Ahoy, Cutie! Crochet Your Own Adorable Sailor Hippo

ByLina Morgen

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How to Crochet a Cute Sailor Hippo: A Step-by-Step Pattern

Create your own adorable crochet hippo dressed in a classic sailor outfit! This detailed guide will walk you through every stitch needed to make this plush companion, from the velvet-soft body to the tiny striped shirt and beret.

Materials Needed

  • Yarn for Body: Two skeins of grey or lilac chenille/velvet yarn (e.g., YarnArt Dolce or Himalaya Dolphin Baby).
  • Yarn for Clothing: One skein of cotton blend yarn (e.g., YarnArt Jeans or Alise Cotton Gold) in white and light blue.
  • Crochet Hooks:
    • 2.75mm to 3.5mm for the body.
    • 2.0mm to 2.5mm for the clothing.
  • Knitting Needles: 2.5mm or 3mm (optional, for clothing details).
  • Filling: Polyester fiberfill or holofiber.
  • Eyes: 15mm to 18mm safety eyes.
  • Other Essentials:
    • Black embroidery thread for eyebrows and eyelashes.
    • Matching thread for sewing parts together.
    • A small button for the collar.
    • Tapestry needle, scissors, and stitch markers.

Crochet Abbreviations (US Terms)

  • MR: Magic Ring
  • ch: Chain
  • sc: Single Crochet
  • inc: Increase (2 sc in one stitch)
  • dec: Decrease (sc 2 together)
  • dc: Double Crochet
  • hdc: Half Double Crochet
  • sl st: Slip Stitch
  • BLO: Back Loop Only

Part 1: The Hippo Body

Ears (Make 2)

Work in continuous spirals.

  • Round 1: 6 sc in MR (6)
  • Round 2: inc in each st around (12)
  • Round 3: (1 sc, inc) x 6 (18)
  • Round 4: sc in each st around (18)
  • Round 5: (1 sc, dec) x 6 (12)
  • Round 6: sc in each st around (12)

Fold the ear in half, then half again, and crochet 3 sc through both layers to flatten. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Muzzle

Work in continuous spirals.

  • Round 1: ch 9. Starting from the 2nd ch from hook: 7 sc, 3 sc in the last ch, 6 sc, inc (18)
  • Round 2: inc, 6 sc, 3 inc, 6 sc, 2 inc (24)
  • Round 3: 1 sc, inc, 6 sc, (1 sc, inc) x 3, 6 sc, (1 sc, inc) x 2 (30)
  • Round 4: 2 sc, inc, 6 sc, (2 sc, inc) x 3, 6 sc, (2 sc, inc) x 2 (36)
  • Rounds 5-8: sc in each st around (36)
  • Round 9: (4 sc, dec) x 6 (30)
  • Round 10: sc in each st around (30)

Fasten off and weave in ends.

Nostrils and Lip

Nostrils (Make 2): 6 sc in MR. Fasten off and sew to the muzzle.

Lip: Work in rows. ch 7. Starting from the 2nd ch from hook: 6 sc. ch 1, turn. Starting from the 2nd ch from hook: 6 sc. Fasten off and sew to the lower part of the muzzle.

Arms (Make 2)

Work in continuous spirals.

  • Round 1: 6 sc in MR (6)
  • Round 2: inc in each st around (12)
  • Round 3: sc in BLO of each st around (12)
  • Rounds 4-6: sc in each st around (12)
  • Round 7: (4 sc, dec) x 2 (10)
  • Rounds 8-18: sc in each st around (10)

Stuff only the bottom part of the arm. Fold the piece in half and sc 5 stitches across to close the top. Fasten off.

Legs and Body

The legs and body are worked as one piece from the bottom up.

Legs: Work in continuous spirals. Stuff firmly as you go.

  • Round 1: 6 sc in MR (6)
  • Round 2: inc in each st around (12)
  • Round 3: (1 sc, inc) x 6 (18)
  • Round 4: 18 sl st in BLO (18)
  • Round 5: sc in each st around (18)
  • Round 6: 6 sc, (inc, 2 sc) x 3, 3 sc (21)
  • Round 7: 5 sc, (inc, 3 sc) x 3, 4 sc (24)
  • Round 8: sc in each st around (24)

Fasten off the first leg. Repeat for the second leg, but do NOT fasten off.

Body:

  • Round 9: Join legs by crocheting 20 sc around the first leg and 20 sc around the second leg (40). Sew the gap between the legs closed.
  • Round 10: 4 sc, (1 sc, inc) x 6, 3 sc, 2 inc, 1 sc, (1 sc, inc) x 6, 6 sc (54)
  • Round 11: sc in each st around (54)
  • Round 12: 4 sc, (2 sc, inc) x 6, 4 sc, (inc, 1 sc) x 2, (2 sc, inc) x 6, 6 sc (68)
  • Rounds 13-20: sc in each st around (68)
  • Round 21: 16 sc, dec, 32 sc, dec, 16 sc (66)
  • Round 22: (9 sc, dec) x 6 (60)
  • Round 23: sc in each st around (60)
  • Round 24: (8 sc, dec) x 6 (54)
  • Round 25: sc in each st around (54)
  • Round 26: (7 sc, dec) x 6 (48)
  • Round 27: sc in each st around (48)
  • Round 28: (6 sc, dec) x 6 (42)
  • Round 29: sc in each st around (42)
  • Round 30: (5 sc, dec) x 6 (36)
  • Round 31: sc in each st around (36)
  • Round 32: (4 sc, dec) x 6 (30)
  • Round 33: 10 sc, 5 sc together with arm, 7 sc, 5 sc together with arm, 3 sc (30)
  • Round 34: sc in each st around (30)

Head

Continue from the body without fastening off.

