If you want to purchase an ad-free printable PDF version of this crochet Chip the Chinchilla pattern, you can find it HERE on etsy.
I created this pattern for the amigurumi.com endangered animals design competition since chinchillas are endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. I’ve always loved chinchillas – with their fluffy butts and big ears who wouldn’t?! But I hadn’t found a really good crochet chinchilla pattern so I was determined to make one.
It took a few tries and approaches, but I ended up with the adorable Chip! And now you can make your own.
This pattern is a bit long with lots of pictures, so I’ve had to divide it up into two blog posts. This one, part 1, details how to crochet the head, face, feet and arms and how to sew them together. Part 2 (found HERE) details how to crochet the ears, create pompoms for the tail, assemble the tail, and embroider the nose and mouth.
NOTE: If you are wanting to sell finished products from this free crochet Chip the Chinchilla pattern you’re welcome to, just make sure you link back to my pattern here and credit me with the design. Thank you!
Abbreviations
- Ch – chain
- Sc – single crochet
- Inc – increase
- Dec – decrease
- Sl st – slip stitch
- FO – Finish off
- Rnd – round
- sts – stitches
Materials
- Size F (3.75mm) crochet hook
- Bernat Velvet Yarn in the color Misty Gray
- Stuffing (I use polyester fiberfill)
- Black embroidery floss
- A pair of 12mm safety eyes
- Tapestry/Yarn needle
- Embroidery/sewing needle
- 4 sewing pins (technically optional, but they are SO helpful when assembling)
- Scissors
Body
Rnd 1: sc 5 in a MR
Rnd 2: *inc* 5 times (10)
Rnd 3: *sc, inc* 5 times (15)
Rnd 4: *sc 2, inc* 5 times (20)
Rnd 5: *sc 3, inc* 5 times (25)
Rnd 6: *sc 4, inc* 5 times (30)
Rnd 7: sc 30
Rnd 8: sc 4, inc, sc 4, inc, sc 20 (32)
Rnd 9: inc, sc 4, inc, inc, sc 4, inc, inc, sc 4, inc, sc 14 (38)
Rnd 10: inc, sc 3, inc, sc 3, inc, sc 6, inc, sc 3, inc, sc 3, inc, sc 14 (44)
Rnd 11 – 12: sc 44 each round
Rnd 13: inc, sc 5, inc, sc 5, inc, sc 4, inc, sc 5, inc, sc 5, inc, sc 14 (50)
Rnd 14: sc 50
Work one sc stitch.
Rnd 15: inc, sc 6, inc, sc 6, inc, sc 4, inc, sc 6, inc, sc 6, inc, sc 16 (56)
Rnds 16 – 19: sc 56 each round
Rnd 20: inc, sc 3, inc, sc 3, inc, sc 10, inc, sc 11, inc, sc 3, inc, sc 3, inc, sc 16 (63)
Rnds 21 – 29: sc 63 each round
Rnd 30: dec, dec, sc 11, dec, sc 13, dec, sc 11, dec, dec, dec, sc 12, dec (55)
Rnd 31: dec, *dec, sc 5* 5 times, dec, dec, dec, sc 10, dec (45)
Begin stuffing (photo A)
Rnd 32: dec, *dec, sc 7* 3 times, dec, dec, dec, sc 8, dec (37)
Rnd 33: dec, sc 6, dec, sc 7, dec, sc 6, dec, dec, sc 6, dec (31)
Rnd 34: *dec, sc 5* 3 times, dec, dec, sc 4, dec (25)
Rnd 35: dec, sc 3, dec, sc 6, dec, sc 3, dec, sc 5 (21)
Add more stuffing (photo B)
Rnd 36: dec, sc, dec, dec, sc 2, dec, dec, sc, dec, dec, sc, dec (13)
Rnd 37: dec, dec, sc, dec, dec, dec, dec (7)
FO, adding any last bits of stuffing, and sew the hole shut.
This is what your body should look like:
Face
Rnd 1: sc 5 in a MR
Rnd 2: *inc* 5 times (10)
Rnd 3: *sc, inc* 4 times, sc 2 (14)
Rnd 4: sc 2, inc, sc 2, inc, sc, inc, sc 2, inc, sc 3 (18)
Rnd 5: sc 3, inc, sc 2, inc, sc 3, inc, sc 2, inc, sc 4 (22)
Rnd 6: sc 3, inc, sc 3, inc, sc 2, inc, sc 2, inc, sc 3, inc, sc 4 (27)
Rnd 7: sc 12, inc, inc, sc 13 (29)
Rnd 8: sc 5, inc, sc 7, inc, inc, sc 7, inc, sc 6 (33)
Rnd 9: sc 5, inc, sc 9, inc, inc, sc 9, inc, sl st 6 (37)
(photo C gives you a close up of the end of rnd 9)
Rnd 10: sl st 5, inc, sc 11, inc, inc, sc 11, inc, sl st 6 (41)
Rnd 11: sl st 5, inc, sc 6, dec, sc 5, inc, inc, sc 5, dec, sc 7, sl st 6 (42)
FO, leaving a long tail to sew the face onto the body.
