Making a crochet tempura shrimp pattern for my son was going to happen sooner or later, because shrimp tempura is one of his favorite foods! Now it's a cute new addition to his food amigurumi collection!
As I said, shrimp tempura is one of my son’s all-time favorite foods, so as a crocheter (and his mom), I couldn’t resist the idea of turning it into a squishy, adorable plushie just for him. After already making him a crochet Spam musubi and crochet onigiri, I knew a crochet shrimp tempura would be the perfect next addition to his growing collection of crochet food plushies! But let's be honest —he steals all of my crochet plushies haha.
I typically work with worsted weight acrylic yarn because it’s easy to use, durable, and comes in so many fun colors. But as I was designing this crochet shrimp, something just didn’t feel quite right. The “batter” part of the tempura needed that soft, slightly irregular texture to really capture that golden, crispy look. That’s when inspiration struck: chenille yarn! A yarn I actually don’t have much experience with.
I dove into my stash and found a soft yellow chenille yarn, and let me tell you, it completely transformed the piece. The plush, fuzzy texture added just the right amount of fluffiness to mimic real tempura batter. It brought the entire design to life in the most perfect way. I still used my trusty acrylic yarn for the tail to give it some textural contrast, and I absolutely loved the way it turned out.
As I was sewing it all together, I was grinning from ear to ear —it came out soooo cute! And the best part? My son adores it. He immediately cuddled it and watched Delicious in Dungeon with it!
If you love making food amigurumi and want to add a bit more texture and character to your work, this crochet tempura shrimp pattern is a fun and satisfying project. I hope you enjoy making it as much as I did!
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✏️ Things To Note:
- Skill Level: The crochet tempura shrimp pattern is great for beginners! If you’re comfortable with basic crochet stitches, you’ll have no trouble making the crochet shrimp tempura pattern. I will say if you haven’t worked with fuzzy yarn before then this pattern will be tricky because it is hard to see your stitches.
- Gauge: Gauge is not critical for this project, but keeping your stitches tight helps prevent stuffing from showing.
- Size: The finished crochet shrimp pattern is roughly 12 inches long.
🪡 Materials Needed
- Caron one pound - light terracotta (if this is discontinued, look for any orange-red- or orange-pink colored worsted weight yarn)
- Sekafris - chenille plush yellow yarn
- Polyfill
- 1 inch safety eyes
- 5.5mm hook
- Tapestry needle
💭Abbreviations to Remember (US terms)
- Magic ring (mr)
- Chains (ch)
- Single crochet (sc)
- Increase (inc)
- Decrease (dec)
* If you see a stitch abbreviation with "x" after it, it means how many times you do that stitch in the following amount of stitches. For example: sc x6 would mean you make a single crochet in the next 6 stitches. Inc x2 means you make an inc in the next 2 stitches.
🧋Variations
- Smiley-Faced Shrimp: Add a cute embroidered or felt smiley face to give your tempura shrimp more personality! Great for kids or kawaii-themed collections.
- Mini Shrimp Tempura: Use worsted weight yarn with a 4.5 hook to create a bite-sized version. Perfect for keychains, playsets, or food displays, just shrink the tail a little!
- Jumbo Shrimp Tempura: Use bulky yarn or double-strand your chenille and acrylic yarns for an oversized, pillow-like plushie. The pattern is great as a decorative throw pillow or huggable toy.
🍵Instructions for Crochet Tempura Shrimp Pattern
For this Crochet Shrimp Tempura Pattern, we will be working in rounds.
Crochet Batter Portion:
This pattern is made in the round.
Round 1: Ch x2, then sc x5 into the second ch from the hook (5).
Round 2: Inc in every stitch. (10).
Round 3: Sc in every stitch. (10).
Round 4: Inc, sc. Then repeat for the rest of the round (15).
Round 5-6: Sc in every stitch (15).
Round 7: Inc, sc x2. Then repeat for the rest of the round (20).
Round 8-9: Sc in every stitch (20).
Round 10: Inc, sc x3. Then repeat for the rest of the round (25).
Round 11-20: Sc in every stitch (25). EYES: for placement: Place the closest eye 2 rounds inward (between rounds 18-19 and the other eye between rounds 15-14).
Round 21: Dec, sc x3. Then repeat for the rest of the round (20).
Round 22: Dec, sc x2. Then repeat for the rest of the round (15).
Round 23: Dec, sc. Then repeat for the rest of the round (10).
Round 24: Dec in every stitch (5). Fasten off the yarn then sew the hole closed.
Crochet Shrimp Tail:
Make 2 of these.
Round 1: Using the worsted weight yarn, make a mr and make sc x3 in the circle (3).
Round 2: Inc in every sc. (6)
Round 3: Inc, sc. Then repeat until the end of round (9).
Round 4: Inc, sc x2. Then repeat until the end of round (12).
Round 5: Sc in every stitch (12).
Round 6: Dec, sc x2. Then repeat until the end of the round (9).
Round 7: Sc in every stitch (9).
Round 8: Dec, sc. Then repeat until the end of the round (6).
Round 9: Sc in every stitch (6).
Sewing:
Once you have both tail ends made, sew to the pointy side of the shrimp. You want them to be touching or overlapping a little in the middle.
Embroidery:
Make a mouth between the eyes with worsted weight black yarn.
That’s a wrap on this crochet tempura shrimp pattern! I hope you had just as much fun making it as I did. It’s such a charming, textured piece that brings a little extra joy to any collection of crochet food plushies or food amigurumi.
