Amelia the Axolotl

CROCHET PATTERN BY
Welcome!
I hope you will enjoy the creation of this axolotl! Please don't hesitate to contact me at
[email protected] with any questions that you may have along the way. Have fun!

Did You Know?

Axolotls can be found in the wild in one place in the world – the lakes of Mexico.

Axolotls can regenerate nearly any body part. In fact, among vertebrates, axolotls are unrivaled in
their ability to regrow gills, tails, limbs, and internal organs.

Axolotls are carnivores; they eat small fish, insect larvae, worms, mollusks, and crustaceans.

The pattern and images contained in this document are the sole
property of Theresa's Crochet Shop. This written pattern is for
personal use only.

Please do not redistribute or sell this pattern in whole or in part.

You may sell the finished product, but please credit

Theresa's Crochet Shop as the designer.

© 2023, Theresa’s Crochet Shop

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Materials You Will Need
• Crochet hook size: 3.75mm
• Medium/worsted/aran weight yarn: pink and dark pink
• Yarn needle
• One pair of 12 mm safety eyes (see note 1)
• Polyester fiber fill stuffing
• One strand of black embroidery floss

Abbreviations
ch – chain
st(s) – stitch(es)
sc – single crochet
dec – sc decrease st (see note 4)

Size
Final measurement for the finished axolotl is 6.5 inches (or 16.5 cm) tall.

Videos
Did you know I have a YouTube channel? Here are a few videos made specifically to help as you
make this pattern:

Channel: youtube.com/@theresascrochetshop
Vid #1 – How to Embroider an Axolotl’s Facial Details: youtu.be/xHrwLFnR3g0
Vid #2 – Let’s Make an Axolotl: youtu.be/UDysaHi8-FI
Vid #3 - How to Secure the Dark Pink Yarn for the Gills: youtu.be/vm8PC8Crjpk
Vid #4 – How to Crochet the Tail Fin: youtu.be/upbVe8BV738

Notes
1. Safety eyes can be found on Etsy, Amazon, a craft store, etc. The safety eyes are recommended
but can be substituted with embroidered eyes.

2. Unless noted otherwise, this pattern is crocheted in continuous rounds.

3. In my patterns, I begin each circle with “ch 2, 6 sc in first ch.” Another way of beginning is to start
with a magic circle. If you are more familiar with this method, just do 6 sc into your magic circle.

4. Single crochet decrease stitch explanation: Insert the hook into the next stitch and yarn over.
Pull a loop through so that there are now 2 loops on the hook. Insert the hook into the next
stitch and yarn over. Pull a loop through so that there are now 3 loops on the hook. Yarn over
again and pull the loop of yarn through all 3 loops on the hook.

© 2023, Theresa’s Crochet Shop

Amelia the Axolotl ii
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Instructions
Head
With pink yarn,
Round 1: Ch 2, 6 sc in first ch (6 sts)
R2: 2 sc in each st around (12 sts)
R3: (Sc 1, 2 sc in next st) 6 times (18 sts)
R4: (Sc 2, 2 sc in next st) 6 times (24 sts)
R5: (Sc 3, 2 sc in next st) 6 times (30 sts)
R6-8: Sc 30 (30 sts x 3 total rounds)
R9: (Sc 14, 2 sc in next st) 2 times (32 sts)
R10: (Sc 7, 2 sc in next st) 4 times (36 sts)
R11: (Sc 5, 2 sc in next st) 6 times (42 sts)
R12: (Sc 5, dec 1) 6 times (36 sts)
R13: (Sc 4, dec 1) 6 times (30 sts)
R14: (Sc 3, dec 1) 6 times (24 sts)
R15: (Sc 2, dec 1) 6 times (18 sts)
R16: (Sc 4, dec 1) 3 times (15 sts)

Fasten off, leaving only a short yarn tail. Tuck this yarn tail
inside the head. Begin stuffing the head. Insert the safety
eyes between R11-R12 with 6 sts in between. Wait to attach
the backs of the eyes until you have sewn on the smile (so
you can double check the eye placement).

Now take a long strand of black embroidery floss and pull it

apart into halves, so that you are only working with half of the
original thickness of the strand. This makes for a more
delicate smile. You can leave the strand whole if you prefer.
OR, if you don’t have embroidery floss, you can also use a
A B
black strand of yarn; pull it apart into halves to make a
thinner strand. See Vid #1 on the Materials page for a video
explanation of sewing on the facial details.

Thread this strand onto your yarn needle, insert it through C D

the opening at the bottom of the head and out between the
eyes. There are 6 sts in between the eyes; the smile will be
sewn on the middle 2 sts. Sew 1 horizontal stitch between the
eyes (Figure 1-A), then bring your needle up 1 round lower, Figure 1: Smile and Eyelashes

grab the initial stitch (Figure 1-B), and insert your needle back
into the same spot to form a little “v” (Figure 2).

