Hey, friends! Today, I’m resharing one of my most popular patterns with you – Zippy the Baby Sloth. This easy sloth pattern is beginner-friendly, and his tiny size makes him a super quick project. This free amigurumi sloth pattern can be whipped up in less than an hour!
Meet Zippy, the Baby Sloth! Zippy is a very friendly little sloth. He needs lots of love, so be sure to give him all the cuddles!
MATERIALS YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS FREE Amigurumi Sloth Pattern
- Worsted-weight yarn (4-ply) in brown and cream. (The U.K. equivalent is Aran, and AUS/NZ is 8 ply.) For both the brown and cream, I used Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice in colors “Toffee” and “Fishermen.” The color “Toffee” has been discontinued, but Hobby Lobby’s I Love This Yarn in color “Cinnamon” is a close match.
- E (3.50mm) crochet hook
- 7.5mm black safety eyes
- Fiberfill (or your stuffing of choice)
- Bent tip tapestry needle
- Scissors
- Stitch marker
- A small amount of black embroidery floss
- A small piece of dark brown felt and matching sewing thread
ABBREVIATION KEY
Abbreviations are in U.S. terms.
- sc – single crochet
- st/sts – stitch(es)
- sl st – slip stitch
- dec – decrease (join the next 2 stitches together)
- inc – increase (2 single crochet in the next stitch)
- R1 – round 1
- rep – repeat
- ** – repeat the group of instructions between the asterisks the number of times indicated.
Note: All rounds are worked continuously (that is, vs. joined rounds.)
The finished size is approximately 4.5 in (11.5 cm) tall (Please be aware that your personal gauge, tension, hook size, and the brand of yarn you decide to use will all impact the finished size.)
The pattern and images in this document are the sole property of Storyland Amis. This written pattern is for personal use only. Please do not share, sell, or redistribute it in whole or part.
You MAY sell the finished product, but please credit Storyland Amis as the designer. If you sell your finished items online, I would appreciate it if you could link them to my blog! You may not mass-produce items made from this pattern. Thank you for your understanding and respect.
IMPORTANT ADDITIONAL INFO
Starting round: When starting my crochet pieces in the round, I always use the “ch 2 method.” That is perfectly fine if you prefer to start your pieces using the magic circle/ring instead. These two methods are interchangeable, and the end result will be the same regardless of your choice. If you would like to learn how to do the “ch 2 method,” then see this video HERE.
Right vs. wrong side: When working in the round, I crochet with the “right” side of the stitches facing out. If you’d like to see the difference between the “right” and “wrong” side of crochet stitches, see this video HERE.
Yarn under vs. yarn over: I always yarn under (YU) instead of yarn over (YO) for all my amigurumi. Doing YO might make your amigurumi slightly larger than mine, so keep that in mind if you prefer YO. If you want more info on this, check out this short video HERE.
Sewing pieces together: I sew all my pieces together using the whipstitch unless otherwise specified.
Stuffing: If you need help stuffing your pieces properly, check out this short video HERE.
Free Amigurumi Sloth Pattern
Head (starting in cream yarn)
R1: ch 7, starting in 2nd ch from hook, sc 6, now rotate your work 180 degrees and work in the front loops of the ch, starting in the first front loop, make sc 6 (12 sts)
What we are doing here is starting the head with a foundation chain. This is called starting your work with a foundation chain and is a great way to start a piece you want to be more oval than round. After crocheting through the top loops of the chain, you turn your work upside down so that the sts you just crocheted are at the bottom and the front or bottom loops of the chain are now at the top. These are the sts you will now work into. The first round is complete once you’re at the end of the row! Now, you just continue as you normally would working in the round. For help with this technique, watch this video HERE.
