This week, I’m excited to share this FREE poodle dog amigurumi pattern. Polly is one of my favorite designs, with her curly fur and pink color. You don’t need special fuzzy yarn to make her fur curly. In this pattern, I explain how to crochet the berry stitch to achieve her fluffy look!
Meet Polly the Poodle! Polly is a well-groomed and dainty little poodle. Her favorite color is pink and she loves hosting tea parties! She always invites all her doggy friends to come and enjoy flaky biscuits, sweet strawberry jam, and honeysuckle tea.
You can purchase a printable, ad-free, beautifully formatted, concise version of this poodle dog amigurumi pattern in my shop HERE. Otherwise, please keep scrolling down for the free version!
Disclaimer: Some links in this free poodle dog amigurumi pattern may be affiliate links. Affiliate links are a way for me to make a small commission on certain products at no extra cost to you!
Materials You Need to Make This Poodle Dog Amigurumi Pattern
- Worsted-weight yarn (4-ply) in red and cream. (The U.K. equivalent is Aran, and AUS/NZ is 8 ply.) I used Hobby Lobby’s I Love This Yarn for my poodle in the colors “Pink” and “Soft Pink“. You’ll also need a small amount of black yarn for the nose.
- G (4 mm) crochet hook
- 12 mm black safety eyes
- 18 mm black safety nose
- Fiberfill (or your stuffing of choice)
- Bent tip tapestry needle
- Scissors
- Stitch marker
- Straight pins
- Black embroidery floss
Abbreviation Key
Abbreviations are in U.S. terms.
- bs – berry stitch
- bs dec – berry stitch decrease
- 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 6 in. (15.5 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 blog post 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. Watch this short video to learn how to make the “ch 2 method”.
Right vs. wrong side: When working in the round, I always crochet with the “right” side of the stitches facing out. Watch my short video to see the difference between the “right” and “wrong” side of crochet stitches.
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. Watch my video on the differences between yarn under and yarn over.
Sewing pieces together: I sew all my pieces together using the whipstitch unless otherwise specified.
Stuffing: Check out my short video on how to stuff pieces properly here.
Color changes: Insert hook into last st of round or section with old color, yarn over and pull the hook through st. Take your new yarn color, yarn over and pull the hook through the remaining 2 loops on the hook. Now, you’re ready to start the new round or section. Check out my video on color changes here.
Special Stitches Used in This Poodle Dog Amigurumi Pattern
Throughout this pattern we will be using the “berry stitch” to create the curly fur. To make the berry stitch, insert your hook into a stitch, yarn over and pull through. Now, working with only the front loop on the hook, ch 4. Now yarn over and pull through both loops on the hook. Your berry stitch is completed.
To make a berry stitch decrease, start making a regular decrease by inserting your hook into the first st, yarn over, pull through, then insert hook into the next st, yarn over pull through. You now have 3 loops on your hook. Using the loop closest to the tip of the hook, ch 4, now yarn over and draw your hook through all loops. Your bs dec is complete. We abbreviate the berry stitch decrease as “bs dec”.
Watch this video to learn how to make both the berry stitch and berry stitch decrease.
Poodle Dog Amigurumi Pattern
Head (using light pink yarn)
R1: ch 2, starting in 2nd ch from hook, sc 6 (6 sts) (you can use the magic circle/ring if you prefer as it won’t make a difference in the end. Watch this video to see how to start crocheting in the round using the “ch 2 method”.)
R2: *inc* rep 6 times (12 sts)
R3: *sc 1, inc* rep 6 times (18 sts)
R4: *sc 2, inc* rep 6 times (24 sts)
R5: *sc 3, inc* rep 6 times (30 sts)
R6: *sc 4, inc* rep 6 times (36 sts)
R7: *sc 5, inc* rep 6 times (42 sts)
R8: *sc 6, inc* rep 6 times (48 sts)
R9: *sc 7, inc* rep 6 times (54 sts)
R10-12: sc in all 54 sts (3 rounds total—54 sts)
R13: *sc 8, inc* rep 6 times (60 sts)
R14-20: sc in all 60 sts (7 rounds total—60 sts)
R21: *sc 8, dec* rep 6 times (54 sts)
R22: *sc 7, dec* rep 6 times (48 sts)
R23: *sc 6, dec* rep 6 times (42 sts)
R24: *sc 5, dec* rep 6 times (36 sts)
R25: *sc 4, dec* rep 6 times (30 sts)
Adding the Eyes
Stop and insert your 12mm safety eyes between R18 & 19, 13 sts apart. (Hint: insert the 1st eye. Count 13 sts from the hole where you inserted the 1st eye and insert the 2nd eye. There will be 11 visible sts between the eyes. See pic. #1.)
