Turtle Crochet Kit for Beginners

About the design

A turtle is one of the friendliest first amigurumi there is. The shell is a shallow dome worked in rounds, the body is a flat oval, and the head, legs and tail are small tubes you sew on at the end. Every part uses the same few stitches, so by the time you reach the legs you will be working without the pattern in front of you. Choose a shell:

• Green shell: a classic turtle with a two-tone green shell and a cream body.
• Blue shell: a light blue shell with gray seams and a cream body.
• Banana: a white turtle wearing a yellow banana-peel shell with a little brown stem.
• Watermelon: a turquoise turtle carrying a slice of watermelon, red with a green rind.
• Speckled: a cream turtle with a shell speckled in orange and white.

The green and blue turtles sit in the palm of your hand: about 2.75 in (7 cm) from nose to tail and around 1.5 in (3.7 cm) tall. The banana, watermelon and speckled turtles are made with a plush, velvety yarn, so they come out a little chunkier. Any of them makes a good desk companion, a shelf ornament or a small handmade present.

How amigurumi works

Amigurumi are small stuffed figures crocheted in the round. Each piece starts with a magic ring, a small adjustable loop, and grows in a spiral of single crochet stitches. Adding stitches, called increases, makes the piece wider; working two stitches together, a decrease, closes it again. Put a stitch marker in the first stitch of every round so you always know where a round begins, and count your stitches at the end of each one.

Most of the shaping happens on its own. Follow the stitch counts in the pattern and the ball, the body or the shell takes shape round by round. Stuff each piece firmly before you close it, then sew the parts together with the yarn needle.

Tips for a neat shell

Change colors on the last step of the stitch before the new color starts, so the stripes stay clean. Keep the shell slightly firmer than the body by stuffing it well, and line the shell up with the head before you sew it on.

What is in the kit

• Yarn in the colors for your design
• A crochet hook
• A yarn needle for sewing the parts together
• Stitch markers
• Eyes
• Printed instructions and a stitch diagram
• A zip bag to keep it all together

Keep a small handful of toy stuffing nearby for the head and body.

How long it takes

Plan on about 2 to 4 hours. The shell takes the longest, since it is the biggest piece; the legs, head and tail go quickly. If this is your first amigurumi, give yourself an extra half hour for the first few rounds while you get used to the magic ring. It splits nicely into two evenings: shell and body first, then the small parts and the sewing.

Finishing your figure

When every part is done, pin the pieces in place before you sew, so you can check the look from every side. Sew them on with the yarn needle, then pass each yarn tail through the body a couple of times and trim it close, so the ends disappear inside. Fix the eyes the way the instructions show.

Delivery and returns

Delivery is $6.95, and free on orders from $49. The delivery estimate for your address shows on this page and at checkout. You can return the kit within 30 days of delivery; return shipping is yours unless it arrives faulty or wrong. See delivery and returns for the details, or compare the other crochet kits.