Crochet Raccoon Amigurumi Pattern – Easy Step by Step Guide
If you’ve been searching for the perfect crochet raccoon amigurumi pattern, you’ve landed in the right place. This little critter is one of the most charming projects you can tackle whether you’re relatively new to amigurumi or looking for a satisfying weekend make. With its distinctive masked face, striped tail, and irresistibly chubby body, a crocheted raccoon has so much personality packed into a small package. This guide walks you through every step with clear instructions, helpful tips, and all the material details you need to bring your raccoon to life.
What Is Amigurumi?
Before we dive into the pattern, let’s talk briefly about amigurumi for anyone who’s newer to the craft. Amigurumi is the Japanese art of crocheting or knitting small stuffed animals and creatures. The word comes from the Japanese words “ami” (crocheted or knitted) and “nuigurumi” (stuffed doll). The style typically features a large round head, a small body, and tiny limbs, giving the finished piece an endearing, cartoonish look. Amigurumi projects are worked mostly in continuous rounds using single crochet stitches, which makes them surprisingly approachable even for beginners who’ve mastered the basics.
Raccoons are a particularly popular amigurumi subject because their natural markings translate beautifully into crochet. The dark “mask” around the eyes and the ringed tail give you a lot of visual interest without requiring complicated techniques.
Materials You Will Need
Getting your supplies together before you start will make the whole process much smoother. Here’s everything you’ll need for this crochet raccoon amigurumi pattern.
Yarn: You’ll need a light gray yarn for the main body, dark gray or charcoal for the markings, black for the mask area and eye patches, white or cream for the muzzle and inner ears, and a small amount of black for the nose tip. Worsted weight yarn (size 4) works beautifully for this pattern and gives you a nicely sized finished raccoon of roughly 6–7 inches tall.
Hook: A 3.5mm or 4.0mm crochet hook is ideal for worsted weight amigurumi. You want to crochet fairly tightly so the stuffing doesn’t show through the stitches. If your gauge feels too loose, go down a hook size.
Stuffing: Polyester fiberfill is the standard choice. Use enough to make the pieces feel firm but not so much that the seams stretch.
Eyes: Two 9mm or 12mm safety eyes work wonderfully. If you’re making this for a child under three, embroider the eyes with black yarn instead of using safety eyes, as the plastic backs can become a choking hazard.
Yarn needle: You’ll need this for sewing pieces together and weaving in ends.
Stitch markers: These are essential for amigurumi. Place one at the beginning of each round so you never lose your place.
Scissors: A good sharp pair makes all the difference when snipping yarn ends cleanly.
Abbreviations Used in This Pattern
This pattern uses US crochet terminology. Here are the abbreviations you’ll encounter throughout the instructions.
MR = Magic ring (also called magic circle)
ch = chain
sl st = slip stitch
sc = single crochet
inc = increase (2 single crochet stitches in the same stitch)
dec = invisible decrease (insert hook through front loops of next two stitches, yarn over, pull through both loops, yarn over, pull through remaining two loops)
st = stitch
rnd = round
BLO = back loop only
FLO = front loop only
Notes Before You Begin
Amigurumi is worked in a continuous spiral unless otherwise noted, meaning you do not join at the end of each round with a slip stitch. Instead, you simply keep crocheting in a spiral and use a stitch marker to track the beginning of each round. This creates a seamless fabric that’s ideal for stuffed pieces.
When you switch colors, do so on the last yarn over of the stitch before the color change. This keeps your color joins clean and neat.
The invisible decrease is strongly recommended over a standard decrease for amigurumi because it creates a much smoother, tighter finish that hides the stitch joins more effectively.
Leave a long yarn tail when fastening off any piece that needs to be sewn on later. About 12 inches is usually plenty.
The Pattern
Part One: The Body
Start with your light gray yarn.
