🧶 Beautiful ✨ Detailed 💝 Adorable

Crab Amigurumi Pattern

Crab Amigurumi Pattern
4.5★ Rating
6-7 Hours Time Needed
1.4K Made This
✂️

Advanced Level

Designed for experienced knitters, these patterns involve intricate designs and complex techniques to challenge and inspire.

⏱️

All-Day Adventure

Requires 8-10 hours, ideal for a full day of immersive knitting.

🐰

Whimsical Buddy

Playful characters full of personality, designed to spark imagination and become cherished playtime favorites.

About This Crab Amigurumi Pattern

This delightful crab pattern features advanced construction techniques including poseable wire-supported eyes and asymmetrical claws. The body uses increases and decreases to create the natural crab shape. The removable shell backpack is worked in colorful stripes and includes a functional storage compartment. The pattern teaches wire insertion for bendable parts and multiple small piece assembly.

Crab Amigurumi Pattern crochet pattern - detailed view of completed project

Special attention is given to creating realistic proportions with one large claw and one smaller claw, plus six individual legs. The shell includes tiny crayons that can be stored inside, making this both decorative and functional.

Why You'll Love This Crab Amigurumi Pattern

I absolutely love how this pattern combines so many advanced techniques into one adorable project! The wire-supported eyes that you can pose in different directions give the crab so much personality. Working the asymmetrical claws teaches you about creating balanced designs even when the parts aren't identical. The shell storage feature is genius - kids love having a place to keep tiny treasures, and the colorful stripe pattern is so satisfying to work up.

Crab Amigurumi Pattern step 1 - construction progress Crab Amigurumi Pattern step 2 - assembly progress Crab Amigurumi Pattern step 3 - details and accessories Crab Amigurumi Pattern step 4 - final assembly and finishing

Switch Things Up

I love experimenting with different crab species by changing the colors! Instead of the classic red, I've made blue crabs using ocean blues, or even created rainbow crabs with gradient color changes. You can also vary the shell patterns - try stripes in different color combinations or even polka dots for a whimsical look.

The crayons offer endless customization opportunities! I've made them in different colors to match various themes, or even created tiny pencils and markers instead. You could also add other small items like shells, pearls, or tiny fish that fit in the shell compartment.

For display purposes, I sometimes create a whole crab family with different sizes - mama, papa, and baby crabs. The wire eye technique can be adapted to other amigurumi projects too, giving any character more personality and posability. You can even add wire to the claws for extra poseability, though this requires more advanced wire-working skills.

Common Mistakes & How to Fix Them

✗ Making both claws the same size instead of following the big claw/small claw instructions for realistic proportions ✗ Not inserting wire carefully into the eye stalks, which can poke through the yarn if placed incorrectly ✗ Forgetting to stuff the shell firmly while sewing, causing it to collapse when worn by the crab ✗ Rushing through the small crayon pieces and not weaving in ends properly, causing them to unravel

Crab Amigurumi Pattern

Create a delightful crab with moveable eyes, colorful claws, and a removable shell backpack! This charming crustacean features poseable eyes on stalks, different sized claws, and six little legs. The pattern includes a beautiful striped shell that doubles as a storage compartment for tiny crayons. Perfect for beach lovers and anyone who enjoys interactive amigurumi toys.

Advanced 6-7 Hours

Materials Needed for Crab Amigurumi Pattern

— Main Fabric

  • 01
    Color A: red YarnArt Jeans 90 (50g, 160m)
  • 02
    Color B: white YarnArt Jeans 01 (50g, 160m)
  • 03
    Color C: yellow YarnArt Jeans 35 (50g, 160m)
  • 04
    Color D: green YarnArt Jeans 60 (50g, 160m)

— Tools Required

  • 01
    Crochet hook size 2.5mm
  • 02
    1 pair of 5mm safety eyes
  • 03
    Tapestry needles
  • 04
    Black thread
  • 05
    Pins
  • 06
    Stitch markers
  • 07
    Scissors
  • 08
    Polyester fiberfill
  • 09
    Plastic coated wire (7-8cm pieces for eyes)

Progress Tracker

0% Complete

— Body (yarn A) :

Round 1 :

sc 6 into a magic loop (6)

Round 2-6 :

sc 6 (5 rnds) (6)

Round 7 :

inc, sc 5 (7)

Round 8 :

sc 7 (7)

Round 9 :

inc, sc 6 (8)

Round 10 :

sc 8 (8)

Round 11 :

inc, sc 7 (9)

Round 12 :

sc 9 (9)

Info :