Now, we will embroider the eyelashes (see pic. #2). Take some black embroidery floss and embroider two straight stitches in the top corners of each of her eyes. You can make your lashes as long or short as you want, but I made mine go across about one and a half sc sts on the head angled up.
Start to stuff the head, continuing as you go on.
R26: *sc 3, dec* rep 6 times (24 sts)
R27: *sc 2, dec* rep 6 times (18 sts)
Finish off. No need to leave a long tail. Finish stuffing the head and set it aside (see pic. #3).
Muzzle (using light pink yarn)
R1: ch 5, starting in 2nd ch from hook, make 1 sc in each of the 4 chs, now rotate your work 180 degrees and work in the front loops of the ch, starting in the first ch, inc 1, make 1 sc in each of the next 2 chs, inc 1 (10 sts)
(See pic. #4). 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/bottom loops of the chain are now at the top. These are the sts you will now work into. Once you’re at the end of the row, the first round is complete! Now you just continue as you normally would working in the round. Watch this video to learn how to crochet into both sides of a foundation chain.
R2: *sc 1, inc* rep 5 times (15 sts)
R3: *inc, sc 2* rep 5 times (20 sts)
R4: sc in all 20 sts (20 sts)
R5: *sc 3, inc* rep 5 times (25 sts)
R6: sc in all 25 sts (25 sts)
Finish off leaving a long tail for sewing (see pic. #5).
Sewing the Muzzle to the Poodle Dog’s Head
Insert and secure your 18mm safety nose between R2 & 3 of the muzzle (see pic. #6). You can also embroider the nose with black yarn if you don’t have safety noses. When the nose is in place, take some black yarn and make a small, vertical, straight stitch just under the nose (see pic. #6).
Place your muzzle over R16-24 of the head and pin it into place with straight pins to keep it straight while we sew it on (see pic. #7). Using your tapestry needle and the long tail we left, sew the muzzle to the head using the whipstitch (see pic. #8). About ¾ of the way around, stop and lightly stuff the muzzle. When finished, make a knot to secure the sewing and weave the remaining tail into the head.
Curly cap (using bright pink yarn)
To make the cap curly, we will use the berry stitch (bs). To learn how to make it, please see “Special Stitches” under the “Important Additional Info” section at the beginning of this post, where I give step-by-step instructions and a video tutorial.
R1: ch 2, 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook (6 sts)
Basically, from here on out, every other stitch will be a bs. I’ve written out the pattern here exactly how I did it. If you miss a bs here and there, don’t worry, it’s a very forgiving stitch. Just make sure you have the correct stitch count at the end of each round.
R2: *sc in next st, bs in same st as last sc* rep 6 times (12 sts)
R3: *sc, make 1 bs & 1 sc in next st, bs, make 1 sc & 1 bs in next st* rep 3 times (18 sts)
R4: *sc, bs, 1 sc & 1 bs in next st* rep 6 times (24 sts)
R5: *sc, bs, sc, 1 bs & 1 sc in next st, bs, sc, bs, 1 sc & 1 bs in next st* rep 3 times (30 sts)
R6: *sc, bs, sc, bs, 1 sc & 1 bs in next st* rep 6 times (36 sts)
R7: *sc, bs, sc, bs, sc, 1 bs & 1 sc in next st, bs, sc, bs, sc, bs, 1 sc & 1 bs in next st* rep 3 times (42 sts)
R8: *sc, bs, sc, bs, sc, bs, 1 sc & 1 bs in next st* rep 6 times (48 sts)
R9: *sc, bs, sc, bs, sc, bs, sc, 1 bs & 1 sc in next st, bs, sc, bs, sc, bs, sc, bs, 1 sc & 1 bs in next st* rep 3 times (54 sts)
R10: *bs, sc* rep 27 times (54 sts)
R11: *sc, bs* rep 27 times (54 sts)
R12: *bs, sc* rep 27 times (54 sts)
R13: *sc, bs* rep 27 times (54 sts)
R14: *bs, sc* rep 27 times (54 sts)
Now we’re going to make the curly fringe (see pic. #9).