Rnd 1: Make a magic ring, 6 sc into the ring. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)
Rnd 3: Sc 1, inc repeat 6 times. (18 sts)
Rnd 4: Sc 2, inc repeat 6 times. (24 sts)
Rnd 5: Sc 3, inc repeat 6 times. (30 sts)
Rnd 6: Sc 4, inc repeat 6 times. (36 sts)
Rnd 7: Sc 5, inc repeat 6 times. (42 sts)
Rnd 8–14: Sc in each st around. (42 sts) — 7 rounds even
Rnd 15: Sc 5, dec repeat 6 times. (36 sts)
Rnd 16: Sc 4, dec repeat 6 times. (30 sts)
Rnd 17: Sc 3, dec repeat 6 times. (24 sts)
At this point, begin stuffing the body firmly. Continue adding stuffing as you close the piece.
Rnd 18: Sc 2, dec repeat 6 times. (18 sts)
Rnd 19: Sc 1, dec repeat 6 times. (12 sts)
Rnd 20: Dec 6 times. (6 sts)
Fasten off and close the remaining hole by weaving the yarn tail through the front loops of the remaining stitches and pulling tight. Weave in the end securely.
Part Two: The Head
The head is worked similarly but with a slightly larger size, since raccoons have that classic big, round head that makes amigurumi so appealing.
Start with your light gray yarn.
Rnd 1: Magic ring, 6 sc. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st. (12 sts)
Rnd 3: Sc 1, inc repeat 6 times. (18 sts)
Rnd 4: Sc 2, inc repeat 6 times. (24 sts)
Rnd 5: Sc 3, inc repeat 6 times. (30 sts)
Rnd 6: Sc 4, inc repeat 6 times. (36 sts)
Rnd 7: Sc 5, inc repeat 6 times. (42 sts)
Rnd 8: Sc 6, inc repeat 6 times. (48 sts)
Rnd 9–15: Sc in each st around. (48 sts) — 7 rounds even
Now you’ll add the safety eyes. Place them between rounds 12 and 13, roughly 10–12 stitches apart from each other. Before inserting the eyes, you can place the black eye patches (see Part Six below) around the area to help you position the eyes correctly for that masked raccoon look.
Rnd 16: Sc 6, dec repeat 6 times. (42 sts)
Rnd 17: Sc 5, dec repeat 6 times. (36 sts)
Rnd 18: Sc 4, dec repeat 6 times. (30 sts)
Begin stuffing the head firmly here.
Rnd 19: Sc 3, dec repeat 6 times. (24 sts)
Rnd 20: Sc 2, dec repeat 6 times. (18 sts)
Rnd 21: Sc 1, dec repeat 6 times. (12 sts)
Rnd 22: Dec 6 times. (6 sts)
Close and fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing to the body.
Part Three: The Arms (Make Two)
Use light gray yarn.
Rnd 1: Magic ring, 6 sc. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st. (12 sts)
Rnd 3: Sc in each st. (12 sts)
Rnd 4: Sc 4, dec repeat 2 times. (10 sts)
Rnd 5–10: Sc in each st. (10 sts) — 6 rounds even
Flatten the open end and close it with a few slip stitches across the top, or stuff lightly and sew closed. Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing.
Part Four: The Legs (Make Two)
Use light gray yarn.
Rnd 1: Magic ring, 6 sc. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st. (12 sts)
Rnd 3–4: Sc in each st. (12 sts) — 2 rounds even
Rnd 5: Sc 2, dec repeat 3 times. (9 sts)
Rnd 6–9: Sc in each st. (9 sts) — 4 rounds even
Stuff lightly. Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing.
Part Five: The Ears (Make Two)
Each ear has an outer part in light gray and a small inner lining in white or cream.
Outer ear (make two in light gray):
Rnd 1: Magic ring, 6 sc. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st. (12 sts)
Rnd 3: Sc 1, inc repeat 6 times. (18 sts)
Rnd 4–5: Sc in each st. (18 sts)
Flatten the ear. Do not stuff. Fasten off.
Inner ear (make two in white/cream):
Rnd 1: Magic ring, 4 sc. (4 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st. (8 sts)
Rnd 3: Sc 1, inc repeat 4 times. (12 sts)
Fasten off, leaving a tail. Sew the inner ear piece onto the front of the outer ear piece, centering it. Then sew the assembled ear to the top of the head.
