Free Axolotl Crochet Pattern

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My Free Axolotl Crochet Pattern is perfect for those who adore these little aquatic creatures! The best part is that this crochet axolotl pattern uses minimal sewing.

Axolotls have taken the world by storm, and how can you not love them? These cute salamanders from Mexico have a silly grin, and it's pure bliss just to look at them!

Recently, my family visited the zoo, and my toddler saw an axolotl up close! I never realized how tiny they actually are, but after seeing one, I was inspired to create an amigurumi axolotl (a crocheted plush axolotl) for my child.

This pattern is fairly easy to construct and requires minimal sewing—yay! I hope this encourages you to make this axolotl using my free crochet pattern. You can even make this adorable crochet axolotl plushie for any occasion, like Valentine's Day, to show someone "You Love Them A Lotl."

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✏️ Things to Note:
🪡 Materials Needed
💭 Abbreviations to Remember (US Terms)
🧋 Variations
🍵 Instructions for Free Axolotl Crochet Pattern
🐌Expert Tips
🧵 Pattern FAQs
🧶More Fun Crochet Patterns

✏️ Things to Note:

Continuous Design: The head and body are one continuous piece, so no sewing is required. I make my crochet bat pattern this way too. The only sewing needed is for the frills on the face and tail, as well as the arms—making it easier to create and less fiddly!
Yarn Choices: I used acrylic yarn for this free crochet axolotl pattern. However, you can also use cotton or chunky yarn if you want to make a giant axolotl. I recommend avoiding wool unless you're okay with it shrinking if you need to wash it.
Basic Stitches: The pattern primarily uses single crochet (sc), with double crochet (dc) only in the tail fringe. If you can single crochet, you can make this axolotl! If you find it difficult to keep your stitches tight, try yarning under instead of yarning over during a sc for a tighter stitch.

🪡 Materials Needed

Skein of medium pink from Red Heart or Caron (or whatever brand you prefer using)
A small ball of dark pink for the frills
About 10 inches of black yarn for the mouth
Safety eyes
H hook (5mm)
Polyfill
Tapestry needle for weaving in the ends.

💭 Abbreviations to Remember (US Terms)

Magic ring (MR)
Single crochet (sc)
Double crochet (dc)
Increase (inc) - 2 stitches in the same stitch
Chains (ch)
Decrease (dec) - 1 stitch combining 2 stitches

🧋 Variations

Try using different colors to make a variety of crocheted axolotls! You might even want to experiment with chunky yarn for a larger plushie!

🍵 Instructions for Free Axolotl Crochet Pattern

For this pattern, we will be working in rounds.

Axolotl Head and Body:

This section of the pattern starts at the head and ends at the end of the body.

Round 1: Ch x6 (6), ch 1 and turn

Round 2: Inc, sc x4, inc, turn to the unworked side of the chain and in the same stitch on the end make another inc, sc x4, inc. (16)

Round 3: Inc, sc x6, inc x2, sc x6, inc (20)

Round 4: Sc, inc, sc x6, inc, sc x2, inc, sc x6, inc, sc (24)

Round 5: Sc x2, inc, Sc x2, inc x2, sc x2, inc, sc x4, inc, sc x2, inc x2, sc x2, inc, sc x2 (32)

Round 6 -9: Sc in every stitch (32)

Round 10: Inc, sc x15, inc, sc x15 (34)

Round 11: Sc in every stitch (34)

Round 12: Inc, sc x16, inc, sc x16 (36)

Round 13: Sc in every stitch (36)

Round 14: [Dec, sc x4], repeat what’s in brackets for the rest of the round (30) Think about placing the eyes and securing them.

Round 15: [Dec, sc x3], repeat what’s in brackets for the rest of the round (24)

Round 16: [Dec, sc x2], repeat what’s in brackets for the rest of the round (18). Stuff the head fully before moving onto the body.

Round 17: [Dec, sc], repeat what’s in brackets for the rest of the round (12)

Round 18: [Inc, sc], repeat what's in the brackets for the entire round (18)

Round 19: [Inc, sc x2], repeat what's in the brackets for the entire round (24)

Round 20: [Inc, sc x3], repeat what's in the brackets for the entire round (30)

Round 21: [Inc, sc x4], repeat what's in the brackets for the entire round (36)

Round 22 -23: Sc in every stitch (36)

Round 24: [Dec, sc x10], repeat what’s in the brackets for the rest of the round (33)

Round 25: Sc in every stitch (33)

Round 26: [Dec, sc x9], repeat what’s in the brackets for the rest of the round (30)

Round 27: Sc in every stitch (30)

Round 28: [Dec, sc x8], repeat what’s in the brackets for the rest of the round (27)

Round 29: Sc in every stitch (27)

Round 30: [Dec, sc x7], repeat what’s in the brackets for the rest of the round (24)

Round 31-32: Sc in every stitch (24) Start stuffing the body and continue to stuff as you go.