Make the 2nd piece the same way but do not break the yarn, ch 3 and join with the 1st piece

Round 13 :

sc 9 (on the 1st piece), sc 3 (on the 3 chs), sc 9 (on the 2nd piece), sc 3 (on the 3 chs) (24)

Round 14 :

[sc 3, inc] 6x (30)

Round 15 :

sc 30 (30)

Round 16 :

[sc 2, inc, sc 2] 6x (36)

Round 17 :

sc 36 (36)

Info :

If you want the eyes can be bendable, stuff slightly the eyes, use a plastic coated wire-about 7-8cm, push the wire into the eyes and then continue to stuff firmly, and make a knot to fix the wire

Round 18 :

[sc 5, inc] 6x (42)

Round 19 :

sc 42 (42)

Round 20 :

sc 5, [sc 1, inc] 3x, sc 15, [inc, sc 1] 3x, sc 10 (48)

Round 21 :

sc 48 (48)

Round 22 :

sc 5, [sc 1, inc, sc 1] 3x, sc 15, [sc 1, inc, sc 1] 3x, sc 10 (54)

Round 23 :

sc 54 (54)

Round 24 :

sc 5, [sc 3, inc] 3x, sc 15, [inc, sc 3] 3x, sc 10 (60)

Round 25-31 :

sc 60 (7 rnds) (60)

Round 32 :

sc 5, [sc 3, dec] 3x, sc 15, [dec, sc 3] 3x, sc 10 (54)

Round 33 :

sc 5, [sc 1, dec, sc 1] 3x, sc 15, [sc 1, dec, sc 1] 3x, sc 10 (48)

Round 34 :

sc 5, [sc 1, dec] 3x, sc 15, [dec, sc 1] 3x, sc 10 (42)

Round 35 :

[sc 4, dec] 7x (35)

Round 36 :

[sc 3, dec] 7x, stuff firmly (28)

Round 37 :

[sc 2, dec] 7x (21)

Round 38 :

[sc 1, dec] 7x (14)

Round 39 :

dec 7 (7)

— Eyes (yarn B, X2) :

Round 1 :

sc 5 into a magic loop (5)

Round 2 :

inc 5 (10)

Round 3 :

[sc 1, inc] 5x (15)

Round 4-5 :

sc 15 (2 rnds) (15)

— Eyes Cover (yarn A, X2) :

Round 1 :

sc 6 into a magic loop (6)

Round 2 :

inc 6 (12)

Round 3 :

[sc 1, inc] 6x (18)

Round 4 :

[sc 5, inc] 3x (21)

Round 5 :

sc 21 (21)

Round 6 :

slst 21 (21)

— Small Claw (yarn A, X2) :

Round 1 :

sc 4 into a magic loop (4)

Round 2 :

sc 1, inc 2, sc 1 (6)

Round 3 :

sc 2, inc 2, sc 2 (8)

Round 4 :

sc 3, inc 2, sc 3 (10)

Round 5 :

sc 4, inc 2, sc 4 (12)

Round 6 :

sc 5, inc 2, sc 5 (14)

Round 7-8 :

sc 14 (2 rnds) (14)

— Big Claw (yarn A, X2) :

Round 1-6 :

Repeat rnd 1-6 of the Small Claw (14)

Round 7 :

sc 6, inc 2, sc 6 (16)

Round 8 :

sc 7, inc 2, sc 7 (18)

Round 9 :

sc 8, inc 2, sc 8 (20)

Round 10-11 :

sc 20 (2 rnds) (20)

Info :

Join with the Small Claw and continue to crochet the following rnds

Round 12 :

sc 14 (on the small claw), sc 20 (on the big claw) (34)

Round 13 :

[sc 15, dec] 2x (32)

Round 14 :

[sc 7, dec, sc 7] 2x (30)

Round 15 :

[sc 3, dec] 6x, stuff firmly (24)

Round 16 :

[sc 2, dec] 6x (18)

Round 17 :

[sc 1, dec] 6x (12)

Round 18 :

[sc 2, dec] 3x (9)

Round 19-21 :

sc 9 (3 rnds) (9)

— Legs (yarn A, X6) :

Round 1 :

sc 6 into a magic loop (6)

Round 2-5 :

sc 6 (4 rnds) (6)

— Belly (yarn C) :

Round 1 :

ch 7, start on the 2nd st from the hook, sc 5, (sc 3) on the last st, continue to crochet on the other side, sc 4, inc (14)

Round 2 :

inc, sc 4, inc 3, sc 4, inc 2 (20)