If you enjoyed this project, don’t forget to check out some of my other food-inspired patterns. My crochet strawberry pillow is a cozy and adorable make that also pairs beautifully with chenille yarn for that soft, plush texture. For something smaller and perfect as an accessory, my crochet strawberry keychain is a quick, sweet project you’ll love adding to your bag or keyring.
If you’re in the mood for something a bit more unique, I’ve also designed a crochet pancake stingray bag that’s both quirky and functional, a fun crochet s’mores pattern that’s ooey-gooey adorable, and a detailed crochet burger pattern that’s full of playful possibilities!
And for those of you with a bit of terracotta-colored yarn left in your stash, you’ll definitely want to try my no-sew crochet crab pattern—it’s a fast, satisfying make with no stitching required!
Thank you so much for checking out my pattern. I love sharing these fun, food-themed creations with you, and I can’t wait to see how your shrimp tempura turns out. Don’t forget to tag me if you share your finished piece—I’d love to see it! Happy crocheting!
🐌Expert Tips
- Use a Smaller Hook Than Usual: Chenille yarn is thick and fluffy, so using a smaller hook helps tighten your stitches and prevents stuffing from peeking through. Try going 1–2 sizes down from the recommended hook size.
- Work by Feel, Not Just Sight: The fuzziness of chenille can make it hard to see individual stitches. Train your fingers to feel where your hook should go—this takes practice but becomes easier over time.
- Avoid Frogging (Unraveling) Too Much: Chenille yarn tends to “shed” or break apart when pulled out too many times. Try to plan your pattern and stitch placement carefully to minimize ripping back.
🧵Pattern FAQs
Chenille yarn is a soft, velvety yarn with a fuzzy texture that gives projects a plush, cozy feel. It’s perfect for plushies and amigurumi because it adds a “stuffed animal” vibe and makes your creations extra cuddly!
It can be tricky at first, especially if you're used to standard acrylic yarn. The stitches can be hard to see because of the fuzz, but with practice and a few tricks (like using stitch markers and working by feel), it becomes much easier.
Spot cleaning is best. Machine washing may cause the yarn to shed, stretch, or lose its softness. If washing is necessary, use a gentle cycle and place the item in a mesh laundry bag—but handwashing is safer.
🧶More Crochet Plushie Patterns
If you tried this Crochet Tempura Shrimp Pattern (or any other pattern on my website), please let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I'd love to hear from you!
Crochet Tempura Shrimp Pattern
Materials
- Caron one pound - light terracotta
- Sekafris - chenille plush yellow yarn
- Polyfill
- 1 inch safety eyes
- 5.5 mm hook
- Tapestry needle
Abbreviations (US terms)
- Magic ring - mr
- Chains - ch
- Single crochet - sc
- Increase - inc
- Decrease - dec
Notes
- Skill Level: The crochet tempura shrimp pattern is great for beginners! If you’re comfortable with basic crochet stitches, you’ll have no trouble making the crochet shrimp tempura pattern. I will say if you haven’t worked with fuzzy yarn before then this pattern will be tricky because it is hard to see your stitches.
- Gauge: Gauge is not critical for this project, but keeping your stitches tight helps prevent stuffing from showing.
- Size: The finished crochet shrimp pattern is roughly 12 inches long.
Instructions
- For this Crochet Shrimp Tempura Pattern, we will be working in rounds.
Crochet Batter Portion:
- This pattern is made in the round.
- Round 1: Ch x2, then sc x5 into the second ch from the hook (5).
- Round 2: Inc in every stitch (10).
- Round 3: Sc in every stitch (10).
- Round 4: Inc, sc. Then repeat for the rest of the round (15).
- Round 5-6: Sc in every stitch (15).
- Round 7: Inc, sc x2. Then repeat for the rest of the round (20).
- Round 8-9: Sc in every stitch (20).
- Round 10: Inc, sc x3. Then repeat for the rest of the round (25).
- Round 11-20: Sc in every stitch (25). EYES: for placement: Place the closest eye 2 rounds inward (between rounds 18-19 and the other eye between rounds 15-14).
- Round 21: Dec, sc x3. Then repeat for the rest of the round (20).
- Round 22: Dec, sc x2. Then repeat for the rest of the round (15).
- Round 23: Dec, sc. Then repeat for the rest of the round (10).
- Round 24: Dec in every stitch (5). Fasten off the yarn then sew the hole closed.
Crochet Shrimp Tail:
- Make 2 of these.
- Round 1: Using the worsted weight yarn, make a mr and make sc x3 in the circle (3).
- Round 2: Inc in every sc. (6)
- Round 3: Inc, sc. Then repeat until the end of round (9).
- Round 4: Inc, sc x2. Then repeat until the end of round (12).
- Round 5: Sc in every stitch (12).
- Round 6: Dec, sc x2. Then repeat until the end of the round (9).
- Round 7: Sc in every stitch (9).
- Round 8: Dec, sc. Then repeat until the end of the round (6).
- Round 9: Sc in every stitch (6).
Sewing:
- Once you have both tail ends made, sew to the pointy side of the shrimp. You want them to be touching or overlapping a little in the middle.
Embroidery:
- Make a mouth between the eyes with worsted weight black yarn.
- That’s a wrap on this crochet tempura shrimp pattern! I hope you had just as much fun making it as I did. It’s such a charming, textured piece that brings a little extra joy to any collection of crochet food plushies or food amigurumi.
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