I have had so much fun already this year and it’s only April! If you are following my IG, FB or here you know that I am making my head dreams come alive! I have been wanting to make a whole series of farm animals for a very long time! They have been coming to life right here and I couldn’t be happier with them. Here on my blog you can find most of those patterns. Peaches is my latest and you can find her here – Peaches the Pig – and in her post is a link to the other six animals in my Farm Series. I am working on a llama next so pin and come back to find him.
Concurrently, on my Facebook page – also called The Burgundy Basket – I am running a year-long A-Z challenge where the people on my page are making suggestions for the letters of the alphabet to challenge me!! And some have absolutely been a challenge.
When I posted the letter “D” and Dinosaur was suggested, I felt a little giddy inside my heart!! I love dinosaur patterns. I have made a few patterns from others, but since this is the year I am trying to break out as a designer myself, I decided that I was going to make a family of dinosaurs and what better way to start the family than with a little! So, I took a mini break from the farm to go back to prehistoric times.
Meet Strawberry the Sweet Dino. She is my 3rd dinosaur pattern. You can find Violet the Lady Dino HERE and Pea the Little Dino HERE. – they are also both made with Bernat Pop! cake yarn. Scrappy the Dino is up next here on my blog so pin this and come back for him. Strawberry is also available as a PDF download from my ETSY with lots more tips and tricks and photos.
Let me start with my materials so you can make your Strawberry. I’ll note all the materials I have used and then you can decide how to make it work for you.
This post does contain affiliate links. I will get a small percentage from any purchase made through my page here, but your price remains the same. I appreciate any purchase made through my page as I can continue to offer free patterns here on my blog. These are a few of my favorite things and what I have used for this pattern.
Materials:
You can get exactly the products I used through my affiliate links.
Strawberry used almost one whole cake of BERNAT POP! #4 yarn in Strawberry Fields (280 yds/256m) – I only had the smallest little ball left. My advice – since cakes can vary slightly in yardage and tension works up different for all – is to work your tail and tummy patch at the end. These two parts are the easiest to modify for a shortage of yarn. You can do less rounds on the tail and/or make a smaller tummy patch or eliminate all together.
**** A note on using Cake Yarns. If you are new to amigurumi or using cake yarns, I thought this tip would be important. You want to read the pattern (or look at my pictures) and note which body parts you want in which color from your cake. As you get to those colors on your cake you probably want to make small parts FIRST. So, say, I finished off my body and wanted that next color to be the outer ear or the nose or the top tail section – or all of those – make those small parts FIRST – this ensures you get that little piece made in the color you want before moving onto a larger section. You want to try to plan if you want your finished dino to have matching legs, ears, etc. If you see my example, I wanted Baby Pea to have scales in each of the colors so I made sure to make those as well.
-Hooks: G, H and I were used. Unless noted otherwise, I have used my G hook. You will see a note when I use my H/I. These are the hooks I use everyday and when working amigurumi they are a hand saver!
-Safety Eyes or buttons (or yarn to embroider if you choose) and needle to embroider face. I’ve used large yellow split pupil eyes for Strawberry, but this style eye comes in different colors as well.
-Stuffing. I have used Poly-Fill brand stuffing, but feel free to use what you prefer.
– I don’t use Stitch markers, but if you do you will want those to keep track of your rounds. As a “free” stitch marker you can loop a bright colored piece of scrap yarn through your stitch to act as a marker – then just pull it out when you get back around to it and move it up one row. Easy marker!
This all-in-one-crochet kit is perfect if you want to start crocheting amigurumi and don’t have all you need yet. I ordered this as a gift and it comes with all you see. It has ergonomic hooks, needles, stitch markers and comes in this great case. This is a really nice set! I have opened it and looked at everything. So, if you are on a budget and can’t quite justify the Clover hooks try these instead.
This pattern is intended for personal use only. This pattern -and all my patterns- are offered for free or a small fee to help support my family so please do not redistribute, sell, copy or use them in any way not in accordance with fairness.
You may sell products made from this pattern, but please give me credit as the designer. Please do not use my photos as your own work, but you may use my photos to reference back to my blog, Etsy, Pinterest, IG or FB, but please link back to me.
If you find any problems with this pattern please let me know and if you have any problems with any of it feel free to message me and ask for support.
Kristi Bergin-Smith and The Burgundy Basket, 2019. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to me, Kristi Bergin-Smith and The Burgundy Basket with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
This is a simplified pattern – a chart with the numbers – you need to have knowledge of crochet amigurumi and how to do rounds and increases to read. If you do it will be pretty straight forward. If not, I do have a cheat sheet I am happy to email to anyone – find me over on my FB page – The Burgundy Basket – and let me know you need my cheat sheet for increasing/decreasing.