Throughout crocheting the head you’ve probably noted increases right next to each other creating a “point.” This will be the top of the head of your chinchilla.
If you are using safety eyes, insert them now between rnds 7 and 8. Using this top point as a way of finding the center of the face, insert the safety eyes 5 – 6 stitches over from that middle line both to the right and the left (photos D, E).
Place a cotton-ball sized piece of stuffing in the snout, making sure it doesn’t fill up the face past where you inserted the safety eyes (photo F). This makes it easier to sew on, and you’ll be able to add more stuffing as needed later.
To attach the face to the body, thread the tail you left onto a needle and use pins to secure the face while you’re sewing it on. This really helps you get the placement right and stretch the face properly.
Pin the top of the head between rounds 3 and 4 on the flatter, front side of your chinchilla body (photo G).
Pin the bottom of the head between rounds 17 and 18 on the front of the chinchilla body (photo H).
The next spot to pin down is where the slip stitches turn into single crochet stitches on the right side of the front of the face. Pin it to the head 8 sts over to the right and two rounds up from where you pinned the bottom of the head (photo I).
The last spot to pin down is where the single crochet stitches turn into slip stitches on the left side of the front of the face. Pin it to the head 8 sts over to the left and two rounds up from where you pinned the bottom of the head (photo J).
Now that it’s properly pinned, whip stitch the face on until you only have about an inch left unstitched (photos K – M).
Add a bit more stuffing until the face is filled out and holds its shape well (photo N). Then finish stitching the face on and weave in the end.
At this point your chinchilla may look a little funny – but that’s okay, as long as it looks like the photo below you’re on the right track!
To give the chinchilla face its signature shape, you’ll need to use some scrap yarn to create eye indentations. Cut a piece of yarn about 12 inches long and thread it onto a yarn needle. Starting with the right eye, push the needle into the face right next to the right safety eye towards the back side of the face, coming out on the left side right next to the left safety eye. (photos O, P top arrow).
Pull the yarn through. Then push the needle through the face again, this time going into the face under the left eye and coming out under the right eye (photo P bottom arrow and green dots).
You’ll now have two yarn ends coming out of the face near the right eye. Pull them tight to create the indentation (photo Q). Once you’ve pulled it tight enough, tie a knot and weave in the ends.
Leg (make 2)
Rnd 1: sc 5 in a MR
Rnds 2 – 4: sc 5 each round
Rnd 5: dec, sc 3
Rnd 6: sc 4
FO, leaving a tail to sew the leg on. Don’t stuff. Use your fingers to flatten the leg.
Pin the legs onto the bottom of your chinchilla. You’ll want to place them starting about 6 rows out from where you closed off the body with 8 sts in between them. Make sure they’re angled slightly away from each other (photo R). Stand your chinchilla up normally to ensure the placement lets the feet stick out from under the body, and adjust as necessary (photo S).
For each foot, use the yarn tail you left behind to sew the foot onto the body. Stitch down across the end of the foot and only one or two stitches up the side of the foot to keep it secure (photo T).
Once both feet are sewn on, weave in the ends (photo U).
Arm (make 2)
Rnd 1: sc 4 in a MR
Rnds 2 – 4: sc 4 each round
FO, leaving a tail to sew the arm on. Don’t stuff. Use your fingers to flatten the arm so that it looks like a little mitten.
Pin both arms onto the front of the chinchilla below the face with only 4 stitches between the inside of the tops of the hands. You’ll want them to be at an angle so it looks like the paws are tilted in slightly towards each other (photo V). To create this effect you only want to stitch the top of the arm down with the inside top corners being higher than the outside top corners. Place the inside top corner between rows 20 and 21 (photo W blue dot) and the outside top corners between rows 21 and 22 (photo W black dot).
After stitching the top of each arm down, weave in the ends.
Since this pattern is long and very photo-heavy, I’ve broken it up into two separate blog posts. Click HERE to continue the pattern and learn how to make the ears, tail, and embroidered details!
