What yarn weight works best for this monkey?

The pattern calls for Himalaya Dolphin Baby or YarnArt Dolce, both soft baby-weight yarns that give a plush, huggable finish. A similar worsted-weight substitute with a 4.00-4.5 mm hook should work just as well.

Can I use a different eye size than 12 mm?

You can, but keep in mind the head is worked over seventeen rounds, so the eye size should stay in proportion to that finished head circumference. Smaller eyes will read as younger or more subtle, larger ones more cartoonish.

Why does the body have more rounds than the head?

The body runs twenty-two rounds compared to the head's seventeen, giving the torso more height and volume than the head. That size difference is what gives the monkey its proportions once everything is assembled.

Do I need to embroider the face, or can I crochet it?

The pattern calls for black embroidery floss for the brows and mouth, which gives cleaner, thinner lines than crochet stitches would. I'd stick with floss for this one since it's what shapes the monkey's expression.

How do I keep the two arms matching?

Since the arms are made as a pair, I recommend working both at the same time, alternating rounds between them, so any tension differences even out. Comparing them side by side before stuffing also helps catch mismatches early.

Amigurumi monkey crochet pattern for a cuddly friend

LevelIntermediate
Time4-6 hours
Hook4.5 mm
YarnWorsted

About This Pattern

This little monkey has that soft, unhurried charm I love in amigurumi — round head, round body, nothing sharp or fussy about it. There's a warmth to working with baby yarn like Himalaya Dolphin or YarnArt Dolce, a plush quality that already feels like a hug before the stuffing even goes in. It's the kind of project that makes you smile while you're still on round two.

Your hands will spend most of this project doing the same small dance: single crochet, increase, single crochet, increase, building rounds until the shape rises up on its own. The head alone runs seventeen rounds, so you get plenty of time to settle into a rhythm and stop counting stitches out loud. It's repetitive in the best way, the kind of steady work that lets your mind wander.

Once it's stuffed and the arms are joined on, this monkey earns a spot somewhere it'll actually get picked up — a shelf, a crib rail, the corner of a couch cushion. It has enough personality from those safety eyes and embroidered brows to feel like a little character rather than just a shape. It's small enough to travel but sturdy enough to survive being carried everywhere.

Finished size: this monkey measures approximately 45 cm (17.5 inches) when made with the yarn and hook size given in the materials list.

Start the head with a magic ring and build it up in rounds, increasing steadily until the shape curves outward.
Keep working the head rounds until it tapers back in, ready to be stuffed with fiberfill before closing.
Insert the 12 mm safety eyes while the head opening is still wide enough to reach inside comfortably.
Begin the body the same way as the head, with a magic ring start and repeated increase rounds.
Let the body rounds continue longer than the head so the torso grows taller and more substantial.
Stuff the body firmly as you close it up, then set it aside to work the two arms.
Make both arms as separate pieces, keeping them a matching pair before attaching them to the body.
Finish by embroidering the brows and mouth with black embroidery floss to give the monkey its expression.

On the desk

Yarn

Himalaya Dolphin Baby or YarnArt Dolce
Black embroidery floss for brows and mouth
4.00-4.5 mm crochet hook
12 mm safety eyes
Yarn needle
Fiberfill

Stitch shorthand

R — row
ch — chain
st — stitch
sl st — slip stitch
sc — single crochet
inc — increase (2 sc in one stitch)
dec — decrease (2 sc together)
[…] — number of stitches you should have at the end of the row
(…) — repeat whatever is between the brackets the given number of times