Stitches Used:
Chain: Ch
Single Crochet: SC
Inc Sc: make two single crochet stitches in the same stitch as indicated
Invisible Decrease: inv. dec. – this is an invisible single crochet decrease
Hdc: half double crochet
DC: double crochet
Tr: treble crochet (wrap twice)
Picot: chain 3 and slip stitch into the bottom of your chain 3 or where your chain 3 started – either is fine.
This is a simplified pattern – a chart with the numbers – you need to have knowledge of crochet amigurumi and how to do rounds and increases to read. If you do it will be pretty straight forward.
I start my work with a chain 2 and then sc in second chain from hook, but you can also start with a magic ring if you prefer that start. I crochet over my long starting tail for round 1 and 2 and then pull that tail tight – this cinches up your start and closes the little hole.
This pattern starts at the top of the head and goes into body without breaking off your yarn. It finishes off under the body.
Head/Body: (G hook): Strawberry is worked from the TOP down.
| Row/Round | Stitch Count/Number |
| 1 | 6 |
| 2 | 12 |
| 3 | 18 |
| 4 | 24 |
| 5 | 30 |
| 6 | 36 |
| 7 | 42 |
| 8-14 | 42 * I placed my eyes between rows 11-12 with 6 holes between them.
We start decreasing after this. |
| 15 | 36 |
| 16 | 30 |
| 17 | 24 |
| 18-20 | 24 now start increasing again |
| 21 | 30 |
| 22 | 36 arms get sewn here |
| 23 | 42 |
| 24 | 48 |
| 25-39 | 48 now to decrease again |
| 40 | 42 |
| 41 | 36 |
| 42 | 30 Start stuffing and stuff as needed. |
| 43 | 24 |
| 44 | 18 |
| 45 | 12 |
| 46 | 6 – FO with tail to sew hole closed |
Nose: with G hook
| Row/Round | Stitch Count/Number |
| 1 | 6 |
| 2 | 12 |
| 3 | 18 |
| 4 | 24 |
| 5 | 24 Back Loop Only (BLO) |
| 6 | 24 – do nostrils before sewing on by embroidering them. I wrapped my yarn around about 7 times on this one. |
Belly Patch:
This is not worked in rounds, but in rows. I used my H hook and worked in hdc, but as I noted in the beginning save this part for LAST just in case you run short on yarn.
You will be increasing the rows by putting two half double crochet in the first stitch and two hdc in the last stitch. Count across to make sure you don’t miss that last stitch – it can be finicky.
Chain 1 and turn after each row.
Chain 13
Row 1:hdc 12 across the chain (you start work in the second chain from hook)
Row 2:hdc in FLO for 12
Row 3: BLO : inc hdc, hdc 10, inc hdc (14)
Row 4: FLO hdc across (14)
Row 5: BLO hdc across (14)
Rows 6-7: repeat row 4 and 5
Row 8: FLO (dec hdc) x2, hdc 6, (dec hdc) x2 (10)
Row 9: BLO (dec hdc) x2, hdc 2, (dec hdc) x2 (6)
Single crochet around the entire belly piece making 3 sc in each corner.
When you FO leave a long tail to sew.
Arms (make two):
| Row/Round | Stitch Count/Number |
| 1 | 6 |
| 2 | 12 |
| 3 | 18 |
| 4-8 | 18 – stuff lightly. I only stuffed the bottom of arm. If you are going to embroider on fingernails you are probably going to want to do that here to make it easier. |
| 9 | 12 |
| 10-24 | 12 * FO leave long tail to sew |
Feet/Legs(make two):
| Row/Round | Stitch Count/Number |
| 1 | 6 |
| 2 | 12 |
| 3 | 18 |
| 4 | 24 |
| 5-8 | 24 – stuff lightly. I only stuffed the foot. If you are going to embroider on toenails you are probably going to want to do that here to make it easier. |
| 9 | 18 |
| 10-19 | 18 |
| 20 | 12 |
| 21-25 | 12 * FO leave long tail to sew |
Tail: **remember, as I mentioned in the beginning. You may want to save the tail for LAST. This way you can adjust this part for yarn shortage. It is easily modified by just doing less rows and maybe not the last increase.
| Row/Round | Stitch Count/Number |
| 1 | 6 Stuff as needed as you go. Don’t overstuff the tail. |
| 2 | 6 |
| 3 | 9 |
| 4-6 | 9 |
| 7 | 12 |
| 8-10 | 12 |
| 11 | 15 |
| 12 | 15 |
| 13 | 18 |
| 14 | 18 |
| 15 | 21 |
| 16 | 21 |
| 17 | 24 |
| 18-30 | 24 *FO but leave long tail to sew |
Scale:**** I used my H hook for the scale
I only made one to add to the bottom of my tail.
| Row/Round | Stitch Count/Number |
| 1 | 6 |
| 2 | 6 |
| 3 | 9 |
| 4 | 9 |
| 5 | 12 |
| 6 | 12 |
| 7 | 15 |
| 8 | 15 |
Horns: the horns are also worked in the rounds and increases a little different so I will note that here:
Start like the rest – chain 2 and sc in second chain from hook and then make 3 more sc for a total of 4.