R15: sl st, *ch 5, skip 1 sc st and make a sl st in the next sc st* rep 27 times
Finish off (see pic. #10) leaving a long tail for sewing.
Sewing the Cap to the Poodle Dog’s Head
Place the cap on the top of the head so that the back of the cap is slightly further down than the front (see pics. #11 & #12).
Using the long tail and your tapestry needle, sew the cap to the top of the head using the sts from R14 as we don’t want to sew the fringe down (see pic. #13).
Ears (make 2 using bright pink yarn)
Ears are made using the berry stitch. We will also be making berry stitch decreases, so please refer to “Special Stitches” under the “Important Additional Info” section at the beginning of this blog post to learn how to make a bs dec.
R1: ch 2, 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook (6 sts)
R2: *sc in next st, bs in same st as last sc* rep 6 times (12 sts)
R3: *sc, 1 bs & 1 sc in next st, bs, 1 sc & 1 bs in next st* rep 3 times (18 sts)
R4: *sc, bs, 1 sc & 1 bs in next st* rep 6 times (24 sts)
R5: *bs, sc* rep 12 times (24 sts)
R6: *sc, bs* rep 12 times (24 sts)
R7-10: repeat R5 & 6 twice more (4 rounds at 24 sts each)
R11: *sc, bs, dec, bs, sc, bs dec* rep 3 times (18 sts)
R12: *sc, bs dec* rep 6 times (12 sts)
R13: *bs, dec* rep 6 times (12 sts)
R14: *sc, bs dec* rep 6 times (12 sts)
Finish off (see pic. #14) leaving a long tail for sewing. Do not stuff.
Sewing the Ears to the Poodle Dog’s Head
On each ear, sew the open ends closed using the whipstitch to create a flat edge for sewing (see pic. #15). Watch this video to learn how to sew the open ends closed on a crocheted piece.
Position the ears on either side of the head so that the flat edges are over R8 of the curly cap. Pin them in place using straight pins to keep them from moving around while sewing (see pic. #16).
Sew the flat edges to the cap using the whipstitch (see pic. #17)
If you finish and the ears are not lying down flat against the head but sticking out, you can weave the remaining tail down through the cap and come up under the bottom part of the ear (see first image in pic #18). Now, grab a stitch from the inside of the ear and sew it to a stitch from the cap (see last 2 images in pic. #18). You can sew down as many sts as you like until you feel it is secure enough. When finished, make a knot to secure the sewing and weave remaining yarn tails into the head. The ears are complete (see pic. #19)!
Body (starting in light pink yarn)
R1: ch 2, 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook (6 sts)
R2: *inc* rep 6 times (12 sts)
R3: *sc 1, inc* rep 6 times (18 sts)
R4: *sc 2, inc* rep 6 times (24 sts)
R5: *sc 3, inc* rep 6 times (30 sts)
R6-12: sc in all 30 sts (7 rounds total at 30 sts each)
Switch to bright pink yarn. We will finish the body using the berry stitch.
R13: *sc, bs* rep 15 times (30 sts)
R14: *bs, sc, bs, dec* rep 6 times (24 sts)
R15: *sc, bs, dec* rep 6 times (18 sts)
R16: *bs, sc* rep 9 times (18 sts)
Finish off leaving a long tail for sewing (see pic. #20). Stuff the body firmly.
Sewing the Body to the Poodle Dog’s Head
Since both the last round of the head and the last round of the body have 18 sts, the two pieces will line up perfectly (see pic. #21). Align the body to the underside of the head and using the whipstitch, sew the two pieces together (see pic. #22). When you are about three-fourths of the way around, you might want to put a little more stuffing into the neck to make it sturdier. When finished, knot the finishing tail from the head to the remaining body tail to secure the sewing and weave the tails into the body to finish.
Thighs (make 2 using light pink yarn)
R1: ch 2, 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook (6 sts)
R2: *inc* rep 6 times (12 sts)
R3: *sc 1, inc* rep 6 times (18 sts)
R4-6: sc in all 18 sts (3 rounds total at 18 sts each)
Finish off leaving long tail for sewing (see pic. #23). Do not stuff. Fold the thighs in half and sew the open ends closed just like we did with the ears.
Sewing the Thighs to the Poodle Dog’s Body
Flatten the thighs and place them on either side of the body so that when looking at the front of the poodle there are 8 visible sts of the body between the two thighs (see last image in pic. #24). The top edge of the thighs should be on R10 of the body (see first image in pic. #24). Pin the thighs in place using straight pins.
