Timmy the Tiger Amigurumi Crochet Pattern | Striped Plush Toy Tutorial (PDF Download)
If you’ve ever fallen in love with the charm of amigurumi — those wonderfully squishy, personality-packed crochet plush toys that originated in Japan — then Timmy the Tiger is about to become your new favorite project. Bold stripes, a round belly, and a face that somehow manages to look both fierce and completely huggable, Timmy is the kind of handmade toy that gets passed around at family gatherings so everyone can squeeze him. Whether you’re crocheting a gift for a little one or simply treating yourself to an afternoon of satisfying, rhythmic stitching, this pattern is designed to walk you through every single step in plain, approachable language.
This blog post covers everything you need to know: materials, recommended hook sizes, stitch abbreviations, assembly tips, safety eye placement, and the full striped body tutorial. At the bottom you’ll also find information about the downloadable PDF version of this pattern, which is formatted and printer-friendly so you can take it to your craft room, your couch, or your favorite coffee shop.
Let’s get started.
What Is Amigurumi and Why Is It So Addictive?
Amigurumi is the Japanese art of crocheting or knitting small, stuffed yarn creatures. The word itself comes from two Japanese words: “ami,” meaning crocheted or knitted, and “nuigurumi,” meaning stuffed doll. While the craft has roots in Japan going back to the mid-20th century, it exploded into a worldwide phenomenon in the 2000s thanks to craft blogs and online communities, and it hasn’t slowed down since.
What makes amigurumi so irresistible to crafters is the combination of portability and payoff. Most projects are small enough to carry in a bag, and the basic technique — crocheting in continuous rounds using a magic ring — is surprisingly easy once you get the hang of it. Within a few hours, you have an entire creature with a face and a personality. That’s a powerful feeling.
Tigers, in particular, make spectacular amigurumi subjects. The stripe pattern gives you a satisfying color-work challenge without requiring anything more complicated than a yarn change, and the facial features — that wide nose, those tufted ears, the little chin — come together into something that genuinely looks like the real animal.
Materials You’ll Need for Timmy the Tiger
Before casting on your magic ring, gather your supplies. Having everything at the table before you start will make the project flow much more smoothly.
Yarn: You’ll need a worsted weight yarn (size 4) in two main colors. Timmy uses a warm orange (Color A) and a dark chocolate brown or black (Color B) for the stripes. You’ll also want a small amount of white or cream (Color C) for the muzzle and belly, and a tiny bit of black for any surface embroidery details if you choose not to use safety eyes.
A soft, smooth yarn works best for amigurumi because it allows the stitches to show clearly, which makes counting and shaping easier. Popular choices include Caron Simply Soft, Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice, or any cotton-blend worsted weight.
Hook: A size 3.5mm or 4.0mm crochet hook is ideal for worsted weight amigurumi. You want your stitches to be tight enough that the stuffing doesn’t show through, but not so tight that your hands cramp up. If your fabric looks loose and you can see gaps between stitches, go down half a size.
Stuffing: Polyester fiberfill stuffing is the standard choice. It’s hypoallergenic, washable, and holds its shape well over years of play. Stuff Timmy firmly but not so tightly that the seams strain — you want a plush, squeezable feel.
Safety Eyes: Two 12mm safety eyes work perfectly for Timmy. If you’re making him for a child under three years old, skip the safety eyes and embroider the eyes in black yarn instead, following the same placement guide in the pattern.
Additional Supplies: A yarn needle for sewing pieces together and weaving in ends, stitch markers (or small pieces of yarn) for marking the beginning of rounds, scissors, and optionally some wire-framed glasses for when Timmy starts looking too cute to handle.
Stitch Abbreviations and Notes
This pattern uses US crochet terminology throughout.
- MR — Magic ring (also called magic circle)
- ch — Chain
- sl st — Slip stitch
- sc — Single crochet
- sc2tog — Single crochet two together (decrease)
- inc — Increase (2 single crochets in the same stitch)
- BLO — Back loop only
- FLO — Front loop only
- st(s) — Stitch(es)
- R — Round
The pattern is worked in continuous rounds unless otherwise stated. Use a stitch marker to mark the first stitch of each round so you don’t lose your place. When changing colors, complete the last pull-through of the stitch before the color change with your new color. This keeps the jog clean and gives you crisp, defined stripes on Timmy’s body.