  • Round 35: inc in each st around (60)
  • Rounds 36-47: sc in each st around (60)

Insert safety eyes between rounds 41 and 42, spaced 6-7 sc apart.

  • Round 48: (8 sc, dec) x 6 (54)
  • Round 49: (7 sc, dec) x 6 (48)
  • Round 50: (6 sc, dec) x 6 (42)
  • Round 51: (5 sc, dec) x 6 (36)
  • Round 52: (4 sc, dec) x 6 (30)
  • Round 53: (3 sc, dec) x 6 (24)
  • Round 54: (2 sc, dec) x 6 (18)
  • Round 55: (1 sc, dec) x 6 (12)
  • Round 56: dec around (6)

Fasten off, weave the tail inside, and close the opening.

Part 2: Accessories

Sailor Collar

Use a 2.0-2.5mm hook. Work in rows.

  • Row 1: ch 56 + 2 (turning ch). Starting from 3rd ch: 21 dc, (inc dc, ch 1, inc dc) in one st, 12 dc, (inc dc, ch 1, inc dc) in one st, 21 dc (68)
  • Row 2: ch 1, 5 sc, 2 hdc, 16 dc, (inc dc, ch 1, inc dc), 16 dc, (inc dc, ch 1, inc dc), 16 dc, 2 hdc, 5 sc (76)
  • Row 3: ch 1, 8 sc, 3 hdc, 14 dc, (inc dc, ch 1, inc dc), 20 dc, (inc dc, ch 1, inc dc), 14 dc, 3 hdc, 8 sc (84)
  • Row 4: ch 1, 10 sc, 5 hdc, 12 dc, (inc dc, ch 1, inc dc), 24 dc, (inc dc, ch 1, inc dc), 12 dc, 5 hdc, 10 sc (92)
  • Row 5: ch 1, 29 sc, inc, 28 sc, inc, 29 sc (94)

Edge the front with sc. Using white yarn, crochet a thin stripe between rows 4 and 5. Attach a button at the front.

Beret

Use a 2.0-2.5mm hook and white yarn. Work in rounds.

  • Round 1: MR, ch 3, 11 dc, sl st (12)
  • Round 2: ch 3, 1 dc in same st, 11 inc dc, sl st (24)
  • Round 3: ch 3, 1 inc dc, (1 dc, inc dc) x 11, sl st (36)
  • Round 4: ch 3, 1 dc, 1 inc dc, (2 dc, inc dc) x 11, sl st (48)
  • Round 5: ch 3, 2 dc, 1 inc dc, (3 dc, inc dc) x 11, sl st (60)
  • Round 6: ch 3, 3 dc, 1 inc dc, (4 dc, inc dc) x 11, sl st (72)
  • Rounds 7-9: ch 3, 72 dc, sl st (72)
  • Round 10: ch 1, (4 sc, dec) x 12, sl st (60)
  • Round 11: ch 1, 60 sc, sl st (60)

Fasten off and attach a pompom to the top.

Striped Shirt

Use a 2.0-2.5mm hook. Work in rows with alternating white and blue yarn.

  • Row 1 (White): ch 46 + 5 (button loop). From 6th ch: 7 dc, (1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc) in one st, 7 dc, (1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc) in one st, 14 dc, (1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc) in one st, 7 dc, (1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc) in one st, 7 dc. Change to blue in the last stitch (54)
  • Row 2 (Blue): ch 2, from 3rd ch: 8 dc, (1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc), 9 dc, (1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc), 16 dc, (1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc), 9 dc, (1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc), 8 dc (62)
  • Row 3 (White): ch 2, from 3rd ch: 9 dc, (1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc), 11 dc, (1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc), 18 dc, (1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc), 11 dc, (1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc), 9 dc (70)
  • Row 4 (Blue): ch 2, from 3rd ch: 10 dc, (1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc), 13 dc, (1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc), 20 dc, (1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc), 13 dc, (1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc), 10 dc (78)
  • Row 5 (White): ch 2, from 3rd ch: 11 dc, (1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc), 15 dc, (1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc), 22 dc, (1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc), 15 dc, (1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc), 11 dc (84)
  • Row 6 (White): ch 2, 13 sc, ch 4, skip 17 sts, 26 sc, ch 4, skip 17 sts, 13 sc (60)
  • Row 7 (Blue): ch 2, (4 dc, inc dc) x 12 (72)

Join the two sides with sl st and work 3-4 rounds in spirals, alternating colors. Finish the final round with sc. Fasten off and sew a button at the back opposite the loop.

Final Assembly and Finishing Touches

  1. Sew the muzzle, nostrils, and ears onto the head using matching thread.
  2. Embroider eyebrows and eyelashes with black thread for a cute expression.
  3. Dress your hippo in the striped shirt, add the sailor collar, and top it off with the beret.

Your adorable sailor hippo is now complete!

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