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Wait to tie a knot to secure your embroidery floss. Now check

the eye placement and make sure the eyes are evenly spaced
– 2 sts from the smile on either side. Once you like the
placement, firmly press the backs onto the eyes. Now pick up
your embroidery floss again and sew 2 tiny eyelashes at the
corners of each eye (Figure 1-C). Weave the embroidery floss
through to the opening at the bottom of the head and tie the
beginning and ending tails together with a knot (Figure 1-D).

Next, thread a long strand of dark pink yarn onto your yarn
needle, insert it through the opening at the bottom of the
head and out just below the eyes. Sew 1 little stitch below
each eye. Secure this pink strand of yarn with a knot to the
beginning tail as you did with the embroidery floss. Your
axolotl’s head will now look as shown in Figure 2. Figure 2: Finished Facial Details

Finish stuffing the head.

Body
With pink yarn,
R1: Ch 2, 4 sc in first ch (4 sts)
R2: (Sc 1, 2 sc in next st) 2 times (6 sts)
R3: Sc 6 (6 sts)
R4: (Sc 1, 2 sc in next st) 3 times (9 sts)
R5: Sc 9 (9 sts)
R6: (Sc 2, 2 sc in next st) 3 times (12 sts)
R7-9: Sc 12 (12 sts x 3 total rounds)
R10: (Sc 3, 2 sc in next st) 3 times (15 sts)
R11: Sc 15 (15 sts)
R12: (Sc 4, 2 sc in next st) 3 times (18 sts)
R13: (Sc 2, 2 sc in next st) 6 times (24 sts)
R14-19: Sc 24 (24 sts x 6 total rounds)
R20: (Sc 6, dec 1) 3 times (21 sts)
R21: (Sc 5, dec 1) 3 times (18 sts)
R22: (Sc 4, dec 1) 3 times (15 sts) Figure 3: Head and Body

Fasten off, leaving a yarn tail for sewing. Stuff the body. Sew
the body to the head (Figure 3).

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External Gills (x6)

Note: unlike the rest of the axolotl, these gills are crocheted in rows.
A C
With pink yarn,
R1: Ch 8, turn, sc 7 (7 sts)

Fasten off, leaving a yarn tail for sewing (Figure 4-A).

B
Now, attach the dark pink yarn to your crochet hook (leaving
a beginning yarn tail that is 5-6 inches for weaving in later),
and starting where you began R1 of the gills (Figure 4-B):

Figure 4: Making the Gills

R2: Sc 6 sts up the right side of the pink strip, then do 2 sc in
the next st, and 6 sc sts down the left side of the stripe – to
form a rainbow-like shape (14 sts)

Fasten off, leaving a medium-length yarn tail for weaving in.

Your finished gill will look as shown in Figure 4-C.

Once you have made all 6 of these gills, position them on the
head, 3 on each side, 4 sts back from the eyes. You may want
to pin the gills to the head so you can visualize how they will A C
need to be sewn on. Start by sewing on the middle gill. The
top of this middle gill should be 2 rounds up from the top of
the eyes (Figure 5-A), and remember – 4 sts back from the
eyes. There will be 4 yarn tails hanging off the gill. Secure
these ends to the head with a knot and then weave them B
inside the head (you will repeat this step after sewing on each
gill). See Vid #3 on the Materials page for a video explanation of this
step. Now sew on the bottom gill, with the corner just slightly
behind the middle gill. Lastly, sew on the top gill, which will Figure 5: Sewing on the Gills
also fit slightly behind the middle gill (Figure 5-B & Figure 5-C).

Repeat on the other side, making sure to check and double

check that the gills are sewn 4 sts back from the eyes on this
side as well.

Legs (x4)
With pink yarn,
R1: Ch 2, 6 sc in first ch (6 sts)
R2-4: Sc 6 (6 sts x 3 total rounds)

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Fasten off, leaving a yarn tail for sewing. You do not need to
stuff these legs as they are so small.

Sew the first 2 legs (or “arms”) to the sides of the body, facing
forwards, right below the head. Sew the second 2 legs to the
body starting at R12 of the body. The tops of these bottom
legs should be 2-3 rounds down from the bottoms of the 2
“arms” (Figure 8).

Dark Pink Tail Fin Figure 6: Starting the Tail Fin

Note: See Vid #4 on the Materials page for a video explanation of
crocheting the tail fin to the body.
For the final step in making the axolotl, attach dark pink yarn
to your crochet hook, insert it into the left side of the body
(your right side when looking down at the axolotl) at R10
(Figure 6), and crochet as follows:

R1: Single crochet along the surface of the right side of the
body – down to the point at the bottom of the body and
up the left side until you are at R10 on the opposite side
(20 sts) Figure 7: Finished Tail Fin
R2: Now, turn, do not ch 1, sc 3, 2 sc in the next 3 sts, sc 6, 2
sc in the next 3 sts, sc 3, and do a slip stitch in the final
stitch (24 sts)

Fasten off, leaving a yarn tail for weaving in. Weave in the
dark pink yarn tails through the back of the fin. Your finished
fin will look as shown in Figure 7 & Figure 8.

And there you go, you are finished! Thanks so much for
joining me in making a little axolotl! Enjoy!
Figure 8: Finished Axolotl
~Theresa

© 2023, Theresa’s Crochet Shop

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