How to Crochet an Adorable Hippo

Crocheting an adorable hippo is a delightful and heartwarming craft project that can bring joy to both the creator and the receiver. The process of carefully selecting the soft yarn, following the pattern with precision, and gradually seeing the hippo come to life stitch by stitch is truly magical. Imagining the recipient's face lighting up with a big smile upon receiving this handmade gift adds an extra layer of warmth to the project.

Materials Needed

• Crochet hook size E4 / 3.5mm
• Worsted weight acrylic yarn in baby blue and white (or two other colors of your choice)
• Small amount of brown felt for eyes
• Small amount of brown and white embroidery floss for eyes and nostrils
• Sewing needle
• Tapestry/ yarn needle
• Polyester stuffing

Stitches Required

• Chain (ch)
• Double loop start
• Single crochet (sc)
• Single crochet together/ decrease (sc2tog)
• Slip stitch (sl st)

Head Instructions

With baby blue yarn:

Rnd 1: 6 sc into a double loop start and pull the loop closed (6).

Rnd 2: 2 sc in each sc around (12).

Rnd 3: [Sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times (18).

Rnd 4: [Sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times (24).

Rnd 5: [Sc in next 3 sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times (30).

Rnd 6: [Sc in next 4 sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times (36).

Rnd 7: [Sc in next 5 sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times (42).

Rnd 8: [Sc in next 6 sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times (48).

Rnd 9: [Sc in next 7 sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times (54).

Rnd 10: sc in each sc around (54).

Rnd 11: [Sc in next 8 sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times (60).

Rnds 12-13: sc in each sc around (60).

Rnd 14: [Sc in next 8 sc, sc2tog] 6 times (54).

Rnd 15: sc in each sc around (54).

Rnd 16: [Sc in next 7 sc, sc2tog] 6 times (48).

Rnd 17: [Sc in next 6 sc, sc2tog] 6 times (42).

Rnd 18: [Sc in next 5 sc, sc2tog] 6 times (36).

Rnd 19: [Sc in next 4 sc, sc2tog] 6 times (30).

Rnd 20: [Sc in next 3 sc, sc2tog] 6 times (24).

Rnd 21: [Sc in next 2 sc, sc2tog] 6 times (18). Finish off, leaving a 12” tail for sewing.

Body Instructions

With baby blue yarn:

Rnd 1: 6 sc into a double loop start and pull the loop closed (6).

Rnd 2: 2 sc in each sc around (12).

Rnd 3: [Sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times (18).

Rnd 4: [Sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times (24).

Rnd 5: [Sc in next 3 sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times (30).

Rnd 6: [Sc in next 4 sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times (36).

Rnd 7: [Sc in next 5 sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times (42).

Rnd 8: [Sc in next 6 sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times (48).

Rnds 9-10: sc in each sc around (48).

Rnd 11: [Sc in next 7 sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times (54).

Rnds 12-16: sc in each sc around (54).

Rnd 17: [sc in next 7 sc, sc2tog] 6 times (48).

Rnd 18: sc in each sc around (48).

Rnd 19: [sc in next 6 sc, sc2tog] 6 times (42).

Rnd 20: sc in each sc around (42).

Rnd 21: [sc in next 5 sc, sc2tog] 6 times (36).

Rnd 22: sc in each sc around (36).

Rnd 23: [sc in next 4 sc, sc2tog] 6 times (30).

Rnd 24: [sc in the next 13, sc2tog] 2 times (28).

Rnd 25: [sc in the next 12, sc2tog] 2 times (26).

Rnd 26: [sc in the next 11, sc2tog] 2 times (24).

Rnd 27: [sc in the next 10, sc2tog] 2 times (22).

Rnd 28: sc in each sc around (22).

Rnd 29: [sc in the next 9, sc2tog] 2 times (20).

Rnd 30: [sc in the next 8, sc2tog] 2 times (18). Finish off and secure end. Stuff head and body firmly with polyfil and sew head to body.

Arms Instructions

Make 2:

With white yarn:

Rnd 1: 6 sc into a double loop start and pull the loop closed (6).

