown for 10 (32)

Rd 32-35: brown: sc 10; off-white: sc 12; brown sc 10 (32)

Rd 36: (sc2tog, sc in 2) around – complete using brown for 8st; off-white for 8; brown for 8 (24). Fasten off the off-white

Rd 37: (sc2tog, sc) around (16)

Rd 38: sc around (16)

Stuff firmly

Rd 39: sc2tog around (8)

Rd 40: sc around (8)

Add more stuffing if needed

Rd 41: sc2tog around (4), sl st, fasten off and sew closed

Snout in Off-White

1. Rd 1: ch 2, 8 sc in 2nd ch from hk (8)
2. Rd 2: 2sc around (16)
3. Rd 3: (2sc, sc) around (24)
4. Rd 4-10: sc around (24)
5. sl st and fasten off. Embroider nostrils and mouth in black. Stuff and sew onto face.

Eyes and Lashes

Embroider in black eyes as shown in the picture

Eye Twinkle in White

Embroider as shown

Eyebrows in Off-White

Embroider as shown

Ears (Make 2)

Start in brown

1. Rd 1: Ch 8, sc in 2nd ch from hk, sc in 5, 6sc in last st, sc in 5 foundation st, 3 sc in last st (20)
2. Rd 2: sc in 7, 2c in 4 st, sc in 7, 2sc in last 2 st (26)
3. Rd 3: sc around (26)
4. Rd 4: attach off-white (leave a tail of brown yarn to sew the ear onto the head): sc 12, (ear ruffles) ch 3, sc in same st, sc, ch 3, sc in same st, sc, ch 3, sc in same st, sc in 12.

sl st and fasten off.

Arm (Make 2)

Start in brown

1. Rd 1: ch 2, 6 sc in 2nd ch from hk (6)
2. Rd 2: 2sc around (12)
3. Rd 3-5: dc in 3, sc in 9 (12)
4. Rd 6-8: sc around (12)
5. Rd 9: (sc in 2, sc2tog) around (9)
6. Rd 10: sc around (9)
7. (Hands)
8. Rd 11: (sc in 2, 2sc) around (12)
9. Rd 12-13: Switch to off-white, sc around (12)
10. Stuff now
11. (Fingers)
12. –note: You will now fold the hold closed and switch to working in rows:
13. Row 1: ch 1, fold hand closed, sc across through both thicknesses (6)
14. Row 2: turn (ch 2, dc, sl st)- repeat 3 times. Fasten off.

Sew arms to the body using brown

Leg (Make 2)

In brown

1. Rd 1: ch 2, 6sc in 2nd ch from hk (6)
2. Rd 2: 2sc around (12)
3. Rd 3: (2sc, sc) around (18)
4. Rd 4: (2sc, sc in 2) around (24)
5. Rd 5-12: sc around (24)
6. Rd 13: (sc2tog, sc in 2) (18)
7. Rd 14: (sc2tog, sc) (12), sl st and fasten off

Stuff firmly.

Make your foot. When done, your foot will sew to the open end of the leg

Foot (Make 2) in Off-White

1. Row 1: ch 12, sc in 2nd ch from hk and in ea ch down (11)
2. Row 2-16: ch 1, turn, sc across (11)
3. Fold in half, stuff lightly and sew closed and to bottom of the leg (leave the top open for toes)
4. Make the toes and sew three on each foot.

Toes in Off-White

Middle Toe (Make 2) (1 per foot)

1. Rd 1: ch 2, 8 sc in 2nd ch from hk (8)
2. Rd 2: sc around (8), sl st and fasten off

End Toes (Make 4) (2 per foot)

1. Rd 1: ch 2, 6 sc in 2nd ch from hk (6)
2. Rd 2: sc around (6), sl st and fasten off

Assemble your foot as previously instructed and sew your legs onto the body.

Pouch in Light Brown

Make a heart shape:

You may use a heart pattern you find online instead. Just try to gauge your heart to fit just a bit wider than Mama Kangaroo’s stomach.

When you are done your heart, switch to brown and sc in back loops only around and then in both loops for a second round. sl st, fasten off and sew to her stomach and legs, ensuring the top is open for her Joey.

Alternatively, you could crochet an oval or square (again, the fit should be just a bit wider than the stomach and then add two sc rows of brown).