Round 33: [Dec, sc x2], repeat what’s in the brackets for the rest of the round (18)

Round 34: [Dec, sc x4], repeat what’s in the brackets for the rest of the round (15)

Round 35: [Dec, sc x3], repeat what’s in the brackets for the rest of the round (12)

Round 36: [Dec, sc x2], repeat what’s in the brackets for the rest of the round (9)

Round 37-38: Sc in every stitch (9)

Round 39: [Dec, sc x1], repeat what’s in the brackets for the rest of the round (6)

Round 40: Sc in every stitch(6). Slip stitch, fasten off and sew shut.

Arms x2:

Working in rounds:

Round 1: Make a mr, and make sc x4 in the circle (4)

Round 2: [Inc, sc], repeat what’s in the brackets for the rest of the round (6)

Round 3-6: Sc in every stitch (6). Slip stitch and fasten off. Sew to the upper body of the axolotl. Make 2.

Tail Fringe:

Ch x10, in the second ch from hook make a sc. Next, ch, (dc, ch, dc) in one chain, then sc in the next 2 chs, then (dc, ch, dc) in one chain, then sc in the next 2 chs, then (dc, ch, dc) in one chain. Finally make a sc in the last ch. Fasten off and leave the tail for sewing.

Sew to the edge of the tail. There should be 3 little bumps made because of the double crochets, make sure to put the middle one at the very middle of the tail and have the other bumps on the side, one on each side of course.

Face Fringe x6:

Make 6 of these: Ch x8, in second ch from hook make a sc. Make 5 more sc, one in each of the next 5 chains. In the last ch on the end you are going to make 4 sc in that one ch. This will help you round to the other side of the ch. Make 6 more sc. Slip stitch. Fasten off and leave the tail for sewing.

To sew these onto the axolotl head, you are going to look at the axolotl head from above, see the starting ch line at the top and follow the ends down to the sides of the face. Right in the middle of the side of the head you are going to sew one of the almost oval-like face frills to the axolotl. Once secured you are going to place 2 more on either side, one above and one below the first one you placed. Make sure the frills are lined up right after each other.

Once one side is done, complete the other side.

And now your crochet axolotl is done!

If you have any pink yarn leftover, consider making a crochet strawberry keychain or a crochet heart keychain!

🐌Expert Tips

Selecting the Right Yarn: Choose cotton yarn for a smoother finish or acrylic yarn for durability. Chunky yarn can be used for a larger axolotl, but avoid wool if you need a washable project.
Yarn Tension: If you struggle with tight stitches, consider yarning under while doing sc, as this naturally tightens the stitch.
Stitch Markers: Use stitch markers to keep track of your rounds, especially in the initial rounds of the head and body.
Safety Eyes: If using safety eyes, ensure they are secured firmly. Consider embroidering eyes with yarn if you're concerned about safety for young children.

🧵 Pattern FAQs

How do I choose the right yarn for this project?

Choose cotton yarn for a smoother finish or acrylic yarn for durability. You can also use chunky yarn if you want to make a larger axolotl, but avoid wool if you need a washable project.

Can I add legs to the axolotl plush if I want?

Yes! I chose to not make them so they had more of a mermaid tail because that's what my kid wanted, but feel free to add legs!

What if I have trouble keeping my stitches tight?

If you struggle with tight stitches, consider yarning under while doing a single crochet (sc), as this technique naturally tightens the stitch.

🧶More Fun Crochet Patterns

If you tried this Free Axolotl Crochet 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!

My Free Axolotl Crochet Pattern is perfect to make for those who adore these little aquatic creatures! Best part is that the crochet axolotl pattern uses minimal sewing.

Author: Kimberly Arenas

Materials

▢ Skein of medium pink from Red Heart or Caron or whatever brand you prefer using
▢ A small ball of dark pink for the frills
▢ Safety eyes
▢ Polyfill
▢ Tapestry needle
▢ 5mm crochet hook

Abbreviations (US terms)

mr = Magic ring
sc = Single crochet
dc = Double Crochet
inc = Increase (2 stitches in the same stitch)
dec = Decrease (1 stitch combining 2 stitches)