Part Six: The Eye Patches and Muzzle
This is where your raccoon really starts to look like a raccoon, and it’s one of the most satisfying parts of the whole project.
Eye patches (make two in black yarn):
Rnd 1: Magic ring, 5 sc. (5 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st. (10 sts)
Rnd 3: Sc 1, inc repeat 5 times. (15 sts)
Fasten off, leaving a tail. Before you attach safety eyes, position the eye patches on the head and use pins to hold them in place. Mark the center of each patch — this is where your safety eye will go. Insert the safety eyes through both the patch and the head fabric, then secure the washer on the inside. Once the eyes are locked in place, sew the patches down around their edges. This technique ensures the eye sits right in the center of the mask for that perfect raccoon look.
Muzzle (in white or cream):
Rnd 1: Magic ring, 6 sc. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st. (12 sts)
Rnd 3: Sc 1, inc repeat 6 times. (18 sts)
Rnd 4: Sc in each st. (18 sts)
Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Stuff the muzzle very lightly — just enough to give it a little puff — and sew it onto the center front of the face, just below the eye patches. With black yarn, embroider a small nose onto the top center of the muzzle, and optionally add a tiny straight stitch downward for the mouth.
Part Seven: The Tail
The striped tail is one of the most iconic features of any raccoon amigurumi, and it’s easier to achieve than it looks. You’ll alternate between light gray and dark gray or charcoal yarn every two rounds.
Rnd 1: With dark gray, magic ring, 6 sc. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st. (12 sts)
Rnd 3: Sc 1, inc repeat 6 times. (18 sts)
Rnd 4–5: Sc in each st. (18 sts) — dark gray
Rnd 6–7: Switch to light gray, sc in each st. (18 sts)
Rnd 8–9: Switch to dark gray, sc in each st. (18 sts)
Rnd 10–11: Switch to light gray, sc in each st. (18 sts)
Rnd 12–13: Switch to dark gray, sc in each st. (18 sts)
Rnd 14: Sc 1, dec repeat 6 times. (12 sts)
Rnd 15: Sc 2, dec repeat 3 times. (9 sts)
Stuff the tail firmly. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
Assembling Your Raccoon
Assembly is where everything comes together, and taking your time here will make a huge difference in the finished look of your crochet raccoon amigurumi.
Start by sewing the head to the body. Position the head so it sits slightly forward rather than perfectly centered, which gives your raccoon a cute, slightly inquisitive posture. Use your yarn needle and the long tail left on the head, stitching all the way around the base of the head and through the body. Pull tight and secure with several knots before weaving in the end.
Next, attach the arms. Pin them to the sides of the body at approximately round 14 or 15 (near the “shoulder” area) and sew them on securely. Position them so they angle slightly forward — this looks more natural and makes the raccoon look like it’s ready to reach for something.
Attach the legs to the bottom of the body, spacing them evenly on either side of the center seam. They should angle slightly outward so your raccoon can “sit” stably on a flat surface.
Sew the tail to the back lower portion of the body, angling it upward slightly so it curves away from the body in a natural arc.
Finally, position the ears on the top of the head and sew them securely, making sure they’re evenly spaced and angled slightly outward.
Finishing Touches and Customization Ideas
Once your raccoon is fully assembled, take a few minutes for finishing touches. Go over all your seams and make sure every yarn end is woven in securely, especially on safety eye placements and color changes in the tail. Tug gently on all the pieces to make sure nothing feels loose.
Now for the fun part: customization. One of the great joys of amigurumi is that you can add all kinds of personal touches. Consider crocheting a tiny scarf in a contrasting color and tying it around your raccoon’s neck. A miniature beanie hat or bow on top of the head adds a lot of personality. You could even crochet a tiny piece of “trash” — a little crocheted can or banana peel — to put in your raccoon’s paw, leaning into the raccoon’s notorious reputation.
If you want a slightly larger raccoon, simply use bulky weight yarn (size 5 or 6) and a larger hook, adjusting proportionally. Everything scales up beautifully.
Tips for Beginners Trying Amigurumi for the First Time
If this is your first amigurumi project, a few habits will serve you well throughout your crochet journey. Always use a stitch marker —