Gauge and Finished Size
Gauge for amigurumi is generally less critical than for garments, but here’s a reference point: 16 stitches and 18 rounds in single crochet with a 4.0mm hook and worsted weight yarn should give you a 4-inch square swatch. Working to this gauge, finished Timmy will measure approximately 9 inches tall seated, with a belly circumference of about 10 inches. A slightly different gauge will simply give you a slightly larger or smaller tiger, which is perfectly fine.
Pattern Instructions
Part One: The Head
Start with Color A (orange).
R1: MR, 6 sc into ring. (6 sts)
R2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)
R3: Sc 1, inc repeat 6 times. (18 sts)
R4: Sc 2, inc repeat 6 times. (24 sts)
R5: Sc 3, inc repeat 6 times. (30 sts)
R6: Sc 4, inc repeat 6 times. (36 sts)
R7: Sc 5, inc repeat 6 times. (42 sts)
R8: Sc 6, inc repeat 6 times. (48 sts)
R9–R14: Sc in each st around. (48 sts) — At R10, switch to Color B for two rounds to create a stripe, then return to Color A.
R15: Sc 6, sc2tog repeat 6 times. (42 sts)
R16: Sc 5, sc2tog repeat 6 times. (36 sts)
Place safety eyes between R11 and R12, approximately 10 stitches apart. This is the point at which you must attach safety eyes if you’re using them, because the opening will become too small after the next few decrease rounds.
R17: Sc 4, sc2tog repeat 6 times. (30 sts)
R18: Sc 3, sc2tog repeat 6 times. (24 sts)
Begin stuffing the head firmly now, continuing to add stuffing as you close.
R19: Sc 2, sc2tog repeat 6 times. (18 sts)
R20: Sc 1, sc2tog repeat 6 times. (12 sts)
R21: Sc2tog 6 times. (6 sts)
Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Use your yarn needle to weave the tail through the front loops of the remaining 6 stitches and pull tight to close. Weave in the end.
Part Two: The Body
The body uses a classic striped amigurumi technique. Alternate two rounds in Color A (orange) with two rounds in Color B (brown/black) for the main striped section, beginning with Color A.
R1: MR, 6 sc. (6 sts)
R2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)
R3: Sc 1, inc repeat 6 times. (18 sts)
R4: Sc 2, inc repeat 6 times. (24 sts)
R5: Sc 3, inc repeat 6 times. (30 sts)
R6: Sc 4, inc repeat 6 times. (36 sts)
R7–R8: Sc in each st around in Color A. (36 sts)
R9–R10: Switch to Color B. Sc in each st around. (36 sts)
R11–R12: Switch to Color A. Sc in each st around. (36 sts)
R13–R14: Switch to Color B. Sc in each st around. (36 sts)
R15–R16: Switch to Color A. Sc in each st around. (36 sts)
R17–R18: Switch to Color B. Sc in each st around. (36 sts)
R19: In Color A, Sc 4, sc2tog repeat 6 times. (30 sts)
R20: Sc in each st around. (30 sts)
R21: Sc 3, sc2tog repeat 6 times. (24 sts)
R22: Sc in each st around. (24 sts)
Begin stuffing the body firmly.
R23: Sc 2, sc2tog repeat 6 times. (18 sts)
R24: Sc in each st around. (18 sts)
Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing the head to the body.
Part Three: The Ears (Make Two)
With Color A:
R1: MR, 6 sc. (6 sts)
R2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)
R3: Sc 1, inc repeat 6 times. (18 sts)
R4–R5: Sc in each st around. (18 sts)
Do not stuff the ears. Flatten the opening and sc across to close, creating a flat, rounded ear shape. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. For a finishing touch, use Color C to stitch or surface crochet a small inner ear detail.
Part Four: The Arms (Make Two)
With Color A:
R1: MR, 6 sc. (6 sts)
R2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)
R3–R4: Sc in each st around. (12 sts) — Switch to Color B for R3, back to Color A for R4.