Since the bottom edges of the thighs are curved, you will want to follow the curve of the thigh while sewing it to the body. Just make sure that the very bottom edges of the thighs are sewn to R4 or 5 of the body (see pic. #25. This is so that our poodle will be able to sit on her own later).
When you finish sewing the bottom edge of the thigh to the body, weave your needle and yarn tail to the top edge of the thigh (see pic. #26) and grab a stitch or two and sew them to the side of the body (see pic. #27). This will firmly secure it to the body without having to sew all the way around the thigh and lose its puffy shape.
When finished (see pic. #28), make a knot to secure the sewing and weave the remaining tail into the body.
Feet (make 2 using light pink yarn)
R1: ch 2, 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook (6 sts)
R2-4: sc in all 6 sts (3 rounds total at 6 sts each)
Finish off leaving a long tail for sewing (see pic. #29). No need to stuff. Sew the open ends closed like we did for the ears.
Sewing the Thighs to the Poodle Dog’s Body
Position the feet so that they are underneath the body and thighs with 2 rounds of the feet sticking out from under the thighs (see pic. #30 to see how I positioned my feet). Pin them in place using straight pins to keep them from shifting around while you sew them down.
Sew the flat edge of the feet to the body and thighs (see pic. #31).
When finished, make a knot to secure the sewing and weave the remaining tail into the body (see pics. #32 & #33).
Arms (make 2 starting in light pink yarn)
R1: ch 2, 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook (6 sts)
R2: sc in all 6 st (6 sts)
Switch to bright pink yarn. The next two rounds are made using the berry stitch.
R3: *sc, bs* rep 3 times (6 sts)
R4: *bs, sc* rep 3 times (6 sts)
Switch to light pink yarn
R5-7: sc in all 6 sts (3 rounds total at 6 sts each)
Finish off leaving a long tail for sewing (see pic. #34). No need to stuff. Sew the open ends closed to create a flat edge for sewing like we did for the ears.
Sewing the Arms to the Poodle Dog’s Body
Position arms on the front of the body over R9 & 10 at a slight angle so that the outer edges of the arms are sewn to R9 and the inside edges to R10. There should be 3 visible sts of the body between the top/inside edges of the arms (see first image in pic. #36). Sew the arms to the body using the whipstitch (see pic. #35).
If you want the tips of the paws to be secured together like mine, weave the remaining tail down through one of the arms and bring it out at the tip of the paw. Once there, pull the yarn and needle through both paws, go over one stitch from where the needle came out at on the paw and bring the yarn back through both paws (see pic. #37). Repeat this until you are satisfied that the paws are secure and won’t come undone. Make a knot to secure the sewing and weave the tail back up through one of the arms and into the body to hide the remaining tail.
Tail (starting in bright pink yarn)
R1: ch 2, 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook (6 sts)
We will be using the berry stitch for the next 3 rounds and for R7
R2: sc, 1 bs & 1 sc in next st, bs, 1 sc & 1 bs in next st, sc, 1 bs & 1 sc in next st (9 sts)
R3: *bs, sc* rep 4 times, bs in last st (9 sts)
R4: sc, bs dec, sc, bs dec, sc, bs dec (6 sts)
Switch to light pink yarn
R5-6: sc in all 6 sts (2 rounds total at 6 sts each)
Switch to bright pink yarn
R7: *sc, bs* rep 3 times (6 sts)
Switch to light pink yarn
R8-9: sc in all 6 sts (2 rounds total at 6 sts each)
Finish off leaving a long tail for sewing (see pic. #38). Stuff the tail since we want it to be somewhat stiff to help our poodle sit on her own. Use the back of your crochet hook or a wooden chopstick to help stuff the tail.
Sewing the Tail to the Poodle Dog’s Body
Position the tail over R4-7 of the back of the body, centered between the thighs (see pic. #39). We want the tail down low enough so that she can sit on her own. Pin the tail in place using straight pins and sit her up to see if she can sit. You may need to move the tail up or down if she can’t. Sew the tail to the body using the whipstitch (see pic. #40).
When finished, make a knot to secure the sewing and weave the remaining tail into the body.
Congratulations—you’re done! I hope you enjoyed making this free poodle dog amigurumi pattern. I would love to see pictures of your finished project!
If you make this free poodle dog amigurumi 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!
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