Round 3 :

sc 1, inc, sc 4, [sc 1, inc] 3x, sc 4, [sc 1, inc] 2x (26)

Round 4 :

sc 1, inc, sc 5, [sc 1, inc, sc 1] 3x, sc 4, [sc 1, inc, sc 1] 2x (32)

Round 5 :

sc 3, inc, sc 4, [sc 3, inc] 3x, sc 4, [sc 3, inc] 2x (38)

Round 6 :

sc 2, inc, sc 6, [sc 2, inc, sc 2] 3x, sc 4, [sc 2, inc, sc 2] 2x (44)

Round 7 :

sc 5, inc, sc 4, [sc 5, inc] 3x, sc 4, [sc 5, inc] 2x (50)

Round 8 :

sc 3, inc, sc 7, [sc 3, inc, sc 3] 3x, sc 4, [sc 3, inc, sc 3] 2x (56)

— Cheeks (yarn C, X4) :

Round 1 :

sc 6 into a magic loop (6)

— Sea Shell (yarn D) :

Round 1 :

sc 6 into a magic loop (6)

Round 2 :

(blo) [sc 1, inc] 3x (9)

Round 3 :

(blo) [sc 2, inc] 3x (12)

Round 4 :

(blo) [hdc 2, hdc inc] 4x (16)

Round 5 :

(blo) [hdc 3, hdc inc] 4x (20)

Round 6 :

(blo) [hdc 4, hdc inc] 4x (24)

Round 7 :

(blo) [dc 3, dc inc] 6x (30)

Round 8 :

(blo) [dc 2, dc inc, dc 2] 6x (36)

Info :

Join yarn B on rnd 2, slst on the flo sts from rnd 2-8. Place 2 markers at the 34th st & the 5th st of rnd 8 on the shell

Straps :

Join yarn D on the marked st, crochet 28 chs and slst on the next 3 sts from the marked st. Continue to crochet 28 chs on the other marked st

— Crayons (yarn D, X2) :

Round 1 :

sc 6 into a magic loop (6)

Round 2 :

(blo) sc 6 (6)

Round 3-6 :

sc 6 (4 rnds), change to yarn B (6)

Round 7 :

[sc 1, dec] 2x, break yarn B, change to yarn D (4)

Round 8 :

sc 4 (4)

Assembly Instructions

  • Sew the eyes on the covers and then attach the covered eyes to the body
  • Join the small and big claws together and make 2 sets, then attach to the body
  • Sew the belly on the body and attach the 4 cheeks and 6 legs to the body
  • Place 2 markers on the shell at specified positions and create the shoulder straps with chains
  • Put the crayons inside the shell compartment for storage
  • Wear the shell on the crab and adjust the straps so it sits properly on the back
  • Put the crayons on the claws for the final display

Important Notes

  • 💡If making for babies, do not use wire inside the eyes - skip the wire insertion step
  • 💡When using wire for poseable eyes, make sure to push it carefully and make a knot to secure it
  • 💡The shell should be stuffed firmly while sewing to maintain its shape when worn
  • 💡Make sure to place the markers accurately on the shell for proper strap positioning
  • 💡The crayons are small pieces - weave in all ends securely to prevent unraveling
  • 💡Take your time with the claw assembly - proper alignment makes a big difference in the final look

This delightful crab pattern is packed with personality and interactive features! The poseable wire eyes give your crab character, while the asymmetrical claws add realistic charm. The removable shell backpack with tiny crayons makes this both a toy and storage solution. Perfect for beach lovers and anyone who enjoys amigurumi with multiple components and advanced techniques. This little crustacean will bring smiles and spark imagination! 🧶 Happy crocheting! 🦀🏖️✨

You ask,

we answer.

FAQs

How do I make sure the wire in the eyes is safe and secure?

Use plastic-coated wire and push it gently into the stuffed eye, making sure it doesn't poke through the yarn. Tie a small knot at the base inside the eye to secure it. If making for small children, skip the wire entirely.

Why are my claws different sizes and is this correct?

Yes! Real crabs have one larger dominant claw and one smaller claw, so the pattern intentionally creates asymmetrical claws. Make sure to follow the big claw and small claw instructions separately.

How do I attach the shell straps so they stay on properly?

Place the markers exactly at the 34th and 5th stitches of round 8, then crochet 28 chains from each marked position. The straps should cross over the crab's back when worn properly.

My shell doesn't hold its shape - what am I doing wrong?

Make sure to stuff the shell firmly as you sew the edges. The back-loop-only construction creates the ridged shell texture, but it needs adequate stuffing to maintain the dome shape.