Rusty is a round, cuddly red panda with a rust-coloured head, white cheeks, little white eyebrows, dark brown legs and a big striped tail. A green cord scarf keeps him cosy.
He is made from the same round head and body as our other friends, so the shaping is all single crochet. The face markings are small flat circles and a few embroidered stitches. Step-by-step photos show every part, and there is a chestnut version at the end.
Looking for another animal? See all our crochet animal patterns in one place, sorted by farm, wild, ocean, pets and fantasy.
Rusty the Red Panda Free Crochet Pattern
What You’ll Need
- Sport / fine (size 2) cotton yarn in rust orange, white, cream, dark brown and green, plus a little black for the nose
- 2.5 mm crochet hook (a hook smaller than the yarn label suggests keeps the stitches tight)
- A pair of 10 mm safety eyes
- Fiberfill stuffing
- Tapestry needle, sewing pins and a stitch marker
The finished size depends on your yarn and hook: thicker yarn and a bigger hook make a bigger Rusty.
Abbreviations (US terms)
- MR magic ring
- sc single crochet
- inc increase: 2 sc in the same stitch
- dec decrease (use the invisible decrease for a smooth finish)
- sl st slip stitch
- ch chain
- R round; the number in brackets is the stitch count at the end of the round
Before You Start
- Work in continuous rounds and move a stitch marker to the first stitch of each round.
- New to safety eyes? See how to attach safety eyes to amigurumi.
- Stuff as you go; this guide on stuffing amigurumi keeps the shapes smooth.
Head
Head (rust orange, make 1)
- R1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
- R2: inc ×6 (12)
- R3: (1 sc, inc) ×6 (18)
- R4: (2 sc, inc) ×6 (24)
- R5: (3 sc, inc) ×6 (30)
- R6: (4 sc, inc) ×6 (36)
- R7: (5 sc, inc) ×6 (42)
- R8-15: sc around (42)
- Insert 10 mm safety eyes between Rounds 12 and 13, 7 stitches apart.
- R16: (5 sc, dec) ×6 (36)
- R17: (4 sc, dec) ×6 (30)
- R18: (3 sc, dec) ×6 (24)
- Stuff the head firmly and keep stuffing as you close.
- R19: (2 sc, dec) ×6 (18)
- R20: (1 sc, dec) ×6 (12)
- R21: dec ×6 (6)
- Fasten off, weave the tail through the front loops and pull the hole closed.
Face and Details
Cheeks (white, make 2)
- R1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
- R2: inc ×6 (12)
- Slip stitch to join and fasten off. Sew one under each eye, touching the muzzle.
Muzzle (white, make 1)
- R1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
- R2: inc ×6 (12)
- R3: (1 sc, inc) ×6 (18)
- R4-5: sc around (18)
- Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Embroider the nose over Rounds 1-2, then sew the muzzle between the eyes, stuffing it lightly.
Ears (rust orange, make 2)
- R1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
- R2: inc ×6 (12)
- R3-4: sc around (12)
- Do not stuff. Flatten the ear.
- Close: 6 sc through both layers (6)
- Fasten off. Embroider a white edge around each ear, then sew them to the top of the head over Rounds 5-6.
Body and Limbs
Body (rust orange, make 1)
- R1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
- R2: inc ×6 (12)
- R3: (1 sc, inc) ×6 (18)
- R4: (2 sc, inc) ×6 (24)
- R5: (3 sc, inc) ×6 (30)
- R6-10: sc around (30)
- R11: (3 sc, dec) ×6 (24)
- R12-13: sc around (24)
- R14: (2 sc, dec) ×6 (18)
- R15: sc around (18)
- Stuff firmly. Fasten off, leaving a long tail to sew the body to the head.
Legs (dark brown, make 2)
- R1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
- R2: inc ×6 (12)
- R3-4: sc around (12)
- R5: (4 sc, dec) ×2 (10)
- R6-8: sc around (10)
- Stuff the foot lightly, then flatten the top.
- Close: 5 sc through both layers (5)
- Fasten off and sew the legs to the bottom front of the body so the toy sits.
Arms (dark brown, make 2)
- R1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
- R2: (2 sc, inc) ×2 (8)
- R3-9: sc around (8)
- Stuff only the bottom half. Flatten the top.
- Close: 4 sc through both layers (4)
- Fasten off and sew to the sides of the body just below the neck.
Striped tail (rust orange and cream, make 1)
- R1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
- R2: inc ×6 (12)
- R3: (1 sc, inc) ×6 (18)
- R4-5: sc around (18)
- Change to cream.
- R6-7: sc around (18)
- Change to rust orange.
- R8-9: sc around (18)
- Change to cream.
- R10-11: sc around (18)
- Change to rust orange.
- R12-13: sc around (18)
- R14: (1 sc, dec) ×6 (12)
- R15: sc around (12)
- Stuff lightly. Flatten.
- Close: 6 sc through both layers (6)
- Fasten off and sew to the back of the body so the tail curls round.
Scarf (green, make 1)
- Ch 46. Row 1: sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across (45)
- Fasten off. Wrap the cord around the neck and tie a loose knot at the side, letting the ends hang.
Assembly
- Sew the white muzzle below the eyes and embroider a black nose.
- Sew a white cheek under each eye and embroider a small white eyebrow above each eye.
- Sew the ears to the top of the head.
- Sew the head to the body, then the dark brown legs and arms.
- Sew the striped tail at the back and tie the green scarf.
For invisible seams, follow how to sew amigurumi pieces together, and for the nose see how to embroider faces on amigurumi.
Make a Chestnut red panda
Make the head, body and tail stripes in a deep chestnut brown instead of rust, keep the white face marks and use a mustard scarf.
FAQ
How do I keep the tail stripes neat?
Change colour on the last pull-through of the round before, and carry the yarn inside the tail instead of cutting it each time.
Which yarn works best?
A smooth sport-weight cotton shows the stitches clearly and keeps the shape. Velvet yarn makes a softer, cuddlier toy but hides the stitches.
Is it safe for babies?
Safety eyes can come loose with hard play. For a baby, embroider the eyes with black yarn instead.
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