R5–R12: Continue alternating Color A and Color B every two rounds, sc in each st around. (12 sts)
Lightly stuff the arms — just enough to give them shape, but keeping them soft so they pose naturally. Fasten off, leaving a long tail.
Part Five: The Legs (Make Two)
With Color A:
R1: MR, 7 sc. (7 sts)
R2: Inc in each st around. (14 sts)
R3: Sc 1, inc repeat 7 times. (21 sts)
R4–R5: Sc in each st around. (21 sts)
R6: Sc 5, sc2tog repeat 3 times. (18 sts)
R7–R14: Continue striping Color A and Color B every two rounds, sc in each st around. (18 sts)
Stuff the legs firmly. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
Part Six: The Tail
With Color A and Color B held alternately:
R1: MR, 6 sc. (6 sts)
R2: Sc 1, inc repeat 3 times. (9 sts)
R3–R14: Sc in each st around, alternating color every 2 rounds. (9 sts)
Lightly stuff the tail. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
Part Seven: The Muzzle
With Color C (white/cream):
R1: MR, 6 sc. (6 sts)
R2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)
R3: Sc 1, inc repeat 6 times. (18 sts)
R4: Sc in each st around. (18 sts)
Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Do not stuff. The muzzle is sewn flat onto the face. Using black yarn and a yarn needle, embroider a small nose (a simple upside-down triangle works beautifully) at the top center of the muzzle, and a simple “Y” shape below it for the mouth.
Assembly
Assembly is where Timmy truly comes to life, and it’s worth taking your time here. Lay all your pieces out on a flat surface before sewing anything.
Pin the head to the open top of the body and take a moment to look at the overall proportions. The head should sit slightly forward, not perfectly centered over the body, which gives Timmy a slightly curious, alert expression. Once you’re happy with the placement, use the long yarn tail from the body to whipstitch the head in place, working all the way around the join at least twice for durability.
Attach the ears to the top of the head, positioned on either side of R2–R4. Sew them through both layers so they stay perky and upright. Pin the muzzle to the center front of the face, roughly between R12 and R17, and sew it down with the tail you left when fastening off.
The arms attach at approximately R3–R4 of the body, on either side. The legs position at the base of the body, angled slightly outward so Timmy sits steadily. Sew the tail to the back center of the body base.
Once everything is attached, go back and weave in all remaining ends securely. A tiny drop of fabric glue on particularly stubborn tails can add extra security for toys that will see a lot of play.
Tips for Perfect Stripes
Getting clean, crisp stripes on a crochet toy comes down to a few key habits. First, always change your color on the last yarn over of the stitch before the color change, not at the beginning of the new stitch. This prevents a muddy jog where one color bleeds visually into the next. Second, carry your unused yarn loosely up the inside of the piece rather than cutting it after each stripe — this dramatically reduces the number of ends you need to weave in and keeps the interior of the toy smooth for little hands pressing on it. Third, use a stitch marker at the start of each round religiously. Stripes can make it surprisingly easy to lose track of where a round begins, and a marker solves that problem immediately.
Personalizing Timmy
One of the greatest joys of making your own amigurumi is that no two tigers have to look the same. You can give Timmy a tiny embroidered bow tie, a crocheted scarf in school colors, or a little backpack if you want to gift him to a child heading off to kindergarten. You can make a tiny Timmy for a keychain charm by working with fingering weight yarn and a 2.0mm hook — the same pattern, just scaled down. A jumbo Timmy worked in super bulky yarn on a 6.0mm hook becomes a decorative pillow buddy.
You can also experiment with the stripe colors. A snowy white tiger uses the same construction with white as Color A and light gray as Color B. A rainbow tiger replaces the two-color stripe system with a full spectrum, changing color every single round through the body section.
Download the PDF Pattern
The complete Timmy the Tiger Amigurumi PDF Pattern is available for download and includes everything in this tutorial formatted across clean, illustrated pages designed to stay open on a tablet or print without eating through your ink cartridge. The PDF includes an at-a-glance materials list, all six pattern sections, a photo assembly guide, stripe color placement diagram, and troubleshooting notes for common amigurumi challenges.