R2: inc 1, sc 4, inc 2, sc 4, inc 1 (16 sts)
R3: *sc 1, inc 1 sc 5, inc 1* rep 2 times (20 sts) Switch to brown yarn
R4: sc 1, inc 1 sc 1, inc 5, sc 1, inc 1, sc 1, inc 1, sc 7, inc 1 (29 sts)
R5-7: sc in all 29 sts (3 rounds total at 29 sts each)
R8: sc 1, dec 1, sc 1, dec 5, sc 1, dec 1, sc 1, dec 1, sc 7, dec 1 (20 sts)
R9: sc in all 20 sts (20 sts)
Face Details
Cut out two small oval pieces of felt, each about 3/4 inch (4.5 cm) long. Cut small slits into each of the ovals and insert the safety eyes (make sure the slits you make aren’t exactly in the middle, but towards the top of the pieces). But do NOT put the safety backings on until the eyes are properly positioned on the face and the felt pieces are sewn into place.
Insert his right eye (your left when facing him) between R 2 & 3, where the arrow is pointing. Insert his left eye (your right when facing you) between R 1 & 2 where the other arrow points.
As you see, you should have about 4 1/2 sts between the felt pieces. The face is what really makes the sloth cute, so make sure you take your time to get it just right. 🙂
Now, we’ll embroider the little nose right between the eyes in the middle of the foundation chain. The nose is about 1 1/2 sts wide. Using black embroidery floss, embroider 3-4 sts across. Do not attach the safety eye backings until the felt pieces are sewn on.
Using the sewing thread and your needle, neatly sew the felt pieces to the head. You will always need more sewing thread than you think, so start with a long piece. The felt pieces should be at a slight angle, with the bottoms pointing away from each other. When you are finished sewing the eyes to the head you can attach the safety eye backings.
And there you go! The hardest part is over! Now, continue crocheting.
R10: *sc 2, dec 1* rep 5 times (15 sts) Stop and start stuffing, continuing as you work.
R11: *sc 1, dec 1* (10 sts)
R12: *dec 1* (5 sts) Finish off. Finish stuffing firmly and sew up the hole neatly since this part will be visible. To see how to sew a hole closed neatly, watch this video HERE.
Body (using brown yarn)
R1: ch 2, 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook (6 sts)
R2: *inc 1* rep 6 times (12 sts)
R3-6: sc in all 12 sts (4 rounds total at 12 sts each)
Finish off by leaving a long tail for sewing. Stuff firmly and sew to head. The body will be positioned the same way for the long-armed sloth as for the short-armed sloth.
Arms for SHORT-armed sloth (using brown yarn)
Start with a long tail; we will use this to sew the arms to the body later.
Ch 4, starting in 2nd ch from hook, make one sl st in each of the 3 chs (3 sts)
Finish off by leaving a long tail for sewing.
Using the long tail we left, sew the arms onto the sides of the body right under the neck. When you are finished, knot the two tails we left together and weave the remaining ends into the head to finish.
Legs for SHORT-armed sloth (using brown yarn)
Start with a long tail; we will use this to sew the legs to the body later.
Ch 3, starting in 2nd ch from hook, make one sl st in each of the 2 chs (2 sts)
Finish off by leaving a long tail for sewing.
Sew the legs onto either side of the body over R 3 & 4 of the body. When you are finished, knot the two tails we left together and weave the remaining ends into the body to finish.
Arms for long-armed sloth (using brown yarn)
Start with a long tail for sewing later. Ch 9, starting in 2nd ch from hook, sl st 8 Finish off leaving tail for sewing.
Sew onto the center of the body, under the neck. See the picture below to see how to sew his back arm on. Weave in all ends.
Legs for long-armed sloth (using brown yarn)
Using brown yarn. Start with a long tail for sewing later. Ch 7, starting in 2nd ch from hook, sl st 6 Finish off leaving tail for sewing.
Sew the legs onto R 2 & 3 of the body. See the picture above to see how to position his front leg. Weave in all ends. To attach Zippy to different things, just take some extra yarn and sew the arms together. Do the same for the legs. Just imagine how cute this little guy would look hanging from all sorts of things!
Congratulations – you’re done! I hope you enjoyed making this free amigurumi sloth pattern, and I would love to see pictures of your finished cutie!
If you make this free amigurumi sloth pattern, share your creations with me via social media or email me directly! You can find me on Instagram (@storyland_amis) and Facebook (Storyland Amis).
Thanks for stopping by! Until next time, then – stay crafty!
[…] Zippy the Baby Sloth Amigurumi Pattern […]