Rnd 2: 2 sc in each sc around (12).

Rnd 3: [Sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times (18).

Rnd 4: [Sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times (24).

Rnd 5: sc in each sc around (24).

Rnd 6: [Sc in next 10 sc, sc2tog] 2 times (22).

Rnd 7: [Sc in next 9 sc, sc2tog] 2 times (20).

Rnd 8: [Sc in next 8 sc, sc2tog] 2 times (18).

Switch to baby blue yarn:

Rnd 9: sc in each sc around (18).

Rnd 10: [Sc in next sc, sc2tog] 6 times (12).

Rnds 11-25: sc in each sc around (12). Finish off and secure end, leaving a 10” tail for sewing. Stuff with polyfil and sew an arm to each side of the hippo at neck level.

Legs Instructions

Make 2:

With white yarn:

Rnd 1: 6 sc into a double loop start and pull the loop closed (6).

Rnd 2: 2 sc in each sc around (12).

Rnd 3: [Sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times (18).

Rnd 4: [Sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times (24).

Rnd 5: [Sc in next 3 sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times (30).

Rnd 6: sc in each sc around (30).

Rnd 7: [Sc in next 13 sc, sc2tog] 2 times (28).

Rnd 8: [Sc in next 12 sc, sc2tog] 2 times (26).

Rnd 9: [Sc in next 11 sc, sc2tog] 2 times (24).

Switch to baby blue yarn:

Rnd 10: [Sc in next 2 sc, sc2tog] 6 times (18).

Rnds 11-30: sc in each sc around (18). Finish off and secure end, leaving a 10” tail for sewing. Stuff with polyfil and sew a leg to each side of the hippo at Rnd 10 of the body.

Ears Instructions

Inner Ear: Make 2

With white yarn, ch 2.

Row 1: 3 sc in 2nd ch from hook, ch 1, turn (3).

Row 2: 2 sc in each sc across, ch 1, turn (6).

Row 3: [sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc] 3 times, ch 1, turn (9)

Change to baby blue yarn:

Row 4: [sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc] 3 times (12). Finish off, leaving 8" tail for sewing.

Outer Ear: Make 2

With baby blue yarn, ch 2.

Row 1: 3 sc in 2nd ch from hook, ch 1, turn (3).

Row 2: 2 sc in each sc across, ch 1, turn (6).

Row 3: [sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc] 3 times, ch 1, turn (9).

Row 4: [sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc] 3 times (12). Finish off but do not break yarn.

Using yarn tail from inner ear and with right sides facing, sew inner ear and outer ear together around the outside edge of ears (but not the bottom). Turn ear right side out. Ears are not stuffed.

Sl st bottom of inner ear and outer ear together and finish off leaving an 8” tail for sewing. Making ear into a curved shape as you sew it on, sew each ear to top sides of head about 2” away from the top center of head.

Nose/Muzzle Instructions

With baby blue yarn:

Ch 9

Rnd 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in next 6 ch, 2 sc in next ch, working on the other side of the chain sc in next 7 ch, 2 sc in next ch (18).

Rnd 2: [Sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times (24).

Rnd 3: [Sc in next 3 sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times (30).

Rnd 4: [Sc in next 4 sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times (36).

Rnd 5: sc in each sc around (36).

Rnd 6: [Sc in next 5 sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times (42).

Rnds 7-10: sc in each sc around (42).

Rnd 11: [Sc in next 6 sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times (48).

Finish off leaving an 18” tail for sewing.

Using a sewing needle and dark brown embroidery floss, make nostrils on the muzzle as shown in the picture. Sew the muzzle onto the head between Rnd 13 of head and the neck about ¾ of the way around, stuff lightly with polyfil and continue to sew. Weave in ends.

Eyes Instructions

Cut out 2 circles from dark brown felt about the size of a dime. Using a 6” strand of white embroidery floss, sew a “pupil” onto each felt circle. Using dark brown embroidery floss, sew the eyes onto the head as shown in the picture right above the muzzle.