Crochet sloth with a hand-embroidered face

• LevelIntermediate
• Time4-6 hours
• Hook5 mm
• YarnWorsted

About This Pattern

On the desk

Stitch shorthand

• r — round
• mr — magic ring
• ch — chain
• sl st — slip stitch
• sc — single crochet
• hdc — half double crochet
• inc — increase
• dec — decrease
• FO — fasten off

Crochet sloth with a hand-embroidered face

Creating the Legs (Make 2)

Start with the first leg:

1. Round 1

   8 sc in mr (8)

2. Round 2

   8 inc (16)

3. Rounds 3–7

   16 sc (5 rounds) FO and leave a small tail for sewing. For the second leg, repeat rounds 1-7 but don’t fasten off – you’ll continue working directly into the body.

Building the Body

1. Round 8

   To attach the legs, first ch 2, then work 16 sc in the first leg, 2 sc in the previous 2 ch, 16 sc in the second leg, and 2 sc in the same 2 ch again (36)

Tip: If you notice any holes between the legs, use the tail from the first leg to sew them closed.

1. Round 9

   (5 sc, inc) x 6 (42)

2. Rounds 10–15

   42 sc (6 rounds)

3. Round 16

   (5 sc, dec) x 6 (36)

4. Rounds 17–18

   36 sc (2 rounds)

5. Round 19

   (4 sc, dec) x 6 (30)

6. Round 20

   30 sc (30)

7. Round 21

   (3 sc, dec) x 6 (24)

Now is the time to stuff the body and legs firmly.

1. Round 22

   (2 sc, dec) x 6 (18)Don’t fasten off – continue directly to the head!

Shaping the Head

1. Round 23

   18 sc (18)

2. Round 24

   (2 sc, inc) x 6 (24)

3. Round 25

   (3 sc, inc) x 6 (30)

4. Round 26

   (4 sc, inc) x 6 (36)

5. Round 27

   (5 sc, inc) x 6 (42)

6. Rounds 28–32

   42 sc (5 rounds)

7. Round 33

   (5 sc, dec) x 6 (36)

8. Round 34

   (4 sc, dec) x 6 (30)

9. Round 35

   (3 sc, dec) x 6 (24)Stuff the head and neck generously to maintain the shape.

10. Round 36

    (2 sc, dec) x 6 (18)

11. Round 37

    (1 sc, dec) x 6 (12)

12. Round 38

    6 dec (6)FO and cinch close by weaving the tail through the front loops and pulling tight. Finish stuffing if necessary before closing completely.

Crafting the Arms (Make 2)

1. Round 1

   8 sc in mr (8)

2. Round 2

   8 inc (16)

3. Rounds 3–9

   16 sc (7 rounds)

4. Round 10

   (2 sc, dec) x 4 (12)Add stuffing to the arms.

5. Round 11

   12 sc (12)

6. Round 12

   (1 sc, dec) x 4 (8)Single crochet shut across. FO and leave a small tail for sewing.

Adding the Hair

Step by step Make a slip knot and ch 5. Sc into the 2nd ch from the hook, then work 2 hdc, followed by sl st. Ch 4, sc into the 2nd ch from the hook, 2 hdc, sl st into the same stitch you previously slip stitched into. Repeat this process two more times until you have 4 hair tufts. FO and leave a tail for sewing.

Creating the Face (in Cream Color)

1. Round 1

   6 sc in mr (6)

2. Round 2

   6 inc (12)

3. Round 3

   (1 sc, inc) x 6 (18)

4. Round 4

   (2 sc, inc) x 6 (24)

5. Round 5

   (3 sc, inc) x 6 (30)

6. Round 6

   30 sc (30)Sl st and FO, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Making the Eye Patches (in Dark Brown Color, Make 2)

1. Eye Patch

   Make a slip knot and ch 6. Sc into the 2nd ch from the hook and mark that stitch with a stitch marker. Work 3 sc, then 3 sc into the last stitch. Turn your work over and continue with 4 sc, then 3 sc into the last stitch. Sl st into the marked stitch. (14)FO and leave a tail for sewing.

More shots

Where it goes

• A soft bookshelf companion that sits upright next to a stack of paperbacks without toppling over.
• A gift for a nursery shelf, paired with a knit blanket in a matching light brown or cream.
• A desk buddy for a work-from-home setup, tucked beside a mug and a small succulent.
• A travel companion for a tote bag or backpack, small enough to clip on without adding bulk.

Color ideas

• Classic sloth Light brown for the legs, body, head, and arms; cream for the face piece; dark brown for the eye patches and hair detailing.
• Soft reverse Cream for the body, head, and arms; light brown for the face piece; dark brown kept only on the eye patches for contrast.

Care

Hand wash gently in cool water if the piece needs cleaning, since the acrylic-blend yarn and polyester fiberfill can both lose shape under heat or agitation.

Lay the sloth flat to air dry rather than wringing it, and reshape the legs and head by hand while damp.

Store on a shelf rather than in a sealed bag, so the fiberfill stays lofted and the embroidered face keeps its definition.

Assembly

1. Step 1 Now comes the fun part – bringing Bonnie to life!
2. Step 2 Attach the Arms: Sew the arms beneath the head on either side at round 22 of the body.
3. Step 3 Position the Face: Sew the cream-colored face piece to the front of the head.
4. Step 4 Add the Eyes: Before sewing on the eye patches, insert your safety eyes through them. Use pins to position the eye patches on the face, then sew them securely. The patches should sit approximately at rounds 3-4 of the face piece. Alternatively, you can glue the eyes in place.
5. Step 5 Attach the Hair: Sew the hair tuft to the top of the head for that signature sloth look.
6. Step 6 Create the Nose: Cut a small nose shape from black felt and glue it in place, or embroider a nose using black yarn.

Easy to get wrong

Between the songs

• What makes this one satisfying is the layering of techniques in a single small body. You're increasing and decreasing to shape rounded legs and a tapering head, then attaching those legs directly into the body round instead of sewing them on after the fact, which saves a seam and keeps the join invisible. The embroidered cream face and separate dark brown eye patches give you a chance to practice needle work on top of your hook work, so the piece reads as hand-finished rather than assembly-line. Safety eyes go in through the patches before sewing, which is a small sequencing detail that keeps the whole face from looking flat once it's stuffed.

Listener questions

• Can I use a different yarn than the one listed?

  Yes, any worsted-weight yarn that matches your gauge with a 5mm hook will work fine. Just keep the three color families distinct so the legs, face, and eye patches still read clearly against each other.

• Do I need safety eyes, or can I embroider the eyes instead?

  The pattern is written for 12 or 15mm safety eyes inserted through the eye patches before sewing. If you'd rather skip hardware, you can embroider the eyes with yarn directly onto the patches instead.

• Why does the second leg not get fastened off?

  The second leg flows directly into the body round, so leaving the yarn attached lets you keep working without a break. The first leg gets a tail specifically for sewing it to the other side.

• How do I keep the embroidered face looking neat?

  Work the embroidery on the cream face piece before attaching it to the head, so you have a flat surface to stitch against. Pin the piece in place first and check the placement from a few angles before sewing it down.

• Where exactly do the arms attach?

  The arms get sewn beneath the head on either side, at the round noted in the body instructions. Pinning them in place first helps you check that both sides sit level before you commit to sewing.

Original pattern: https://amigurumicorner.com/free-crochet-sloth-pattern-easy-amigurumi-tutorial/

About the Author

Marisol QuinteroWho runs Crochet Obsessed, why a stitch count sits at the end of every round, how a pattern gets written here, and the things this site will never do.