Round 2: 4sc
Round 3: sc, 2sc, sc, 2sc (6)
Round 4: 6 sc
Round 5: sc, 2sc, sc, 2sc, sc, 2sc (9)
Round 6: 9 sc
Round 7: sc, sc, 2sc, sc, sc, 2sc, sc, sc, 2sc (12)
Round 8-10: 12 sc FO and leave a long tail to sew.
Stuff lightly. Pin in place and make sure it is right where you want it before sewing.
Now, I have saved the Neck Bone/Fin for last, but it is one of the most important pieces for Strawberry. I started it at a place in my cake where I knew I was going to get a color transition. I wanted it to be more than one color. I also made sure to use my whitish color for the final trim as I made the horns so that I had enough of that color.
I used my H hook for this part and worked in HDC for most of it.
I have included a few photos to help in the construction of this and extra tips that are available in the PDF downloadable pattern founded HERE on Etsy. It starts with making a huge circle in the BLO for every round – all the way around – this gives that extra little bit of texture.
**Before you start this circle you probably want to cut off a length of yarn in your starting the circle color to sew to the back of the head when you are done. You want your sewing to be invisible so make sure to save a little of the color you are starting with for that purpose. I hope that isn’t confusing. For me I wanted to have some of the light pink on hand. If you aren’t sure where your cake will transition on this part and are doing more than one color, you may want to have a little of each color so you can decide where to sew.
It is not the traditional amigurumi increase of 6, 12, 18 etc, but rather starts with 8 and increases 8 stitches each round. It repeats the same way as a 6, 12, 18 increase with the 2nd round have stitches in each stitch and the 3rd round have (one hdc, 2 hdc) around and the 4th round having (hdc, hdc, 2hdc) etc. Start with your chain 2.
| Row/Round | Stitch Count/Number |
| 1 | 8 |
| 2 | 16 (2 hdc in each stitch around) |
| 3 | 24 (hdc, 2hdc) around |
| 4 | 32 (hdc, hdc, 2hdc) around |
| 5 | 40 (hdc, hdc, hdc, 2hdc) around |
| 6 | 48 (hdc, hdc, hdc, hdc, 2hdc) around |
| 7 | 56 (hdc 5 times then inc hdc) around |
| 8 | 64 (hdc 6 times then inc hdc) around |
| 9 | 72 (hdc 7 times then inc hdc) around |
| 10 | 80 (hdc 8 times then inc hdc) around – DO NOT FO YOUR YARN |
Now, with increasing in this manner, you get little increase “points” on your work. You can see this a little in the left side photo. Fold your circle in half and match up the points – match up all stitches. Next you are crocheting these two sides together. Pin in place like in the right photo to make sure your work stays put as your work. FIRST, figure out which side you want to be the front and back and attach yarn to the right side before you begin. (if you are changing color, but if not just work your stitches looking at the right side)
I have made two final borders. The first border uses the same color I was using for my circle.
I attached the two sides together by making a hdc in each stitch across to join them BUT – in ONE of your increase stitches on that final round – JUST ONE of the FOUR SPOTS – there are two increase stitches where my pins are and I picked ONLY one of them in each four areas – in one of those stitches you are going to do the following: (dc, tr, dc) – after making four of these in your four increase stitches and a hdc in all other stitches you will FINISH OFF THIS COLOR.
I chose the whitish color for my cake on this last round. Attach yarn.
In this last border round you are going to repeat what you did from the round before with making one hdc in every hdc from the round below, but now you will DC in each DC from the round below and in EACH of the four TC stitches you will: dc, dc, picot, dc, dc) – this makes the little points on the final round.
So, at the end you should have a hdc in each hdc, 8 dc in each of the 8 dc and the special cluster of (dc, dc, picot, dc, dc) in the FOUR Treble crochets.
FO and weave in your final color.
I placed the bottom of this piece on round 17 and gently angled it around the head and pinned in place to get it like I liked it and then sewed. Pinning is very important for this part – you don’t want it to be lopsided. Look carefully from the front and back before sewing.
As always, thank you for choosing this pattern. I would love to see all of your creations!
And that’s all! I hope you love making her as much as I did. Please tag me on IG with all your finished dinosaurs @theburgundybasket #strawberrythesweetdino