The heart is a subtle shape here so it isn’t necessary, but I like the sentiment.

Tail: Start in Off-White

1. Rd 1: ch 2, 6sc in 2nd ch from hk (6)
2. Rd 2: (2sc, sc) around (9)
3. Rd 3-7: sc around (9)
4. Rd 8: fasten off the off-white and change to brown: (2sc, sc) around (12)
5. Rd 9-13: sc around (12)
6. sl st, fasten off, stuff and sew into place

Sleeping Eye Mask in Purple

This is made by creating two circles, sl stitching them together, and crocheting around the edges.

1. Rd 1: ch 2, 8 sc in 2nd ch from hk (8)
2. Rd 2: 2sc around (16)
3. Rd 3: (2sc, sc) around (24). Sl st and fasten off.
4. Make your second circle by repeating rds 1-3 but do not fasten off.

Attach your eyepieces together by holding them side by side and sl st in 5 st of both eyes together.

Rd 4: in back loops only sc around (40) sl st and fasten off.

Mask Strap

1. Sl st black to one side, ch 36, sl st into the second side.

Eyes

Embroider closed eyes and lashes with black on each eye circle as shown in the picture.

Sew the back of the mask strap to the back of Kangaroo’s head, ensuring the mask can be raised and lowered on her face.

Joey in Grey

1. Rd 1: ch 2, 6 sc in 2nd ch from hk (6)
2. Rd 2: 2sc around (12)
3. Rd 3: (2sc, sc) around (18)
4. Rd 4-8: sc around (18)
5. Rd 9: (sc2tog, sc) around (12)
6. Rd 10-12: sc around (12)
7. –note, you may stop here to add on the facial features or continue on to finish the body first
8. Rd 13: (2sc, sc) around (18)
9. Rd 14: 2sc, sc in 8, 2sc, sc in 8 (20)
10. note, you will be switching colours using jacquard or tapestry crochet in next rounds

Rd 15-19: in grey: sc 5; off-white: sc 5; grey: sc 10 (20)

Detach off-white at end of rd 19

Rd 20: sctog around (10)

Stuff firmly

Rd 21: sc2tog around (5)

sl st, fasten off and sew closed

Snout in Off-White

1. Rd 1: ch 2, 6 sc in 2nd ch from hk (6)
2. Rd 2: (2sc, sc) around (9)
3. Rd 3-6: sc around (9), sl st and fasten off. Embroider nostrils in black.

Pacifier (Optional)

Otherwise embroider a mouth in black.

Shape a pipe cleaner into a pacifier (circle and handle) and trim.

Sew the pacifier onto the snout below the nostrils using a needle and thread.

Stuff and sew the snout to Joey’s face.

Eyes

Embroider in black as shown with white yarn for the eye twinkles.

Eyebrow

Use off-white as shown.

Ear (Make 2) Start in Grey

1. Rd 1: ch 5, sc in 2nd ch from hk, sc in 2, 3sc in last st, working on opposite side of ch, sc in 2, 2 sc in last st (10)
2. Rd 2: sc in 4, 3sc, sc in 5 (12)
3. Rd 3: attach off-white, leaving a long tail of grey for sewing; sc around (12) sl st and fasten off.

Sew to head using grey.

Arm (Make 2) in Grey

1. Rd 1: ch 2, 5 sc in 2nd ch from hk (5)
2. Rd 3-8: sc around (5)
3. St sl and fasten off. Do not stuff.
4. Use off-white to embroider fingers.
5. Sew arms onto the body.

Legs (Make 2) in Grey

1. Rd 1: ch 2, 8 sc in 2nd ch from hk (8)
2. Rd 2-3: sc around (8)
3. sl st and fasten off. Stuff.
4. Make feet and sew to open side of legs. Sew legs to the body.

Foot (Make 2) in Off-White

1. Row 1: ch 6, sc in 2nd ch from hk and in each st across (5)
2. Row 2-6: ch 1, turn, sc across (5)
3. Sl st, fasten off, sew closed without stuffing. Embroider toes in grey. Sew to open end of legs.

Tail in Off-White

1. Row 1: ch 4, sc in 2nd ch from hk, sc in next 2 st, ch 1, turn (3)
2. Row 2-3: sc across, ch 1 turn (3)
3. sl st, fasten off. Roll and sew closed and sew to body.